Page Lake to Pintler Creek
~27 miles
Today was a roller coaster of Anaconda-Pintler awesomeness. I'm not sure there was a flat section of trail more than half a mile long; I am sure it was an incredible day! And it wasn't the ups and downs, or the miles themselves, and you certainly can't see or experience it by looking at a map, but was it grand. In between those pesky bits where I actually hiked (6,400' up; 7300' down) is the source of the magic of wilderness.
The views from various ridges and passes were filled with mountains, the creeks bubbled alongside the trail while hiking, and the lakes sparkled like diamonds, but held far more value to a trail-worn hiker. While taking an afternoon siesta at Rainbow Lake, I swam in the frigid waters, enjoyed being dried by the brightly shining sun, while simultaneously being cooled by a refreshing breeze coming off the lake. It felt as though I was the only person for miles and miles, which may or may not have been true, but perhaps the actuality of that truth isn't as important as the feeling of solitude.
I've come up with a couple haiku as a summary of the day. I suppose the title would be something like "Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness"
Mountains, creeks, and lakes
Along the roller coaster
My hiker heaven
Jumping in the lake
Frigid waters envelop
Refreshing my soul
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