This was my second attempt at Wheeler Peak (also Jeff's second and Chris' first). All of technical info about this hike can be found on the page I have for my first attempt: Wheeler Peak Summit Attempt.

As far as how this hike compared to the previous attempt, it was much the same and much different at the same time. We got on the trail at about 10:00 am (I think) and we promptly made it to our camp site, which was once again La Cal Basin. Once at camp, we had a fun experience with a Marmmot. It was VERY aggressive and kept trying to sneak into camp... so, we chased it until it hid in a tree. LOL This was very fun because marmmots can be quite dumb and are easy to herd like a cow once they're away from their hole.

The weather was MUCH more agreeable this time-- in fact, I've rarely had better on a hike. We rose early the next morning and summited without difficulty. We were treated to the company of some elk and a bunch of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. Our descent was via the Williams Lake approach and then out through the ski valley. VERY STEEP to the lake, but it was nice to see new terrain.

Here are some additional pictures from the trip:

• Beautiful view of Williams Lake.
• A stream somewhere along the trail.