Royces to Meader 9-13-20
Royces to Meader
9.5 miles 2500' Elevation gain +/-
East Royce Tr, Royce Tr, Basin Rim Tr,
Mt. Meader Trail
Hank, Cath, Kevin, Judy & Wicket
We had another great hike with Hank & Cath, this time in my favorite Kevin's (Evans) Notch. Cath planned the route again and we followed along.
We are trying to get our legs back for the upcoming Bonds Traverse we would be doing later in the month. Cath has been a huge source of encouragement and inspiration which frankly, I at least, have needed.
The months that have followed Beren's passing have been difficult for me, to say the least. I am not at peace with it, and I don't expect I ever will be...
At least while I am working my way up a steep slope and across open ridges my mind is set on the task at hand, and less upon the gloom that often overwhelms me.
As it always happens, I am dumbfounded when I realize just how long it has been since we had actually been to the Royces, our last trip having been in August of '07.
On that trip we spent the night nestled in the woods between the south and north ledges of East Royce. In those days Emma was our leader and camp guardian.
It was our 11th Anniversary. We had a beautiful sunset, but even more spectacular was the sunrise. It would give me great pleasure to see Emma's reaction to watching the sunrise.
She would sit intensely watching and listening, and it would wind her up. I can only imagine she was thinking about how we would spend the new day ahead, and what great adventures it would bring.
I reminisced on these things as we gained the steep slope on the way to East Royce. At the junction still well below the summit we turned south towards West Royce, and we were OK with missing East Royce. We'll return for it another day.
I had forgotten the distance and elevation between East and West Royce, not that it was long or hard, just that as usual it was more than I remembered.
I hardly realized we had crossed the summit of West Royce as it was much more overgrown than when we had been there fifteen years before on a trip in '05.
I would have liked to have poked around in the woods for the site and remnants of the old fire-tower, but we were past the area before I realized we were nearby.
Just as well as we had miles and steeps ahead of us before the day was done. The sky was overcast like it would rain, but there was none in the forecast, and what it was in reality was smoke and haze from the western wildfires.
In the morning rush to get to Kevin's Notch from camp I had forgotten my usual hiking camera. Fortunately for me, at least, my camera with the 600mm lens was still in the car from the night before.
It was heavy, bulky and burdensome, but it would have to do. It barely fit in the smaller pack I was carrying. I only took it out a few times.
I was so overwhelmed with trying to be far enough away from subjects I was trying to shoot so that they would appear in the field of view without having key components like heads cut off, I wasn't paying much attention to the settings.
With much editing in Lightroom I was able to salvage some photos, though I was less than happy with most of them.
Past West Royce we trekked along on what was mostly new territory until we reached Basin Rim Junction where we had been before, having hiked there from both the Basin Campground and also from Wild River Campground.
From there we continued along what was again mostly new territory until we reached the junction with the Mount Meader Trail. In between there is a lot of elevation gain as you gain the trail up and over Ragged Jacket.
The day was cool enough and the bugs almost nonexistent, so the hiking was pleasant. It was good practice for the upcoming hike we planned, with a decent amount of elevation over lots of miles.
All in all a good day out in fine company!
Read More9.5 miles 2500' Elevation gain +/-
East Royce Tr, Royce Tr, Basin Rim Tr,
Mt. Meader Trail
Hank, Cath, Kevin, Judy & Wicket
We had another great hike with Hank & Cath, this time in my favorite Kevin's (Evans) Notch. Cath planned the route again and we followed along.
We are trying to get our legs back for the upcoming Bonds Traverse we would be doing later in the month. Cath has been a huge source of encouragement and inspiration which frankly, I at least, have needed.
The months that have followed Beren's passing have been difficult for me, to say the least. I am not at peace with it, and I don't expect I ever will be...
At least while I am working my way up a steep slope and across open ridges my mind is set on the task at hand, and less upon the gloom that often overwhelms me.
As it always happens, I am dumbfounded when I realize just how long it has been since we had actually been to the Royces, our last trip having been in August of '07.
On that trip we spent the night nestled in the woods between the south and north ledges of East Royce. In those days Emma was our leader and camp guardian.
It was our 11th Anniversary. We had a beautiful sunset, but even more spectacular was the sunrise. It would give me great pleasure to see Emma's reaction to watching the sunrise.
She would sit intensely watching and listening, and it would wind her up. I can only imagine she was thinking about how we would spend the new day ahead, and what great adventures it would bring.
I reminisced on these things as we gained the steep slope on the way to East Royce. At the junction still well below the summit we turned south towards West Royce, and we were OK with missing East Royce. We'll return for it another day.
I had forgotten the distance and elevation between East and West Royce, not that it was long or hard, just that as usual it was more than I remembered.
I hardly realized we had crossed the summit of West Royce as it was much more overgrown than when we had been there fifteen years before on a trip in '05.
I would have liked to have poked around in the woods for the site and remnants of the old fire-tower, but we were past the area before I realized we were nearby.
Just as well as we had miles and steeps ahead of us before the day was done. The sky was overcast like it would rain, but there was none in the forecast, and what it was in reality was smoke and haze from the western wildfires.
In the morning rush to get to Kevin's Notch from camp I had forgotten my usual hiking camera. Fortunately for me, at least, my camera with the 600mm lens was still in the car from the night before.
It was heavy, bulky and burdensome, but it would have to do. It barely fit in the smaller pack I was carrying. I only took it out a few times.
I was so overwhelmed with trying to be far enough away from subjects I was trying to shoot so that they would appear in the field of view without having key components like heads cut off, I wasn't paying much attention to the settings.
With much editing in Lightroom I was able to salvage some photos, though I was less than happy with most of them.
Past West Royce we trekked along on what was mostly new territory until we reached Basin Rim Junction where we had been before, having hiked there from both the Basin Campground and also from Wild River Campground.
From there we continued along what was again mostly new territory until we reached the junction with the Mount Meader Trail. In between there is a lot of elevation gain as you gain the trail up and over Ragged Jacket.
The day was cool enough and the bugs almost nonexistent, so the hiking was pleasant. It was good practice for the upcoming hike we planned, with a decent amount of elevation over lots of miles.
All in all a good day out in fine company!
