Buffalo Plateau - Teton Wilderness - August 6, 2022
Oct 31, 2022 8:57:37 GMT -8
zeke, rebeccad, and 5 more like this
Post by scatman on Oct 31, 2022 8:57:37 GMT -8
My August backpacking trip was a six day loop that took us into the heart of the Teton Wilderness, up near Younts Peak and Thorofare Mountain, before heading off-trail along the plateau and returning to our vehicles.
Our first day was a rainy one and trail conditions were extremely muddy. The rain stopped on day two as we made our way to the South Buffalo Fork and on to Lake Creek at Pendergraft Meadow. On day three from Pendergarft, we climbed all day up the Lake Creek drainage and into the high country along a tributary of Lost Creek. Day four found us heading off trail along the plateau to Crescent Mountain, with excellent views in every direction. On day five, we found our way down off the plateau to Dundee Meadows, where we picked up a maintained trail that took us up and over Bonneville Pass and back down to our vehicles.
Here are some shots of our trip.
Overview map of our trip
Day 1 -
Rainy day on the drive up - Dad's Bar in Afton, Wyoming
Still raining as we near the trailhead, located east of Brooks Lake
60 degrees at the trailhead
It cleared up for about two hours as we hit the trail
Meadows along Brooks Lake Creek
Looking back south at Brooks Lake
We ran into numerous deer on this trip
Upper Brooks Lake
About to leave the meadows
Fireweed was common along our route
Arriving at Cub Creek
Sunset on a wet trail - time to find a campsite
Day 2-
Morning view from camp
Trail Creek
Smokehouse Mountain in the distance
A look up into the high country where we will be heading
More fireweed
The way we will be heading
Pendergraft Peak
More deer in a burn area
South Buffalo Fork
Pendergaft Peak again, this time above the trees
Day 3 -
Lake Creek at Pendergraft Meadow
Another deer, this time on Lake Creek
Looking back at the way we had come, dropping down into the valley
Making our way up the Lake Creek drainage
Wildflowers were abundant the entire trip
Lake Creek below
Lake Fork Falls
Approaching the headwaters of Lake Creek
Signpost for Ferry Lake and Marston Pass
View from the high country, with unnamed peak 10,952 in the distance
A look down on Lost Creek from our campsite
A visitor for dinner
Day 4 -
A view to the west from our campsite on morning three
Leaving the trail at this point
Gorgeous day in the high country
The ridge to our north. The South Fork of the Yellowstone River is located on the
other side of the ridge
Unnamed pond with unnamed peak 10,952 above. A group from the Catholic
School of Wyoming was camped at the pond when we passed through. They
had seen a sow and a cub earlier in the morning passing by on the south side
of the pond.
A view over into the Washakie Wilderness
Unnamed peaks 11,738, 11,434 and 11,460
Younts Peak and Thorofare Mountain
On top of the plateau
A look down into the Turner Fork drainage
A tributary of Turner Fork where we made camp for night four
Day 5 -
Elk above our campsite coming to visit for breakfast
Leaving camp, with the Tetons, faint, in the far distance
Crescent Mountain in the distance, our destination for night five
Dropping down into a valley with a tributary of Marston Creek below
Monkey flowers in the valley
Looking back at the ridge we had just descended, as we make our way up the
next ridge
More Washakie Wilderness
Looking down on an unnamed pond which is the headwaters of Bliss Creek
View down a tributary of the South Buffalo Fork, with Pinnacle Buttes in the
far distance
A tributary of South Buffalo Fork
A view down a tributary of the South Buffalo Fork
A view down into the South Buffalo Fork
Crescent Mountain dead ahead
The west side of Crescent Mountain, our campsite for the night
Day 6 -
Heading towards the unnamed peak in the center of the image on day six
More high plateau across the Cub Creek drainage
Pinnacle Buttes to the southwest
Unnamed peak dead ahead, but we must cross a saddle to get to it
Looking down on Dundee Meadows. We made a decision to head down at this
point instead of heading back up to the unnamed peak of the previous image
The trail we wanted to pick up is located at the south end of the far meadow below
Coming off the cliff band to reach the lower meadow. Believe it or not this was
a horse trail at one time.
Picked up the trail and headed towards Bonneville Pass.
Signpost for Bonneville Pass
View to the northeast from Bonneville Pass
View to the southwest from the pass
Arnica heaven just off the pass
Looking south at Jules Bowl
Back at our vehicles
The End.
Our first day was a rainy one and trail conditions were extremely muddy. The rain stopped on day two as we made our way to the South Buffalo Fork and on to Lake Creek at Pendergraft Meadow. On day three from Pendergarft, we climbed all day up the Lake Creek drainage and into the high country along a tributary of Lost Creek. Day four found us heading off trail along the plateau to Crescent Mountain, with excellent views in every direction. On day five, we found our way down off the plateau to Dundee Meadows, where we picked up a maintained trail that took us up and over Bonneville Pass and back down to our vehicles.
Here are some shots of our trip.
Overview map of our trip
Day 1 -
Rainy day on the drive up - Dad's Bar in Afton, Wyoming
Still raining as we near the trailhead, located east of Brooks Lake
60 degrees at the trailhead
It cleared up for about two hours as we hit the trail
Meadows along Brooks Lake Creek
Looking back south at Brooks Lake
We ran into numerous deer on this trip
Upper Brooks Lake
About to leave the meadows
Fireweed was common along our route
Arriving at Cub Creek
Sunset on a wet trail - time to find a campsite
Day 2-
Morning view from camp
Trail Creek
Smokehouse Mountain in the distance
A look up into the high country where we will be heading
More fireweed
The way we will be heading
Pendergraft Peak
More deer in a burn area
South Buffalo Fork
Pendergaft Peak again, this time above the trees
Day 3 -
Lake Creek at Pendergraft Meadow
Another deer, this time on Lake Creek
Looking back at the way we had come, dropping down into the valley
Making our way up the Lake Creek drainage
Wildflowers were abundant the entire trip
Lake Creek below
Lake Fork Falls
Approaching the headwaters of Lake Creek
Signpost for Ferry Lake and Marston Pass
View from the high country, with unnamed peak 10,952 in the distance
A look down on Lost Creek from our campsite
A visitor for dinner
Day 4 -
A view to the west from our campsite on morning three
Leaving the trail at this point
Gorgeous day in the high country
The ridge to our north. The South Fork of the Yellowstone River is located on the
other side of the ridge
Unnamed pond with unnamed peak 10,952 above. A group from the Catholic
School of Wyoming was camped at the pond when we passed through. They
had seen a sow and a cub earlier in the morning passing by on the south side
of the pond.
A view over into the Washakie Wilderness
Unnamed peaks 11,738, 11,434 and 11,460
Younts Peak and Thorofare Mountain
On top of the plateau
A look down into the Turner Fork drainage
A tributary of Turner Fork where we made camp for night four
Day 5 -
Elk above our campsite coming to visit for breakfast
Leaving camp, with the Tetons, faint, in the far distance
Crescent Mountain in the distance, our destination for night five
Dropping down into a valley with a tributary of Marston Creek below
Monkey flowers in the valley
Looking back at the ridge we had just descended, as we make our way up the
next ridge
More Washakie Wilderness
Looking down on an unnamed pond which is the headwaters of Bliss Creek
View down a tributary of the South Buffalo Fork, with Pinnacle Buttes in the
far distance
A tributary of South Buffalo Fork
A view down a tributary of the South Buffalo Fork
A view down into the South Buffalo Fork
Crescent Mountain dead ahead
The west side of Crescent Mountain, our campsite for the night
Day 6 -
Heading towards the unnamed peak in the center of the image on day six
More high plateau across the Cub Creek drainage
Pinnacle Buttes to the southwest
Unnamed peak dead ahead, but we must cross a saddle to get to it
Looking down on Dundee Meadows. We made a decision to head down at this
point instead of heading back up to the unnamed peak of the previous image
The trail we wanted to pick up is located at the south end of the far meadow below
Coming off the cliff band to reach the lower meadow. Believe it or not this was
a horse trail at one time.
Picked up the trail and headed towards Bonneville Pass.
Signpost for Bonneville Pass
View to the northeast from Bonneville Pass
View to the southwest from the pass
Arnica heaven just off the pass
Looking south at Jules Bowl
Back at our vehicles
The End.
