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Midnight at Sawtooth Lakes

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Just as soon as I caught my breath in the thin air, this view took it away again. In a glacial cirque devoid of trees, even mosquitoes don't dare to fly this high. Towering granite spires soar to 13,000 feet. 10 lakes fill this deep canyon, with the sound of countless waterfalls echoing between each one. This is the heart of the most rugged part of the Bighorn Mountains. Here summers are short and snow may fall any month of the year. From left to right is Sawtooth Ridge, Cloud Peak, The Innominate, Hallelujah Peak, and Black Tooth Mountain. Beneath the headwall is the remnant of a former glacier. The difficult off trail access means few people have laid eyes on this exact view, and possibly no one at night. It was a risk lugging a heavy pack 28 miles roundtrip when I didn't even know if I'd find a suitable campsite. Fully exposed to the weather, thunder, wind, and hail nearly chased me off this ridge before I could even set up my tent. But when the stars came out it was all worth it. It doesn't matter how many times I've seen the milky way under a dark sky, it never gets old.

Copyright
Kevin Palmer Photography
Image Size
6592x8240 / 32.7MB
Keywords
Contained in galleries
Best of 2023, Recent Work, Wyoming, Night Sky
Just as soon as I caught my breath in the thin air, this view took it away again. In a glacial cirque devoid of trees, even mosquitoes don't dare to fly this high. Towering granite spires soar to 13,000 feet. 10 lakes fill this deep canyon, with the sound of countless waterfalls echoing between each one. This is the heart of the most rugged part of the Bighorn Mountains. Here summers are short and snow may fall any month of the year. From left to right is Sawtooth Ridge, Cloud Peak, The Innominate, Hallelujah Peak, and Black Tooth Mountain. Beneath the headwall is the remnant of a former glacier. The difficult off trail access means few people have laid eyes on this exact view, and possibly no one at night. It was a risk lugging a heavy pack 28 miles roundtrip when I didn't even know if I'd find a suitable campsite. Fully exposed to the weather, thunder, wind, and hail nearly chased me off this ridge before I could even set up my tent. But when the stars came out it was all worth it. It doesn't matter how many times I've seen the milky way under a dark sky, it never gets old.