[Luc]

I'll let the pictures be the report here - but a few notes: This was the coldest trip i've ever been on and possibly the coldest experience of my life thus far. I don't want to put a number on it like a fisherman's story but let's just say that my canister stove only functioned if I first heated the canister by placing it in my jacket for 20 minutes and then used it dangerously close to the flame. I wore my long jons, hiking pants/shirt, insulated OR shirt, 2x sox AND rain slickers, fleece hat INSIDE my sleeping bag and still froze my ass off. Talking 14 hours in the tent with a max of 4 hours actually dreaming. It was like a panic it was so cold. I actually considered peeing in my bag. . . but i didn't. I learned how difficult it is to get water out of a lake with 1.5" thick ice on it, and how fast you need to rehydrate once you've boiled water because your water will freeze solid in a matter of minutes. I'd make due with the stove compromise again but next time, i'm renting an extreme cold bag. I'm not a side sleeper and trying to catch zz's in a fetal position really starts to hurt after a dozen hours. What a trip tho'. Blue sky, not a soul around. Light dusting on the . . . just take a look for yourself.

Sequim Bay State Park

Arriving Cold

Morning Sunrise and Frozen Royal

Deception Texture

North Basin Hogsback

Deception

Mt Clark From Camp

Lower Meadow

Checkout the Flickr set http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucburson/sets/72157594357956855/

[Andrew]

That sure looks frigid! No pain, no gain though, right?

[Kat]

eegad... brrrr... what was the elevation there?

[Luc]

lake is about 5100 w the basin about a thousand higher.

[Sabahsboy]

Well, I doubt I will venture to the Basin in the near winter. So, thank you so much for the terrific photos. I have not been there but twice, many years ago. Can't say why not more often except the siren call of so many hikes, so little time. One night I was camped not far from the lake and watching the meteor shower in mid-August. There were two fellows at a nearby tent. We just watched and wated. Saw lots of the whizzing flashes and such. The other two turned in. A few minutes later a great flash hurtled across the sky, a rainbow of colors and then a burst and shower. It was the most spectacular meteor I have ever seen. My "OH's! and Ah's!" brought the two fellow back out the tent door and they watched some more. Alas, no more fireballs. As I recall, it was chilly every night I ever spent there. So, I am sure you were sitting in a cold hole when not hiking around to keep the shivers down.

[whitebark]

I feel your pain. On a backpack trip to Navaho Peak Oct 31, I measured an overnight low temperature of 13 F -- inside my tent. Dang that was cold! You were no doubt experiencing similar temps in Royal Basin. My REI subkilo down bag actually worked pretty well, although it was rated at 20 F. I wore long underwear and a fiberfill vest in the bag.

[Sabahsboy]

Well, I doubt I will venture to the Basin in the near winter. So, thank you so much for the terrific photos. I have not been there but twice, many years ago. Can't say why not more often except the siren call of so many hikes, so little time. One night I was camped not far from the lake and watching the meteor shower in mid-August. There were two fellows at a nearby tent. We just watched and wated. Saw lots of the whizzing flashes and such. The other two turned in. A few minutes later a great flash hurtled across the sky, a rainbow of colors and then a burst and shower. It was the most spectacular meteor I have ever seen. My "OH's! and Ah's!" brought the two fellow back out the tent door and they watched some more. Alas, no more fireballs. As I recall, it was chilly every night I ever spent there. So, I am sure you were sitting in a cold hole when not hiking around to keep the shivers down.

[l]

'Deception Texture' . And the frozen skin on Royal Lake gives me chills. The basin can be insect hell much of the summer but I'm guessing you didn't need any Deet.

[Canuck]

I can't wait to get back to that place (but I'll wait until it warms up!!). We were there a couple years ago, and it was pouring rain the entire way up. It stopped around dinner time but it was cold and foggy the entire rest of the trip. But, it was still an incredibly gorgeous area. I like the picture of your view from camp - I didn't get to see any views when I was there! Glad you're back, and warmed up!

[ActionBetty]

Sweet, I love the cold..(when prepared for it) . No peeing in tent unless you have a spare bottle to do so in.. its a bit harder for the gals Nice TR and pics

[reststep]

Nice report and pictures Luc. It brings back memories. I can't believe it was four years ago that I did the same trip on the same dates with the same clear cold weather but it sounds like it may have been even colder on your trip. I remember getting out of the car at the trailhead and it was like stepping into a freezer and thinking do I really want to do this. I can relate to the long nights this time of year also. Link to my report

[Luc]

thanks for the responses. I think it would have been more enjoyable if i were equipped for the cold nights a little better. I stopped peeing in bottles awhile back. I just didn't know where in my gear closet to put the bottle with the red "X" on it. Toiletries? I noticed too that my batteries didn't perform to well either. Normal?

[reststep]

[Luc]

This time of year between ridges, the sun is about as good a time piece as a watch. OR better.

[Phil]

Man, that brings back memories. I was in this Bremerton boy scout troop lead by a number of hardasses that insisted on camping trips once a month. So one nasty January, 1980 or so, there we were slogging up the friggin Royal Basin trail in snow 3' deep. Needless to say we never made to the basin proper but when dark came we slapped our flimsy tents down on and around the trail somewhere over halfway up towards the basin. took our soaked cotton off and shivered in cotton and nylon bags all night. Like I said, these were department store tents and in those days we were in jeans and otherwise ill-equipped. Yeah, COLD. I love the pic of Gray Wolf ridge ... looking at that you wouldnt think it was so cold.