Heart Lake and Snake River for Labor Day

[Jackson]

But these were horses, not mules, right?

Hahaha. Mixed company, but the animals are all blameless.

 

[Pringles]

I loved that! I recognized exactly where a lot of the pictures were taken! Now I want to do it all again. I had gotten the Snake River spot over Labor Day the year before. It's so pretty at dawn, and at dusk (and all the time in between). I thought that ford the Snake at the upper ford was harder than the lower ford.

Thanks for sharing!!!

 

[Jackson]

I thought that ford the Snake at the upper ford was harder than the lower ford.

Agreed. The rocks were larger and more slippery at the upper spot. I definitely stumbled a few times walking through.

 

[Pringles]

Agreed. The rocks were larger and more slippery at the upper spot. I definitely stumbled a few times walking through.l

We decided to go downstream, just above the ripples. We locked arms (3 of us) and started across. The middle person accidentally flipped my water bottle off it's little attachment point, and it merrily started to float downstream. I took a swing at hooking it with my hiking pole, and since I had taken my wrists out of the straps in case I slipped and needed to evacuate, the pole slipped out of my hand, and started to join the water bottle. (I hike alone a lot so no one knows what a klutz I truly am, nor do they hear me gasping for breath when I just look at hills.) The youngest of our group (son of the other hiker), and strongest, said, "Stay put," and started chasing the debris bobbing down the river. He caught it quickly, and returned it to me, and we again got in position, and worked our way across. While we were doing that, two men came down to the river on the trail, from the same side we were on, and crossed seemingly without any problem. Sigh. But, we did get across safely, with all of my stuff (I would have been fine without either item, though.). When it came to the lower ford, we didn't lock arms. I went across alone, and had no problem. The son came across, dropped his pack, and went back and helped his mom. But, we DID it. It was a nice route, with great scenery.