[olderthanIusedtobe]

Car bivied at the TH after doing Paddy Go Easy. Done this one many times, but it's been several years. Passed a pair of backpackers on their way out by the Hyas Lakes, didn't see anybody else all day. Apparently the trick to have these lakes to yourself is to go during the week at the end of October. Some snow and LOTS of water on the trail at the beginning, then pretty much clear until Tuck. Patchy but mostly snow covered between Tuck and Robins, very well packed, no punching thru at all. More problematic was some smears of water ice along the way, I was able to avoid stepping on that. A bit more bare ground up around the Robins than I expected. Absolutely lovely up there. Small tarns were iced up but all bigger lakes were ice free still. Rambled around a bit, wanted to stay longer but I was also hoping to get down before dark and the daylight hours are shrinking quickly (I made it w/ a bit of light to spare). Had a couple surprising sightings. There was a HUGE white bird at Hyas Lake, must have been a swan. Never seen that in the mountains before. It was there on my way up and down. On the way out it was hanging out with a group of Canadian geese (I'm pretty sure). No small birds themselves, the geese were dwarfed by the swan. The other surprise was a few remnants of what used to be a hawk. It was totally torn apart, only the beak/partial skull and a leg (?) that I found. Also that huge rift toward the north end of the Daniel massif is startling. What the hell happened there? I think the PCT crosses the lower part of it, but seeing the whole thing from across the valley is eye opening.

[Bootpathguy]