 |
| Tetons, Wildflowers and Tarptent Contrails on the buffalo Plateau |
As we discovered after we woke up, it turned out to be a rather cold night up on the plateau. Our water sources were partially frozen over and we could see our breath as we emerged from our tents. If the early morning sky was any indication this was going to be a beautiful day. The snowy Tetons were illuminated under a cloudless sky off in the distance while the wildflowers put on a brilliant display of their own.
I trudged over to the snowdrift where I had buried my cheese the previous afternoon and couldn’t penetrate the snow with my hands or rocks. Man, not the start to the day I was looking for. Steve came to the rescue when he loaned me his poopy trowel, and even that took some work. So yeah, it got pretty cold at night.
We didn’t have much of a plan for today other than traverse the width of the Buffalo Plateau to a camp site somewhere near Marston Pass, about 8 miles due east. We were doing more miles than I had anticipated but would be right where I figured after today.
Figuring that even if we didn’t make it to where we had planned, finding a suitable campsite for 5 shelters should be easy. Unlike the Beartooth Plateau’s numerous 30’ knobs and other piles of rock that didn’t show on the topos or Google Earth, the Buffalo Plateau was a polar opposite in that flat space was flat space covered with grass and flowers.
 |
| The Absaroka's in the morning |
We set off by 8 AM, up and over some minor swales along with some side hilling and a few very small scree fields which posed no problems to me and my new footwear. In fact, my feet felt great. If this was as tough as the terrain would be then I’d have very few problems.
After about 45 minutes we ran into the first of only two spots during the trip that even came close to “sketchy” up near the head of Woodard Canyon. There was a significant high angle snow field we had to descend and a few other rocky outcroppings to navigate through but nothing too difficult---even for an old guy like Bob. Once we arrived safely at the divide at the head of Woodard Canyon we made the decision to take the low road, which is to say the Lost Creek Trail. All we had to do was find it somewhere below our current position. Though I would have liked to follow the crest of the Continental Divide, there was just too much vertical gain and loss to justify taking that route.
 |
| View southwest from near our camp |
The views continued in spectacular fashion as we made our way across the plateau. HUGE views of nothing but rolling plateau, an occasional tarn, deep drainages and lots of wildflowers in every direction. After spending the previous 3 trips hiking off trail over and through rocks above the tree line to get the views, following the Lost Creek Trail was a ridiculously easy way to traverse the alpine terrain.
It didn’t take long for Ferry Lake to come into view. I’d toyed with the idea of spending either night 3 or 4 here as it was essentially the only lake we’d hike past on the entire trip but the mileage didn’t work out. The lake, fed by melting snow, lay in a basin void of any vegetation aside from the typical grass and wildflowers. There was plenty of flat space available for camping all around the lake, but I questioned the availability of dry ground since small streams of water fed into the lake from 3 directions.
 |
| Wildflowers framing Bob |
Beyond Ferry Lake we began the long, level hike toward Martson Pass. The Crocs were holding up nicely and I had no pain on my heels so I was finally able to hike at my normal level-ground pace. Bob was holding up pretty good as well which made me happy he hadn’t bailed the day before.
We began a short descent as we approached a stream feeding Ferry Lake and were pleasantly surprised to discover a significant waterfall coming down from the divide. Once up on the opposite bank we decided to take a short break and grab something to eat. It was from our lofty perch we saw the last people we would see and the last horse we would hear whinny for the duration of the trip.
After our break we descended a bit further and soon the trail was running parallel to Lost Creek which ran through it’s own broad valley with more excellent campsites on the other side. Had the “speedy 3” not been so far ahead I would have brought up staying here for the night up for a vote, it was that perfect.
The valley narrowed after a couple of miles of meadows to a small gorge as we climbed gradually up to Marston Pass. The sunny skies were now mostly cloudy and it began to look like we might get rained on, but this blew over and soon the skies were clear with a few puffy clouds.
Reed, Lee and Steve had pulled up at what I suppose could be considered the Marston Pass environs and were waiting for myself (only a few minutes behind) and Bob (significantly further behind) to catch up. By now it was close to 4 PM and their flat knob looked to be the flattest and driest spot around to camp.
 |
| This late summer snow field provided one of the few tricky spots for a guy hiking in Crocs |
I was ready to stop for the day but didn’t want to camp at the knob so I ventured a bit further and 50’ down into what appeared to be a large, flat, grassy valley. Since I’m a lover of running water I was attracted by the several streams and a couple of waterfalls coming down off the divide like a fly to doo doo. There were also several small patches of remaining snow nearby so I’d have some cold water to keep my cheese in overnight
My idyllic little valley, unfortunately, wasn’t as perfect as it looked from a quarter mile away. Where there was dry ground there was either brush or a significant slope not easily discernable from a distance. Naturally, the wet ground was perfectly flat or too close to a stream or covered with brush.
Finally, after 20 minutes of looking, we found a suitable location for night 4.
Our site was very comparable to the one we’d left this morning and while we didn’t have that “top of the world” feeling, the views were still incredible. Looking east, toward Marston Pass, we had a perfect view of the illuminated Absaroka’s and the neighboring Washakie Wilderness across the South Fork of the Shoshone. North, the Continental Divide was looming 700’ above while to the southwest the grassy Buffalo Plateau was bathed in the setting sun.
Feeling the best I had during the entire trip I decided to pull out all stops for dinner and declared it “Pizza Night” and set about prepping my dehydrated pizza sauce and vegetable toppings: onions, green peppers, black olives and banana peppers.
 |
| Ferry Lake. One of the few larger bodies of water up on the Buffalo Plateau |
Once these items were rehydrated I put a little olive oil in my small skillet, tossed in a flour tortilla then liberally spread the sauce, and added the pepperoni, cheese and veggies. I wound up making three personal pan pies for dinner, and gave Bob a little taste. I’m betting he’ll have pizza on his next backcountry menu.
After getting cleaned up and a rapidly emptying bear canister was repacked I announced to Bob that I was going to climb up to the divide so that I could get a look at the south Fork of the Yellowstone and Younts Peak---which was hidden somewhere behind the divide directly to the north. The climb looked to be a fairly easy one but there was an abundance, for this trip anyway, of loose scree and rock which might require a bit more care since I was doing it in Crocs.
 |
| Lost Creek looking east on the Buffalo Plateau |
Bob, the wuss, politely declined my invitation to join me, and the other three guys were too far away to bother asking so off I went on my own without my trusty trekking poles or the GPS. Oops. I made it up the 700’ in about a half hour without much slipping as I was creating my own long switchbacks up the steep incline. There were a few places where I needed to use my hands but overall it was an easy climb.
About 2/3 of the way up I noticed more dark clouds moving in from the Tetons but figured I’d have enough time to get up, take a look around and get back down again. Now that I was up on top I wasn’t so sure.
As expected, the views were tremendous. Younts Peak, headwaters of the Yellowstone River, at over 12,000’ and the highest point in the area dominated the view to the North. Looking back down towards our camp I could see why finding a camp site was so difficult with all of the small streams running through the area. Our tents were visible far below but the others’ site barely. Had I not known they were there I never would have been able to see it.
 |
| A look down at our camp from the Continental Divide |
The switchbacks from the trail heading up from the Shoshone to the pass were clearly defined and the Washakie Wilderness, void of the high plateaus we’d been hiking on the past two days, looked rugged, dry and wild.
Meanwhile, my idea of looking down into the South Fork wasn’t going to happen. The sheer edge of the plateau/divide which would have given me the opportunity to see the South Fork and anticipated meadows was about 1/8 of a mile away and 250’ down. Normally not a big deal but the clouds were rolling in from the west faster than I thought. Not wanting to get caught up high, exposed to the elements I started to make my way back down to camp after taking more photos of scenes I’d already shot multiple times minutes before.
Had I been wearing boots or taken my trekking poles up with me the descent would have been far easier than it was. The grade was steep and gravity was having its way with me as I constantly lost my footing on the dirt and gravel, followed up by a naughty word as I cursed myself for not bringing at least one pole with me.
25 minutes of sketchy descent finally got me out of the danger zone halfway down and I was back at camp 10 minutes later---without any sign of rain which had again pushed south of us. 30 minutes up, 35 down.
 |
| Younts Peak from the Continental Divide |
Once I got over my near death experience, and a drink, Bob and I pulled out the maps and began thinking we’d probably finish the hike early due to the longer days we’d been putting in up to this point. While we could have stayed up on the plateau for a few more days and hike out on schedule, Steve needed to be at work the following Monday (which likely meant a long drive back to California on Saturday and Sunday) and I wanted to give Bob and Reed a tour of the Tetons, Yellowstone and the Beartooth Highway on the way home. Agreeing that getting out early would probably be for the best, we swore ourselves to secrecy and climbed into our bags for the night.
As usual, I couldn’t fall asleep so I looked at the map and tried to figure out the best route for the next day. Navigation up on the plateau was not difficult up to this point since we followed the trail but tomorrow might be a little tricky if we wanted to avoid a day of up and down hiking. Unfortunately, the large map I was using was not big on detail so I gave up and tried to sleep without a good plan. We’d figure it out in the morning.
|
