trip report by besthike editor Rick McCharles
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Mineral Basin to Tunnel Lake
Good morning from the sunny continental divide. 🙂
I hate starting with a steep climb. Steep climbs like this.
A lady hiking the opposite direction spotted ptarmigan.
I celebrated reaching this 12,824ft (3908m) pass. It should be a big deal. Yet this pass has no name, no sign. Not even a cairn.
It was windy, as usual. So I didn’t stay long. Down and down.
There are many different species of birds I can’t recognize. Woodpeckers are noisy in forested areas. Those I can identify. 🙂
Glorious.
That’s Tincup Pass Road near St Elmo. ATVs were here in number.
I washed up in the creek.
Then took a siesta for an hour or so. 
The Tunnel Lake trail ascent more gentle than usual.
Wanting some shelter from (possible) lightning storm, I camped by the lake. Oddly there were almost no established tent sites. In the end I crammed my Hubba into this spot.
Another couple set-up in a fairly lousy spot, I thought, up above. 
At dusk a hare came by to check me out. The first time I can recall any rabbit being curious about my tent.
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