On the last full day I spent at Nuk Tessli, we all went up to the North Pass Meadows.  After 8 days of crappy weather, it was finally wonderful.  Still pretty windy, but sun, sun, sun!

Doron towed us with the motor again, and we landed at Big Beach.  The trail to the North Pass follows the creek up.

Soon we were skirting Snowshoe Mountain (named because the first time I climbed it was on snowshoes.) The last time I came this way was late June 2012, with Doreen, and we were slogging through deep snow.  The lakes and ponds were frozen.  Today, however, the tundra was bone dry and the flowers were prime.

 

We picked our way around the edge of the lake then climbed up the steep ridge on the west side.

North Pass Lake lay below us.

The meadows were amazing.  Like everywhere else, they were 2 weeks early.  We should not have seen this kind of display until well into August.

 

The common red paintbrush was most obvious, but there were several small flowered paintbrushes as well.

The meadows got better and better!

 

Doron called a lunch break at the top of the ridge and afterwards introduced us to a new trail he and his crew had made.  First we went down towards Anvil Mountain.

An obliging clump of paintbrush grew near the bott0m.

Then we followed a series of little ponds and tarns, back down towards Nuk Tessli.  I had never been exactly that way before so everything was new and exciting.

 

 

I had not done such a long hike for 3 years and, although I was very slow – and very sore at the end of it – I was pleased at what I had been able to do.  It was truly a beautiful ending to what had been a somewhat disappointing visit so far.  I am already planning next years’ trip.