The Wind Rivers – is there a better place? Hidden away in northwest Wyoming, you will hear of the Grand Tetons or Yellowstone long before the Winds. But (in my humble opinion) the national parks pale in comparison. The Winds are the place to go for endless alpine scenery and many trailless miles of solitude. Katie and I planned for a four day trip with the first night being in the Cirque of the Towers – the rest we would plan as we went.
Day 1
We started from Big Sandy trailhead which is many miles off the paved road (full of hazards like antelope, cattle, and random hippies still there from the Rainbow gathering). We hiked six miles in to Big Sandy Lake where the peaks started to tower over us. We decided to drop packs and take a spur trail a few miles up to Deep Lake. What a place! As we climbed up to the lake the trees receded until it was wide open rock and meadows. We then left the trail and headed to Temple Lake before making our own trail back to the packs. What incredible fun, walking wherever one wishes through open meadows full of wildflowers. At this point Katie asked me why we had wasted so much time in the Tetons. We picked up our packs and began the tiring climb over Jackass Pass and then descended into the Cirque of the Towers. The Cirque forms almost a complete circle of towering cliff and mountains. We found a spot to set up camp and soon found the it is mosquito season in the Winds. Really bad. Like, it’s not worth going to the bathroom because you’ll itch for the next few hours. Like don’t breathe too deeply because you’ll inhale them. We never really escaped the buggers for the whole trip. Nevertheless, the scenery was beautiful and kept us going from day to day. That night I crawled out of the tent after dark to use the facilities, and was awestruck by the view – the Cirque under the light of a full moon. Words cannot describe…
Day 2
We headed off trail to climb out of the Cirque via Texas Pass – a steep pass on the north side that provides access to the other side of the range. After plenty of huffing and puffing we crossed through the pass where the most recent visitor appeared to have been a moose. Then there was a steep descent to Texas Lake and several more miles of cross country travel before picking up a trail at Shadow Lake. Did I mention that most of our route was above 10,000′ and above treeline? Endless views. After picking up the trail we headed north to spend the night at Pyramid Lake. We were treated to a bit of a light show from some nearby storm clouds and blessed the 20 minutes of rain because it gave us some relief from the mosquitos.
Day 3
Time to get off the trail again. We headed north up a basin toward Mt. Bonneville, once again enjoying the open alpine walking and great views. We were suprised to see several other groups going through the same pass we were heading for. Upon talking to some of them we found out they were a NOLS rock climbing course, out for 30 days in the Winds. Our final ascent to the pass just south of Mt. Bonneville was tiring, being a large boulder field where you had to pick your way between rocks and jump from one to the next. Once we hit the pass I scrambled up to an unnamed peak a few hundred feet above the pass and was treated to incredible views deep into the heart of the Winds. Some of the best mountain country I have seen this summer and at least on par with the Sierras. After a brief lunch hiked a few more miles cross country through mosquito infested lands until striking the Continental Divide trail. The lands to the west of the range consists of high tablelands, some rolling hills, and mostly wide open country. We pounded south on the trail on the way back toward the trailhead, hoping to travel as far as possible before the mosquitos broke our will. We made it to Dad’s Lake, about six miles from the trailhead and about the 15th tough mile for the day. Dinner was followed by the best night of rest yet.
Day 4
Not much to say. Woke up early to a beautiful scene of early morning sun on mountains above a quiet lake. The mosquitos were a little late waking up, so we took advantage and hit the trail by 7 am for a quick walk out to the car by 9 am. Now we’re back in Jackson Hole to do one more day hike in the Tetons before Katie flies home. Then….if I can muster the courage for the mosquitos, it is back to the Winds for a solo adventure through some more of the high country.
I won’t blink an eye if I never see the Grand Canyon again and I won’t shed a tear if I never return to Yosemite….but I hope to see the Winds again.
http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/WindRiversCirqueOfTheTowers
