Travel here is high compared to other, harder to reach, trailheads of the Winds. A steady incline lies ahead of you until you reach Faler Lake. Sign up for our free email to join thousands of readers getting epic travel, hiking, camping and gear ideas every week. 104 South 4th Street. Located on the way up to the Cirque of the Towers, Dads Lake is a pristine alpine setting that offers even the least experienced backpackers the chance to test their trail legs. After we were both bathed, we soaked up the campfire heat and I got pictures of the night sky. Given that we fished somewell, yeah, we still basically moseyed and puttered. _Bald Mountain Basin and Cook Lakes are accessed by descending south on the Hay Pass trail, the heading northwest passing Timico Lake, then on trails west to Baldy Lakes and north to Bald Mountain Basin. There are no trees or landmarks here, only large fields of wildflowers and sloping hills. I have taken backpacking trips to the Cirque of the Towers and Temple Lake area, as well as the Titcomb Basin area; however, I have not completed the WRRT yet. Dads Lake is accessible from the Big Sandy Trailhead (the same as Cirque of the Towers Trail), and close to the Big Sandy Campground. If you have any questions, comments, or anything else, feel free to post below. The Dyrt PRO lets you download maps and campgrounds without cell service. To the south were waterfalls and we saw granite ramps that we could walk up if we wanted to ascend the mountain (maybe a good path to do Big Sandy-Washakie-Cathedral-Dickinson), which I stored in my mind for future use. Related Read:11 Backpacking Trips in the U.S. That Should be on Your Bucket List. Print/PDF map. You can learn more about our editorial policies, 11 Backpacking Trips in the U.S. That Should be on Your Bucket List, The 11 Best Hikes in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, 6 Epic Backpacking Routes in Glacier National Park, Montana, Crown Jewels: 14 Majestic Hikes in Glacier National Park, Heres Why Leave No Trace Principles are So Damn Important, 10 Awesome Things to Do in Denver with Kids, Backpacking Without a Stove: How to Go Sin Fuego, 10 Epic Things to Do in Rocky Mountain National Park, 9 Best Yurt Rentals in Montanas Wild & Rugged Big Sky Country, The 8 Best Hikes Near Fort Collins, Colorado, The 10 Best Hikes Near Telluride, Colorado, 12 Extraordinary Cabin Rentals in Colorado. In short, plan to get wet. From what I could discern, going all the way to Cook Lake (as we did) and doing a small section of orienteering is probably the most scenic way to access those lakes. I thought that the drainage proper would be hideous riparian zone, or akin to Clear Lake out of Green River Lakes, so I told mom that we should stay on our contour line. It avoids the creek whose drainage it shares in favor of sticking to the ugly pines. The only major areas I had to bypass are (from South to North) the Deep Creek Lakes and Ice Lakes, Smith Creek Lakes and Cathedral Lake, Bonneville Basin, Bald Mountain Basin and Cook Lakes, the Peak Lake Area (as described by Kelsey), and the Eastern drainages north of Gannet Peak, which are pretty much impassable due to rough terrain and massive glaciers. The trail is a bit rocky near the turnaround point, so trekking poles are suggested. _The Peak Lake Area. For avid backcountry anglers, this route offers excellent opportunities for side trips to nearby lakes and alpine streams, where the trout are avid for summer fly hatches. The elevation gain doubles with this addition, so this is only suggested if you are looking for a more ambitious trail. Your next campsite will be just under Dinwoody Glacier, at Tarns Camp. She has had the privilege of working for Colorados most experienced climbing guide service as an Office & Marketing Manager and an Outdoor Climbing Guide. The majority of the Wind River Ranges hikes and primary backpacking trails are at elevations of 9,000 feet or above, making them difficult and potentially dangerous for unprepared visitors. I waited until after dark to get naked and bathe, since theyd have eaten my bare butt alive prior to nightfall. In his free time, Tyler can be found searching Portland for the next great food establishment or perusing the many bookshelves of Powell's. Overall, pack more water than you think youll need, and take frequent breaks to prevent exhaustion and advanced altitude sickness. We'll have 4 days so that's a pretty laid back pace but we're looking to get into an area where we can setup camp and explore and relax. We both decided that wed rather stick to the southern edge of Middle and Cathedral Lakes as we made our way up, rather than having to cross that crapshow again. Faler Lake is 18 miles in, and the trail can be divided into however many days you prefer. The trail is wide and a bit rocky as you climb through the heavily-wooded forest. The section from Big Sandy Lake to the Cirque of the Towers will be the busiest part of the entire WRRT. Eight miles into the hike you will come to Arrow Pass a long, arduous section thats all above 10,895 feet. The majority of this land is maintained by the National Forest Service, so National Forest rules and regulations of backpacking and dispersed camping apply. Located near Dubois, this trail is no joke. You wont! Im here to serve you, so let me know if this wasnt helpful, or if theres anything I can do to make this better. Go south up the glacier to the top of Indian Pass. Good campsite opportunities wont come until you reach Double Lake or Star Lake, with are 11.1 miles and 12.4 miles into the trail (respectively). It is all off trail, and may have tricky route finding, but is never technical (vast majority is class 2 and below, with a few possible class 3 moves). The 2022 Glampys: The Coolest Glampsites You Can Book Right Now, Lets Get Spooky! Laramie, Wyoming 82070. Follow the plateau northwest all the way to Lake 10528 in Stough Creek Basin. Our list of the best hikes near Telluride features the best natural attractions in the San Juan mountains, with a mix of moderate afternoon hikes, challenging summits, and all-day backcountry adventures. (44 reviews) "All rooms are individually owned. Prepare for your next adventure by downloading maps. One of these lakes goes by the alias "Flying Monkey Lake" (not on maps), and is the home of the largest Golden Trout in the world. The Wind River Range Traverse (WRRT) is the finest non-technical alpine backpacking route in the lower 48 states. This article on Wind River Range backpacking is brought to you by Gregory, whose lightweight backpack line is made from durable, rip-stop materials on an ultra-lightweight, durable aluminum frame. The lake itself was quite deep and flat-out flooded with the biggest trout that Id seen in Wyomingreally too big for my line! The Lake is more accessible and has a reputation for spectacular fishing than its surrounding lakes. Depending on where you decide to camp, there may or may not be trees large enough to create bear hangs, so bear canisters may be the most sensible option. Every off-trail route, mountain pass, and glacier traverse along this route is detailed in the fine guidebooks I've had the pleasure of studying. Photos (7) Directions. A scenic drive is a great way to cover some ground and see the jaw-dropping scenery of Colorful Colorado. Here begins the true crux of the route: getting down the Mammoth Glacier to Scott Lake. After my excitement wore down, we had to find a place to camp. We took the same trail out that we took in, and spent only 7 hours from packing up to getting to the trailhead. Three different trailheads form an approximately 9 mile long loop, running by beautiful lakes and scenic alpine vistas- all of which are within a day hike of the Beartooth Highway. (3034mt.) They liked my Red Devil spoon the best, but sadly one grabbed it, snapped the line, and spat out the lure! Rangers patrol this area frequently during this time and will ticket anyone camping too close to a water source or trail. Roaring Fork Trail is a true test of skill. Stretching over 100 miles along the Continental Divide, the Wind River Range in Wyoming is an oft-missed treasure trove for backcountry exploration. This is high elevation camping at its finest, showcasing the areas iconic rock and snow. Dan, thank you. View Wind River Range Traverse Image Gallery - 1 Images. The connecting trail that completes the loop on the backside, near Texas Pass, is unmarked as an official trail, despite being well-trod for years, so navigating can occasionally become a bit tricky. I know that while backpacking its typically not advised to bring so many extra clothes, but since you will be camping at high altitude and in the cold, dry layers are necessary to prevent hypothermia. Elevation Gain: 2,200 feet over 6 miles (9,100 ft to 11,300 ft). A successful woman is one who can find such a man." Remember to Leave No Trace, come prepared, and have fun! Why Hike Cathedral Lake. Its recommended for the Cirque of the Towers loop that you bring a map and compass and that you know how to use them. As we set up camp and got firewood, the sunset was awesome, though I didnt manage to get many very nice photos. Youll quickly gain altitude and find yourself on a ridge that overlooks the valley and lakes below, and the entire Wind River mountain range to the East. There is apparently a non-technical route that goes northwest from the pond that traverses the cliffs above Little Sandy Creek. The Cathedral Lake is located in Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. Far north in the Wind Rivers, Gannett Peak is also viewable from this ridge line. We were fine with that, pun intended, and felt that the low-lying nature of Cathedral Lake would be good for hiking so early in the season when so much snow is still present. Print/PDF map. At 8:30, we found ourselves camping closer to the water than Id like, but snowpack in the trees left us no choice. Trip Type: Loop Enjoying your Wind River Range backpacking trip with these principles in mind will help maintain the Wind River Range for other visitors and hopeful backpackers for millennia to come. Started off MUCH worse got much better now is reverting to a seldom used trail. . I cant describe how much I loved it. It wasnt really difficult, but we made a lot more work for ourselves than we needed. After guiding several trips through the Western Slope Desert, Daniell fell in love with climbing desert towers and overnight canoe trips down the Colorado River. Perhaps the most beautiful section of the Traverse is the Northern section, so you would ascend back to the divide (and the Traverse) via Tourist Creek (this off-trail route is described in detail by Pallister and Kelsey). The Cathedral Group Turnout is located along Jenny Lake Road which you can access while driving the Grand Teton Scenic Loop Drive. The route I'm presenting here is meant to be savored, and my recommended time for it is 20 days, including 2 days for weather-related issues. In fact, really, all of the lakes here were decent, with Cook and Middle being the least pretty, Id say. Wed left Lander around 2PM (my house was very far away) and got to the trailhead at 4PM. You'll pass no fewer than 100 large lakes (and innumerable small tarns), pass or traverse dozens of notable peaks, and see the largest glaciers in the American Rocky Mountains. The trail continued to be ugly, with only large boulders providing any scenery. The trail continues to Cook Lake, but we werent on it and didnt try to find it, instead heading toward a small granite knob that we could see. I will try and see if I can do justice to your pics. All of which means that Wind River Range backpacking is a must-do for anyone serious about getting outside. It follows the crest of the Wind River Range in Wyoming, both off-trail and on-trail, for approximately 135 miles, giving special emphasis on staying close to the Continental Divide in the most scenic alpine areas. 2022 Best Places to Camp: Top 10 in the U.S. (1), Southwest Arete Lost Temple Spire, IV, 5.10b. If you're not comfortable traversing the Mammoth Glacier described in Pallister's book, an alternate route is to go over Knapsack Col and down to Peak Lake, over Cube Rock Pass, and join the Highline Trail near Trail Creek Park. Elevation Gain: 2,500 feet over 8.5 miles (9,100 ft to 11,300 ft). Makes me happy! The chapel was built to serve guests and employees of the dude ranches that stretched north of Jackson along the base of the Teton Range. The trailhead is easily accessible from Pinedale. Its a short drive from Pinedale to the Big Sandy Trailhead, so you can spend more time on the trail and less in the car. (1), Comments It traverses northwest while staying high on the mountaintops. If you didnt want to deal with the logistics of getting picked up and shuttled, you could hike this sucker as an out-and-back trail and double the mileage. The terrain and elevation of the Wind River Range make backpacking here a challenge, albeit a worthwhile one. (My phone was pretty bad at the time!) Only one section of road was sketchy, and even that wasnt too badjust some severe ruts from mud. Summit Lake is accessed from the Spring Creek Park Trailhead, which is best reached from Pinedale. The trail in is so ugly that Im knocking a star off of the rating, but I otherwise truly appreciated what this short hike had to offer. 2. According to the approximate route I traced on my phone, the total elevation gain is about 29,000 feet!! The Glacier Trail is the classic route to the Gannett Peak summit. Reachable by Pinedale, Roaring Fork Trail offers thick forest scenery and shelter to backpackers. As we descended, we smelled cooking food, too, so I think that these folks had been resupplied by the outfitters. Trailhead Start: Big Sandy Trailhead Between fields of wildflowers, rushing streams, dramatic mountain peaks, and world-class fly fishing, Titcomb Basin definitely deserves a spot on your Wyoming bucket list. It was at this area that we crossed over since it seemed easier, and wed still found no trail on our side. When approaching from Temple Pass, avoid descending to Lake 10,839 by a messy traverse." Widely considered the best trail for seeing the wide range of geography and terrain in the range, Titcomb Basin is a 30-mile round-trip trek that offers panoramic views, campsites at alpine lakes and a possible visit to the highest point in the state of Wyoming, Gannett Peak. Very few people fished the cookno namemeridian arm. These walls certainly contain some of the most demanding rock climbs in the lower 48 states. At 10,250 we came to a small pond, and just beyond that the snow was suddenly gone (how does that work, from many feet to nothing), with a pleasant, flat area of granite over which the creek flowed. It contains 40 peaks over 13,000 feet, the largest glacier in the American Rockies, and over 1300 named lakes. All of the areas I missed are accessible by reasonable day hikes off the WRRT, with the exception of the Northeast corner of the Range around Ross Lakes. The Bear's Ears Trail continues down the stream's west bank (headed north) and climbs west and descends to Grave Lake. For the most part we followed the river, deviating from it when it was easier to do that. I noticed that most routes follow the lower highline trail, or skip the many magnificent areas including Stough Creek Lakes, Deep Lake Cirque, Grave Lake Cirque, North Fork Cirque (on the Wind River Indian Reservation), the Brown Cliffs, Scott Lake, and Bear Basin. From Lake 10,542, travel northwest through the rugged valley containing Long Lake (Lake 10,683). Left - 2.7 billion year old metamorphic gneiss. --Lana Turner. You would be better off trying your hand at the shorter and more direct WRHR, pioneered by AdventureAlan (link at the bottom). Trip Type: Out-and-back The creek itself has no water body that it is being fed from, but if you walked up its draw youd end up at the Bears Ears trail eventually. I still havent had this one proofread (slowly getting around to them all). RV Weight . Dogs are allowed on National Forest land trails as long as they are on leash. To reach Peak Lake, continue west down the valley after Knapsack Col. Due to the nature of the WRRT, this trip is best savored by taking your time. After rounding Cathedral Peak, this trail joins the Bear's Ears Trail, just before the latter's descent [west 1.5 miles] to Valentine Lake." They tended to Stay on the middlecathedral arm. Cathedral Lake Type: Lake Category: body of water Location: Wyoming, Rocky Mountains, United States, North America View on OpenStreetMap Latitude 42.8207 or 42 49' 15" north Longitude You'll touch the east shore of Lonesome Lake, and follow the trail east to Lizard Head Meadows. 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