24 km. Trailhead at Hwy 11 to Pinto Lake campsite.
The Owen Creek gorge is another work of art by nature. Near the bottom we looked down thru deep narrow channels in the limestone.
We had a long climb up and walked thru more 2013 flood damage. Big slides obliterated the trail at many places. Some reroutes are obvious but it’s slow hiking. Sometimes it’s just better to walk in the river.
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We had lunch at a gorgeous small waterfall.
Owen Pass brought us above treeline and we stayed there for most of the rest of the day.
Michele Pass was next. We could hear thunder booming which isn’t what you want to hear when you are above treeline. We saw 3 bighorn sheep silhouetted at the pass when we climbed up and a whole bunch more on our way down.
See the bighorn?
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It started sprinkling and the sky looked like it could open up so we put rainclothes on. Luckily it stopped.
Pinto Pass was next. Thunder again greeted us at the top.
We had a long 4 mile downhill to Pinto Lake where we are camped. We even saw a moose on the way down.
nancyhikes 
More proper mountain walking, and some great views…
Good feet those, for a thru-hiker .. yours, Nancy? Clearly been looked after!
I am getting the impression that this has been a hard trek, but with rewarding views .. some majestic photos, and I can only imagine what it is like actually to be there
Yes it’s hard. I often find myself comparing the steepness to the HRP. Often they have been very similar. But the GDT wins for bushwhacking and log hopping.
Once again, amazing scenery. So glad you made it safely through the thunderstorms. What a difficult trail! Loved the picture of your shoes from an earlier post. Stay safe, my friend.
You are in a great camp spot – nothing beats trees and water!! Glad it didn’t pour on you today and that going was a little easier. Beautiful country!!
I thought that looked like a mighty-nice camping spot too.