Bob Marshall Wilderness

Swan Range-Smith Creek Pass and Albino Basin

August 14th, 2004

This was my first trip into the Swan Range. Like so many more places that have left a mark on me, so it was with the hike into the Albion Basin area.

On Day Two I had my first face to face with a grizzly bear in ten years. Being off-trail and alone, I was immediately set upon with giant feelings of inadequacy. Fortunately, the bear had similar feelings, and a whole lot of room to move it on out of there. Sadly, my F2.8 70-200 lens was packed away because the aperature leaves were sticking and was therefore, broke. I ended up shooting with my F2.8 105 Macro. Oh well.

Albino Basin is one of those places that I believe all backcountry travelers should get to at least once. As I already mentioned, it is off-trail. However, there is the Smith Creek Trail two miles away. After all the climbing and messing around, so to speak, getting up to the saddle from the trailhead, the Basin and the saddle came as quite a surprise.

While lacking firewood, (I use a gas stove anyway), that brings on the additional plus of not having any trees to try to shoot around. Very nice area, I visited the Basin again one year later, spending four unforgettable days there. While probably impossible to do, I would like to revisit the area during the winter. If I can make the trip safely, I believe I will come out with some kind of phenomenal photos of the Swan Range.

Click here to see the photo gallery.