Page 2 - To Marmot Lake

Marmot Lake

We made camp amid a lovely spot right next to Marmot Lake. Hunters had obviously been here – probably last week, judging by the debris. They actually did clean up after themselves; they threw everything in the fire-ring. There were empty coffee cans, paper boxes, Heidelberg Light beer cans, various tinfoil and plastic scraps, and even an empty Black Velvet bottle. There's no way little Micki and I can carry all that shit out of here, so I’m afraid it will have to stay where it is.

There was NO way we could have made the final mile up to No Name lakes last night. It's not going to be any piece of cake, either. Sucker looks both steep and rough.

Micki frolics alongside Marmot Lake

After dinner, Micki and I checked out the very rough and sometimes non-existent fisherman's trail that leads around the shore of Marmot Lake to a vantage point close to the gully we have to ascend tomorrow. It looks pretty much like what the guide books said: it’s going to be a strenuous scramble to get up to No Name and Jade Lakes.

We did not make it all the way around to the foot of the gully because I had decided to turn back at 7 PM regardless of where we were. As it transpired, we barely returned to camp before it was just about too dark to see the ground in front of us. We gratefully retreated into the comfort of our toasty sleeping bags (well, me in the bag and Micki in my jacket) and slept the night away.

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