Hiking to Flytrip Lakes!
Another grand hike in Idaho! Well, once again, maybe not, disaster seems to be hovering over my activites like the proverbial 'thing' in the punchbowl.

The great fall weather continued, so I decided to make one last attempt at Flytrip Lakes, in addition to one more attempt to find my lost gear.. Hiking partner was still missing, as she still had other obligations to attend to. One has to wonder, what in the world could be more important than hiking to Flytrip Lakes?

In any case, hike on I did, and by the time I passed the 10 miles to the Timpa Creek intersection, after the long trip into the trailhead, it was time to camp. And since the Timpa Creek intersection has some exelempary camping, why not?

Next morning, up before sunrise, and hit the trail. My experience has taught me that if you get up on a frosty morning, and there is not yet any sun, you hike until there is sun, and then you stop for breakfast. So... therein is the plan.

Before long, here we are at the first creek crossing. Before long #2, here we are at another creek crossing back to the other side that we just left! The bottom line? Before we were done, we had to do a third creek crossing prior to being done with this nonsense. On the way back, once I put on my 'creek crossing shoes', I left them on until I had crossed for the last time!!

On we go, climbing and climbing, pause for lunch, and continue to climb. At some point we reach another intersection, and now we head east on the Flytrip Lakes Basin trail. At this point in the day, and at my level of 'tired', this is a real grunt, as it is a steady climb to Camp Lake, the normal RON for these lakes.

Finally arrived, depleting the last of my reserve energy, set up camp, the tent, etc., and enjoy the fact that there is no more climbing to do!

The lake was interesting, noticing a fish, presumably a trout, that had a black tail, something I have never seen before.

At this point, I began to engage in some concern that since I don't now have any raingear (It was lost by Ezra on the last adventure), and the weather prognosis is not continued 'wonderful', what am I going to do.

I waffled until the next morning, and the unsettled weather conditions convinced me that I needed to get outta Dodge.

And so, in spite of the fact that we are now talking about 16 miles or so of trekking, out we go, hell-bent on getting to the trailhead.

It was a world-class grunt, but we did get to the trailhead, admittedly with nothing left to give, and noting that along the way there were a few showers. It lends credence to the decision to leave.

BTW: None of the lost gear was spotted. That is hard to understand, as contained in the lost stuff were two flourescent orange goat raincoats. How in the world could they be scattered all over the countryside and not be seen??