Storm Clouds and Rain Looking Over Fox Creek Canyon.
“I’m ready for a nap, but clouds have formed in the canyon that appear ready to drop rain. They’ve filled in the canyon so that we can’t see the bottom and can just barely see the ridge on the other side. .. I break open the packs and get the tent halves out, “
Fox Creek Meadow, overlooking Fox Creek Canyon, Gallatin National Forest, MT. Shown in the photo are the clouds I observed when I was here in Summer 06. These clouds did actually produce light rain about an hour earlier. On my visited here in Summer2002 and Summer2006, the places I explored are also marked on my previous mentioned Hypothetical Climbing Trail Map. At Way Points 215 thru 226, I observed very small trees and even lots of open places. These places are consistent with logging, and thus not candidates for Narrator's camp sites. This was in contrast to WayPts 407 thru 507, which were not very far away, but had dense forests. (Note, not all WayPt numbers in these ranges were used!) These latter forests probably look like the Narrator's forest at "flat spot, = a large knoll protruding from the side of the mountain.“. As shown on my Hypothetical Climbing Trail Map, the Narrator's camping spot (possibly at left side of above photo) would be only a bit further Southeast , at ~same altitude, and similarly away from logging, as the places I found dense mature forests. I have chosen the Narrator's hypothetical camp spot at a suitable distance between the previous N+C 17 and the base of next mornings climb to the ridge.
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(Photo = Summer2006 0063 ...... ZMM Page = 201 ...... Photo simulate area near WayPt = N+C 17cont 8845ft)