Wind-o-Rama

“Mid to Late August or September work for me because I hate bugs.”

“It seems we have 2 groups; those who prefer shorter mileage days and those who prefer longer mileage days.

To those who have the guide books...are there two trips that overlap so the two groups could meet for at least one night (like the plan on Sierrapalooza)? Is there a trip with a base camp and lots of day hikes that might satisfy both groups?”

“We also have two times -- first week of August or late August/early or mid September.
Could the early August folks do late August/early/mid September?”

“If the long distance hikers start in early August they could then meet the slow hikers in late August! 8^)”

“Maybe we could just stock both groups with Rhino's and then we can talk and track each other. That is if Nav would leave his on. " Hello Nav, are you out there? " LOL. :)”

“I think there's place in Pinedale or Lander that rents pack goats. They might be a little easier on the trail than the rhino's.

I still stand that the Valentine/Dutch Oven lake area is a great place to base and dayhike from there. Good fishing nearby too.”

“Oh, what a dilemma! I'd love to help find a solution, but I'm off on an rim3 (rim to rim to rim) and then a couple days of travel for work. Good luck, I'm sure we'll find a plan that will make everyone happy!! (yeah right) The more I study book and maps the more trips I find, like a loop out of Sweetwater Guard Station to the Mitchell Peak, the Cirque, and back south on the east side. What wonderful problems.

Later guys.”

“Is that you Bigpoppa? Over.
Bigpoppa can you hear me? Over.
Someone answer me! Over.

Dang kids!”

“I know it's from the "Other Place" but it's still good.


http://www.backpacker.com/destinations/article/0,3772,449,00.html”

“That was a good article, I remember reading it before we did our Big Sandy to Green River Lakes trip that summer.”

“Here's a trip that looks good to me:

Start at North Fork Lakes Trailhead and follow the North Fork Trail past Lozier Lakes and Clark Lake to Trail Creek Park.

From there take the Glacier Trail Past Peak Lake to the Shannon Pass Trail.

Follow the Shannon Pass Trail until it hooks up with the Highline Trail.

Stay on the Highline Trail passing Elbow Lake and then around Summit Lake pick up the Doubletop Mountain Trail and Follow that out or Take the Palmer Lake Trail back to the North Fork Trail.

I'm not sure on the mileage - maybe around 50 miles.”

“I'll be seeing the Nor CA TTers tonight and day hiking with them tomorrow. (Probably get to see some fall aspen color, my favorite.) I'll bring the Wind River maps so they can peruse them while we drive to the TH.”

“7 day group

Day 1 Elkhart Park (Pole Creek Trail) Past Photographers Point to Seneca Lake Trail, to Little Seneca Lake. 9.12 mi.

Day 2 Indian Pass Trail, past Island Lake to Titcomb Basin. 5.5mi.

Day 3 Sightsee Titcomb Basin.

Day 4 Indian Pass Trail back to cutoff to Freemont Crossing on Highline Trail to Upper Jean Lake. 10.27 mi.

Day 5 Upper Jean past Summit Lake take Doubletop Mountain Trail To Cutthroat Lakes. 8.5 mi.

Day 6 Cutthroat Lakes to Palmer Lake, Palmer Lake Trail Cutoff past Round Lake to Section Corner Or Trapper Lake 6.50 mi.

Day 7 Section Corner or Trapper Lake back to Elkhart Park 8.2 mi.


49 mi.

5 day group

Day 1 Elkhart Park (Pole Creek Trail) Past Photographers Point to Seneca Lake Trail, to Little Seneca Lake. 9.12

Day 2 Indian Pass Trail, past Island Lake to Titcomb Basin. 5.5 mi.

Day 3 Indian Pass Trail back to cutoff to Freemont Crossing on Highline Trail to Upper Jean Lake. 10.27

Day 4 Upper Jean to Borum Lake or Heart Lake 8.7 to Heart Lake

Day 5 Borum or Heart Lake back to Elkhart Park via Pine Creek Canyon Trail 10.2 mi. all downhill.

43.75 mi.”

“Griz - those look like two good options.”

“Wow! After reading everything, I'm just game to go! Any milage, any amount of days, any time. I'll do anything! Let's just go! We have to wait almost a whole year for this trip? Shoot!”

“hikerkchic5,

You can leave now and we will meet up with you. Find a good campsite, get a nice fire going and go catch some fish for dinner. We will catch up with you real soon. (I am cracking myself up over here.) Oh lord, I need get and do something. This work thing is bringing me down.”

“My WY Topo sofrware arrived at REI and I pick it up today.

Coming soon -- elevation changes on all the hike possibilities mentioned so far.”

“bigpoppa, Hey I would if I could! Wouldn't that be great to go hiking from now until July or August? Not for that long by myself though. I'd get lonely. :(”

“Oh, I am sure you would meet someone up there in the mountains. You could always come down and chit chat with the rangers on the weekends.

It would be nice to have that much time off to just to go walking. I wonder if I would accomplish anything if I had that much time off? I think everyone thinks that they have at least one book in them. Knowing myself, I would be thinking about writing the book the whole time off and never put pen to paper.”

“I did my map/guide studying over the weekend. Count me in for the 7 day group. Looks like a great itinerary.

Area experts: the guide book says not great camping at Little Seneca Lake. I'm assuming you know something that they do not.”

“well, it looks like y'all are doing this in September. it's pretty likely that i'll be in Montana in July, so i doubt i'll be in attendance on this trip. y'all have fun now, y'hear?”

“Yes, the 7-day trip sounds great to me. I've heard that Titcomb Basin is beautiful.”

“"It's all beautiful"

Chief”

“You guys are working so hard at this...keep up the good work. So far I'm lost but I'm following somebody no matter what. Thanks.”

“So, are the dates still up in the air? When would the 5 and 7 day trips begin?

Any recent suggestions?”

“I'd just like to avoid the heavy bug season, so anytime in August or September would be my preference.”

“I agree, it is all beautiful, and later is better for me than earlier. But, keeping with past experience, I'll plan hard and be all ready for the trip and work will interfere, so I'm keeping my input to a minimum.”

“How are we doing on nailing down a date?

My vote goes for Aug 8-14 or Sept 12-18”

“I am for August 8th - 14. Work gets too much by September and I should be here.”

“Either 8/8 or 9/12 works for me.”

“I vote for the August dates.”

“just to show I'm paying attention I'll go with Bigpoppa and Hodge on the Aug. 8-14.”

“sounds like we might have the dates set”

“"Area experts: the guide book says not great camping at Little Seneca Lake. I'm assuming you know something that they do not."

In between Seneca and Little Seneca there are some flat spots that are kinda nice where the trail cuts off to Lost Lake.”

“I really like this book:

"Climbing & Hiking In Wind River Mountains" by Joe Kelsey”

“If I compromise on the dates do I get to pick the route? : ) It isn't worth doing if we don't get in at least 70-80 miles.

Just kidding, this is looking good.”

“I can go with 8/8 or 9/12.”

“Not saying if I can go, but if I do, it would only be in the August timeframe.”

“Just to add my two cents - I like dates in August, but not abutting the weekend of Aug 14/15. So I guess the last week in August would be my preference.

I've seen a couple of suggestions regarding route, but assuming that's still pretty much up in the air ....?”

“I like these routes that Griz posted. The seven day one especially:

Try this one on for size.
"7 day group

Day 1 Elkhart Park (Pole Creek Trail) Past Photographers Point to Seneca Lake Trail, to Little Seneca Lake. 9.12 mi.

Day 2 Indian Pass Trail, past Island Lake to Titcomb Basin. 5.5mi.

Day 3 Sightsee Titcomb Basin.

Day 4 Indian Pass Trail back to cutoff to Freemont Crossing on Highline Trail to Upper Jean Lake. 10.27 mi.

Day 5 Upper Jean past Summit Lake take Doubletop Mountain Trail To Cutthroat Lakes. 8.5 mi.

Day 6 Cutthroat Lakes to Palmer Lake, Palmer Lake Trail Cutoff past Round Lake to Section Corner Or Trapper Lake 6.50 mi.

Day 7 Section Corner or Trapper Lake back to Elkhart Park 8.2 mi.


49 mi.

5 day group

Day 1 Elkhart Park (Pole Creek Trail) Past Photographers Point to Seneca Lake Trail, to Little Seneca Lake. 9.12

Day 2 Indian Pass Trail, past Island Lake to Titcomb Basin. 5.5 mi.

Day 3 Indian Pass Trail back to cutoff to Freemont Crossing on Highline Trail to Upper Jean Lake. 10.27

Day 4 Upper Jean to Borum Lake or Heart Lake 8.7 to Heart Lake

Day 5 Borum or Heart Lake back to Elkhart Park via Pine Creek Canyon Trail 10.2 mi. all downhill.

43.75 mi."
Griz
07:13:28 PM
10/18/03”

“I will trust any route that is picked. That is until we actually start hiking it and then I will say " who was the idiot that picked this route" I am just kidding. Just tell me when and where. I will be there with my happy face on. :) I will check out that book.”

“LOL Big Poppa!”

“This looks fine, we can dayhike up Titcomb Basin to Knapsack Col, the true head of the Colorado River. One of my goals for the trip.

Some one put in on the trips board.”

“Sounds like a good day hike to me Shawn. I'm really looking forward to this trip.”

“Well, if yesterdays snow storm is any indication of the winter ahead, mid August may still bear some snow up there.

What a wonderful trip. Couldn't see any mountains, but I did get to see a lot of blowing and drifting snow yesterday. I drove from Vernal, Utah to Cody, Wyoming, over South Pass (Wind Rivers). Only had three close encounters. The first was when I came up on a little white car with no lights on. What an idiot. White car, driving in a white out, wih no lights on!!! I was doing about 30-35, and he was doing about 10. It took me 2 hours to drive 75 miles from Farson to Lander. I found out to day, that about 10 minutes after I left Farson, they closed the road. Nice, it was 6 degrees and blowing 30-40 mph. Only saw 6 vehicles, and 4 semis stuck in the ditches.

Thank god for the Jeep Grand Cherokee and full time four wheel drive.”

“Thanks Chief, that brings back some memories. I've spent some white-knuckle hours on WY roads, all fond memories but I ain't complaining about 75 degrees and sunshine here in AZ now. Summer finally broke and we are well into autum/winter/spring which will last until May.”

“Having grown up driving the roads in Minnesota, I was prepared for it. It's just been a few years since I had to drive through that type of weather again.

9-1/2 hours to go about 380 miles. Talk about being tense. Man, when I got home I was so wired, I took a hot shower, mixed a drink and sat down in my recliner and watched Sports Center. OK, it might have been more than just one drink, it was pool league night after all.”

“Either 8/8 or 9/12 is fine with me. Now, who's going to chose the date? And I've lost track, who the heck is the leader? Do we have one yet?

wingding, I'll have to check out that book!

chief, glad you made it through that storm.”

“I vote that hikershic5 take the lead on this. :)”

“Do we need a leader? Can't we just pick the route and dates and meet at the trailhead?”