Duck Creek - Chief Lake

What started out as a beautiful, moderate day ended up being pretty disheartening in the end. The primary reason, I think, was a lack of food on the trail. We still don't really have appetites, which seems pretty normal from people we've talked to, but no appetite doesn't mean you don't need to keep eating constantly. By 5pm, finding a campsite became a frustrating, aimless hike around Chief Lake. I'm pretty sure the search would have been pretty relaxing if we'd kept up our calories.

But as I mentioned, the day started off beautiful. Virginia Lake lured us into a long rest stop, with glittering blue water. The fish in Purple Lake were out and jumping, ready to be seen from the shore. Even people we passed on the trail were fun -- a simple, "Hi, how are you?" from Lucy got one cowboy to answer, "So good I can't stand myself." A large helping of meadows and lakes and streams and cliffs made today pretty scenic.

When we got to camp tonight, though, some important foot business needed taking care of. Lucy has been growing a blister on her pinky toe that today threatened to engulf the entire toe. After a little field surgery involving Purell, stolen sample-size first-aid cream, and a Leatherman, Lucy's toe is starting to look normal again. But we're both a little wary about her ability to walk on it tomorrow - I'm not exaggerating about the size. So a rest day might be in order depending on Lucy's ability to move.

Our campsite is really nice tonight. We're on the northwest side of Chief Lake, near the outlet stream, and we can see glimpses of Lone Indian Lake if we walk over near the ledge. As the sun set, it lit up the tops of the peaks on Silver Pass, turning them yellow and orange. This is the highest place we've camped so far, at over 10,000ft, and well worth it. The alpine lake scenery makes for an amazing setting. Even when you haven't eaten enough trail mix.

[Matt]
Miles: 10.1
Total: 80.2