- Joined
- Apr 20, 2013
- Messages
- 1,331
![Bells Canyon Overnighter 3-20200044-rec-sm.jpg Bells Canyon Overnighter 3-20200044-rec-sm.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87596-f1c9fece68dcf62ba8e5528db9a91a2f.jpg)
I have not been good about posting trip reports. Technically this one was on spikes and snowshoes, so I am putting it in Winter Sports.
Like just about everyone, my plans have had to be... heavily modified... to canceled.
So here is a bevy of pictures from a trip with minimal narration and almost no snarkiness.
On a whim with no planning, we were off to a popular place where snow and going more than 2 miles at least bogs down the crowd. We had the 2-ish miles as a minimum goal, so we set off at a good pace... mostly.
Unsettled skies were the norm.
![IMG_1948.jpg IMG_1948.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87604-a0a64548efe9bc8a6b48fb30b8c40b89.jpg)
This is the easiest part of the trail.
![IMG_1950.jpg IMG_1950.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87605-0baaff4a4c2aee52c92d776fbbab73be.jpg)
Brief sunshine on mahogany.
![IMG_1969.jpg IMG_1969.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87607-b8005eca62ece3e0dfb2cbe5e0fb7fa3.jpg)
Fresh snow on the creek.
![IMG_1988.jpg IMG_1988.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87608-df1ee562aa791f5507d87c3bc29ebd07.jpg)
![IMG_2041.jpg IMG_2041.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87610-f0044bfe95d6f981f37abd39cf378341.jpg)
The sky was interesting as we climbed.
![IMG_2051.jpg IMG_2051.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87612-964eef9ea94fcab5777c90993fc71035.jpg)
The sun broke through for a few brief minutes in golden splendor to put a smile on my face.
![IMG_9705.jpg IMG_9705.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87627-3c6584bc9b35fd342d0eb56b8f4e4f75.jpg)
Climbing up someone's earlier skin track.
![IMG_9728.jpg IMG_9728.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87628-1c1dbdf4f597b86a8d3a2c0c26ff5087.jpg)
![IMG_2066.jpg IMG_2066.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87613-68ac5abc589e15e4c3fbf8a01ca54dd2.jpg)
The iphone 11 shoots reasonably well in the low light.
![IMG_2091.jpg IMG_2091.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87614-ce809714dd818e467bedfc0034b3f538.jpg)
Paused while pitching camp, with a snow squall moving in, and took a quick picture of the preferred winter home.
The Tangerine Tipi.
![IMG_2099.jpg IMG_2099.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87615-3b275678172950db565862ecb002544e.jpg)
Dinner was loosely based on a cuban. Almost half a pound of shredded pork barbacoa, ham, swiss cheese, palmetto olives, mustard and pickles on a pretzel bun.
The fantastic flavor I developed was enough to turn my buddy a bit Golog Bordello (Eugene's face is used to protect the innocent).
![IMG_2107.jpg IMG_2107.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87639-22e7e4c345108a43182ec89ea5aead53.jpg)
Overnight temp after we had setup was dipping into the single digits.
Once the storm actually came in, it rose into mild 20's by morning.
Morning broke without any fanfare or color. The day before, we had not climbed as high as we had planned. Mostly because of a later afternoon start and the storm rolling in.
We had a couple inches of snow overnight. Almost no wind. Just the snow sliding down the silnylon, and the gentle cascading brook as background noise to the snoring that gets worse with age.
As happens sometimes, we did not keep the foundation exactly level when we stomped out camp, so my buddy's stuff and the center pole slid sideways a bit.
Also note, there is also almost enough room for two people to almost be legally socially distant (if one would stop slowly sliding down from his side of the tent).
The new Xtherm was fantastic. Not just warmth, but actually being the large size it was like Grandma's Feather Bed! With my old Xlite I was rarely ever cold, but you could occasionally feel the cold air in cold spots when shifting position, or maybe it was because if I shifted much my butt would slide off the Regular sized Xlite onto the snow.
![IMG_2145.jpg IMG_2145.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87617-fe37a2bcbc56cf7d42a5feebbae25214.jpg)
I blame the messy non-existent neighbors for such a horrendous camp.
Once we ate a bite, we went on uphill to go a little bit farther.
Without any sun breaking through, the world became still, quiet, and monochromatic.
![Bells Canyon Overnighter 3-20200178-rec-sm.jpg Bells Canyon Overnighter 3-20200178-rec-sm.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87599-a396e9b02c16e46c5699dd23a25ebaec.jpg)
![Bells Canyon Overnighter 3-20200121-sm-bw2.jpg Bells Canyon Overnighter 3-20200121-sm-bw2.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87597-23e26057e21c4a6b0a5bf5cc834419c1.jpg)
We also were breaking new snow.
![Bells Canyon Overnighter 3-20200146-bw-sm.jpg Bells Canyon Overnighter 3-20200146-bw-sm.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87598-eca6744d88a16c5955674d5f8bf5087f.jpg)
![Bells Canyon Overnighter 3-20200187-bw-sm.jpg Bells Canyon Overnighter 3-20200187-bw-sm.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87601-7295443951fdf84dae2395ec52472e63.jpg)
![Bells Canyon Overnighter 3-20200208-bw-crop.jpg Bells Canyon Overnighter 3-20200208-bw-crop.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87602-aef816036dc8bedd71fc10f2eb6c34df.jpg)
The sun came out briefly again on the way down, before a squall came through.
![IMG_2171.jpg IMG_2171.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87618-117b75612e2bf8cb676de1ee76352aeb.jpg)
![IMG_2184.jpg IMG_2184.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87619-fd4ad2b0d1b88dd7a24e48e7a7e32818.jpg)
The most common destination for people who hike here:
![IMG_2199.jpg IMG_2199.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87621-71140102047fda5c0d17c854f38c651e.jpg)
OOOOOOooooooo more snow!
![IMG_2203 Copy.jpg IMG_2203 Copy.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87622-6f74fe6dce38a84907997ebf461f061b.jpg)
![IMG_2208.jpg IMG_2208.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87624-3072d1e524360b01075c719186c864f8.jpg)
I really liked these mahogany dusted with fresh snow.
![IMG_2212 Copy.jpg IMG_2212 Copy.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/87/87626-bafaddea516b5ad518271db863f80bca.jpg)