Day 5

Grey Wolf Pass Camp

Another beautiful blue-sky day greeted us on day five.  We broke camp and traveled up a deer trail towards our next campsite.  This off the book route was not entirely secret and we noticed small stone stacks marking the way.  While these are helpful from a hikers perspective these can be distracting from a naturalist’s perspective.  I do not mind them though.

We climbed to a ridge and then I had the pleasure of leading the group on a snowfield traverse.  It was exciting but hard work.  During this traverse we came across a rock that had beautiful parallel groves.  These were glacier created and was an indication of this areas past.  A quick sled ride down and we were at the next lake.  From above, we could clearly see a tributary formed by the sediment wash of the past glacier.  These sediment deposits are hallmarks of former glacier tracks.  As the ice formations slide down mountainsides they pick up sediment and carry it down the mountain.  The deposits form at the bottom of glacier tracks as the ice melts. 

The glacier marked stone

Cedar Lake

Sledding to Cedar Lake

More snowfield crossing 

We were greeted by a sun bathing marmot at the end of the tributary.  This beaver like rodents are alpine dwellers.  They are adorable and our group quickly became very fond of them.  But I knew better.  I have experienced these creatures intimately in the Rockies of Colorado and I know what they are capable of!  They are pranksters who will take any opportunity to rob unsuspecting hikers of their snacks.  However, I must admit that the Olympic marmots were far better mannered than their Colorado brothers and we had no instances of marmot theft. 

These rodents have a call system that ranges from a high-pitched shriek to less high-pitched shriek.  The highest pitched shriek is a warning or distress call used to signify nearby predators.  The other call is most likely peer communication.  They are burrowing animals and their holes were everywhere.

Marmot neighborhood

We had the privilege to see a Bald Eagle hunting the lake.  This was a sure sign of fish in the water.  The magnificent bird circled high above and the marmot did sound an alarm.  The whole experience was incredible. 

Everyone really enjoyed this campsite and not without good reason.  The lake was beautiful and reflected the nearby ridges like a gigantic mirror.  On top of these ridges we saw an ice formation called a cornice, which is basically a large ice shelf that extends slightly outwards over a ridge line. These can be very dangerous for climbers especially in summer because they can fall without warning.

River next to Cedar Lake

We set up camp and everyone relaxed.  Anren got to fly fish and showed off some very impressive skills.  He caught several fish (but only kept one) and even had the patience to give me a crash course on fly-casting.  I sucked, caught nothing, and even managed to lose a fly.  The fish he caught were all trout varieties.  These were probably air dropped in sometime during the 20^th century (again dark days for environmentalism.) 

The fisherman at work

After dinner Alison lead a discussion on the spiritual benefits on nature.  We all related to this discussion well.  Many enjoyed the lack of distractions from urbanized life.  Others enjoyed how much the scenery inspired wonder and amazement.  For me, the outdoors are a place where I can unwind and think clearly.  I feel an incredible amount of peace being in the wilderness.  Their is a familiarity to it since I have been going on trip since I was very little.  But there is always something new to discover and witness.  The wilderness never gets old for me and I find it very hard to be unhappy while out here.  Sure life is not as easy but it is also straightforward and simple.  This is overwhelmingly therapeutic because urbanized life is actually very stressful overly complex.  The lack of noise, light, and atmospheric pollution is regenerating for my senses.  I sleep well and wake up feeling refreshed while I am in the outdoors.  I cannot say the same for my life in the city.  Even the most basic meals are very satisfying.  I want less and need less.  In many ways the way of life in the backcountry feels far more natural than the way of life in the city.

Before going to bed Alison, Anren, and I sat out and enjoyed the stars.  We saw around five Black-tailed Deer throughout the campsite.  They are sodium-deprived animals and are attracted to the sweat residue on our clothing.  The are eerie creature during the night but are very harmless.  They do not fear humans very much because they have no real reason too.  They have not been hunted.   

 I read another chapter from Call of the Wild and reread Walking in preparation for my discussion and then hit the hay.