Wind River Range ideas?

[adventure_dog]

I've got the guide book (Hiking Wyoming's Wind River Range, Ron Adkinson). I've got both sets of Earthwalk maps. I've got some good advice from a friend who was there last summer. But I still can't decide where to go in the Wind Rivers this summer. Can you help?

Here's what I've honed in on as of February 12, 2009 from the confines of my warm, comfortable couch:

Day 1: Jump on the Highline Trail at the Green River Lakes TH and hike south to Three Forks Park for the evening.

Day 2: Walk the Highline to Glacier Trail over Vista Pass and Cube Rock Pass. Targeting Upper Jean Lake or Fremont Crossing for the evening, depending on how many trail miles it is (I can't really tell yet) and the elevation gain. The map says "trail not maintained" for Glacier Trail. To what extent is it not maintained?

Day 2 Alternative: Walk the Highline to Glacier Trail over Vista Pass to Peak Lake. Set up short-term base camp here for a scramble over Knapsack Col to get a look at Titcomb Basin the next day.

Day 3: Unloaded dayhike or scramble to Titcomb Basin from either Knapsack Col or via the Highline Trail/Titcomb Basin Trail.

Day 4: Highline Trail to Doubletop Mountain Trail. Camp at one of the No Name lakes or Cutthroat Lake.

Day 5: Doubletop Mountain Trail to Palmer Lake to Porcupine Trail. Out that evening?

Day 6: Short hike out, if we didn't make it the afternoon before.

Has anyone walked any of these trails? Recommendations for camps? Any must-sees? I'm fairly certain we can't go wrong in this part of the country. I've been looking forward to the Winds for a long time. I can see at least two more extended trips to the range in the future.

[Random_Walker]

"trail not maintained"

I came in from Shannon Pass (July and snow) worked my way down and over to Cube Rock Pass (liberal use of ice axe.) From Cube Rock Pass to the "flats" before the trail heads up to Vista Pass the trail traverses a steep talus slope. The trail was there now and then, slides cutting long holes in it with big rocks to slither through, scree slopes to skitter across and large fingers of frozen snow between. Getting tired of the traverse and worrying about where the trail was I took a glissade down one of the snow slopes to the house size boulders at the bottom and worked my way through them to some flats and made camp.
It was a long day and a great camp..



I'll check my trail notes this evening and see what they say...

[Grannyhiker]

You might want to take it a bit more slowly the first 2-3 days until you get used to the altitude. It's amazing how much it can slow you down! The general rule for acclimatization is that you either spend several days climbing high and sleeping low or that you plan to gain not more than 1,000 feet per day between sleeping places. That means that your second night should probably be at Trail Creek Park (~9,000 ft.). Going straight from 8,000 ft. at Three Forks Park to almost 11,000 ft. at Peak Lake or Upper Jean Lake could be asking for AMS. Even if you don't develop AMS symptoms, you won't feel very good!

After my experience last summer when, the day I left home, a forest fire erupted where I'd planned to go, I'd suggest having a "Plan B" just in case. At least throw the southern Winds map and the guidebook in your car, just in case.

This summer I'm also planning to go in via Green River Lakes (taking three days to get just beyond Summit Lake), but skipping Peak Lake, doing some off-trail exploration in the Wall Lake area and exiting via Elkhart Park.

[adventure_dog]

Originally Posted by Grannyhiker

You might want to take it a bit more slowly the first 2-3 days until you get used to the altitude.

Great tip, Grannyhiker! I hadn't forgotten about the altitude, I just forgot that we have to ease into it. Thanks for the rule of thumb on acclimatization. I'll rework the route to reflect it.

Originally Posted by Grannyhiker

After my experience last summer when, the day I left home, a forest fire erupted where I'd planned to go, I'd suggest having a "Plan B" just in case. At least throw the southern Winds map and the guidebook in your car, just in case.

As is the case with wilderness travel in the west... We always have a back-up plan (or three) because of this situation. One year (as I talked about in my Goat Rocks Traverse trip report), all three of our back-up trips ended up on fire so we regrouped the morning of and headed in the opposite direction.

Where in the Winds were you last year?

[Random_Walker]

My notes on the (not maintained) Glacier Trial talks of difficulty staying on trail because of snow, tricky traversing the 45 to 50 degree slope at times, taking it slowly, surrounded by the sound of the raging headwaters of the Green River which peaked out of the snow here and there on its way down valley.
This area would be much easier to navigate later in the season, when were you thinking of starting out?
I carried a couple custom 24k topo's of The Winds that I ordered from offroute, much finer detail than the Earthwalk Press maps I used to plan my trip with.

I was headed for Titcomb Basin at one point, then sitting awhile at the Titcomb Basin and Indian Basin Trail junction I counted 5 groups, a total of 14 people taking the trail into Titcomb. It was more people than I had seen in quite a while. Anyway on the spur of the moment I headed into Indian Basin and Indian Pass instead.
In fact both of my backpacks in the Winds were like that. Once I was up in the high country (9/10000' and above) It was easier to let go of plans and just follow Mother Nature and my own awe of her. The topography there is made for easy off trail mosey meandering (I would come across many little way trails not on a map) lots of the peaks are easy class 2/3 scrambles if you like that kind of stuff.
Orrin and Lorraine Bonney's "Field Book The Wind River Range" is the bible of the area. Also "Wind River Trails" by Finis Mitchell is a must read.
I would also highly recommend (for waiting out the storms) "Wind River Adventures: My Life in Frontier Wyoming" by Edward J. Farlow.
If you tend to carry such things...

[adventure_dog]

Originally Posted by Random_Walker

This area would be much easier to navigate later in the season, when were you thinking of starting out?

We'll be there in mid-August: post snow and post bugs. Still, sometimes it's easier to walk on the snow than traverse a 50 degree talus slope. Thanks for relaying your notes.

Originally Posted by Random_Walker

I was headed for Titcomb Basin at one point, then sitting awhile at the Titcomb Basin and Indian Basin Trail junction I counted 5 groups, a total of 14 people taking the trail into Titcomb.

I think you're spot on about the masses and Titcomb Basin - and about getting up into the high country and then taking it a day at a time. I think that's what we'll do; gauge the weather and our fitness and the crowds and make decisions based on the culmination of these things.

Thanks for the tips and the beautiful photo!