Change of Plans
Up ahead, you can just start to see the second of the chain of three lakes in the upper Tensleep Valley. This is Lake Marion, a smaller lake in a narrower portion of canyon. I'd argue it's prettier here than down at Lake Helen. Our original plan had been to continue on past this point about a half-mile to Misty Moon Lake, but all the other backpackers we'd talked to on the trail--including a pack of boy scouts--had the same plan. Also, Misty Moon sits at the junction of several trails, and I was starting to think things up there might get crowded. Meanwhile, we were tired, the sky was starting to look really questionable, and we happened upon a perfect little flat spot just over a hundred feet from the water, so this was where we stopped. Lake Marion it would be.
Change of Plans
Up ahead, you can just start to see the second of the chain of three lakes in the upper Tensleep Valley. This is Lake Marion, a smaller lake in a narrower portion of canyon. I'd argue it's prettier here than down at Lake Helen. Our original plan had been to continue on past this point about a half-mile to Misty Moon Lake, but all the other backpackers we'd talked to on the trail--including a pack of boy scouts--had the same plan. Also, Misty Moon sits at the junction of several trails, and I was starting to think things up there might get crowded. Meanwhile, we were tired, the sky was starting to look really questionable, and we happened upon a perfect little flat spot just over a hundred feet from the water, so this was where we stopped. Lake Marion it would be.