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ADAHY Member
Joined: 16 Mar 2010 Posts: 166 | TRs | Pics Location: Covington, WA. |
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ADAHY
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Sat Jul 03, 2010 11:29 pm
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Got my first look at some good maps of the area today and some pics here on this forum, wow August could be the best year of my life regarding backpacking. Leaving July 31 for nine days. Will start at Elkhart Park but havn't quite got it settled if a loop of some sort is in order or a through hike. If anyone has some advise on a good loop of 30-45 miles which hits some of the great fishing spots I would appreciate it, so long as it also has great eye candy. through hikes with the same are just as desireable. ps jimbobrian never heard from you regarding East side of Rainier so I planned otherwise.
" The price of freedom is eternal vigilance".
" The price of freedom is eternal vigilance".
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mtn.climber Member
Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 1202 | TRs | Pics Location: The Lost Horizon |
That's the area where my backpacking career began. Loved it there. Have a great time and post lots of pics.
Reach for the sky, cuz tomorrow may never come.
Live the life of love. Love the life you live.
Reach for the sky, cuz tomorrow may never come.
Live the life of love. Love the life you live.
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El Matador Member
Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 198 | TRs | Pics Location: Portland, OR |
I have a trip August 14th-22nd and settled on the Hailey Washakie Pass Loop. About 33 miles on the loop + maybe 10 miles of peak bagging and off trail exploration. This is the research I accumulated while in the planning phases. Lots of info here, hopefully some of it helps.
Matt
Good introduction to the area:
http://www.summitpost.org/area/range/171223/wind-river-range.html
http://www.hanselmannphotography.com/nTarge_newsletters/Newsletters2008-B/2-Winds1/Winds1.html
http://www.mountainmancountry.com/attractions/destinations/wind-river-mountians.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_River_Range
Some Professional Photographer's photos of the Winds:
http://www.pbase.com/mangoman/windriver
http://www.mountainscenes.com/Wind%20River.htm
http://www.pinedaleonline.com/photogallery/davebell/WindRiverHeaven2007/home.htm
Map of the entire range (1:100k MAP): I purchased one, but if you want one, go for it.
http://beartoothpublishing.com/windriver.php
Guidebooks:
Climbing and Hiking in the Wind River Mountains by Joe Kelsey
Hiking Wyomings Wind River Range by Ron Adkison
Walking the Winds: A Hiking and Fishing Guide to Wyoming's Wind River Range by Rebecca Woods
Backpacking Wyoming: From Towering Granite Peaks to Steaming Geyser Basins by Doug Loraine
Wind River Trails by Finis Mitchell (the original Wind River mountain man, good for historical perspective)
The Hikes:
The area is so big and there are so many variations on the different hikes that all of the links dont match up exactly. I tried to include the trip reports in the most relavent area, but there is some overlap in areas. Currently I am leaning toward a variation of the Hailey and Washakie Pass Loop because it is less traveled, but a variation of the Sky Pilot Loop will be hard to pass on.
Sky Pilot Loop: 43-61 miles in the Central/North Wind Rivers
http://www.ouachitamaps.com/Wind%20River.html
http://bp2.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/464018
http://www.dorfworld.net/backcountry/winds_2007/winds_2007.html
Hailey & Washakie Pass Loop: 32 miles + side trips in the Soutern Wind Rivers
http://www.summitpost.org/route/522231/Hailey-and-Washakie-Passes.html
http://www.wildlandart.com/Winds-Pages/winds_intro.html
http://www.dorfworld.net/backcountry/winds_2006/winds.html
http://picasaweb.google.com/ericgodfrey/20040804WindRiversGraveLakeLoop
http://electricant.net/grundyman/windrpk2009.html (this is not the route, but has photos of the area)
Sweetwater Loop/Cirque of the Towers Varient: 43 miles in the Southern Wind Rivers
http://www.ouachitamaps.com/Wind%20River.html
http://www.swarpa.net/~danforth/photos/winds/map_winds_annotated.jpg
http://www.windriverrange.com/cirqueofthetowers.htm
http://electricant.net/grundyman/windrpk2009.html (photos/TH from the general area)
http://www.sportiva.com/live/page.php?id=37&at=23 (photos of this area and the Washakie area)
Elkhart TH Variation (Island Lake Loop): 35-40 miles in the Central/North Wind Rivers
http://cachenav.com/ViewTrip/53570
http://bp2.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/40232
http://www.tezaur.net/photo/wyoming2002/windrivers/index.html
Green Lakes TH Variation (to be added to parts of the Sky Pilot or Island Lake Loop, unknown milage, shuttle would be required)
http://trekkingtheworld.com/crest_of_the_wind_rivers.htm
http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/564863
http://www.hanselmannphotography.com/nTarge_newsletters/Newsletters2008-B/3-Winds2/Winds2.html
Miscallaneous Trip Reports that dont fit perfectly into any of the above areas
http://www.vmerges.name/Wind%20River/Wind%20River/index.html
http://www.gtcreations.com/trips/wyoming/wyoming2.html (an out and back to climb Gannet Peak, highest in WY via Titcomb Basin)
http://brianmolly.com/adventures/06_windriver_journal.php (80 miles combining the south and central Winds)
http://trekkingtheworld.com/crest_of_the_wind_rivers.htm (80 mile traverse with off trail travel)
Individual Points of Interest: (listed here just so I wont forget about something when planning)
CENTRAL WINDS NORTHERN WINDS
Island Lake Square Top Mountain
Titcomb Lake Green Lakes
Vista Pass Shannon Pass
Peak Lake/Stroud Peak
Cube Rock Pass
Elbow and Jean Lakes
Knapsack Col
Vista Pass
Bonny Pass
Mount Fremont
Gannet Peak
Cook Lakes
Indian Basin/Pass
Lake 10813
Fremont Crossing Water Slide
SOUTHERN WINDS
Washakie Lake/Peak
Mount Hooker
Baptiste Lake
Pyramid Lake
Shadow Lake
Valantine to South Fork Lakes
Clear Lake/Steeple Peak
Lonsome Lake
Skull Lake
Raid Peak Valley
East Fork Valley
Pangora Peak
Arrowhead lake
Jackass Pass
Deep Lake
Lizzard Head Meadows
Texas Pass
Wind River Peak and Little El Cap
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grannyhiker Member
Joined: 29 Jul 2006 Posts: 3516 | TRs | Pics Location: Gateway to the Columbia Gorge |
You didn't list the latest guidebook, primarily for advanced backpackers who have off-trail and (for some routes) mountaineering skills and experience, an excellent read and very detailed:
Nancy Pallister, "Beyond Trails in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming," Spokane, WA: Gray Dog Press, 2010.
Nancy was a NOLS instructor in the Winds for many years and has frequently gone back there to backpack and climb. She spent the entire summers of 2007 and 2009 there doing research for this book. Unlike the other guides, it includes detailed information (including how to wade the bureaucratic maze) about the Wind River Indian Reservation Roadless Area. There are at least a dozen trips that can be arranged to be suitable for klutzes like me (I have plenty of experience in off-trail navigation but don't have climbing skills; I also don't want to risk my beloved dog on talus). For those with some mountaineering experience, there is a lifetime of trips in this book!
Nancy wrote the book to supplement, not replace, the Kelsey (climbing) and Adkison (on trail) guidebooks, so it repeats very little of the information that is found in those books.
It's available here. I strongly recommend getting the optional CD for its detailed colored maps and many photos that will have you drooling!
Lord willing and the creek don't rise, to quote a friend of mine, I'll be doing two of the easy off-trail trips from the book this summer--the New Fork Plateau (but via a loop from Green River Lakes, for the sake of more gradual acclimatization) and the Island Lake/Indian Basin/Wall Lake/Cook Lakes route, starting in late July.
My ambition is to do the Hailey Pass/Lizard Head Plateau/Cirque of the Towers loop from Big Sandy. Maybe next year! There will be a couple of off-trail visits to lakes, but nearly all of that loop will be on trail--I don't have the skills for most of the off-trail portions.
Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in this book whatsoever. I met Nancy through The Lightweight Backpacker forum. I have thoroughly enjoyed her book and have planned more trips than I have years left to backpack!
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.--E.Abbey
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.--E.Abbey
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ADAHY Member
Joined: 16 Mar 2010 Posts: 166 | TRs | Pics Location: Covington, WA. |
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ADAHY
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Tue Jul 13, 2010 7:02 pm
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MKPATRICK, thanks for sharing your time, I've got hours invested myself. This will absolutely come in handy, except now I think I will once again start from scratch with this info, now that I finally got the good maps to go along with it. Granny hiker I will probably stay in the west winds and avoid the Popo Agie untill another time, I think I was just salivating a bit.
" The price of freedom is eternal vigilance".
" The price of freedom is eternal vigilance".
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El Matador Member
Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 198 | TRs | Pics Location: Portland, OR |
ADAHY wrote: | MKPATRICK, thanks for sharing your time, I've got hours invested myself. This will absolutely come in handy, except now I think I will once again start from scratch with this info, now that I finally got the good maps to go along with it. Granny hiker I will probably stay in the west winds and avoid the Popo Agie untill another time, I think I was just salivating a bit. |
You are welcome- The information I gathered is a bit tangential due to the number of loops/through hikes within area. On top of that, each hike seems to have multiple on and off trail variations. Man, the range is so big and there are so many amazing options, I am still having a hard tim committing to a specific hike. Let me know what you guys figure out, who knows, I may change my mind again. Good luck with the planning, hope yall have a stellar trip.
Matt
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ADAHY Member
Joined: 16 Mar 2010 Posts: 166 | TRs | Pics Location: Covington, WA. |
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ADAHY
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Thu Jul 29, 2010 7:18 pm
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Leaving tomorrow morning, starting at Green river lakes ( lower elevation start to acclimate ) then along the highline trail s. bound. It will be a loop of some sort probably making it's turn on the Canyon trail going west. The best fishing is supposed to be around the area of Borum lake and south. And if time allows and phisically able, peeks at all the other areas we can get to. Thanks again for the info.
" The price of freedom is eternal vigilance".
" The price of freedom is eternal vigilance".
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The Lead Dog Member
Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 981 | TRs | Pics Location: Kent Wa |
Watch out for the Flys from hell!
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