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This report covers a four day backpacking trip into Ice Lake in Yellowstone National Park, starting on September 14th and running through the 17th. This trip was with three of my old backpacking buddies who are getting a bit long in the tooth and don't get out much anymore. One in particular will be going in for more back surgery in two weeks, so it was nice getting him out into the backcountry one more time, albeit a short (distance) one.
Ice Lake is located on the edge of the Solfatara Plateau and is just a short distance from the trailhead. The best campsite on the lake is 4D2, which is located on the east side of the lake, and the one which I reserved for three nights for our group. Along with hiking into the lake, we planned on doing a day hike the second day to Little Gibbon Falls, a bushwhack to some meadows along the Gibbon River, and on day three, a hike up to Wolf Lake and some exploration of the meadows to the north of the lake.
Temperatures were pleasant with high's in the low to upper sixties and the lows being in the low thirties down to twenty three degrees on our last night. Each night, we were fortunate enough to have bugling elk help us drift off to sleep and in the mornings have Canadian Geese honking to wake us up.
Here are some shots of the trip.
Day 1 - Hike into the lake
Our route into campsite 4D2 on Ice Lake
The Geriatric Squad (GS) - sometimes confused with the more popular Suicide Squad.
Both ways point to Ice Lake, so how could we go wrong.
Check out this mess! He brought enough food in to feed seven people.
Campsite 4D2
A look at the food area at 4D2
The Geriatric Sqaud (GS) likes to cut wood.
Sunset on Ice Lake
Day 2 - A day hike to Little Gibbon Falls and two of us off-trailed up the Gibbon River to check out two separate meadows.
Map showing our route to Little Gibbon Falls (purple line) and the off-trail route up the Gibbon (blue line).
I was a bit chilly in the mornings. I sort of look like a WW1 german soldier.
Ice Lake viewed from campsite 4D2 in the morning
The Ice Lake Marriott
I'm starting to get hangry!
Too late, somebody better feed me some breakfast and quick! How do you like my grizzly impersonation
@Rockskipper? I'm lucky one of my backpacking counterparts didn't spray me with bear spray.
Crossing the Gibbon River on our way to Little Gibbon Falls
The GS (Geriatric Squad) likes sign posts
Beginning our descent down to the falls
It only took one finger
Little Gibbon Falls
The GS likes sitting by rivers
Good view of my better half. I'm checking out a tree that fell over the cliff and is completely upside down.
Little Gibbon Falls from above
Beginning the bushwhack up the Gibbon River
The first meadow - the golden grass was beautiful and the wind blowing across it made for waves in the
tall grass. I could have stayed here all day.
The Gibbon cutting through the meadow
The going is getting a little rougher
The beginning of the second meadow
Gorgeous place to eat lunch. Love it!
Check these out, 45 year old boots - special issue for the GS.
A Blue Heron takes flight on our way back down the River
Ha! Watch out for that hole! Usually it is Scatman that falls down, but this time Circles had the pleasure.
My guess is it was those 45 year old boots of his.
I'll take a pint of Plain please.
Our friend back at camp.
Fall colors along the lake
Day 3 - A day hike to Wolf Lake, along with about a half mile of temporary insanity on the way back.
Map of our day hike to Wolf Lake (red route), along with our off-trail hike into the meadows north of Wolf Lake (aqua route), and our little insane bushwhack on our way back to camp (blue route).
View on the way to Wolf Lake
First sight of Wolf Lake
Wolf Lake and Observation Peak in the distance on the right
The mighty Gibbon River, leaving Wolf Lake
Heading off to investigate the meadows north of the lake
These ducks' backsides have nothing on me. See previous image at Little Gibbon Falls for a comparison
if you can stand it.
Walking the meadows
An old beaver lodge on the lake
View to the north, just north of Wolf Lake
A view up the second segment of the finger meadow. We stopped here for lunch.
My Scatman senses tell me this is a bear day bed.
More fall colors at ground level
What? Sleeping on the job! We may have to kick this one out of the Squad. He was supposed to be
on bear watch.
Well, I guess this is what a power nap will do for you. The GS like to teeter-totter.
Ride 'em cowboy!
Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys. Don't let 'em play guitars and drive
them old trucks. Let em be doctors and lawyers and such.
Another gorgeous meadow as we make our way back to camp.
Well, this is where the .4 miles of insanity begins. These little cascading
falls aroused our curiosity. Did they begin on the ridge as a spring or a
creek flowing off of the ridge? Inquiring minds just had to know.
Crossing the Gibbon to get a closer look at the cascades
Is the pole big enough for ya Circles? Nice aspen on the ridge above
At the source - a spring (so we thought). Looking back down on the Gibbon River. Watercress anyone?
It appeared to be a spring but after looking at the 7.5 minute map when I got home it looks like it might
come from a couple small ponds on top of the ridge. Needless to say, I drank a whole liter from where it
emerged on the side of the hill. Tasty!
Instead of heading back down the hill to the trail, these bozos decided to bushwhack back to the trail
through this and thus the .4 miles of temporary insanity.
This doesn't seem so bad. Uh-huh
Argh!
Double Aargh! Hey @Artemus, this looks like your kind of territory.
When do we get out of this Shite? I'll have a pint of Plain please. :twothumbs:
Finally back on the trail and we run into one of these. Anybody care to take a guess at what made it?
There is a story behind this if anyone is interested.
Fall colors along the river
The GS like to fly kites. It was actually so windy that we could not have a fire this night.
That just about wraps it up for Ice Lake. We hiked out the next day and headed for Ponds for some pizza and a beer. But on our way ..........
We saw a bull moose standing in the middle of the Henry's Fork of the Snake on our way home.
The end.
Ice Lake is located on the edge of the Solfatara Plateau and is just a short distance from the trailhead. The best campsite on the lake is 4D2, which is located on the east side of the lake, and the one which I reserved for three nights for our group. Along with hiking into the lake, we planned on doing a day hike the second day to Little Gibbon Falls, a bushwhack to some meadows along the Gibbon River, and on day three, a hike up to Wolf Lake and some exploration of the meadows to the north of the lake.
Temperatures were pleasant with high's in the low to upper sixties and the lows being in the low thirties down to twenty three degrees on our last night. Each night, we were fortunate enough to have bugling elk help us drift off to sleep and in the mornings have Canadian Geese honking to wake us up.
Here are some shots of the trip.
Day 1 - Hike into the lake
Our route into campsite 4D2 on Ice Lake
The Geriatric Squad (GS) - sometimes confused with the more popular Suicide Squad.
Both ways point to Ice Lake, so how could we go wrong.
Check out this mess! He brought enough food in to feed seven people.
Campsite 4D2
A look at the food area at 4D2
The Geriatric Sqaud (GS) likes to cut wood.
Sunset on Ice Lake
Day 2 - A day hike to Little Gibbon Falls and two of us off-trailed up the Gibbon River to check out two separate meadows.
Map showing our route to Little Gibbon Falls (purple line) and the off-trail route up the Gibbon (blue line).
I was a bit chilly in the mornings. I sort of look like a WW1 german soldier.
Ice Lake viewed from campsite 4D2 in the morning
The Ice Lake Marriott
I'm starting to get hangry!
Too late, somebody better feed me some breakfast and quick! How do you like my grizzly impersonation
@Rockskipper? I'm lucky one of my backpacking counterparts didn't spray me with bear spray.
Crossing the Gibbon River on our way to Little Gibbon Falls
The GS (Geriatric Squad) likes sign posts
Beginning our descent down to the falls
It only took one finger
Little Gibbon Falls
The GS likes sitting by rivers
Good view of my better half. I'm checking out a tree that fell over the cliff and is completely upside down.
Little Gibbon Falls from above
Beginning the bushwhack up the Gibbon River
The first meadow - the golden grass was beautiful and the wind blowing across it made for waves in the
tall grass. I could have stayed here all day.
The Gibbon cutting through the meadow
The going is getting a little rougher
The beginning of the second meadow
Gorgeous place to eat lunch. Love it!
Check these out, 45 year old boots - special issue for the GS.
A Blue Heron takes flight on our way back down the River
Ha! Watch out for that hole! Usually it is Scatman that falls down, but this time Circles had the pleasure.
My guess is it was those 45 year old boots of his.
I'll take a pint of Plain please.
Our friend back at camp.
Fall colors along the lake
Day 3 - A day hike to Wolf Lake, along with about a half mile of temporary insanity on the way back.
Map of our day hike to Wolf Lake (red route), along with our off-trail hike into the meadows north of Wolf Lake (aqua route), and our little insane bushwhack on our way back to camp (blue route).
View on the way to Wolf Lake
First sight of Wolf Lake
Wolf Lake and Observation Peak in the distance on the right
The mighty Gibbon River, leaving Wolf Lake
Heading off to investigate the meadows north of the lake
These ducks' backsides have nothing on me. See previous image at Little Gibbon Falls for a comparison
if you can stand it.
Walking the meadows
An old beaver lodge on the lake
View to the north, just north of Wolf Lake
A view up the second segment of the finger meadow. We stopped here for lunch.
My Scatman senses tell me this is a bear day bed.
More fall colors at ground level
What? Sleeping on the job! We may have to kick this one out of the Squad. He was supposed to be
on bear watch.
Well, I guess this is what a power nap will do for you. The GS like to teeter-totter.
Ride 'em cowboy!
Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys. Don't let 'em play guitars and drive
them old trucks. Let em be doctors and lawyers and such.
Another gorgeous meadow as we make our way back to camp.
Well, this is where the .4 miles of insanity begins. These little cascading
falls aroused our curiosity. Did they begin on the ridge as a spring or a
creek flowing off of the ridge? Inquiring minds just had to know.
Crossing the Gibbon to get a closer look at the cascades
Is the pole big enough for ya Circles? Nice aspen on the ridge above
At the source - a spring (so we thought). Looking back down on the Gibbon River. Watercress anyone?
It appeared to be a spring but after looking at the 7.5 minute map when I got home it looks like it might
come from a couple small ponds on top of the ridge. Needless to say, I drank a whole liter from where it
emerged on the side of the hill. Tasty!
Instead of heading back down the hill to the trail, these bozos decided to bushwhack back to the trail
through this and thus the .4 miles of temporary insanity.
This doesn't seem so bad. Uh-huh
Argh!
Double Aargh! Hey @Artemus, this looks like your kind of territory.
When do we get out of this Shite? I'll have a pint of Plain please. :twothumbs:
Finally back on the trail and we run into one of these. Anybody care to take a guess at what made it?
There is a story behind this if anyone is interested.
Fall colors along the river
The GS like to fly kites. It was actually so windy that we could not have a fire this night.
That just about wraps it up for Ice Lake. We hiked out the next day and headed for Ponds for some pizza and a beer. But on our way ..........
We saw a bull moose standing in the middle of the Henry's Fork of the Snake on our way home.
The end.
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