Letting Go of the Bay Leaf: Angelica

Western Pasqueflower in seed

It was 9.30 p.m., and I was sound asleep. "Did you hear that?" whispered Spousal Unit. I didn't respond, until a moment later.

"Harumph?" Splash. Splash.

"What is THAT?" I asked, turning to look in his direction. My inflatable mattress crinkled under the shift in my weight, and my sleeping bag rustled, both of which made me cringe.

"I can't see anything," he said, leaning on his left elbow and peering intently into the darkness through the fine mesh of the tent.

Munch. Munch. Splash. "Harumph?" Splash.

Bear grass - a late bloomer!

Yes, folks, the scene is in the midst of the Jewel Basin, the location of our last backcountry camping trip. For 15 minutes, we listened to a random series of grunts, munching and splashes, with only theories about the source.

"Can you tell how far away it is?" By now I had goosebumps all over and I could feel myself trembling slightly, even in the warmth of my bag.

"Maybe 30 yards," he said, shaking the bear spray canister. (Bear spray has to be well-mixed to be effective.)

"Harumph?" Splash. Splash.

"What do you think it is?"

Cow parsnip in seed

"Maybe a moose," he speculated. Of course, the temptation was strong, to turn on our headlamps and identify the creature. Especially knowing that I love moose. But would this simply serve to antagonize it, whatever "it" might be?

Munch. Munch. "Harumph?" Splash. Splash.

"What's the plan?" I am sure that if I had been able to see anything, it would have been an eye roll from Spousal Unit. Yes, in retrospect, a silly question. But it was practically killing me to lie there with no idea what was lurking just 30 yards from our tent. I almost would have preferred to know it was a grizzly bear, if that was the case.

Crash, crash, crash (the sounds of brush breaking under foot, but growing fainter).

And with that, the critter was gone. You can rest assured that I continued to question the wisdom of backcountry camping for the next few hours, as I tried to calm myself enough to return to the land of Nod. Eventually I succeeded, and in the clear light of day, it was as if this mysterious visit never happened!

The next morning, fortified by a cup of coffee, we ventured down the shore line. Given its rocky nature, it was almost impossible to see any tracks, much less anything identifiable. We could discern divots in the mud of the lake bed, but whether they were made by a moose, elk or bear was anyone's guess. We examined the brushy area, and it was obvious that it is frequented as a route to and from the lake - the bushes have bent branches, and the smaller plants are crushed. But again, no clear tracks. Sigh. No clues to the mystery here.

So we got on with our morning business - I tended the fire and started to pack up small items while Man with Hat plied the lake for fish. It might have been too early for them, and soon enough he was back on shore for breakfast and another cup of coffee.

A second round of fishing resulted in a few nibbles and one catch, but nothing compared to the day before at Wildcat Lake. Yes, you're right, I am telling this story completely out of sequence, but isn't grabbing the attention of your readers one of the keys to great writing? I led with the thrilling part!

Wildcat Lake sits in a cirque surrounded by lush alpine meadow

and dark subalpine fir forest, as well as the crags of the Swan Crest

The day before, we hiked from Camp Misery (no joke - that's its name) to Wildcat Lake. Man with Hat wasted no time in launching his pack raft, and for the next 2.5 hours, made a full circuit of the lake, hooking at least 20 fish. He let them all go; we didn't have a good way to keep them cool for the remainder of our hike. I pottered around the shore, taking pictures (no big shock), making noise and playing Solitaire (I won twice!)

Bottom Center: Huckleberry - leaves turning red!

Upper left - can you see the caterpillar? Bottom left: Mountain Ash

Upper right: Wildcat Lake Middle left: Baneberry fruit Bottom left: Angelica

Bottom middle: Yellow mushroom the size of a grapefruit Bottom right: Jacob's Ladder in seed stage

We climbed out of the basin that contains Wildcat, and the trail led us down one draw (a narrow valley) and up another to stand above Strawberry Lake. Along the way, we spotted a solitary mountain goat high on the cliffs above us.

Upon our descent to Strawberry, we found a few day-hikers, who soon departed to beat the sunset. With the lake to ourselves, we chose a site at the head of the lake, on a spot of grass just the right size for our tent. This "campground" differed from our previous sites (Logging Lake, Ole Creek, Red Eagle/Atlantic Creek) because it did not have pre-defined campsites, cooking area, food hanging pole or pit toilet. In Jewel Basin, you have the freedom to camp where you like, but you have to work a little harder to hang your backpacks, make your own bathroom - well, you get the idea. We followed all the guidelines for separating cooking from the tent, etc., but I wonder if it's just a coincidence that we had a close-to-a-critter encounter here and not at our other locations?

Ramen with re-hydrated vegies

The remaining daylight was quickly consumed setting up camp and making dinner. We retired to the tent, played some Gin, (Spousal Unit won 3 out of 5), and you know the rest of that night's story!!

After we packed up camp, the 3 miles down to Strawberry Lake trailhead was almost an afterthought. I was anxious to get home and start investigating Mr. Harumph. Maybe I could find a similar sound on YouTube, and solve this mystery. But it was not to be. Despite several hours of searching, I have been unable to hear a similar grunt. Maybe Spousal Unit is right - forget the moose, elk or bear - he's going with Sasquatch!

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us.

White Angelica

If you're a hiker, how do you choose your hikes? What makes for a good hike that you would be willing to repeat? It could be proximity to your house, stunning views, unique topography, access to a lake or river for fishing. Some factors may discourage you - significant elevation gain, high popularity of the trail, long distances.

On July 21, 2017, we were swayed to select Stanton Lake due to distance (only 4 miles out and back), access to fishing, and the location (but more about that later). #1 Son would be accompanying us, and the 'boys' were hankering to do some fishing together. So off we went.

Fireweed

The trail climbs steadily, but it's not too strenuous, and within a mile and a bit we reached the foot of the lake. Along the way, we were teased by partial glimpses of Great Northern Mountain. The rushing sound of the creek leaving the lake could be heard on this section of the trail.

Once at the lakeshore, the trail flattened. We encountered numerous hikers, and a group of campers occupied the shore at the head of the lake, but nonetheless the boys located peaceful spots to cast a line. #1 Son caught one lake trout.

I kept myself occupied with the plentiful flora and fauna around me.

Stanton Lake, looking west with view of Great Northern Mountain

Great Northern Mountain

It didn't take much more for us to conclude that this is a trail worth recommending to others, which we have done regularly. In fact, #1 Son brought his girlfriend here later that same summer, and we returned this summer with the couple that built our house. Also, ever since this hike, #1 Son has been inspired by Great Northern Mountain, which he would like to climb some day. (It is assailed from the opposite side that you see here, and involves 4800 feet of elevation gain over a six mile journey round trip. Whew!) Watch this space!

Now, back to location. Faithful readers will know about huckleberries, which pop up in my posts in pies and cakes and other delectables. An important factor in selecting a hike is proximity to a restaurant that serves huck pie … what better way to conclude a hiking day? Stanton Lake ticks the box - my 4Runner easily found its way to the parking lot of the Huckleberry Patch, conveniently situated on our way home!

Linking to:

All Seasons