Days 6 & 7

Since I am about to go into a section where I will likely not have any cell service for 3 or 4 days I am going to post now rather than waiting.  The most challenging experiences of the last two days were getting over Whitefish Pass and encountering and overly friendly and pesky deer at Tuchuck campground.

Whitefish Pass is a relatively low Pass of only a bit over 5k ft but the day I climbed it was in the high 90s, which had me stopping every couple of miles to dunk my shirt in one of the many small streams to keep reasonably cool.  Near the top the road got insanely steep and rocky, which reduced me to walking.  Right at the same time some thunderstorms rolled in and the temperature dropped about 30 degrees.  I made a mad dash over the top in the rain, all too aware of the lightning.  

About 8 miles down the other side I pulled into Tuchuck campground and a very old scraggly looking deer followed me through two loops around the campground as I looked for a spot I liked.  It kept revisiting my site every hour or so and walking up within a few feet of me looking for a handout.  Perhaps because I didn't feed it I woke up the morning to some clothes I had left hanging to dry scattered over a 50 ft diameter area and all chewed up.  One jersey is now full of small holes, my helmet is missing the forehead pad and a big chunk of foam is missing from inside it, one gloves is gone, and the other was gnawed nearly to death. I think the deer was after the salt from my sweat.


Coming down the other side:


The overly friendly deer (and destroyer of clothing);



The next day featured a slightly higher elevation climb but was a breeze and had a serene Lake at the top where I stopped for lunch.  Last night I checked into the Firebrand Hotel in Whitefish Mt for a break from the wild and to enjoy a very good dinner.






Comments

  1. TanyaJuly 31, 2022 at 2:34 PM

    Were you able to replace any gear while you were in town? I look forward to hearing from you again in a few days. Watch out for Yogi and Booboo. Have fun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom GAugust 19, 2022 at 5:53 AM

      No, but I got everything I needed later in Pinedale.

      Delete

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