Rae Lakes Loop (July 2010)

by **Ratboy** on Thu Jul 22, 2010 5:39 pm

Just finished the Rae Lakes Loop northbound starting and ending at Road's End. We only stayed one night at Rae Lakes, due to THICK mosquitos...started on a Tuesday and finished on Saturday...4 nights and 5 days. We planned a couple of double nights at Rae and a stay at Vidette but due to mosquitos we pushed onward; could not stand still without getting a face full.

Felt static on Glen Pass, luckily we made it through the weather window, brief as it was. I apologize for the sizing on the photos, compression for uploading won this battle...nonetheless, my new Canon PowerShot S-90 was great.

All in all...great trip. Any day backpacking is a great day, regardless of the weather.

photos are at

http://dnkrhodes.com/main/thumbnails.php?album=88&page=1

Hope you all enjoy.

Ratboy

by **rlown** on Thu Jul 22, 2010 8:44 pm

nice pics and TR! Thanks for sharing. Looks like a fun trip. Skeeters drove me to the tent on Sunday night last as well. Even 100% DEET wasn't deterring them. Was in Southwest Yose, and it was bad, mosquito wise. Amazing how fast all the snow melted off.

by **Ratboy** on Thu Jul 22, 2010 11:14 pm

Yes the skeeters were horrible. Never seen it that bad, even when on the east coast...DEET was only good to keep them off, but they kept buzzing the face; rain had no effect either.

One person in our party actually expressed to "keep going" when we located a great spot in Vidette Meadows...and so we pressed onward to Junction Meadows, where the bugs were far less...noticeably less. It seemed that anywhere between 9000-10500 feet was full of runoff, and thus standing water...however, if no standing water was present, rivers only, no bugs... So off we went.

Still beats a day at the office...

by **DoyleWDonehoo** on Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:44 pm

Wasn't the Woods Creek Bridge fun?!? :lol:

I have been there several times, a few times I would just sit and watch people crossing it. Their expressions and actions were always entertaining. Picture 76: on the headwall directly across I saw a massive rock-slide, the results of which are almost dead center of the picture (the avalanche pile).

by **Ratboy** on Fri Jul 23, 2010 3:35 pm

Part of my backpacking experience is to challenge my fears...heights. I enjoy looking over the edge, just to see how high I have gotten- just something I have always done. Yes, I totally dug the bridge. I started walking across, then had to stop to get the frequency down...totally crazy. I then went back across to help another in our party who is farrrrr more sketchy than I am - she made it pack and all. Her husband, expressed a desire to ferry her pack for her...I told him not to do that and that she can "conquer" this and she must do this.

Nature offeres far more challenges and rewards than anything I could conjur up on my own. Very transcendental, spiritual, rewarding. It is amazing how far "inward" on can go by going out and up.

by **copeg** on Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:02 pm

Mosquitos aside, looks like a great trip. Thanks for sharing :thumbsup:

by **maverick** on Fri Jul 23, 2010 8:15 pm

Great place to visit, and sounds you had a great time, skeetrz aside.
You can't let those buzzards get to you otherwise they will ruin your experience.

by **diesel** on Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:43 pm

Just got back from a trip to Rae Lakes as well, though we rushed through it in 3 days. (camped at upper paradise, dollar lakes, then did a long 20+ mile finish that went well into the night). Mosquitos were definitely pretty crazy, and I'm covered in bites now, though it didn't bother me much.

I had my first bear sighting less than 4 miles into the trail on day 1, as a momma bear and cub quietly crossed the trail about 20 feet ahead of us. Unfortunately, I had a less pleasant bear experience that same night at upper paradise valley. Heard something walking by the tent around 3 AM and knew a bear was wandering around our campsite. Took a peak under my tent and saw a huge bear about 20 feet away going through our packs. I was pretty terrified and figured it was best to just let him look around and take whatever interested him before he'd eventually leave. Seemed he was there at least half hour but he walked off. I forgot to unzip the top lid of my pack so the bear ended up tearing through it and ripping it up pretty bad, but otherwise my pack was fine and still completely usable. Didn't have any food or scented item in my packs though it seems the bear ate some of my ibuprofen. Also looks like he took a few bites out of my fuel canister (though still worked fine).

Also something to keep in mind since i brought up bears- rangers warned us that a bear in paradise valley had punched his way through a bear vault bear canister just last week, so they're advising all people with bear vaults who camp in that area to store your bear vault in the bear box.

by **maverick** on Mon Jul 26, 2010 4:08 pm

Hi Diesel

Paradise has been notorious for bear activity.
10-12 years back they had a warning posted that you should not take your backpack off
and leave it unattended as a lot folks do when nature calls because bears would
come by picking up you pack and be gone before you came back.
You should have got out and made noise trying to scare the bear out of your campsite
otherwise this bear will get even more accustomed to human presence, even if you were
in your tent, if it all ready hasn't.
You can not let bears freely ramble through your site, they have to be conditioned to
fear humans for there, and our safety, even if this seems like a scary proposition to
some.

by **Ratboy** on Mon Jul 26, 2010 4:16 pm

I agree. Even though it may freak folks out, scare the bear. I always leave my pack out, completely empty with a pack cover on for rain...luckily never had a problem. I also keep everything in zip bags when walking, just to make sure crumbs are not left behind just in case. It is unfortunate about your experience.

One never knows...

by **Cross Country** on Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:12 pm

Someone who really understands bears, more than once said that the best approach is to take bear repellant - firecrackers. It scares them away every time. They almost never come back either.

by **maverick** on Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:53 pm

First, fireworks are prohibited in the park, and second, you will wake up most
everyone in the Paradise Valley.
If you want to make that much noise than might as well buy one of those super
loud emergency whistles and get a dual purpose out of it.
http://www.bestglide.com/jetscream_emer ... istle.html

Rae Lakes Loop (July 2010)

Rae Lakes Loop (July 2010)

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