Pinnacle Lake #703

A late start & a 10 mile back drive for the trail pass in the window of our other car should have been an omen. This turned out to be the worst backpack of our lives.

Guess we had forgotten how bad this trail is. Be prepared for traversing a slippery carpet of roots the whole way to the lake. Some of these networks require knee to waist high efforts of elevation. And then the mud which really isn't a problem with good foot gear.

The intent was to go up Iodine Gultch to what we have heard is a beautiful area of tarns & small lakes. Well, we should have checked with this web or the ranger. Do our disbelief we hit snow before the lake. Decided not to risk the thin snow fields left in the rock slide ascent above the lake and went to the far end of the lake for some privacy. All the ""good"" campsites remembered were full of snow or not as nice as we thought. Found one dry, semi level, patch for our very small tent and as we began to unload the bugs decended! Thought I was used to any level of bug attack but this one caused me to beg the wife for her extra sheet of netting...under which we performed all camp tasks. To late to enjoy the last rays of sun we ate dinner & conversed under netting until heading for the safety & somewhat comfort of the tent. The bugs chased us home early this morning and the whole experience was quite humbling.

Sorry to be so negative about an activity we have enjoyed for so many years but....we're definately past our prime I guess. Better luck to the next party into these parts.

G&G