Marmot Pass '07,  Buckhorn Wilderness Area,  Jul 6, 2007 - Jul 7, 2007     page 28 / 32

I intended to spend the morning hiking down the trail to Boulder shelter, then up to the pass above the Charlia Lakes. I was curious to take a look into the wild country those lakes are tucked into. I had an ice axe with me, expecting to find quite a bit more snow in the area. As it turned out, there was less snow then during my trip in 2006, nearly a year earlier to the date.

The night had brought cold temperatures, but not quite to freezing. The first short patch of snow I encountered just west of Marmot Pass. The surface had crusted over just enough to be slick. Without crampons, I was not interested in trying to get to the Charlia lake viewpoint.

Instead, I continued north along the trail toward Copper Creek. It was just after 7:00AM, so I walked quietly, looking for animals. I found a few deer just down the hill from the trail.