Forum Index > Partners > Wind rivers, Wyoming
 Reply to topic
Previous :: Next Topic
Author Message
ADAHY
Member
Member


Joined: 16 Mar 2010
Posts: 166 | TRs | Pics
Location: Covington, WA.
ADAHY
Member
PostSat Jul 03, 2010 11:29 pm 
Got my first look at some good maps of the area today and some pics here on this forum, wow eek.gif 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".
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
mtn.climber
Member
Member


Joined: 29 Jul 2008
Posts: 1202 | TRs | Pics
Location: The Lost Horizon
mtn.climber
Member
PostMon Jul 05, 2010 7:28 am 
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.
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
El Matador
Member
Member


Joined: 25 Jun 2008
Posts: 198 | TRs | Pics
Location: Portland, OR
El Matador
Member
PostMon Jul 12, 2010 8:54 pm 
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

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
grannyhiker
Member
Member


Joined: 29 Jul 2006
Posts: 3516 | TRs | Pics
Location: Gateway to the Columbia Gorge
grannyhiker
Member
PostMon Jul 12, 2010 9:15 pm 
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
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
ADAHY
Member
Member


Joined: 16 Mar 2010
Posts: 166 | TRs | Pics
Location: Covington, WA.
ADAHY
Member
PostTue Jul 13, 2010 7:02 pm 
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".
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
El Matador
Member
Member


Joined: 25 Jun 2008
Posts: 198 | TRs | Pics
Location: Portland, OR
El Matador
Member
PostTue Jul 13, 2010 8:39 pm 
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

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
ADAHY
Member
Member


Joined: 16 Mar 2010
Posts: 166 | TRs | Pics
Location: Covington, WA.
ADAHY
Member
PostThu Jul 29, 2010 7:18 pm 
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".
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
The Lead Dog
Member
Member


Joined: 18 Dec 2006
Posts: 981 | TRs | Pics
Location: Kent Wa
The Lead Dog
Member
PostFri Jul 30, 2010 8:30 am 
Watch out for the Flys from hell!

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
   All times are GMT - 8 Hours
 Reply to topic
Forum Index > Partners > Wind rivers, Wyoming
  Happy Birthday speyguy, Bandanabraids!
Jump to:   
Search this topic:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum