Ancient Lake and Dusty Lake - 10.29.2014
Directions from Exit 136 on I-90 near Vantage to the trailhead we used to access Potholes Coulee.
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rodman's GPS track for our loop hike through Potholes Coulee that included visits to Ancient Lake and Dusty Lake... 7.2 miles roundtrip, gaining 733 feet of elevation.
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Gearing up at the trailhead (~1000')... several horse trailers today, but we did not see any horses... or any other people for that matter.
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An interesting rock and a waterfall near the entrance to the Ancient Lake Basin.
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After hiking ~2 miles we came to the first lake in the Ancient Lake Basin.
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The second lake... being fed by a multi-tierd waterfall from Judith Pool and 'H' Lake.
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We are at the headwall of the Ancient Lake Basin looking back toward the mouth of the basin.
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Looking back at the second lake as we continue toward the Ancient/Dusty crossover.
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Gaining some elevation now as we look down on the third lake... with the second lake in the distance.
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Group shot taken from above the third lake... left to right... rodman, ragman, Snowdog (with Isabel in front), Denali Girl, BarbE and Jannu in front of rocman.
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Looking up at a 'rock swirl' as we continue toward the Ancient/Dusty crossover.
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Almost at the Ancient/Dusty crossover.
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Izzy watches the group arrive at the Ancient/Dusty crossover.
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At the Ancient/Dusty crossover... looking at the basalt columns above Dusty Lake.
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Dusty Lake from the Ancient/Dusty crossover.
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Scrambling up to the top of the divide that separates Ancient Lake Basin from Dusty Lake Basin.
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tomman and BarbE hiking along the divide... with Dusty Lake on the right.
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Hiking west along the divide... but it is too dangerous to go any further. Dusty Lake Basin on the left... with Ancient Lake Basin on the right.
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Looking at Ancient Lake Basin from the top of the divide... the fourth lake is on the left.
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Returning along the top of the divide to where we can get back down to the Ancient/Dusty crossover... with Dusty Lake on the right.
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Working our way back down and over toward the Ancient/Dusty crossover.
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Almost back to the Ancient/Dusty crossover.
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tomman hiking beneath the basalt columns... with Dusty Lake in the distance.
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Looking back toward the Ancient/Dusty crossover as we follow a good path below the basalt columns. Dusty Lake is below.
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The group has found a path that will get us from the base of the basalt columns down to Dusty Lake.
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At Dusty Lake now... looking up at the 'U' shaped crossover on the divide that we used to get from Ancient Lake Basin to Dusty Lake.
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We will exit the Dusty Lake area by going along the north side of the lake... staying just above the white rocks.
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On the rocks along the north side of Dusty Lake.
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rocman and tomman on the north side of Dusty Lake.
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Dusty Lake.
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Almost done with the rocks on the north side of Dusty Lake.
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Looking back at Dusty Lake.
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It is all about the colors.
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A well deserved break after getting beyond the rocks on the north side of Dusty Lake.
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Almost out of the Dusty Lake Basin... still have more than a mile of hiking to get back to the car.
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