Gray Day

Whoof. Just as I was going to bed last night, the fog rolled in. It parted for two minutes at 8am to tell me I was sleeping in, and then came right back and stayed all day. Like a marine layer only a few hundred feet above me, unmoving, cold. I bundled up more than I ever have, stopping to put on five layers up top and two layers of gloves. That sounds like more than it is since only one of my top layers insulates (t-shirt, long sleeve base layer, button up shirt, Houdini windbreaker, Montbell Versalite rain jacket). There was a tiny bit of thunder from who knows which direction, but thankfully only a few minutes of rain. 

Early on I had to cross the creek a couple times, and climbed on the bench bluffs a few more times to avoid crossings, trying to stay on the north (Divide) side. Eventually once I lost enough elevation the creek widened out, but there wasn't game in the creek--maybe not enough brush to house and feed them? 

I crossed the Sagavanirktok River and then started up towards the Divide in the next basin. The basin is very wide and grassy, and the creek is flowing cold and swift. I could probably cross it if I wanted, but I don't have much reason to. 

Staying to the south/east side I came upon some cool river ice. I walked a wide stretch, then carefully walked another thin stretch of remnant ice between the steep hillside and the creek. One chunk was leaning into the creek as if it had toppled over away from the hillside, so I squeezed behind it and traversed the muddy hillside, while wondering what would happen if a block toppled while I was on it. Nah, I've read enough reddit/r/decks posts to know that water (usually in hot tub form) weighs a lot, the ice isn't going to notice my 140+30 pounds of self plus pack. We reached the last ice floe on my side and continued along the flat bank 10 feet or so above the creek. BOOM! A 20-yard by 5-yard chunk of ice calved off the floe just across the creek from the solid ground I was walking on.

Loud, alarming, but no effects other than a few waves and some mud in the creek.

Don't walk too close to the edge of the ice floes!

Continued the very slow ascent toward the Divide. I'm halfway done with my trip, but much closer to being back to the start. I could loop around a low peak tomorrow, but this basin isn't terribly exciting. I could go for a higher pass instead... I think I'll wait to see what the weather is like.



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