Day 5 – TST – A Heave and a Hoe

If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try. ~Seth Godin

June 6
1 mile above Bearpaw Meadow to Roaring River – 15 miles

After such an amazing night with views, we had to tackle climbing 4,000 up Elizabeth Pass. It is the highest point on the TST.

I gotta admit the elevation and climbing killed me. My racing heart rate and slow walking made for a very humbling and humiliating experience.

The north side of the pass was full snow for a couple of miles.We have microspikes which helped a little. We broke through the snow a lot and got bruised and scraped up. I love snow on passes and it was super fun.

At our lunch spot we were surrounded with waterfalls, granite domes, and cliffs with the snow. It was exquisite.

We then descended through Deadman Canyon filled with lush meadows, aspens, and rushing water.

I am beat tonight. It was a big day!

Morning view on the way up Elizabeth Pass
Juniper
Creek crossing Elizabeth Pass
Looking toward Elizabeth Pass
Snow starting on pass
View from top of pass – full snow for a couple of miles
Top of Elizabeth Pass
Glissading
Heading down the snow
Lunch spot
Heading down to Deadman Canyon
Creek crossings
Ranger Meadow in Deadman Canyon

Subscribe

Sign up to receive Lady on a Rock's latest outdoor trips and tips.

SHARE THIS

19 Comments

  1. Thank you for the info. I’ve been snapping photos with my iPhone on my trips, but lately have been thinking I could get better photos with a better camera.

  2. I haven’t done the complete TST, but this is the prettiest of all the trail sections (Roads end to Mineral King). It’s a tough hike though, but man are you rewarded with incredible views. Met Mario Caceres (see above comment) heading NOBO on Elizabethe pass:-). Great Pics of early spring conditions.

    • Christy "Rockin'" Rosander

      Arrow and I were pleasantly surprised at every turn of this trip. I can’t wait to see the second half of it.

  3. Randy Godfrey

    I know that this hike is difficult but OMG, the beauty! Your photos are absolutely gorgeous! So glad that you’re having a very fun adventure.

    • Christy "Rockin'" Rosander

      Yep, I agree. I think the trip would be better managed elevation gain and loss wise if the hiker planned on hiking about 14 to 16 miles each day. We were trying to get in 18 miles a day, which is really hard on the knees. Thank you Randy (the other Arrow) for coming along.

  4. Mario Caceres

    This is one of my favorite areas on the TST. In a few weeks flowers will be blooming… an amazing sight.

    • Christy "Rockin'" Rosander

      One of our favorite places was the area on the north side of Elizabeth Pass. The waterfalls and granite were simply divine. Deadman Canyon wasn’t bad either. 🙂

  5. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. But those elevation profiles are scary!!

  6. Love reading about your adventures. Your pictures make it all look amazing and wishing I lived closer to west coast.
    Could you share what apps/gps/watch you are using for tracking your hiking/elevation? Thank you!

    • Sally Evarts ( Arrow)

      We used Mario Caceres annotated maps created on Avenza Maps app. Mario section hiked this entire route in 2015 and made beautiful maps and he updates them from current reports. There is a gps feature on the maps.
      We also had Tom Harrison paper maps of the area and a compass!
      We also carry an InReach paired with an IPhone for emergencies.

    • Christy "Rockin'" Rosander

      All what Arrow said is what we used for this trip. On other trips I use Gaia GPS on my iPhone for GPS or if the trail has a Guthook Atlas iPhone guide I use that. If I am planning on tracking myself for day hikes I use Stava iPhone app. It uses little battery, is accurate, and the track is easy to export to add to my blog posts.

  7. Marilyn Crabtree

    You two gals rock! You are amazing and the photos are absolutely gorgeous! Love following your adventures.

  8. Oh my goodness! Love the photos, especially the meadow with stream running through it and mountains in the back. Awesome!

  9. Gorgeous photos! Do you mind if I ask what you are using to take them? The sun peaking through the tree is stunning.

    • Christy "Rockin'" Rosander

      Hello Karen,
      This summer I am using a Song a6000 with the kit lens that comes with it. To get that photo, I moved around a bit and tilted the camera to get that glint. Oh and it was a great excuse to take a break in the shade on the uphill. 🙂

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*