Dusty Lake and Ancient Lake - 3.19.2012
Google Map instructions on how to get from Vantage to the Ancient Lake and Dusty Lake Trailhead.
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We made a loop hike out of this trip... first hiking into the Dusty Lake Coulee... then crossing over the mesa to the Ancient Lake Coulee... then back to the car.
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Only one other car at the trailhead.
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Izzy, Snowdog and BarbE on the trail.
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Bypassing the Ancient Lake Coulee... we come back out this coulee.
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The Columbia River is at the base of the cliffs in the distance.
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Time to head up the Dusty Lake Coulee.
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Denali Girl approaches Dusty Lake at the east end of the coulee.
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Izzy freshens up at Dusty Lake.
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A pano shot of Dusty Lake... we will go to the left and find a way to get up the cliffs and cross through the 'V' on the far left.
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Going around the northern tip of Dusty Lake.
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At the northern tip of Dusty Lake.
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BarbE and Snowdog going around the northern tip of Dusty Lake.
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Looking west... down the coulee.
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The route from Dusty Lake that will get us through the basalt cliffs and over to the Ancient Lake Coulee.
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Little people in the Dusty Lake Coulee.
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Starting to work our way up to the basalt columns.
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We have found a path at the base of the basalt columns.
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Looking up at the basalt columns.
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Izzy looking down on Snowdog, BarbE and Denali Girl.
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High enough now to see most of Dusty Lake.
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All smiles here... sunshine has a way of creating smiles.
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Looking through the gap over to the Ancient Lake Coulee... we will get up on this mesa to have some lunch.
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The Ancient Lakes Coulee.
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Looking down on Dusty Lake from our lunch spot.
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Lunch.
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Looking east... ladies on the left having lunch... and part of our route below the basalt columns.
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Ancient Lake on the right... and a pothole on the left.
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I decided to walk west along the mesa... and didn't get very far before things got problematic... Dusty Lake Coulee on the left... Ancient Lake Coulee on the right.
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Dropping down into the Ancient Lake Coulee... heading for the lake and potholes.
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Looking west down the Ancient Lake Coulee.
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Izzy leads the way.
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Looking at this made us all dizzy.
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Still 150 feet above the lake... looking west down the Ancient Lake Coulee.
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A pano shot of Ancient Lake.
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There is a waterfall at the east end of Ancient Lake... coming down from Judith Pool.
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A closeup of the waterfall.
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Looking back at the tiered waterfall as we start our way back to the car.
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Snowdog, Denali Girl and BarbE at Ancient Lake.
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We will be back to the car in less than an hour... the trip was ~7 miles roundtrip... gaining ~600 feet of elevation.
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