Burt Canyon to Anna Lake Backpacking 6/8-13/24

Very early season attempt at getting to Anna Lake hoping for some unfrozen shoreline to fish. Little Walker River was exceptionally high and impassable at the trail crossing (hydraulically-speaking, it is a terrible place for a stream crossing, right a knickpoint of gradient change). We had to bushwhack through and around 700m of dense aspen thickets to find a gentle gradient where the river split into two sections. We found a sketchy downed tree to cross on the way in and on the way out we crossed upstream of the downed tree during low water period of runoff cycle (about 10am) which was still crotch-deep. Basecamp was about a mile shy of Anna Lake trail spur. Anna Lake trail after the cairns was quickly lost due to snow and runoff, so we XC'd nearly the entire way. The last several hundred meters to the lake was still covered in large amounts of snow in valleys and the lake was entirely frozen but had some melt ponds atop the ice near the southeast side of the lake. Geology was amazing and the birdsong was stupendous. Saw several large bear tracks (with claw marks) in the mud, and several mountain lion tracks in the snow-covered parts of the trail. Fishing was only possible in eddies behind large boulders or fallen trees and several small brookies were landed on my tenkara rod. Flatiron Butte is perhaps the most breathtaking mountain outside of Yosemite.
Steve gets ready for our trip at the trailhead while also stowing a shaker bottle that he had left behind on a trip several years ago that I was finally able to…
This gate is about 1.16 miles from the trailhead. There are several great parking spots just behind me and out of the fire lane, but message boards said the…
Steve spies one of several private cabins perched on the edge of Willow Flat, a pretty idyllic summer residence. This tract of land is private property and…
Iphone shot of another cabin.
No Fishing sign prominently displayed on a great section of the creek for fishing.
Large granitic glacial erratic in Willow Flat looking up canyon.
Steve successfully traverses swampy run-off. Luckily the mosquitos were not yet that terrible.
The end of Willow Flat looking upcanyon towards Paiute Pass. Irises had just started poking out and were much more spectacular on our way out.
Aspen covered trail. Shade was welcome as the trail heads into the sun most of the day.
Lush aspen forests. This would be a great fall destination.
I got some better images (that highlight the geology) on the way home, but this mountain shows the Relief Peak formation lavas (grey and mauve) overlying what I…
Runoff channels were all filled and beautiful and the willows had just begun leafing out.
A lovely little, but vigorous, cascade.
This view is near the trail-crossing of the Little Walker River. Another great view of a large dike more resistant to erosion popping-up through the whiter…
I went to scout for crossings while Steve acclimated to the elevation.
The waist-deep trail crossing of the river was a big-ol' NOPE for us. So we had to find some other way across.
Another great view of a large dike that fed the Relief Peak formation flows that more resistant to erosion popping-up through the whiter rocks that I THINK are…
Back with another one of those blocks in a rock beats.
The cross-country portion of our hike where we had to navigate our way though thickets of aspen trees and climbed up several hundred feet to find a suitable…

Labels