Knapsack Col越えという簡単なオフトレイルコースをやることにした。なるべく長く歩くため、食料は10日分、約10 kg持った。アイゼン、ピッケルも装備したので、総重量は28kg程度だった。万全を期して、ロスに二泊、パインデールに三泊して、時差と高度にならした。ちなみにパインデールは標高2100メーター。天気はあまり良くない。
At first, I decided to hike Knapsack Col -- an easy off-trail course. In order to walk as for a long time as possible, I had 10 days food (around 10 kg ). I carried crampons and ice ax, then the total backpack weight was around 28 kg. I spent two nights at Los Angeles and three nights at Pinedale, because I needed to accustom to the time shift and high altitude. Pinedale is located at 2100 meters high above sea level. The weather is not fine.
シャトルでElkhart Trail head、8:40出発。Photographers Point近くでカメラのオートフォーカスが動作しないことに気づく。千恵子にinReachで連絡、K-3を送って貰うことにした。13:50 Hobbs Lake。16:00頃、Seneca Lake、湖岸に近い丘の上にテント設営。へとへと。蚊だらけで、ほとんど外に出られない。
Day 1
I went to Elkhart Trailhead by the shuttle, and start to hike at 8:40. I noticed that the autofocus of camera did not work near Photographers Point. I sent an email to Chieko by inReach to send me the body of K-3 to the hotel. 13:50 Hobbs Lake. At 16:00, I pitched the tent on the high place near Seneca Lake. I was very exhausted, surrounded full of mosquitoes and hardly come outside.
5時起き、気温10度、6:30出発、Titcomb Lakeから先は踏み跡がなくなる。8:00、川が分岐するところに2箇所テントサイトあり。クライマーはここにベースキャンプを設営し、近くの山に登るらしい。川を渡り、急勾配の岩だらけの坂を登る。9:00、アイゼンを付ける。岩伝いにも歩けるが、雪上を歩いた方がでこぼこがないので楽。しかし、Knapsack Colの標高は3700m以上。2時間も歩くと、バックパックが重いので、へとへと。最後の雪の壁が傾斜がきつく、柔らかいので、登れない。もちろん、トレッキングポールはピッケルに持ち替えている。1-2メーター、足場が崩れて滑落。ユーチューブで学習した通りに滑落停止。雪の壁を詰めるのは時間がかかるので、近くの岩場に逃げて、やっとColに到達。荒涼とした岩山が広がる。雪がなく、トレイルが少しあったが、すぐに消えた。遭難者になった気分。硬い急傾斜の雪渓が現れる。少しの間、アイゼンを外した。どの方向が良いか、直感を働かせて下りていった。その後は、時々、アイゼンを付けただけだった。コースファインディングが重要。川の傍で少し手を使っただけで、うまく下った。しかし、雨と雹。まだ、先が長いので、Green Riverの源流の傍でテント設営。14:30。素晴らしいテントサイト。もちろん、人はいない。ゆっくりと食事をした。高度は約3300メーター。
Day 3
I waked at 5:00. The temperature was 10 degrees centigrade. I started to hike at 6:30. The trail disappeared. There were two campsite near the river branch. I reached at 8:00. Seemingly the climbers had pitched the base camp here and climbed a nearby mountain. I forded the river and climbed the steep slope full of rocks. I attach the crampons at 9:00. I thought it was easier to walk on the snow than on the rocks. However, the altitude of Knapsack Col was around 3700 meters above sea level. I was very exhausted, since the air was thin, and the backpack was very heavy for 2 hours walking, because I wanted to stay in the wilderness as long as possible.There was steep and soft snow wall near the Col. I hardly climb it. Of course, I changed to ice ax from trekking poles. I fell 1-2 meters, because the soft scaffold collapsed. I stopped the fall by ice ax, because I had learned at the You Tube. Since climbing the snowy wall required time, I escaped to nearby rocks and reached the Col at last. I looked many desolate rocky mountains were spread. I felt as if I was lost in the wilderness. There was small patches of snows, the trace of trail disappeared immediately. The steep slope of snow appeared. I attached the crampons immediately. I descended according to my intuition, to which direction I should climb down. I sometimes attached the crampons. The course finding was important. I used hands to climb down the river only for one time. However, it became rain and hail. I pitched the tent near the origin of Green River, since I had to walk long distance. It was a wonderful campsite. Of course, there are no people. I ate dinner very slowly. The altitude was about 3300 meters above sea level.
4日目
夜中は時々雨。5:00起き、6:15スタート。Peak Lakeの傍までは順調。トレースが所々あった。Lake sideのトレイルは岩で埋まっていた。水の傍の岩伝いに歩き、Peak Lakeの徒渉点を通過。小休止。8:20 トレイルがあり、Dale Lakeの先まで続いた。Glacier trail は谷に入り、しばらくすると、トレイルは消失、すべて岩に覆われていた。非常に歩きにくい。 High Line Trailに合流する手前でDean というハイカーと会う。彼はこれからKnapsack Colに行くという。30分以上話した。その後のメールでは、Colは吹雪になったので、彼は行けなかったという。12:30 New Fork Trail の合流点。川を渡り、トレイルを歩くが、地図と方向が違う。しばらく行って引き返し、確認すると、地図のトレイルはあるが、痕跡程度。誰も歩いていない。やむをえず、再び、トレイルを行く。数十年前にトレイルが付け替えられたらしい。いきなり、ひどい雹と雨と雷。気持ちが良くないので、小高い場所にテント設営。14:00、2時間くらいすると晴れたが、疲れてもいたので、のんびりする。夕方からまた激しい雨となった。しっかり食べて12時間くらい寝た。
Day 4
It rained occasionally at night. I woke up at 5:00 and started to hike at 6:15. It was easy to walk to near Peak Lake. There was a trace in some places. The trail of near the lake was buried with the rocks. I walked along the rock near water and I reached the fording point of Peak Lake. I rested for a while. It was at 8:20 There is a trail and it continued to Dale Lake. Glacier trail went into the valley. After several hundred meters, the trail disappeared. It was covered with numerous rocks. It was very time-consuming to walk. I met a hiker called Dean near the junction of High Line Trail. He said that he would go to Knapsack Col from now on. We talked 30 minutes or more. By his later email, he could not come to the Col, since it became snowstorm. At 12:30, the junction of New Fork Trail. I forded the river, and walked along a trail. But the direction was different from a map. I returned the river and checked the GPS. I found a slight trace of the trail.
Nobody is using. Unavoidably, I went the trail again. The trail seemed to be changed tens of years ago. Suddenly, heavy hail, and thunder. I pitched my tent immediately at a slightly elevated place, since it was not pleasant standing in the hail. It was 14:00. It became fine. I rested for a long time, because I was very tired. It began to rain in the evening. I ate plenty of food, and slept for about 12 hours.
5日目
夜間は激しい雨だった。曇り。6:20出発。7:50 Clark Lake。登るにつれ、景色が良くなる。9:15 Pass 雨はまだ。10:45 Lozier Lake 雨になる。New Fork TrailからPalmer Palmer Trailに入る。テントは張れるが、少し気に入らない。増水していて徒渉が少し難しかった。20分くらい進むと大きな岩に囲まれた良いテントサイトがあったので15:00テント設営。水は100メーターくらい引き返すと、trailからわいていたので6リッター集める。ずっと雨。
Day 5
It rained heavily at night. Cloudy weather. I started to hike at 6:20. At 7:50, Clark Lake. The scenery becomes magnificent when reached near the pass. At 9:15, Pass. At 10:45, Lozier Lake. It rained again. I went into Palmer Palmer Trail from New Fork Trail. There were a few campsite, but it seemed to be unpleasant. I forded the swollen river. It was a little difficult. I walked around 20 minutes, I found a good campsite surrounded by the huge rocks. I pitched my tent at 15:00. There was no water, but I went back around 100 meters, I found a small spring at the trail. I gathered 6 litters. It was raining all the time.
6日目
6:15出発、トレイルを辿るが、誰かが徒渉したのか、踏み跡が川に向かっていた。そこで、徒渉したが、対岸にトレイルはなかった。少し遡って徒渉しなおすが、やはりトレイルは見つからない。諦めて元の所にもどろうと少しクロスカントリーした。諦めて来た道を戻ろうとしたが、思い直して、もう一度、トレイルを辿った。踏み跡は人間のものでなく、ムースの物だろう。すると、川に木がかかり、対岸にトレイルが見えた。木の上を歩くのは危険が大きいので、川に飛び込んで徒渉した。それからは順調にトレイルを辿った。10:20 Palmer Lake。ギリシャ人を含むアメリカのクライマー6名と会う。小休止。湖の南でDoubletop Mountain Trailと交差するのだが、標識もトレイルも見当たらない。クライマーたちは先行して南へ１kmほど行き、立ち止まっている。追いついて話をすると、Doubletop Mountain Trailが見当たらないという。交差点にはトレースがないが、トレイルは湖の向こうにあるとGPSを見せながら教えた。15:00 Trapper Lake でテント設営。湖の北に良い場所があった。やっと雨が上がった。久しぶりの太陽。
Day 6
I started to hike at 6:15. I walked along the trail. I found someone's trace toward the river. I forded the river, but there was no trail at the opposite bank. Then, I forded back and forded again, but I could not find the trail. I gave up, and carried out the cross-country walk to the trail.
I thought that I would try once more. Then I walked along the trail once more. I noticed that the trace was belong to moose. I found a log bridge at the fording point. I was difficult to walk on the log, then I jumped into the river and forded. Thereafter, I followed the trail comfortably. At 10:20 Palmer Lake. I met six climbers of the United States including the people from Greece. I took a short rest. There is an intersection of Doubletop Mountain Trail and Palmer Lake trail. But I could not find a sign or trace, but I found a trail at the opposite side. The climbers walked forward to south about 1 km, and stopped. When I catched, I talked with the man from Greece. They wanted to go to Doubletop Mountain Trail. I said the trail was at the opposite side of the lake, although there was no trace at the junction. I taught the trail, showing my GPS. I pitched my tent near Trapper Lake at 15:00. That was a suitable place at the north of a lake. It stopped raining at last. The sunshine after a long absence.
7日目
5:00起き、パンにチーズを乗せてトースト。ゆっくりして7:00 出発、9:00 Glimpse Lake。最終局面なので、inReach でシャトルを呼ぶ。Fremont Lake を見下ろすトレイルで雨。Spring Creek Parkを目指すが、下るばかり。道が違うと考えて引き返し、湖の傍の道に出る。車はあったが、シャトルはいない。12:00 inReachでメールを出し、2時間ばかり待つが、シャトルは来ない。しばらくすると、ハイカーの親子連れ。ここはトレイルヘッドでないという。一緒に2kmほど先まで進む。車が2台止まっているだけ。結局、この親子の車に乗せて貰ってパインデールに戻った。ありがたいことに、ホテルのチェックインまで付き合ってくれた。娘はキャサリンといってとびきりの美人だが、何故か丸刈り。何日も後に気づいたが、メールアドレスのミスプリのため、届かなかった。inReachではメールの送信は確認できるが、それが届かなくても、エラーメッセージを返さない。これが唯一の欠点。
Day 7
I waked up at 5:00, ate toasted bread with cheese. I relaxed for a long time, and started to hike at 7:00. At 9:00, Glimpse Lake. Since it was the final stage, I called a shuttle service by inReach, when I was on the trail, looking down Fremont Lake. It was raining. I headed to Spring Creek Park, but I went down, could not find the trailhead. I thought that it was a wrong direction. I returned and came out the near place a lake. There was a car, but it was not a shuttle. I sent email once more at 12:00 by inReach, and waited for about 2 hours. No shuttle came. After a while, Two women, parent-and-child companion appeared. They said that it was not a trailhead. I went on with them about 2 km. There were two cars, no shuttle. After all, they gave me a ride, and I returned to Pinedale. They kindly assisted the check-in of hotel. The daughter was very beautiful and charming as like Audrey, but she cut all her hair. Her name was Catherine. I noticed many days later that there was a misspelling of mail address. The only short point of inReach is that it never returns error message.
