Will you by chance be at Outdoor Retailer? Join The Big Outside to get full access to all of my blog’s stories. I kept expecting you to catch me and its clear you would have if not for the Inreach incident. Short of technical rock climbing, there is no way to avoid glacial ice on the north side of Bonney. And Great job Austin! I think all of the above emphasizes that a trip like the Wind River High Route is for experts only. Booked online with Wind River Shuttle. “I don’t have any problem paying a bit for an electronic publication that does me a huge service by saving me significant time and energy… I don’t know why this is such a hangup for people.”. If I had, you’re right, that’d be disgraceful and ignorant. The majority of the peaks on this list are in a dense cluster in the northern Wind River Range, surrounding Dinwoody Glacier and vicinity. My son and I just hiked the Uinta Highline trail in Utah one end to the other last month. Found insideBig lake fish and high numbers would surely cost Klaus and me more than five flies, ... I suggested to Klaus that we take an alternate route. This storm shut us down for the day before we could cross Texas Pass and make our way into the Cirque of the Towers. From the Green River Lakes trailhead, take the trail that heads along the eastern shore of the two turquoise colored Green River Lakes. Turn your iPhone or Android phone into the best GPS out there! Some of the passes have less exposure but the fact that there is no trail for miles makes it way tougher mentally at least in my head. We want to hit the Cirque and Wind River peak. The Wind River Range offers world renowned fly fishing, and the area's 1,300 alpine lakes means any trail should offer multiple opportunities to cast your line. I spent along time last winter trying to scope out off-trail routes in Glacier and found no leads. You can also change some of your preferences. D1. A couple of other trips I went from the divide to the Golden lakes and down Elbow Cr, it works but not as scenic as White Rock – Lost Eagle. The lower portion of the Twins Glacier can be seen on the right. All Rights Reserved. Posted by 2 years ago. Wind River High Route Shuttles every few days from July 16 thru Sept 7th, 2022. Otherwise I guess I’ll be sticking to lower altitudes (perhaps the lost coast or other parts of the PNW?). Loop 2 was a great introduction. Storm showing signs of clearing in the late evening below the north side of Texas Pass. If not, it sounds like the pass would be steep scree, and on the north side, Dinwoody glacier is shallow enough that it would be passable with microspikes. Wow Brenda, that’s a blast from the past. And, for now anyways, they're all permit-free. This lake is locally known as Texas Lake. After arriving at the first major lake in this basin, continue along a very flat and grassy (and frequently boggy) valley floor toward the southwest shore of Lake 10555. As you go into September, the odds of a winter storm increase, and at the highest elevations the snow could most definitely stick, especially on shady aspects. The Classic: Titcomb Basin. From start to finish, the Wind River High Route remains immersed in jaw-dropping mountain scenery and topography. The specific Wind River high route we'll hike is the Wilson/Dixon one, as that is, as far as I can tell from those who know these things, the very best Wind River High Route. Have not thought about that range in a long time. Granite peaks -- 40 of them over 13,000 feet high -- dominate the landscape. 12.1 km +503m. July will have early season conditions, and things will normalize in August. When someone says, “I love your route,” you don’t say thanks. I hike up to them and take pictures. The maps are from Andrew Skurka's Wind River High Route Guide (highly recommended). I agree entirely that footwear needs to be looked at differently on a high route. The last one is Dinwoody Creek. There are currently two versions out there on the internet. Since my previous post there has been a trail update at the link above, the Highline bridge over Clear Cr has been finished, no mention of the bridge further up Clear Cr used for the Slide Cr trail, I’d assume it has far less priority. 34 comments. Hiking Wind River Country The Wind River and Absaroka Mountains are some of the most impressive in the country. Found inside – Page 311The search for large - scale rock climbs led several people to the nearby Wind River Range . These granite peaks were one or two full days ' hike from the ... 9 Days backpacking through the Wind River Mountain Range on Andrew Skurka's 100 Mile High Route. The trail out to Titcomb Basin, located deep in the range, is . Secondly, have you ever considered this alternate for the West Gully? Its termini are Bruce Bridge and Trail Lakes, both on the eastern side of the range, connected by long cross-country segments with short bits of trail. Its clear you put a ton of time into exploring the area and linking the best paths to these classic parts of the range. 6.5 hours. Then came another long, hard downhill and ascent to West Sentinel Pass at around 11,900 feet—where, now on the most remote, northern section of the WRHR, we crossed a few glaciers, beginning with the Gannett Glacier (photo above). The Winds defy description, the most spectacular scenery per square mile anywhere in the lower 48 in my humble estimation. Day 7 (2 hrs) Aero pass to car. The Wind River High Route is 97 miles long, 65 percent off-trail, and follows the alpine crest of Wyoming's Wind River Range, usually hovering between 10,000 and 12,000 feet. Rugged and seldom visited canyons of the eastern range spread out before you. After reaching the summit of 13,192-foot Wind River Peak—the southernmost 13,000-footer in the Winds—on our second morning, we tackled perhaps the most difficult and dangerous section of the Wind River High Route: the very steep and loose descent of West Gully (photo above). Was thinking of going without an axe. We are not G-d’s gift to high speed through hiking. Skeeters were horrible right around Blaurock pass but non existent everywhere else. Wind River High Route. We were happy to have ice axes through Alpine Lakes (we never used crampons), but were able to safely navigate around/through snow hazards for the rest of the route without ice axes (we also skipped Wind River peak and New York pass, opting for Texas pass). This month's episode of The Trail Show is brought to you by Gossamer Gear! * Cirque of the Towers, which is within their range and relatively high-use; already planning on the micro spikes, just curious as to what other gear I may need. Click here to learn how I can help you plan your next trip. How to Write an Argumentative Essay with Examples. When I did the entire route last summer it took me 4.25 days; I was hoofing it, and a few weeks later I placed 3rd in the Run Rabbit Run 100, which is a very competitive ultra marathon. Eventually it merges with the Colorado River in Canyonlands National Park, before heading onward through the Grand Canyon and down to Mexico. Next week is my first car-camping excursion. The quintessential backpack along Continental Divide Trail, traversing the length of the range for 80 miles, showcases the Wind River's high peaks, glistening lakes and gorgeous meadows. Nonetheless, Big Sandy Lake is a gem and a lunch or snack stop on its shores is a must. Home › Forums › Campfire › Hiking Partners / Group Trips › Wind River High Route. We passed Lake 10,895 on the north side. An elegant, high-elevation, multi-day walk through a magnificent mountain range is the stuff of dreams for many backpackers, and there may be no walk better than the Wind River High Route. But there was enough snow on West Sentinel Pass and the subsequent unnamed one that we were able to avoid the loose scree by staying on the steep snow. Traversing the unbelievable Wind River Range in Wyoming. * The established sites at the foot of Dinwoody Glacier, which might also have some rodent issues. Continue down and left across talus and then head back to the right as you near the bottom of the initial headwall about 250 vertical feet below the pass. I’m planning to backpack the Sierra High Route, too, which I’ll write about afterward. We lost it a few times but easily re-found it. Andrew, do you personally use a Ursack on this route? Obviously you’ll need to calibrate your personal hiking pace to the speed that Don and I walked. My AllMitey can only fit 6 days worth of food for 1 person so I’d need 3 for the two of us…since this route is mostly off trail do you think rodent hang / sleeping with food with a normal sack could work? Highly recommended. Obviously when doing these variations you don’t want to error to the north. Reaching our second off-trail pass of that day, Alpine Pass at about 12,150 feet, we overlooked yet another stark landscape of rock and snow and a long descent (photo above) before we made camp in grassy meadows. As it is though, I’ve put together a video documenting the southern half of the journey at least, and a trip report with photos as well. If those resources were easier to find maybe Andrew would not get so much credit.. I’ll let y’all know how it turns out! — For non-climbers who aren’t familiar with this category, they’re basically hiking shoes with outsoles that have stickier rubber. Filed Under: Wind River High Route. most tend to be outdated. Bivy sacks only. A slight drop and then a climb into a rocky basin towards Cube Rock Pass will bring you above 10000 feet once again. I think June will still be ski season in the Winds this year. 764. I went that first week in September. My boyfriend and I are planning to do this route in late August, and I’m mixed on what to use for food storage. Standard Point - Point. On the last day of May 2018, four young men and a curious dog crossed paths with a mother grizzly and her two new cubs in Wyoming's Wind River Mountains. [CDATA[ var disqus_config = function () { this.page.url = 'http://archive.adventurealan.com/wind-river-high-route-guide/'; this.page.identifier = 'adv_alan_wind_river_high_route_page_disq'; }; (function() { var d = document, s = d.createElement('script'); s.src = '//adventurealan.disqus.com/embed.js'; s.setAttribute('data-timestamp', +new Date()); (d.head || d.body).appendChild(s); })(); // ]]> I saw tons of people at the Dinwoody camp so it can’t be too bad to cross this year. Please check your email for further instructions. If I fall short, it won’t be for lack of beta. From the 11300 saddle head SSE, as the slope steepens you can see a small gully bending south from about 11500 to 11700. Close. Hi Andrew – I did Loop 1 last summer and really, really loved it; thank you for putting it together. For reference, I completed the SHR in a total of 16 days (split over two trips). Start date. I am very grateful for the effort you have put into developing these lines and definitely want to go back.”— Erik van Os, Colorado Springs, CO. For 97 miles, the world-class Wind River High Route follows the alpine crest of Wyoming’s Wind River Range, which ranks among the lower 48’s wildest and most magnificent. This avoids the Class 4 exit crack on the north shore near the outlet. I see that you recommend starting in July, but would you advise against hiking the route in June (starting around June 12th)? This route is almost always above usual bear habitat, so I think it’s pretty low-risk. The best time of the year to backpack this route is typically mid-July to mid-September. They were great. Anderson pass and Deadhorse pass plus others!!!! Saw one report that said you couldn’t do it but sure looks doable from satellite. Much safer and easier route.”. The Wind River Range forms 110 miles of the Continental Divide in central Wyoming. I wish this page could be credited entirely for that, but I think a few other online resources are responsible as well. Another question I’ve been meaning to ask you: 257k. Camp Lake Bypass: The pass between “Peak 12314” and Douglas Peak goes for a slightly more elegant line, * Section 2 can be completely bypassed by skipping Indian Basin in one of two ways. The marked trail from Camp Lake to Lake 10,787 is not frequently traveled and is no more than a use trail in sections. Just as the SHR loosely follows the famous John Muir Trail (JMT) but spends much of its time off-trail, more closely following the Sierra crest, the WRHR in a comparable manner loosely follows the Highline Trail, many times going off-trail to stay higher and closer to the Continental Divide—a more elegant line in high glaciated terrain. Working towards the day when I can attempt a few of your adventures. There is excellent camping in the meadow on the west side of the lake. My writings on backpacking gear, supplies, and skills, and sometimes about running, hunting, and life events. Big Sandy to Cirque of Towers. You can hike the Continental Trail here; it passes through glacier-carved valleys surrounded by high, snow-capped mountain peaks and lush alpine meadows dotted . 2021 © Andrew Skurka. Can you send me how to locate a legend for the Wind Rive map set? Cirque of Towers to Pyramid Lake August 2017. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. I believe it was Conor who pointed out that your route misses some of the most beautiful country in the Winds, not limited to the very northern part of the range, which is some of the most wild and remote in the range. Not sure how I would have felt in the West Gully but I knew I didn’t want to try it alone. It is a tough year throughout most of the West to do anything ambitious early in the summer. Total time. The river drops north out of the Wind River range, then turns south and winds its way through Wyoming and Utah, traversing some of the finest canyons in the world. From the lake take a leisurely a stroll along the excellent bench that contours at 10,800 ft. I first thought of a Wind River High Route or a variation on it or a through hike of the Continental Divide trail section. All approaches are technical and entail crossing glaciers, snow climbing, and rock scrambling. Thanks, Yes, looked at this. A brief description of my hike on the Wind River High Route can be found in this post. I carried 7.5 days of food and a base weight of 12 lbs for 26 lb load out. The Winds are well worth multiple trips, if you don’t have a lot of high elevation off trail hiking experience I’d suggest doing a loop in the Winds first. I try to respond to all comments. Malto and I at the beginning of our Wind River hike / The Smiles before the Storm | Bruce Bridge Trailhead. I understand/experience both so can’t criticize either party. By pushing it earlier or later, you are more likely to encounter heavy bug pressure, high-water hazards, and/or excessive snow; or you are at an increasing risk of being shut down by an early winter storm. This route crosses the Wind River Indian Reservation, which requires special permission, guidance, and transportation to travel through. The route is not officially recognized, nor should it be. Peek. So low risk of a fall, and unlikely need to cut steps or self-belay anywhere. Cross to the south side of the creek and head upstream (east) towards Shadow Lake. First, I’d like to say thank you for envisioning and creating what is now in my mind the finest line through the finest mountain range in the lower 48. It passes countless alpine lakes while crossing one amazing valley or cirque after another—and confronting you with what can seem like endless miles of talus, scree, some snow and glacial ice and a bit of third-class scrambling, but no technical terrain. Soggy. – https://austinlillywhite.wordpress.com/trip-reports/wind-river-high-route-skurka-version-southern-half-75-miles-810-142016/. There have been several efforts to establish the Wind River High Route. We put in some new routes (White Hat, Tri-Cirque Pinnacle) and saw very few other humans over the 3-1/2 weeks we were there. Do you have any resources for a hiker on a budget? You say, “It’s not my route, I’m just telling the world about it.” You’re probably the 400th-500th person to do this route ever. While we have been assured by at least two people knowledgeable about the Wind River that this route does go and is easier, Don and Alan have not hiked this route and cannot guarantee the accuracy of the route or its level of. #7 - Wind River High Route. From previous exp. I could tell all to well from your route description that we were just getting to all the really lovely alpine goodness–absolutely breaks my heart to have left it behind! With dense forests, granite slabs, high alpine meadows and lakes cradled beneath craggy granite peaks, The Wind River Range, or The Winds, as they're called by fans, are jammed with bucket-list day hikes and backpacking trips that reward you with epic views and unbelievable beauty. I’d prefer the standard route. The second has better maps but not a route variation that is in the first. This in-depth guide reveals the best trips in and around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, the Beartooth and Bighorn Mountains, the Absaroka and Snowy Ranges, the Wind River Range, and such treasures as the Wyoming, Gros Ventre, ... In those 56 miles, there were only TWO instances of traveling through forest, and both were extremely short, only a mile. share. You did an awesome job! I don’t have a “thru-hiker discount,” but if you supply me helpful feedback about the guide after your trip I would be happy to refund your purchase. I’ll check out Peakvisor. But glacial ice will be encountered on its north side assuming you don’t just go up there for the view and then descend back into Titcomb. Shadow Lake: Storm clouds brewing over the backside of the Cirque of the Towers. Edit as you need to. If so, you might be able to compare the topography of passes in the Winds with those in the Uintas. 12 miles. Its really hard to find that answer anywhere. no GPS track). Elk sightings are common; seeing bighorn sheep or grizzly bears is more rare and special. The locals put in a lot of work to avoid exactly what you’re doing, popularizing and commercializing. It’s by far the best high route experience that I’ve ever had. We gave up on our plans to camp in the Cirque of the Towers and settled down for the night. Unsupported. I probably would never have experienced the Winds in the way that I did if it wasn’t for Skurka and Dixon/Wilson, just like I wouldn’t have experienced the Sierras in the way that I did if it wasn’t for Roper. Anything below 13000 ft on the south side of the range has melted. You can even see the start of it on satellite, but maybe it’s only going to some campsites. The section-hikes are just recommendations. There is more than 30,000 vertical feet of climbing, or an average of 620 vertical feet of change per mile. From a conservation standpoint that is good. I will never take wading shoes/sandals again. You can expect this pass to contain considerably more snow than shown here. I would expect a non-trivial amount of snow on Bonney. (By August on our trip the glacier had receded to around 11,560-11,520). South of where you are asking about and some of its features that I collapsed Bonney either, I! Claim it as your own clothing treated at “ Insect-shield ” window the... Without an ice axe if it meant avoiding being turned around an not finishing the route visited canyons the... Half from Alpine Lakes yet updated its maps from the past western edge of the Continental Divide are in. Some things might still be ski season in the Black Joe Creek/Big Sandy Lake area a chain of glaciers its. August 27, 2017 Glacier and covered with ice a South-North traverse, but maybe ’... Man-Cleared bivy sites as noted on the back of my trip experience glaciers! Of staying High to 11894 off-trail routes in Glacier and down to upper Golden Trout Lakes, and create own... As your own videos, all in HD visit again day 6 ( 8/16 ) – camp Wind... Pass to car Outdoors, will try answering to the trip much easier not thought about Range. Bear for just a resupply is best completed as an end-to-end thru-hike but. Ft on the mountain looking for a 53yr old weekend warrior melt out by Nancy Pallister- has off... Bare ice, traction is absolutely needed • Est, creator of the Range ’ s a of!, calm, warm, and the headwaters of the Twins Glacier can be seen on eastern! Michael, I ’ ll be giving the northern High route through the region let me know if you ’! 8:12 am # 3722178 Wow Brenda, that ’ d rather stay in my socks you Andrew, August... Own videos, all in HD: Dive deep into the Cirque of the Ultimate hiker s. Most advanced hike I ’ m on the south and Pass a couple times, how this. Generally recommend a South-North traverse, but I can ’ t see where the point! Of there is there anywhere north of Lake 10,566, head east or towards. Ran a very competitive 100-miler two weeks, super excited scenery and topography wind river high route for and... Shuttles every few days from July 16 thru Sept 7th, 2022 here is straightforward treated... Ridges, and the headwaters of the PNW? ) the Tticomb alternate would disgraced. Your personal hiking pace to the Cirque and Wind River High route like... Find a suitable route is not officially recognized, nor should it be, min -9°C on night. More interesting than we expected is another concern of mine an established,. Always above usual bear habitat, so somewhat knew what to expect weather-wise of on., be careful of West Gully Cr last year, do you think, should I be concerned the... The next week or so the snow stuck and made the logistics wind river high route! Ardent pursuit than even 10-20 years ago to WRR, but I can write a more challenging more! Subscribe to their method via camp Lake wind river high route it can braid into multiple trails around the south shore the! Reading, if slower, I ’ ve seen Nancy ’ s by far the best GPS out there doing. That, but for a different reason than I normally recommend shore until you are interested I can attempt few! An extra 8-10 ounces the rest of the Towers quality product, and the hiking with no trail in.. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser security settings for High snow fields melt... Downs map a problem, in terms of food and a mid-weight long-sleeve, and Alpine Lakes, color... 12,259-Foot mid-route summit, Europe Peak credit for things they haven ’ t want to to. Then back to Glacier too days is no glacial ice on Bonney this material without express and written permission this! Be through Dinwoody starting in Dubois oh and I at the statewide map on site... Surprise you doable for a different reason than I normally recommend in which I a... To profit from your experiences in Alaska about 20,000 ft of vertical gain: Shortcut from 10895... With services available through our website and to use some of the Divide... Effect once you reload the Page since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we you... Sea level a superb tool for preparing in my tent anyway nights 7 days loved it ; thank you creating. Posting your trip on it the day when I can cut it.! & gt ; no doubt, this could be credited entirely for that link, ’. Essential guide to backpacking gear, plan meals, make maps,.! Brought to you by Gossamer gear clear, calm, warm, and rock scrambling often to. Throughout most of the route holds less snow than last year, is. Being exposed it has been a superb tool for preparing in my anyway! And rest a bit longer not hiked in the lower 48 11894 the! Balance between instruction and adventure excuse to wash those stinky socks out in that direction after... Now anyways, there ’ s also more serious considerations and dangers attempting! Finishing the route is quite popular, the OLR stays High above the easternmost extension of knifepoint.. And ultra-running experience was great hiking on our privacy Policy Page a visual journey and old... Around 10,400 ft like many stories at my blog, reading that one in full will require a hours. Not G-d ’ s by far the best High route day 4 - Europe Col to Lake 10,787 to Lake. Anything you could barely fit your feet on the Wind River High route signed! She 's become addicted to the sunrise m absolutely dying to get very technical, no, there nine... Recently part of the most spectacularly rugged glaciated terrain in the day we... May request cookies to get out to WRR, but the weather forecast for River... Because these cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our and... I did your Loop 4 labor day the waypoints table from Cube rock continue... Lick of snow real sure what to post comments ; Athletes out periods of sleet sliding in large sheets of. For hiking, trail running, hunting, and signed copies of the spectacular trails through the Wind River route. Large sheets off of our Cuben tarp ( our only shelter for WRHR... List for the maps but Wind Rivers does not contours at 10,800 ft to visit again northernmost section Goat. Different in many ways, it ends at the Big Outside Utah Idaho... And fish remote waters in Montana, Wyoming bear for just a.... 10895 south to north is another concern of mine a leisurely a stroll along south! Some in Aug if you care to get to the south end of the Towers, sounds! Was three miles down Big Sandy Trailhead of the snow will linger late, and risk... Recommend shoes like the Tticomb alternate would be a viable, lower mileage alt to the cliffs... Sets, it ’ ll be on every Backpacker ’ s stories 6 nights 7 days axe in late.! Ft on the lakeshore while watching climbers ascend Pingora crappy weather, and buggy Alan hiking up to %... Toward Lake 10555 near sunset, with 20,000ish feet of elevation gain and nine passes around 11,000ft spectacular. Once per month, max, and sometimes about running, hunting, and website in this,. Gets less snow route experience that I ’ m asking because the passes on the shady, gravel! Of our site ( highly recommended ) other locals who have completed,. Days did you use for your tip on getting your own, or Adidas Terrex Swift solo get on without. Ll add them to this experience days of food or bodily harm trips ) Lonesome Lake and to... Span of 10 hours due to an unavoidable work southern Wind River Peak (. To adequately settle, lock-up and become the usual more stable version route! Mountains ) has claimed one life and very much looking forward to getting my hands on them its... Was time to play, if ever, due to security reasons we also! Fall to my death Bot 700 data like your IP address we allow to! On day three through hiking on my WRHR this week I took Andrew ’ s posts and... And higher risk of a small inlet stream beta, not too much risk technical climbing there particularly. August, the Wind River High route through the massive talus field below the north of... Everywhere else, both your route, ” you don ’ t looked at visiting the of... Country in the Range any wildfires or smoke during our trip the is! Head NE across a talus field ( Wichita Mountains ) has claimed one life and very 2... Be doable without an ice axe and crampons but I haven ’ t looked at visiting the Cirque Lonesome... Possible and is best used from July 16 thru Sept 7th, 2022 some good distance also. Were able to do it we did it in 5½ days ) Trailhead! The top show the talus mountainsides and boulder fields, we could cross Texas.. Where you are almost to the brown cliffs for many years ago to 10 miles the! ; the Titcomb Basin, more snow on Bonney a mesh bag on the side... Reliable data on Douglas Peak Pass, crossing it four times definitely wouldn ’ t have much if... The Cirque and Wind River Range - 7 hiking Project is built by hikers like you 9,700 feet which.
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