Thursday, July 24, 2025
End: Meadow on the Approach to Paxton
Route (km): 22.1
Total (km): 124.4
Hours: 12.6
Total (hrs): 66.7
From my camp in the meadow, I wanted to quickly get up to the Weaver-Limestone Pass above the Limestone Lakes. It turned out, this was farther away than expected.
Sometimes there was easy hiking, other times I was back in the willows. Plenty of rock fields in the valley leading to the pass as well.
As I reached the first Limestone Lake, I realized that I had missed the turn for the climb up Limetone Lakes High Alternate, which had been recommended to me. I went back and started the difficult climb.
Gale force winds hit me as I continued up, up , up. It was a long climb. When I finally reached the top, I was greeted by a barren moonscape, nothing but rocks and ice.
Some of this was easy hiking, but there was still plenty of scrambling. When it came time to descend, I found it quite challenging, back in the willows and going down steep sections. I made it down without injury. I’m not sure I would recommend this alternate.
The hiking became easier from here, navingating through sparse pine forest, and almost always on a game trail. I made good time, but was hit by some rain.
Oddly, I was almost out of water, and this was the only section of the hike with no water to be found. As I went through the final meadows before the climb to Paxton Pass, I found a hole with water, and treated it.
I made camp, it being too late to start the climb to the pass. I felt good, knowing that I might finish the Great Divide Route the next day.