Southern Wind River Range mid-Aug 2016

[Ralph Burgess]

This was my first trip in the Winds.

From Big Sandy Lake, I made a loop south via Temple Pass and Coon Lake Pass to Deep Creek Lakes; traversing Wind River Peak and following Skurka’s High Route back north to the Cirque of the Towers.  I then made a shorter loop than planned to the north of the Cirque when rain and fog came in – via Texas & Illinois passes to Washakie Lake and across the Lizard Head plateau, with a few breaks in the weather to give me views to reward the effort.

The terrain is spectacular, with a more rugged feel that the Sierra Nevada.    I was unimpressed with the amount of horseshit on every trail – certainly an incentive to get off the trails as much as possible.

The highlight was Wind River Peak, easy Class 2 via the NE ridge.   I reached the foot midday, and held off the ascent with building convective cloud;  but it dissipated late afternoon, allowing me to ascend and camp by Chimney Rock a little below the summit for a clear and perfectly calm evening, and head to the summit before dawn.

Most of Nancy Pallister’s “off trail” sections were easy and many had established use trails.   The only difficult section (not in Pallister) was the descent of the west gully off Wind River Peak, a long stretch of steep loose talus.

Photos follow below in a post that I can edit.

 

[Ralph Burgess]

Haystack from Clear Lake

Bench west of Coon Lake pass

Upper Deep Creek Lake, NE ridge of Wind River Peak, Little El Cap

Upper Deep Creek Lake outlet

Upper Deep Creek Lake

[Ralph Burgess]

I don’t know if this V-shaped gap between Wind River Peak and Little El cap has a name?   Taken from the saddle at Chimney Rock.   I don’t know how to photograph sunsets, but the angle here was too tempting not to try it.

Views from Wind River Peak summit at dawn:

Glacier and N Popo Agie drainage to the NE

Looking N:  Haystack to left, Cirque of the Towers behind;  Lizard Head Peak is in the distance at middle right – this view shows why it was so named.

Looking W to Temple Peak, with an early morning shadow from the V-shaped gap in the sunset pic above showing to the left of Lost Temple Spire.

Looking SW.

Looking back up the lower talus slope of the W Gully off Wind River Peak – the route turns left and steepens through the gap above.

East side of Haystack from a flowery meadow.

A short break in the weather gave me this view from the Lizard Head plateau.

[Michael Schwartz]

Great photos and report! Bet you’ll return! Thanks.

[Hiking Malto]

I will be heading through the Winds in about a month. Thanks for the preview, super nice photos. SOunds like you had a great trip. Really looking forward to visiting that area for the first time.

[Ben Wortman]

Great pictures!  How were the mosquitoes?

[Jennifer Mitol]

Wow Ralph!  Those are fantastic!

I really need to get back there….you’ve inspired me!

[Ralph Burgess]

Ben, I encountered no mosquitoes at all.

I’d guess the wildflowers were perhaps 3 weeks past their peak overall, but still abundant.

As I mentioned, the only frustrating element was the amount of horse poop on many of the trails – something that several other hiking groups that I encountered commented on, too.    It was as bad as some of the worst areas in the Sierras – and included some steep trails with signs saying “not recommended for stock”.   I don’t know if this is a problem throughout the Winds – I guess Big Sandy TH is a major access point.

I will definitely be back soon – I think I might try the complete High Route next year.   Skurka says the west gully of Wind River Peak is the worst spot (or tied for worst) – it wasn’t fun, but not terrible, just required great patience to descend a lot of steep loose talus carefully.   I have no experience with glaciers, but I guess this is a reasonable place to start.

[Ben C]

Great photos.  I’m planning a trip there in about a week.  Looks like the conditions are great (other than the horse poo).

[Aimee M]

Fantastic photos!  I just came back from Bears Ears trail yesterday, was in Sun-Tues.  There is considerable horse poop there too, in fact we met a big group being guided, on the way in, and a group with ‘rented’ llamas on the way out.  I got very tired of the smell and we left the trail too.  As you mentioned, not a bug in sight, but did have a very windy day (30mph+ with bigger gusts) all day Tuesday along the trail between little Valentine Lake and down until you clear the ridge past the permanent snowfield about 6miles from Dickinson Park TH.

[Ralph Burgess]

“….did have a very windy day…”

I guess that’s like finding rocks in the Rockies….!

[Aimee M]

Ha.  I meant beyond the ‘normal’.  :)

[ed hyatt]

Excellent, brings back some fine memories…..and looks good on Caltopo too..

[Brad Rogers]

Great TR and Pics. I am actually sitting in an airport after a week in the winds. Amazing place, one that I keep going back to. We saw lots of horse poop too the first couple days, then the rest of the week was off trail.

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