Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Jo-jo Lake

We make it half way today!
From the end of the Mendenhall meadows here, you see Jo-jo Peak. The peak drops straight into the lake on the right side.
I can say i am fortunate enough to have made it to the lake quite a number of times. All long stories in itself. There is never guaranties. In winter we go mostly by skidoo. By the way of the 911 pond ,the river, the meadows, the willow swamp, Pond Creek, and another long and beautiful way. With one steep hill, where i have to go full throttle, racing on an edge, one side you could roll of , the other side some perilous trees, till you reach;
Our treasured Pine Tree. A tree with some history; at has a deep scar! And when i say ours, i mean the few people that go here, i think most of us stop at this tree, one time or another.
The trail has been taken a few times this winter, and we travel on a previous set skidoo trail, Don only falls of a few times, where we have to lift the skidoo back on the trail. I don't fall off, my Bravo lighter and Don is breaking the trail for me. The trail deteriorates. Soon it seems all winter only one machine has been before us.
This is the way, with the group who does come out here, we all work on the trail. If lucky some of us will reach the end before break-up.

Here we enter the gorge as you kind of see in the first picture.

Soon we come to the end of skidoo tracks. Here someone has snowshoed another kilometer or so. We bravely carry on.
And this is what it's like.
Very heavy work. At the end of the snowshoe tracks, we are forced to turn around.
Which as difficult as you can imagine.

The way back we race, leaning, ducking, swerving, speeding or slowing. The river is a dream, first stretch racing through green water, luckily there's ice underneath.
On the river's bends i realize when i go fast enough and lean, the skidoo will take me through without me really steering.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

That looks like a big adventure. Be safe!

christopher said...

Hearty Canadien. Knowing when to stop, but not afraid to go. You could do nothing like this here. The Mt. Hood ski area is tame and the snow east while not so tame, it just never gets that cold.

Thank you for sharing. I am signing off for the day now.

Cicero Sings said...

Our brother in law got a skidoo this year ... and he tells us about how hard it is to turn around in a tight place! You have quite the adventures and are VERY hardy! I'm pretty whoosy!

aria said...

wat ben je toch een lekker stoer ding :-)!!!

L. said...

Beautiful pictures. What true wilderness. No wonder poetry is at the heart of you. I really love the treasured Pine Tree. So special to have a place that only a few appreciate...a gathering place of sorts even if one stops there all alone.