Beartooths

So, I managed to finagle SIX WHOLE DAYS OFF last week, four of which were spent backpacking in the Beartooth Mountains (Northeast of the park) with my good friends Emily, Lindsay, and our new friend Pete. Honestly, I felt guilty taking six days off (!!), but I think taking the trip was the best decision I've made here thus far. The Beartooths are absolutely gorgeous! We camped at Fox Lake the first night, only about a two-hour hike in from the trailhead. I just got my new hiking boots from Sierra Trading Post and hadn't worn them in at all, so my feet were getting blisters. Emily, our fearless leader (who is also trained in LNT--"leave no trace" backpacking, where you pack in and pack out almost everything), bandaged them up with Duct tape. Day two we hiked eight hours to the beautiful Dewey Lake. We were amazed as each hill we crested revealed a more beautiful panorama than the last. On the way we sledded down a snow-covered hill with the spare trash bags we had! Such fun. Day three we read, relaxed, and took a day hike to Impasse Falls--a toweringly gorgeous waterfall. We cooled off with a dip in the freezing lake by our amazing campsite (overlooked by a breathtaking glacier--beautiful!!) Day four we hiked back in eight hours. We took a dip in Russell Lake, where we enjoyed peanut butter and jelly and/or salami tortillas on the rocks. Excellent. What great fellowship throughout the trip! I'm so glad I did it, though I'm paying for my six days off by taking triple shifts these days... all worth it!