A Solo Hike Along the Silver Divide

The trail breaks out of the trees above the Cold Creek crossing, and gives up this view up-canyon. The trail heads to the trees on the left side of the peak ahead then climbs up left to the pass. Beyond the peak is Silver Pass.

Heading Up Canyon

Silver Divide Trip from Edison Lake Trailhead, August 2001

Back on the main trail: What was surprising was how this trail section, while beginning with a moderate climb, was mostly a fairly gradual climb that gained altitude slowly but steadily. After the junction, the trail crossed the main stream for the last time, where I recharged my water bottles in anticipation of the climb ahead.

 

I had heard that this was a sometimes difficult crossing above the Graveyard Lakes junction. I cannot imagine this ever being so.

The forest was beginning to give way to timberline country, which gave up its view of the canyon walls. Up ahead to the right I could see a notch in the canyon wall, a wall up ahead, and the forested slope to the left I assumed the trail was heading for. Looking at the map, the canyon was looking different than I imagined. For starters, there was a lot more forest than the map acknowledged. The trail now was more of a traverse that edged its way through forest and meadow sections, seeming to go as far towards the wall up ahead as possible before starting a harder climb upwards. When it did climb, it was steep going in places either going right up a slope or reluctantly switching back and forth for a spell before resuming its direct climb.