Smoking Red Deer Mt

The sun is coming up later these days. I left TH just a little before 6:00 am and it was just starting to get light. I was making decent time given the wildfire smoke and my lack of mountain time the past few weeks. I decided to take the Coney Cutoff 4x4 road. It looked shorter than following the entire Buchanan Pass Trail and from past experience, I thought it would be.

About a half mile past the Coney Flats TH I saw a baby and momma moose, I’m certain they saw me first though. They were in some dense trees so not great photos.

Momma and baby moose eating at Coney Flats

Except for a couple of campers, I was surprised by the solitude. I also couldn’t believe the thick smoke in every direction I looked. I was mind blown by the fact that this was coming OR and CA. It seemed like it should’ve been coming from a fire right here. As I broke out of treeline I was hit with a cold stiff wind. The smoke seemed to be getting thicker the higher I went. My eyes and throat were burning.

Buchanan Pass trail and Red Deer Mountain in wildfire smoke haze

It was such an eerie feeling and made me feel a little claustrophobic. I actually started to think about turning around. I stopped to catch my breath and collect myself when I saw 3 people popping out of the trees below me. The first people I’d seen in hours. It gave me the resolve to keep pushing on. I finished the grind upto Buchanan Pass where I was immediately blasted by an even harder and colder wind. Now I understood how the smoke was blowing so thick.

Looking down at the Buchanan Pass Trail from Buchanan Pass covered in wildfire smoke haze

It gave me a moment of pause again, but I quickly got moving. What should’ve been an easy tundra hike to the summit was made difficult by the smoke and freezing wind. I got to the summit and dove into the windbreak and immediately put on every layer I had in my pack. I was still cold. I went back to the pass and decided I was not going to repeat Sawtooth, I just wanted to get down.

Sawtooth Mountain from the slopes of Red Deer Mountain

I think it took me longer to hike out than it did to go up…. I did stop and spend some time with a cute young marmot.

young marmot posing on a rock in the indian peaks wilderness

I couldn’t believe the wildflowers that are still in bloom. Just as many as when I was here a few weeks ago. I don’t know if the wildfire smoke kept people away, but I was shocked by how few people I passed. But I’m not going to complain.