DAY 48 – CHICKEN SPRING Lake

19.37 miles
From Trail Camp (Mile 735.1, UND 10190)
To Chickn Spring Lake (Milla 752, UND 11218)
Climb 3490
DESCENDA 2548
Steps 41424

I woke up tired and with a little headache this morning. I think it was about to support my head while ate/fixed food in the store’s lobby while I was lying. But I will monitor it.

I am finally pleased to reach a Sierra pass that has a name (at least one that is on signs and on my maps).

Along the crest where I camped

I leaked water from a beautiful spring/meadow to a half mile of the route. Camelé before I left. It also seemed that the road down was longer than it was necessary, which led to a place in the stream to a shape under where spring water reached the surface. So I explored a more direct route that was just a quarter of a mile.

It is more difficult to miss the spring diversion when people create signals like this

Spring and meadow

Mulkey and Trail passes were not events. There was no snow near the path and not even climbing so much climb. Most climbing was reaching the crest where I camped last night. Mulkey and Trail passes were only 500 feet higher than that.

Mulkey photo

Mulkey pass

Trail pass

Even Cottonwood Pass was not bad. As I approached, I was surprised to discover that I had more than 11000 feet. I had a couple of occasions when I felt breathless, but there are no altitude problems. As I approached Cottonwood, I was walking almost 3 mph.

Looking Horseshoe Meadows by Cottonwood Pass

I arrived at Chicken Spring Lake just around 5:00 p.m. The sun was still hot, so I quickly configured my store, I changed to my swimsuit and challenged cold water. I slowly entered a couple of times and took some photos. Then I immersed before taking some more photos. With 11,200 feet, this is now the highest altitude lake where I have swimmed (I consider immersing me «swim» for this purpose). My previous altitude swimming was only 9500. The sun is warm enough to be in my store, it is actually quite warm.

Chicken spring lake

Swimming in Chickn Spring Lake

It’s time for dinner to work … once I change my swimming suit in dry clothes.

Note for oneself: while mosquitoes cannot cross a network of the head, they cannot mix (or most other foods I will try to eat). At least it was early enough on the day that the chocolate in the mixture of trails had not begun to melt. So none of that stuck to the head network.

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