Randy Flood tinkering with his approach set-up at the Lower Herd trailhead.
The car is still in sight and we are alreay beginning to second guess our mode of travel...
Sheep Mountain, one of two possible destinations for the next morning, is still a long way off.
A herd of 40 antelope don't want anything to do with our suffering!
Re-mounted after a short break above the East Fork of the Salmon River canyon.
Randy cruises through the sagebrush flats in the bottom of McDonald Creek.
Even the short uphills were grueling.
After five miles of grueling riding we decided to transition in this nice aspen grove camp.
Randy really begins to consider what ha has gotten himself into.
Full moon rising above Lake Basin. Day one stats - 6.8 mi/2,461 ft
A pre-dawn start had us at snowline after another 1000 of walking through burned out sagebrush slopes. 6:02 AM
Sunrise on the Lost River Range seen through a filter of torched lodgepole pine forest.
Sunrise in the fiters through clouds above the Lost Rivers and lights up the NE basin of Bowery Peak.
Sunrise above the high peaks of the Lost River Range.
That sun's feelin' pretty good right about now!
Randy Flood skins towards the NE face of Bowery Peak.
The low lying clouds helped keep the corn crust from going off too soon.
Assessing the options down the north face of Bowery Peak.
Finding the light!
Sun peeks over the east ridge of Bowery Peak. 7:56 AM
So many options... The NE and SE basins draining Bowery Peak.
Randy Flood works his way up the East Ridge of Bowery Peak. Lake 9,346 can be seen below.
Booting up the East Ridge of Bowery Peak.
NE face of Peak 10,834
Getting ready to ski lap number one at 8:50 AM.
Buttery corn!
A exuberant Randy Flood skirts the edge of Lake 9,436
Flood displays some unfortunate corn rash from a miss-step on the way up!
A much needed refresher from lake 9,436
Waterline
Refueling at Lake 9,346.
Heading back up for (hopefully) lap #2
Randy Flood skins up the east basin of Bowery Peak.
Rock, lichen, snow, and the NE face of Peak 10,843
East basin of Bowery Peak
The expansive SE face of Bowery Peak with Peak 10,843 and the Pioneer mountains in the distance.
The north east side of the Glassford Peak (left summit) ridgeline...
Flood appreciates the view from the summit. Bowery/Sheep sit in the middle of a sea of mountains offering great views of the Sawtooths, White Clouds, High Boulders, Pioneers, Lost Rivers, Beaverheads, and Salmon River Mountains
The western flanks of the Sheep/Bowery massif were pretty thin so we opted for another lap down the SE face (run #3 at 11:45)
Randy sneaks in a few work emails. His office has a great view!
Lap number three. Whee!
Our final ski of the day was down the north face of Bowery Peak. 1:00 PM.
Rand samples a mixture of old powder, softening crust, and fledgling corn on the north face of Bowery Peak.
Ski tracks, north face Bowery Peak.
Burned forest on the flanks of Bowery Peak.
