Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness

Johnson Lake Winter

March 8th, 2007

With three trips taken so far during the winter of 2007 and more to come, there are a few things to talk about and a smattering of photos too. There is but a small window for the trips, smaller than summer, time and timing is essential.

On my third trip I finally made it to Johnson Lake. The difficulty lay in the canyon "right where the sun don't shine". Post holing with a ninety-five pound load brought on new levels of the need to do something different. Thus I finally began to drop the load, break trail, come back and pick the load up and go . . . day four I made camp on the northern shore. During the summer this route is a fairly easy three hour trip.

Meanwhile I don't think I need to tell you that the Anaconda-Pintlar Wilderness is a nice neighborhood during the winter. Make your own call with the picture on the left and the photo album below

On the fifth day I encountered extremely warm weather, a prelude to an incoming low pressure system. The day became somewhat slushy on the several feet of snow pack. The best part hit at the end of the day with an hour or so of a raining downpour, at 7600 feet of elevation. Afterwards it got cold enough for the rain to turn to snow, hiding and protecting the hardpack of snow I had finally encountered in my climb on the southern exposure to the lake.  Unfortunately that hardpack had become slush, creating some incredible conditions to try and get through on my sixth and exit day. I made one and one half miles of travel in eight hours on that day. Day seven brought cooler temperatures overnight and I was able to make the seven miles to the vehicle in less then six hours. Whew!

I have at least one more one-week trip planned for the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness this winter. rgl.

Click here to go to photo gallery.