During the summer of 2024 I spent 44 days hiking in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. This is a collection of my favorite photos from that trip.
Missing Sandal - At some point during the ~3 mile hike to this spot, which was mainly cross country boulder hopping, I lost a sandal, and unfortunately didn't find it on the way back (which would have been a miracle).
Historial Landmark - Some of the wreckage marking the spot on Bomber Mountain where a B-17 crashed in 1943, killing ten men.
Life After Death - After visiting Bomber Mountain, a somber place where 10 men died in a 1943 plane crash, this was a refreshing glimpse of life in a sea of boulders on the climb back down.
Jammed Toe - Shortly before reaching this chain of lakes I jammed my toe badly enough to bruise it, and it took it quite some time to heal since I kept hitting it on rocks, roots, etc., each time being quite painful.
Magical Morning - The forest is a magical place to begin with, but add some fog and it becomes even more magical.
First Rays - The golden glow of the first rays of sunshine cutting through the fog and trees. A wonderful way to begin a day.
Depth Perception - Is the water clear or is it a blue green color? It depends on the depth of the water.
The Climbers - On the way to this spot I met someone who was rock climbing in this area, and a bit later I spotted a couple of her friends well up on a rock wall to the left of where this picture was taken.
The Payoff - The last 3 miles to Cloud Peak involve about ~3,000 ft of elevation gain, mostly boulder hopping. It's grueling, but you get quite the payoff at the top.
Colorful Reprieve - In a sea of boulders, flowers improbably provide a burst of color and bring a bit of a reprieve of the slog of hopping from boulder to boulder.
Go Your Own Way - During this trip I did much more off trail hiking than I typically do, which meant it was up to me to find my own way. Sometimes it was fun, other times quite challenging and frustrating.
Eternally Thankful - I was not planning to visit what ended up being one of my favorite spots until someone recommended it and gave me an idea on a route. I'm eternally thankful for that suggestion!
Mirror Lake - Mirror lake living up to its name.
Familiar Territory - I covered a lot of new territory during this trip, but also visited some places I had been before. It was a lot of fun going back to places I had been much earlier on in my backpacking days.
Trip Hazard - I had passed up a similar picture earlier in my trip and regretted it a bit later on. Thankfully I got another chance in a different spot later on.
Lincoln Logs - After a short day of hiking I set up camp near this cabin in a campground, which provided a cool "artificial" photo opportunity.
What I'm Given - Just below this picture is a beautiful blue green lake. I tried and tried to get a great picture of the peaks and lake, but it just wasn’t working, so I had to "settle" for this one, which I am quite happy with.
Beach Bums - A rock and flowers living it up on the beach of an alpine lake.
Will it Work? - While sitting at camp, I noticed a route to this lake that looked promising. I tried it the next morning, and it didn’t end up working, but after that first route didn't work I ended up finding another route that did.
Ridge Top - A lone tree at the top of a ridge is just begging for its picture to be taken.
Rolling Mountains - I'm typically not a big fan of hiking out in the wide open for long stretches, but in some cases, it lends itself to some cool pictures.
