Hiking to Tourmaline Tarn allows you to realize that the journey is just as beautiful as the destination. We started from Bear Lake and passed the reflection of Hallet in the lake. Then up the trail to Lake Helene and the view to the top of Odessa Gorge. Down to Odessa Lake and another look up the beautiful gorge, dominated by Nothctop and Little Matterhorn.
Then the fun began. There is no real trail up to Tourmaline Tarn. We kept to the north side of the outlet stream, trying to avoid downed trees and thick krumholz. Crossing to the south side of the stream and attempting to stay left of the biggest boulders, and thinking that is was just above the next rise, the terrain flattened into a shelf and the tarn appeared.
Jess (with Muneca), Meg, Craig, Carol, Theresa, Beth, Rick, Ross and Maggie at Tourmaline Tarn.
We found our way back to Lake Odessa, and then had to climb back out of the warm gorge to Lake Helene. A welcome rest break at the top of the gorge allowed us to look back at where we had been. Only three downhill miles back to the trailhead. That seemed easy at this point.
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