[some names]

We have been hiking a lot this summer . . . so much that we haven't gotten to trip reports. This was a fun one from July. We tried Gannett Peak in 2012 and didn't quite make it . . .got close to 12,000 ft and ran out of time and air. For our 2nd attempt, we arrived in Dubois WY again, and dropped off a pile of heavy stuff with a packer. From our first attempt we learned that we are old enough that packers really make this trip work. We hike the route with light packs - they carry the heavy stuff on horses and drop it shortly before Gannett Creek, about 3 miles below our final camp. Nice! Lesson from previous visit- we allowed extra days this time for adaptation and weather windows: 2 days in, 2 days out, and 4 days at our high camp. We used the Dinwoody Creek (eastern) approach, 25 miles in and 25 miles out. The first day we walked in 16 miles on the New Glacier Trail over Arrow Pass to near the Downs Fork River Bridge. We started at 4:30 am to get some switchback climbing done before it got hot. It was really beautiful with meadows of lupine and many other flowers. We camped near the Downs Fork bridge and continued hiking early the next morning, passing through Big Meadow and Floyd Wilson meadow to pick up our stuff near Gannett Creek. We packed our stunningly heavy packs, waded across Gannett Creek, and hiked up to the upper meadows. We camped above the trail sheltered by some krumholz at about 10,500 ft.

Early start- crossing Torrey Creek

Along the trail to Arrow Pass

Meadows near Arrow Pass

Arrow Pass

Arrow Pass

Descending Arrow Pass to Burro Flats

Burro Flats

Double Lake

Dinwoody Creek, Floyd Wilson Meadows, first view of Gannett

Dinwoody Creek, Floyd Wilson Meadows, and Gannett Peak slowly getting closer

Horsepackers across the creek

Upper Meadows camp site

Upper Meadows dinner rocks

Our camp behind the sheltering krumholz

At camp with a break in the skeeters

On the 3rd day we walked up to the moraine area near the end of the trail and scouted out our route. We decided to go up the lower Dinwoody Glacier instead of the lower Gooseneck Glacier because it looked like an easy ramp with a crossover to the Gooseneck at around 12,000 ft. We noticed 2 people descending this way as we watched. We thought maybe we would climb on the 4th day but woke up tired . . .really tired, AMS like tired. We took another scouting walk and found that the Dinwoody to Gooseneck route worked great, but we mostly rested.

Trail end, beginning of moraine rubble. A good look at part of the route, summit hidden on right.

A group we met heads into the rubble

Gannett summit just visible now

On a scouting hike

Another evening at camp

Another evening at the dinner rocks

Turret, Warren, Doublet group across lower Dinwoody Glacier

Nice rocks in Dinwoody basin

Upper Dinwoody Glacier scouting the route

Dinwoody basin pano

Dinwoody basin view - the Sphinx and Mt Woodrow Wilson

Mt Warren to Gannett Peak pano

The Sphinx and Mt Woodrow Wilson

Turret, Warren, and Doublet group

The Sphinx and Mt Woodrow Wilson

On the 20th we started at 4:30am. We made it past the moraine to the base of the Dinwoody Glacier, where we put on crampons, before it was fully light. It was breezy. As we crossed over to the Gooseneck Glacier side, we saw, a little ahead of us, a group of Floridians being guided on the route (we had met them at their camp the day before). We caught up to them a little before the bergschrund. A few of them were roped, but not all. We decided not to rope because . . . what the heck . . . the snow conditions were great, the guides weren't roped, and we were in their tracks close behind them.

Climb day - starting into the moraine

A cairn and early light in the moraine

Early light on Gannett

Early light on The Sphinx and Mt Woodrow Wilson

Early light on Turret, Warren, Doublet group

Pretty hiking

Nice big landmark rock

Gooseneck Pinnacle from Dinwoody Glacier

Landmark rock

Morning sunlight feels good

On route - Dinwoody Glacier below Gooseneck Pinnacle

Wind drift on Dinwoody Glacier - 2 climbers coming across from Bonney Pass (Bonney Pass at upper left)

Crossing over to the Gooseneck Glacier side - guided Floridians in sight

A break at 12,000'

The big scary bergschrund that makes everyone tremble was about a 300 yd wide snow bridge with some evidence of a crack at each end. The snow track here was quite steep . . . for about 100 vertical feet, then eased off some. It was skillful snow travel just not as scary as frequently advertised. The steps were solid, the runout was good, and the slope went quickly. What isn't frequently advertised is the exposure and steepness above the bergschrund slope, between it and the summit. The travel is on snow and/or rock and the runout is not reassuring. At the top looking over the Continental Divide was really exciting with beautiful mountains and lakes in all directions. We took our time coming down enjoying good vistas and good conditions. We felt bad for some other climbers we had met that day who had a long slog back to their camp in Titcomb Basin via an exit climb over Bonney Pass. Our descent was vey enjoyable and our trip to camp much shorter as clouds formed over the Continental Divide. We were even able to have a couple of glissades down the Gooseneck and Dinwoody Glaciers.

Gannett Pk summit

Climbers coming up to summit along final ridge

Gannett summit view to south

Gannett summit view

Another climber approaching summit

Gannett summit view to north

Another climber on the summit

Another approaching climber

Looking west over the Continental Divide

The bergshrund area from the summit - some descending climbers visible

Gannett Peak summit

View from Gannett summit including most of the upper route

View from Gannett summit including most of the upper route

View from Gannett summit including most of the upper route

Looking SW over the Continental Divide to the Mammoth Glacier

Clouds above summit hint at coming wind

Climbers descending from the summit

Descending the shoulder of the summit

A view of Gooseneck Pinnacle

Descending mix of snow and rock around the upper summit area

Gooseneck Pinnacle

Climbers decending the bergschrund slope - they are right at the bergschrund

Two climbers on their way back on the Bonney Pass route - it's a long way

Two climbers still barely visible on the Bonney Pass route - we head down to the left to our camp - much closer

Back on rocks below the Gooseneck Pinnacle

Descending the Gooseneck Glacier again

Some opportunity for some quick glissades on a warm afternoon

Beautiful sky pilots on the Gooseneck-Dinwoody crossover

Dinwoody basin

Striped rock pattern in the snow

Striped rock pattern in the snow

Clouds gathering on the Continental Divide

Clouds forming over Dinwoody basin

Return through the moraine

The familiar trail starts here

Almost back to camp

The next day we woke up to a very windy, showery morning and had to brace our backs to the tent walls at time to keep it from collapsing. The krumholz by our tent provided great protection. Eventually the storm stopped and we packed up and went down to the meadow where we were to meet the packer. On day 7 we hiked to Star Lake. The mosquitoes were bad and by this time we were sick of mosquitoes! On our last day of hiking we started off at almost a run to get out of the lake basins. When we got most of the way to Arrow Pass we were finally past the mosquitoes and able to stop, take off our nets, long sleeves, and eat breakfast. The trip completing walk over Arrow Pass was beautiful!

Next day hiking out of upper meadows

Alp lily in upper meadows

Dinwoody creek valley to Floyd Wilson meadows

Dinwoody Creek

Leaving upper meadows

Plenty of small stream crossings

Crossing Gannett Creek

Crossing Gannett Creek

Crossing Gannett Creek

Camp at Floyd Wilson to meet the packers

Aqua socks in action - still plenty of stream crossings along trail

Looking back to Gannett Peak

Dinwoody Creek and Gannett Peak

Final view of Gannett Peak

Downs Fork floating bridge - no toll

Flowers at Burro Flat

Old burn at Burro Flat

Flowers at Burro Flat

Pack train catching up

Pack train crossing Arrow Pass meadows

Watching the pack train go up Arrow Pass

Arrow Pass meadows

Arrow Pass meadows

Arrow Pass

Pack train on Glacier Trail near Arrow Pass

Columbines below Arrow Pass

Mountain Death Camas below Arrow Pass

Columbine below Arrow Pass

Columbines below Arrow Pass

Trailside flowers below Arrow Pass

Lily along New Glacier trail

Lily along New Glacier trail

Teton Range from Togwotee Pass

Pilot Peak and Index Peak from Clay Butte

Clay Butte Lookout, MT

Alpine Forget-me-nots along the Beartooth Hwy

A bend in the Beartooth Hwy

Alpine Forget-me-nots along the Beartooth Hwy

On the way home we drove through Teton, Yellowstone, and the Beartooth Highway, a great way to end a trip! The mosquitoes are awful . . . the glaciers are a little scrawny . . .the Wind Rivers are truly beautiful . . . traveling with the packers was a great way to enjoy this trip.

[RichP]

That is some wild and spectacular country. My one and only trip to the Winds is etched in my memory forever.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

Looks like a great trip. Congrats on reaching the summit.

[cefire]

Awesome, awesome pictures and report! eek that river crossing looks intense though

[puzzlr]

Congratulations on a tough peak. I've heard stories from climbing friends about this route involving accidents and injuries (in other parties, not theirs). I'm glad everything worked out safely for you.

[marydave]

Great report and pictures, and congratulations on summiting. I can see an extended trip in the Wind River range in our future.

[Redwic]

Thank you for sharing! I love the trip report and great photos. Gannett Peak is one of my all-time favorite peaks in the USA.

[Don]

What an excellent trip! Your pictures alone really do a super job of telling the story here. I've always wondered about the east side approach vs. Titcomb Basin. I've viewed Gannett from Bonney Pass and thought the route looked pretty straight forward. I see you started your climb at 4:30 am. Do you recall what time you summited? I ask because your pictures from camp make the mountain look pretty far away (possibly wide angle affect). Regardless, you passed through some beautiful country on your approach - country that looks inviting in its own right. Congrats on an excellent adventure, and thanks for sharing! I love the Winds.

[Magellan]

Great information and pictures.

[some names]

Thank you all for the nice comments! In case we weren't clear in our report, we had a rope, harnesses, and 2 pickets with us, but decided we didn't need to use them. We used crampons and ice axes. We're not great at keeping time, but we remember getting to the top around noon. We got back to the start of the trail around 3:00.

[Jim Dockery]