Chapter Twenty-Three: The Storm II

*This is a photo companion to my book, Crunch: A Million Snowy Steps Along the Pacific Crest Trail, available on Amazon here.

May 31, 2017

Fish Creek

Clouds lighting off in the sunrise at Virginia Lake.

Thor and Amped headed down to walk across the frozen Virginia Lake with nature showing off above us.

June 2015 - Virginia Lake with Melanie and the pups (who are 50% terrible at family pictures).

May 2017 - Virginia Lake with no pups. Thor and I are way better at looking at the camera... I think.

Amped running across Virginia Lake, for the record.

July 2016 - Virginia Lake in the summer.

May 2017 - Virginia Lake in slightly different conditions...

Heading toward Purple Lake on decent snow.

Crossing the outlet of Purple Lake. Always feels good seeing signs of civilization.

Purple Lake.

The view for the day... sloped hillsides and angry ankles.

Mama bear prints.

The sky is falling!!

Thor navigating through the rocks to get on top of the cliff line.

Moving through the fog towards Mammoth Pass.

McCloud Lake, one of the least frozen lakes we'd seen so far... All downhill from here!

Approaching Horseshoe Lake with structures coming into view! Never thought the sight of a pit toilet could make my heart dance...

Amped and Thor emerging from the woods near Horseshoe Lake, ready to conquer Mammoth's food supply.

Snowed in pit toilet, Horseshoe Lake in the background. This area is usually snow-free and open by the third week in May...

Signs of life in the Lakes Basin above Mammoth.