Mountains On the Water: Third Day of The Rae Lakes Loop

Fin Dome, seen above the Rae Lakes

The deer came back for breakfast.

Andrew and I had just finished eating, oatmeal when we spied them lurking at the corner of the camp like sharks. Be gone pests!

Another barrage of pine cones and a few charges at their flanks helped beat them back but they didn’t go far, hoping that we would leave scraps they could chew. We made extra sure to clear out the site and disappoint them.

It had been a chill morning, with the mountains to the east leaving our campsite in their shadow. As soon as the sun climbed above the peaks, however, things began getting warm fast. I ended up shedding several layers as we followed the trail north along the river.

It was basically an uphill climb for the first eight miles of the hike. Add that to the heat, an unexpected sore throat, plus congestion and it was tough going. Andrew set an ambitious pace. We also got into an hour-long debate about medical reform while puffing up the trail. Eventually, I let my argument drop and tried enjoying the scenery.

Hiking through the valley

There was a grove of silvery aspen trees, leaves fluttering before the peaks that flanked the road ahead. In another place, there appeared to be the aftermath of a colossal avalanche or landslide. There were trees knocked to the ground like toothpicks all the way down one slope, and then partially up another — like the thing had so much momentum that it almost bowled its way up a whole new mountainside.

Soon after, we came upon the Pacific Crest Trail, which crossed the river on a suspension bridge. The trail started gaining elevation quickly from there.

There was a fair amount of mud on the path, which switched back several times across an icy stream. At one point, we found a set of prints — pads and claws — that could only have been left by a bear walking up the trail the same way we were.

Sequoias and snow along the trail

Mud gave way to snow, which came up to hip deep in places. We looked for rocks at the edge of the trail where we would be able to avoid post-holing, but most of the time it was a matter stepping out on the crust and hoping it would hold weight.

Soon, our hard work had its reward: a view of the first high-mountain lake. The snowy peak across the water caught the afternoon sun, casting its illumination upon the dusky water. The lake held mountain and sky in striking double-image.

We had a treacherous march past the pond, traversing a steep wall where we hoped not to slip on the snow underfoot and tumble in the water.

Afterward, we followed the stream for a while longer, enjoying the sight of waterfalls with Fin Dome and other peaks in the background. As the sun sank lower, we began to hike around a larger lake. The gray rock of Fin Dome took on an orange luster.

Camp for the night

We took a camp spot with a bear box and made a dinner of cheesy mashed potatoes. As we surveyed the mountains around us, we started planning for the last day of the loop and whether or not we would want to try to bag one of the peaks nearby. A look at some of those candidates, suggested that this wouldn’t be easy.

The climb up Rixford, for instance, which had looked like an easy jaunt off the trail on my map, looked incredibly tough now that I was there to see it in person. Our way would be fraught with knife-edge ridges and steep snowfields.

Another peak, Gould, still had possibilities if we were willing to do a little extra after we got to the top of Kearsarge Pass on our way out. Still, that added to Kearsarge and the formidable Glen Pass, which we would have to climb in order to get out of the valley (both of which are almost 12,000 feet) might have been overambitious for our last day.

No matter how we cut it, we would have our work cut out for us.

Mountain catches the first light of the new day