Wind River Range — Reason Number Seven

“Ominous Ominosity”

Location

Wind River Range, Wyoming, USA

Mileage

91.1 miles (84.5 mi on-trail, 6.6 mi off-trail)

Total Climb: 16,417' total descent: 16,441'

Days: 9 Season: Late August

Year: 2011

Starting & ending trailheads

Green River Lakes / Big Sandy

Day 1 Squaretop and the Bottle with Green River through meadow below stormy sky horiz.JPG

Day 2 Dale Lake below Cube Rock Pass with reflection distant Split Mountain.JPG

Day 3 AC w packs upper Titcomb Basin view towards peaks.JPG

Day 4 C in distance descending grassy trail SE side Lester Pass good view Angel Peak & Angel Pass.JPG

Day 5 View towards Europe Canyon building clouds near Valley Lake.JPG

Day 5 Weathered trees in snowy rockfield at treeline west side North Fork Canyon stormy sky.JPG

Day 6 Mt Victor reflected in lake lower Europe canyon mirror surface horiz.JPG

Day 6 C w pack hiking away across grassy meadow down Europe Canyon.JPG

Day 7 Narrow trail through field of yellow flowers descent into Washakie Creek view towards continental divide.JPG

Day 8 A standing on large boulder view towards Warbonnet The Warriors and Pingora from high plateau below Texas Pass.JPG

Day 8 Pylon Peak Watchtower Sharks Nose Overhanging Tower Wolfs Head Pingora from overlook near Arrowhead lake with water pooling in rock foreground.JPG

Basecamp Town: Pinedale, WY

Maps: Beartooth Publishing Wind River Range North & Wind River Range South 

GuideBook: None

Outfitter / Info: Great Outdoor Shop, Pinedale WY

pre-trip | 1 Green River Lakes | 2 Beaver Park | 3 Knapsack Col Approach | 4 Titcomb Basin | 5 Timico Lake | 6 Europe Canyon | 7 Mt Geike Plateau | 8 Texas Lake | 9 Big Sandy Lake | post-trip

Pre-Trip:

Day 1 / Green River Lakes to Beaver Park

Upper Green River Lake

WY's constantly changing clouds

Squaretop & the Bottle, just before the rain

STATS: 10.3 MILES (TRAIL) | 37' NET ELEVATION GAIN | 1005' CLIMB | 968' DESCENT

Day 2 / Beaver Park to Knapsack Col Approach

Vista Pass, wet but NO BUGS!

Glover Peak from Vista Pass

1st snowfield below Cube Pass

Looking back as we near Cube Pass

Columbine below Cube Pass

Split Mtn & Twin Peaks reflected in Peak Lake

Stroud Peak from Dale Lake

American Legion Pk & Mt Arrowhead

Evening light from our campsite

STATS: 10.2 MILES (TRAIL) | 2714' NET ELEVATION GAIN | 3844' CLIMB | 1130' DESCENT

Day 3 / Knapsack Col Approach to Titcomb Basin

Fog dissipates with the sun

View to Peak Lk from Knapsack Col climb

Stroud Glacier stretching from Arrowhead to Sulphur Peaks

Twins Glacier, our descent into Titcomb Basin

Andrew in upper Titcomb Basin

Upper Titcomb Lake, suddenly dark skies

Wildflowers & water & sky! Titcomb Basin.

Mt. Lester across Lower Titcomb Lake, sky clearing again

Afternoon clouds near Island Lake

STATS: 8.2 MILES (7.2 mi TRAIL + 1 mi Snow) | 325' NET ELEVATION Loss | 1758' CLIMB | 2083' DESCENT

Day 4 / Titcomb Basin to Timico Lake

Clear sky on Day 4

Island Lake in Titcomb Basin

Looking back on Lester Pass

Lk 10,175 above Pole Crk

Bald Mountain Basin, our fave spot

Angel Pass & dramatic WY sky

Snowbound cairn nearing Mt Baldy Pass

Trail becomes snowmelt creek

Jewel-blue Timico Lake

STATS: 12.6 MILES (TRAIL) | 56' NET ELEVATION GAIN | 3209' CLIMB | 3153' DESCENT

Day 5 / Timico Lake to Europe Canyon

Dawn over Timico Lake

Climb out of Timico Lk Basin

View down N Fork Canyon

Europe Canyon

STATS: 12.2 MILES (9.3 mi trail + 2.9 Mi off-TRAIL/abandoned trail) | 121' NET ELEVATION loss | 1995' CLIMB | 2116' DESCENT

Day 6 / Europe Canyon to Mt. Geike Plateau

Lunch nap along Sandpoint Lake

Grassy knoll near Dream Lk Jct

Mt. Bonneville & Raid Peak, perfect WY sky

Dragon Head Peak & Pronghorn Peak, building clouds

Cirque of the Towers from Sheep Creek Plateau

Plateau on Mt Geike, tent with a view

STATS: 15.2 MILES (14 mi TRAIL + 0.7 mi abandoned trail + 0.5 mi off-trail) | 160' NET ELEVATION gain | 2047' CLIMB | 1887' DESCENT

Day 7: Mt. Geike Plateau to Texas Lake

Meandering Washakie Creek

Big Chief Mtn & New York Pass

Shadow Lake below Bollinger Peak

NY Pass from Billy's Lake

Sharks Nose across Billy's Lake

It's windy at Barren Lake!

Our first good look at Texas Pass

Lazy afternoon at Texas Lake

Night sky over Texas Pass

STATS: 7.4 MILES (6.9 mi TRAIL + 0.5 mi off-trail) | 1 HOUR | -860' NET ELEVATION CHANGE | 90' CLIMB | 950' DESCENT

Day 8: Texas Lake to Big Sandy Lake with side trip to Lizard Head Meadow

Morning on Texas Pass, Texas Lake in shadow

Lounging under Pingora Peak

Texas Pass descent along Skunk Knob

Lonesome Lake from Texas Pass descent

Mitchell Peak across Lonesome Lake

The Watchtower and Pingora Peak's south face

Lonesome Lake below Pingora Peak

Warbonnet Peak & Warrior I

Arrowhead Lake & Sundance Pinnacle

Cirque of the Towers, final view

North Lk, view to Bridger Wilderness

Moonset over Steeple Peak

STATS: 9.7 MILES (8.7 mi TRAIL + 1 mi off-trail) | 1045' NET ELEVATION Loss | 2172' CLIMB | 3217' DESCENT

Day 9: Big Sandy Lake to Big Sandy TH

Day 9 AC w packs on arrival BIg Sandy Trailhead.JPG

We made it to the Big Sandy trailhead by 9am, in good time to find our car and start the long drive home to California.