Fri, 6Sep - Badger Pass and Beaver Lake

Woke to great views but lots of condensation on the tent walls.  Climbed up and over a bump between the second and third Trilobite Lakes which gave a great view of Trilobite Peak and the lakes.  Then down a long series of switchbacks to join the Ley purple alternate route that was down in the valley below.  The mountains floated in and out of the mist and you could look back at the shelf below the Trilobite range I had hiked yesterday.

Met up with Bow(another thru-hiker) near a wet water crossing and a whole group of thru hikers near Gooseberry guard station.  Finally returning to the official CDT route I hiked along Strawberry Creek to Badger Pass.  

Along the way it would start to rain, then clear and become sunny, then repeat.  Each time the rain getting harder.  At Beaver Lake I stopped to take a picture of the lake with dark angry clouds and was hit with rain storm number four and the worst yet.  Very heavy rain, then huge hail, then even harder rain.  There were hail balls bouncing in every direction then inches of water everywhere.  

When it stopped I decided to just camp early right at Beaver Lake.  After an early dinner the rain returned again.  I noticed the seams on my tent starting to leak.  I think all those hard winds in the San Juan Mountains took its toll and I need to re-seam seal the tent.  Glad I stopped early and wasn't hiking in this rain.