[David¹]

For me taking a good photo is more of a happy accident, however serious photographers know the secret is all in the preparation. I had this photo composition in mind:

[Magellan]

I have yet to experience the full lenght, but the ups and downs of Lost Creek Ridge have humbled more than one party. Sorry you didn't get what you wanted. Galiwalker is indeed a formidable hiker. ETA: Byrne Lake was usually accessed from Kennedy Hot Springs via 2200' of steepness, after an easy 5 mile walk to the springs. My guess is the lake may be starting to recover since the blowout in 2003 put a damper on this approach.

[Highwalker's Daughter]

A timely TR for us as we were planning this one for Labor Day weekend. It doesn't sound like many campsites between the trailhead and Camp Lake, and we can't start until about 6 p.m. due to my work schedule so it sounds like we'd better car camp the first night; then plan on all day to reach the destination as we're probably way slower than you are! Also, "thin, treacherous scar" sounds kind of bad. Is it safe enough for a dumb dog? Thanks, Kari

[touron]

[David¹]

[raising3hikers]

Those look like some pretty good pics to me

[chiwakum]

there is reliable water coming down into the meadows below sunup lake. you should be able to refill at that point. there are also some decent camping options at that point (and sunup is nice for swimming if you don't mind the resident biting waterbugs). from there the next reliable water might be as far as hardtack.

[GaliWalker]

I still remember the last few miles on the return and the interminable ups-and-downs...

[Foist]

You still got a few beautiful photos there. That trail is a real bum-kicker, the ups and downs are endless. Why couldn't you camp at Hardtack lake? Kim and I did, it was fine. Was it too far from Byrne so that it would be hard to get back to camp after sunset?

[Foist]

[Jim Dockery]

Great story that many of us photo-addicts can relate to. I have often found myself running to get in position for a sunrise/set that I thought I had time to hike to, sometimes I enjoy the intense workout, but not always (esp. at altitude). As I mellow (a bit) with age I try to remember the words of Teddy Roosevelt: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." This great adage applies to many aspects of life, in photography it helps me to chill out if I don't make my planned destination on time and look where I am, which sometimes turns out to be serendipitous. I think you did great with those shots, although I feel for you being rushed and not having the time to set up and enjoy the full range of the sunset.

[Highwalker's Daughter]

Thanks for the info on campsites and water.

[plain old dan]

That hike kicked my butt to. It's not really the ups and downs on a long ridge walk, it's all that after a strenuous start to the hike with lots of elevation gain just to get up onto the ridge. It's easy to underestimate this one, especially on a hot day.

[Kim Brown]

Plain Old Dan – because of your great trip report on Lost Creek Ridge, Jonathan Toren and I, were prepared for the ass-kicking that it was. It’s easy to underestimate this trip if you’re counting contour lines and calculating elevation gain/loss that way. What we found out once up on the ridge was that the contours of 100 feet on the map (or 90, can’t remember which) don’t show the +70, -80, +50 changes all embedded within one contour. So you can add 100 for the contour on the map, but there’s a whole lot in between! Lost Creek Ridge is among the best hiking trips I have ever had. David, Jonathan and I camped at Hardtack Lake. But you did better by continuing on; Jonathan and I had the time to split the trip up a little.

[David¹]