9 Atlantic Creek Camp to Two Medicine

Atlantic Creek Camp to Two Medicine


Waking up and knowing that the day would be shorter and that the cafe at Two Medicine was waiting caused the aches and pains to vanish.  The climb up to Pitamakan Pass seemed to take less effort and was, despite the low level cloud, the best pass so far.  The reason for this was this mystical lake at around 7,000 feet.  The low cloud, the grey stillness, the snow and ice created a magic that would suggest that the Indigenous Blackfeet Elder we met in Many Glacier was right about the power of this place.  We trudged through snow as we approached and Pitamakan lake opened up before us, and the path ended.  It wasn’t there.  I looked at the map and we  had to walk along the edge of the lake, through the water, to rejoin the path.  Knee deep we walked for a minute through the healing water.  And then I realised thigh deep, with the cold soaking through to my bones that we were going in the wrong direction.  Two full minutes later I was back on the shore, screaming with pain internally, whilst Sally gleefully asked me to take her photo as she paddled about.  I guess I’m just a wet.






From there though it was up into the clouds and the least impressive of Pass pictures.

The six mile decent to Two Medicine Lake and it’s campground was met with more beautiful views of veiled mountain tops with swirling candy floss cloud.  

To take our minds off our soaked trousers, socks and shoes we played “I went hiking and wore my .....hat”. It was a version of the supermarket game and if I remember correctly the hats were - Trilby, Fez, Bowler, Sombrero, Balaclava, Buckskin, Dear Stalker, Stetson, Panama, Handkerchief, Fascinator, Beret, Bearskin, Flat Cap, Boater, Helmet and then an hour had passed and there were just a few more steps until we were warming our hands on a cup of tea.

We chatted with three other SOBO (southbound) CDT hikers who confirmed ZenCo’s warning of heavy snow.  Tomorrow.  They had the warning from the Two Medicine Ranger and she was strongly suggesting that they don’t hike.  This was strange because my satellite weather forecast was relatively fine.

I went to the ranger station and the ranger said that there was heavy snow coming.  In two days time.

What did this mean?  It meant that there was a small window tomorrow to cross one final pass before reaching East Glacier and a day off, or maybe two.

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