March 2002 

 

Note:  clicking on any photograph will present a full screen version.
	The dreaded "hump".  Most first time visitors to the Pear Lake Hut are bombarded with horror stories about climbing up and over Heather Gap (aka "the hump).  It's actually not that bad -- about a 2,200' climb from the trailhead at Wolverton.  Here's a photo of the hump taken from the road near Lodgepole (it's the rounded hump with the small patch of sparse trees)
	Fog at Heather Lake.  Just as I crossed over the hump and descended down to Heather Lake, a serious bit of fog and clouds crept up the valley and enveloped the area.  Visibility was eventually reduced to about 20 feet and routefinding was made rather difficult to say the least.
	Clearing.  I made it to the hut through a combination of following prior tracks, map & compass, intuition and braille.  After about an hour, the fog miraculously lifted, revealing a panorama of serrated peaks looming above the hut.
	Alta Peak.  Although it is not the tallest mountain in the vicinity, this picturesque peak dominates the area.
	Pear Lake Hut.  I arrived at the hut at around 1pm, about four hours after starting.  Tom & Dafna, my two friends from the Bay Area, were coming up to the hut a little bit later.  When the weather cleared, I unpacked and decided to head out for a few runs in the bowl above the hut while waiting for Tom & Dafna to get there.
	The "Matterhorn".   Immediately above the hut is this distinctive looking peak, known colloquially as the "Matterhorn".  I met some guys in the hut and we took a few runs up and down from the Matterhorn.

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