We made up to the pass with relatively ease - perhaps we actually were becoming better at hiking. After trduging through the "watermelon snow" (look it up if you don't know what it is - it's fascinating), we hiked down the pass and were treated to a beautiful lake still surrounded by snow. Once we climbed the pass, the status of Wind River changed incredibly. No one had crossed the pass recently and it would be nearly 2 days until we saw any signs of other people. Finally we were alone in the wild.
We hiked in this bliss for maybe 7 or 8 miles until we found a spot that looked great for both fishing and wildlife. We made such good time that we had many hours to spare. While Andy and Alex tried their hands at the trout (fresh grasshoppers are the way to go), I was on a mission to search for marmots. For some reason, I was convinced that the marmot I had a glimpse of the first few hours into Wind River was a different species than those in Yellowstone. (I now know that both are yellow-bellied marmots.) But since that first glimpse, we had been unable to find any marmots although the terrain looked perfect. Yet again, I failed miserably, searching for marmots for almost 3 hours. While nature can disappoint, it can amaze you in ways you don't expect. I found a wonderful spotted sandpiper and begain shooting it. After a while, I realized that it had 4 chicks with it. Then the magic began. It would jump atop a rock and call out to the chicks. The chicks would then wobble one after another to the parent. The parent would then hop a little further and repeat this. Finally, it found a spot that seemed good. Here all the chicks came up underneath the parent a pressed their bodies into it's belly. It was amazing - here you can see two of the chicks as they begin to cuddle up to the parent.
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