Along the Chinese Wall

[Ralph Thornton]

Did you expect photos from China?

Well this Chinese Wall is in the Bob Marshall Wilderness of Montana. The "Bob" as well call it here is just west of my home. The Bob is a continuous tract of wild country that is considered the crown jewel of the American Wilderness system and is the largest wilderness in the contiguous 48 states.

The Chinese Wall is a 1,000 foot high cliff that extends for 12 miles. The fist photo is the north end of the wall near Larch Hill Pass. It was made in September 2010. After one day of snow and another one with low clouds, the sky cleared. Early morning sun slanted though the trees and illuminated the wall.

My Lake (it's not my lake but My Lake! ) is just east of the Chinese between Larch Hill Pass and Spotted Bear Pass. I spent a little too much time in the warm morning sun photographing the wall and didn't get to My Lake until almost noon. But the blue sky and golden larches were too irresistible to pass up. I had to stop and photograph them even though I still had 14 more trail miles to walk to my intended camping spot for the night.

 

[Glen Roberts]

WOW! Stunning Locations... Great shots of it too.

With all those locations near you I'm not surprised you shoot mostly Landscapes.

 

[Pete Askew]

So that's where you've been!! What an amazing place. It won't work though, the Chinese have more insidious ways of invading the States!!

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Montana's Chinese Wall is much older than the Chinese version! It's just that the Chinese beat us to the name. Ha! Ha!

I wish I was in the Bob recently but alas the weather is awful and the snow still too deep to penetrate that far into the wilderness. I was actually visiting my daughter, son-in-law and grandson in Washington DC for a while. Home now and hoping for spring to take hold in the mountains.

 

[Pete Askew]

Montana's Chinese Wall is much older than the Chinese version! It's just that the Chinese beat us to the name. Ha! Ha!

You don't mean to say that they may have copied it...

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Man, that's some stunning scenery - just awe inspiring stuff Ralph.

So, when do you think the snow pack is going to melt enough to allow access again?

I know they're freaking out here in CA - worried that the record snow will all melt in a short time in June and cause flooding.

 

[Ralph Thornton]

...So, when do you think the snow pack is going to melt enough to allow access again? I know they're freaking out here in CA - worried that the record snow will all melt in a short time in June and cause flooding.

We are getting a lot of rain even at high elevations. That is causing concern about flooding here for sure.

I'm hoping to reach the Chinese Wall around the end of June and again in September. Will probably take snowshoes for the late June attempt. Most of the high mountain terrain is accessible early July through mid October.

 

[Thomas brookes]

Wow!!!! I don't have much to add but wow!!

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Wow!!!!

Thomas,
That pretty much captures my feeling when I was there. Thanks.

 

[Rudi Venter]

Amazing images of a stunning place!

Thanks for sharing Ralph!

 

[Vic Shaw]

this is cool, one of the guys I play an online game with is a ranger and a fire fighter in this area and I was speaking to him about it and I may plan a little trip there next year. He has a pilots licence too so he said we could fly over it he also mentioned the bear tooth highway.

 

[Tim Pindar]

Lovely images of a stunning location - great stuff!

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Thanks Rudi. Your images have got me fired up for this summer. Now if you could arrange for spring to come to my part of the world I'd appreciate it. Out mountains got 1-2 feet of new snow over the past weekend :>(

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Snow over the memorial weekend!

Wow, by the time the thaw kicks in, it'll be time for Fall and more snow.

 

[Dan Cattermole]

Amazing! Location, photos etc..... Simply amazing!! Well done!

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Snow over the memorial weekend!

Wow, by the time the thaw kicks in, it'll be time for Fall and more snow.

Chris, you could be right. It's been a lousy cold spring here this year. I hiked up a trail today that leads 6 miles to a pass on the Rocky Mountain Front. I could only go 3 miles though before hitting deep snow. Normally at this time of year the trail is open all the way. Did see quite a few grizzly tracks. No bears though.