Loop Suggestions in the Wind River Range

[Fredrick B]

Looking for a about a six day trip in early August, knowing fully well how swamped with hikers Titcomb Basin will be. Okay if it’s further south for example. Probably 10 to 12 miles a day depending on how we acclimate to the altitude. Any of ya with some favorites that have a fair amount of solitude?

[nunatak]

Here’s a really good one. Sorry low res image but it’s pretty much a loop around Downs Mountain, starting and ending up from Dubois. Think we had four camps, and saw no-one after Ross Lake. Some trail walking in the beginning and end.

 

[Fredrick B]

Ah yes, that looks good. And the solitude factor seems nice and high, thanks.

[Timothy]

Very nice! I did the Glacier Trail on August 22-26, 2024 which is the last 23 miles of this loop. I made a quick attempt to map this loop: caltopo.com/m/UJ0D7. Corrections or even the gpx of the off trail section are appreciated.

[Eli]

Regarding glacier travel in the Winds, it’s been over five years since I’ve been on the Grasshopper and Gannet glacier while hiking the high route and I’m wondering if people have seen crevasses in that area in recent years. I recall one that I could simply step over. I’m heading back this year and am more risk averse.

[Ken Larson]

In 1977 this route our family did when our three boys were 13, 11, & 9. I believe we spent 8 days and had the trail “all by ourselves” and did a lot of fishing that was productive and had our first hike in topography that was totally different from the “flat land” hiking we previously did. Had a great time a experience no issues.

Excellent reference I used prior to my NOLS days that prepared us back then.

Wind River Trails, Finis Mitchell

https://www.amazon.com/Wind-River-Trails-Finis-Mitchell/dp/0874806267

[Lester Moore]

Fredrick – if you like solitude, lots of lakes, a variety of alpine and subalpine scenery, moderate elevations, little to no glacier travel, and lots of route options, then consider the central Winds, from Bonneville Lakes in the South to the North Fork of Bull Lake Creek in the North. You can piece together many different loop options by combining on and off trail routes in this area. Scab Creek or Boulder Creek trailheads offer access from the West with a small fraction of the traffic of Elkhard Park.

The Northern loop that Nunatak posted is great, but it’s also higher and more alpine, meaning more weather dependent, less easy/more remote escape options and more glacier travel.

As for Eli’s question about glacier travel on Gannett and Grasshopper, the video below from a 2022 trip has some footage of the standard type of crevasses there in late August:

And below are a few videos from central Winds trips in 2021 and 2022:

Hope you have a great trip,

Les

[Fredrick B]

That’s good beta, Lester. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Will Elliott]

If you are interested in scrambling, there is great solitude up high. The North Face of Haystack, for instance, looks like 5th class but has a 4th class gully to a pika village and wildflowers up on top. I say this not so much that you should divert your itinerary to fit in a trip to that exact spot, but just as an example of a big chunk of terrain that looks uninviting to most, but is plenty accessible. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haystack_Mountain_(Wyoming)

[Will Elliott]

EDIT: Looks like the example I gave is rated 5.2 but I remember it being consistent with a lot of similar terrain labeled 4th class.

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