Wind Rivers

[BillyBob58]

I am answering this question that came up on Cannibal's thread
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8399&page=19

Thought I'd start a new thread so as not to Hijack.




Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post

There are a FEW areas that are less spectacular than others. So unless you are going to cover a good bit of distance along the divide, pick your areas carefully. But really it's all great. It's just that a few spots are less great than the rest.




What areas are the best? I have had it on my short list of places to hike for about four years now and still have not made it. I might have to find out when you are going in Sept and tag along.

Wow, there are a lot of choices. But the number one sure fired (IMO) to get to the spectacular country the quickest is to go to Big Sandy trail head about 45 minutes(?) west of Pinedale, WY. Or west of Boulder, WY( even smaller town). Now a rough dirt road gets you to this trail head and from there very quickly into the heart of the range and the Continental Divide. Hence, it is very popular, and in the summertime very crowded at least by Wind River standards. Likely, you will park at a very crowded parking area/camp ground. Don't let that discourage you, you will actually see very few folks on the trail, and almost none after the 1st day of hiking. From where you park at about 9100 feet I think, about 6 miles and 500 feet up the trail you will arrive at Big Sandy Lake, and steep jagged peaks will rise about 2000-3000 feet straight up above you. This ( and nearby lake's like Clear Lake) will normally be the most crowded lake in the range. Often you can find good campsites, often you can't. Don't worry, just go 1/4 - 2 miles back down the river that drains this lake for endless campsites all to yourself.

Or, last year in early Sept, it was a bit too crowded for us at Big Sandy. We took a chance and went 500 feet higher ( maybe a mile further?) to Clear Lake
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/2/2/9/alpineglowmoontemplepeak_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=4200&c=11)

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/2/2/9/catching_some_rays_at_clear_lake_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=4199&c=11)

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/2/2/9/haystackmtntemplepeaks_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=4198&c=11)

and had it all to ourselves for two days! And it was even more beautiful than Big sandy, and just gets better from there into Temple Basin. And the hanging was better than at Big Sandy.

The next day hike north from Big Sandy Lake over Jack A*s Pass to the Cirque of the Towers at Lonesome Lake, mind blowing!

I'll pick this up later, I've got to go eat at Cracker Barrel!

[BillyBob58]

So, Walking Bear, that 1st post was a summary of the main hike in from a trailhead that quickly gets you to the high jagged peaks. That hike is along the Big Sandy River most of the way, which is beautiful in it's own right, and has unlimited opportunities for hanging. There are also a couple of un-named lakes that the river flows into before you get to Big Sandy Lake. You will have most of that stretch to yourself, and the river and lakes are all full of trout.

Alternatively, starting from the same TH, about 1/2 mile down that trail, bear left, get on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) and go a total of about 5.2 miles to Dad's lake. This is a beautiful spot, but showed signs of heavy use last time I was there. Or you can go about another 1.5 miles to Marm's Lake. Poor tent sites but fine for a hammock. At a total of about 8.5 miles if you bear right (East) you can go another 4 miles up the spectacular and beautiful Washaki Creek past Shadow and finally Texas Lake ( NO TREES HERE! Above timberline!). Try to time this so that you can then climb over Texas pass(south of Texas lake) and drop down again to the Cirque of the Towers and Lonesome Lake. Spend a day or two in this incredible U-shaped glacial cirque, at the 10000 foot lake surrounded by 13000 foot peaks.( Like Lizard Head, Pingora and WARBONNET!) Peaks rising straight up from the lake. Lot's of trees and nice camp sites from the lake for miles down the river. Then head south again oner that Jack A*s pass mentioned earlier back to Big Sandy Lake( a couple of miles but HARD traveling) and then 6 miles back to your car.

Or, don't turn off of the CDT at Washaki Creek, but just keep north on the CDT. For 110 miles to the next paved road. You will stay at about 10000 feet with the Continental Divide's jagged 13000 ft. peaks a few miles to your right
a few miles. It will be hundreds of lakes and streams, lot's of forest and lot's of above timberline, for 110 miles.

So there you go. If you have never been to the Wind Rivers, the Big Sandy campground TH is a fine place to start, with many options for spectacular and beautiful hikes available. Above are 3 or 4 of many possibilities from this one trail head. But there are many other great trailheads, like Elkhart Park to the north and many eastern THs. But I don't think any of them get you into the heart of it any quicker or easier.

I hope you get to make this trip someday! :boggle:
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/2/2/9/diamondlakeelkcrossing_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=4192&c=11)
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/2/2/9/backsidetemplevlake_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=4186&c=11)
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/2/2/9/vlakemirror_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=4185&c=11)
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/2/2/9/gang_atdiamondlake_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=4193&c=11)

[pgibson]

Wow, Being only a hop and a skip from the winds my self, I have heard lots about them, talked with people I know that have been there to hike and climb, seen some pics, but never made the trip my self. BillyBob your pics are great. Now you have me wanting to make a trip out that way for a hike and some scrambling.

Thanks for sharing.

Paul

[Walking Bear]

Thanks for the great information. I will print this out and put it in the hiking file so that I can find it. Great photos and description.
Do you fish when you are in the Wind Rivers area?

[BillyBob58]

Wow, Being only a hop and a skip from the winds my self, I have heard lots about them, talked with people I know that have been there to hike and climb, seen some pics, but never made the trip my self. BillyBob your pics are great. Now you have me wanting to make a trip out that way for a hike and some scrambling.

Thanks for sharing.

Paul

You're welcome! But, close to you are those fantastic Sawtooth Mtns and, is it the Whiteclouds? Not to forget the Tetons right on the Idaho border. Still, the Winds are kind of unique!

[BillyBob58]

.....................................
Do you fish when you are in the Wind Rivers area?

Most times ( not all) trout fishing has been a big part of the trip. There is just something about wading one of those rivers or being on one of those lakes, pulling out a fat Cutthroat or Rainbow trout or other types of fish. While simultaneously being overwhelmed by a jagged peak, maybe with a little glacier on it, rising 3000 feet straight up from the shore line.

And, it can make for a delicious break from boiled water food! ;)

I've got a couple of 30 sec videos that really tell the tale, but I can't figure out how to upload them. ( .MOV ). Even if I figure that out, one of them has the barely audible common word for Arse or buttocks in it, I believe. The text censor won't allow that, but in a video?

Oh, I later figureed out how to pitch that tarp much tighter. But when this HH pic was taken, I was still suffering from severe altitude sickness and could just not figure the whole hammock/tarp thing out. None the less, I slept blissfully!

[BillyBob58]

BTW, Brandon (WBG), that peak on the far left in the last pic is War Bonnet Peak! Rising above Lonesome Lake( in the pic) and Arrowhead lake.

[warbonnetguy]

BTW, Brandon (WBG), that peak on the far left in the last pic is War Bonnet Peak! Rising above Lonesome Lake( in the pic) and Arrowhead lake.

ok, cool, i can see why they call it that, lonesome lake, i think that's where or near the place i wanted to check out, cirque of the towers: http://www.waltonsmountains.com/mtns/cot.html


here's the warbonnet peak (in the idaho sawtooth) i got my name from
http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/151830/warbonnet-peak.html

[pgibson]

Yah The Sawtooths and the White Clouds are both only a little over an hour or two away from me (depends on traffic through Sun Valley) I am actually hopping to be able to make a trip into the Sawtooths in the next couple weeks. It has finally started to warm up here and some of the snow might finally be melting up there. :) BillyBob have you been able to hike up there before? It really is a great place and it is nice to have it so close but there are so many places that I would love to hike this thread has got me wanting to add the Winds to that list.

Paul

[warbonnetguy]

paul, are you in Boise?

my wife's family lives in Hailey, just south of sun valley, so i'm there a couple times a year

the sawtooth's are pretty awesome. you should really get back to the warbonnet lakes area. you have to hike up and over a saddle (actually 2 adjacent saddles) (there's a faint climber trail) and the descent on the other side is basically sliding down a 200' scree slope, but it's friggin' awesome. a series of tiny cascading lakes starting at the top of a narrow cirque with big steep walls on both sides. very highly recomended. going up and over that saddle can be dangerous till after the snow melts (maybe later in july) unless you have some crampons and maybe an axe. it's just a short section, but if you fell, you'd slide untill you ran out of snow.

[BillyBob58]

ok, cool, i can see why they call it that, lonesome lake, i think that's where or near the place i wanted to check out, cirque of the towers: http://www.waltonsmountains.com/mtns/cot.html

Yep, Lonesome Lake sits right in the middle of the cirque of the towers.



here's the warbonnet peak (in the idaho sawtooth) i got my name from
http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/151830/warbonnet-peak.html


WOW! That is one beautiful peak there! The Sawtooths definitely live up to their name. Well, I thought I had a peak for your logo, but looks like you already have one. I didn't know there was a Warbonnet peak in the Sawtooths.

It reminds me of these peaks http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=4843&d=1246664028 , above Shadow Lake, on the far right of the 4th pic in post #6 above, if you blow it up some for a closer view. I don't know if this is Sharks Nose or Pylon or Warrior Peaks, or some combo of all (likely). However, in that pic, you are looking at the back side of the Cirque of the Towers, which- with Lonesome Lake- is on the other side of those peaks. In some ways you actually have a better view of the COT's peaks from Shadow Lake on the other side. Of course, what you do is hike up Washaki Creek past Shadow Lake to Texas lake and then OVER Texas Pass( to the far left of those peaks in pic#4 of post#6) and down into Lonesome Lake. Or do it in reverse. Then you see it from all angles. But let me tell ya, for an old guy like me going from sea level to altitude, hiking over Jack Arse Pass to Lonesome L. and then over Texas Pass to Texas/Shadow Lake ( or vice versa) is some serious ba*l busting hiking. All the more reason to be able to settle into a hammock after all day of that!

[BillyBob58]

............. BillyBob have you been able to hike up there before? It really is a great place and it is nice to have it so close but there are so many places that I would love to hike this thread has got me wanting to add the Winds to that list.

Paul

I have never hiked the Sawtooths. I have only car camped at their base. I think it might have been at a Redfish Lake? Any way, I saw those jagged Sierra/Wind River like peaks and told myself I was going to get in there ASAP. That was 20 years ago and I have not made it yet! I have nearly done it several times ( from MS) but I always end up choosing a known entity, whose trails and off trail I am so familiar and happy with, the Winds.

[BillyBob58]

paul, are you in Boise?

my wife's family lives in Hailey, just south of sun valley, so i'm there a couple times a year

the sawtooth's are pretty awesome. you should really get back to the warbonnet lakes area. you have to hike up and over a saddle (actually 2 adjacent saddles) (there's a faint climber trail) and the descent on the other side is basically sliding down a 200' scree slope, but it's friggin' awesome. a series of tiny cascading lakes starting at the top of a narrow cirque with big steep walls on both sides. very highly recomended. going up and over that saddle can be dangerous till after the snow melts (maybe later in july) unless you have some crampons and maybe an axe. it's just a short section, but if you fell, you'd slide untill you ran out of snow.

I've got to do this. Is there any reasonable hangin spots? Pics of Bead Lake looked like sthere were some possibilities.

[pgibson]

LOL, WarbonetGuy. We chated about your fam in Hailey and all that stuff several weeks ago. :) lots of great spots up their. A person could hike a diffrent trail to a diffrent lake every weekend and not hit the same one for years. BillyBob. There are only a few lakes in the hole range that would not work to hang at. Hoping to get in on a trip up to the Sawtooths in a few weeks with my new BB 1.1 double :):):):);)

[warbonnetguy]

LOL, WarbonetGuy. We chated about your fam in Hailey and all that stuff several weeks ago. :) lots of great spots up their. A person could hike a diffrent trail to a diffrent lake every weekend and not hit the same one for years. BillyBob. There are only a few lakes in the hole range that would not work to hang at. Hoping to get in on a trip up to the Sawtooths in a few weeks with my new BB 1.1 double :):):):);)

ah yes, i forgot that you were who i spoke with on the phone (i'm easily confused). i do remember our conversation though.

i may be up there in august. was hoping to do a little climbing with my brother in law possibly.

[warbonnetguy]

I've got to do this. Is there any reasonable hangin spots? Pics of Bead Lake looked like sthere were some possibilities.

yeah, like pg said, hundreds of tiny lakes, and the hanging options are ample. we didn't camp at the warbonnet lakes, just day hiked over the saddle 2 days in a row. but even those tiny lakes had trees around them, little mini forest ecosystems, very cool. i've got some pics, but they aren't on the pc and i don't have a scanner. lots of forest back in there. from the pics it looks like there are alot of treeless terrain, but it seems like it's mainly the peaks themselves, i don't think you'd have any problem hanging the whole time.

[pgibson]

ah yes, i forgot that you you i spoke with on the phone (i'm easily confused). i do remember our conversation though.

i may be up there in august. was hoping to do a little climbing with my brother in law possibly.

No Problems, :) I know how it can be to have fifty conversations a day by phone, email, txt, and git to were everything runs together in a blur. Y should deffinatly take some time off---right after you finish up my BB---:lol:;);) If you do make it up give me a holler, I don't climb much any more but am always looking for folks to get out and hike and camp with.


And yah all my my photos of up in the Sawtooths are old prints as well, hope to get a new digital this summer for my trips (X)(X)-fingers crossed- But there are so many places up there to camp that if one lake dose not work for you or there is somebody at it you could just keep on the trail for another 1/2 hour and be at any number of spots that would work. Like WBG said many of the peaks them selves have little to no vegetation but around the numerous streams and Hundreds of lakes throughout the range.

Paul

[pgibson]

Ok I dug a bit and found a few sawtooth pics to share.


Sorry for this one being so big but a small one dose not do it any justice! :)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2523/3691309785_1362a67dfc_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2447/3691413329_5d246134a7_o.jpg

Ok that is at Alpine lake-well one of them that goes by that name in the range. Me an my buddy (him in the photo) drove the three hours form Boise to the Iron creek trail head and hiked in 4 miles and about 1500 feet gain with fly gear, a float tube, waders, fins, full SLR with 3 lenses, and fished for the afternoon. He caught those two, one from the tube about mid lake and one from the bank wile I paddled across the lake to take a picture of the water fall on the other side. Mine broke the leader about 5 feet from the bank. Then we hiked out and drove home for dinner. A few days latter we went back and spent the night stealth camping under a tarp on the far side of the lake. We had a doe and her little baby deer just out of spots hanging around camp all night about 20 feet from us the hole time. But no matter what we tried we could not even get a bite.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2467/3691185711_9bc342bec0.jpg
This is Martin lake

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3656/3691991734_40b09a938f.jpg
This is Kelly lake, just a little over a mile further down the trail from Martin

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3635/3691186125_a2c446cd3f.jpg
Another one of Kelly lake

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3537/3691992816_794bb359be.jpg
And one on the trail to Martin and Kelly --My wife and Dog #1
We hiked in to these lakes for an overnighter a few years ago, did not see a single person the hole time we were on the trail and when we came out we checked the trail head register and no body else had been on the trail for weeks.

I will try to find some more to show off some more of the Sawtooths when I can play with my dads scanner.

[Walking Bear]

What kind of fishing gear is needed to catch some of the fish in the lakes? I would think fly gear but not sure. I would want to take the correct fishing gear if fishing is part of the trip and I think that it should be.

[pgibson]

We have had the best luck with fly gear. My buddy caught one of the two above with a dry floating grasshopper and one with a stone fly larva while "trolling" in the float tube with probably a bout 75-100 feet worth of line out. I have tried spinners a few times with no success. But lake and reservoirs have never been me most successful fishing spots. I have always had more luck on the river.

[BillyBob58]

Yeah, me too. But on the last trip to Lonesome Lake in WR, I usd a spinner right at the outlet of the lake near sunset. Within a few seconds of each cast hitting the water, after I head reeled in just a few feet, I would have a fat cut throat. one right after another. I finally quit because it was so ridiculously easy and I was catching and releasing and became worried about too much trauma to the fish. We have fished this lake before with both flys and spinn gear with no where near that spectacular luck. I don't know what the deal was.

When I got back to camp on the other end of the lake, my son( in the pics) had kept several fat ones, and we had a nice fish fry. MMMMM, good!

[Walking Bear]

Well it looks like I will need to get a fly rod. The one I have from when I was a kid is more like a cane pole than a fly rod. I'll need to keep my eyes open for a unit that can be attached to the pack and not cause to much interference.

[pgibson]

Walking Bear, you may give this short artical a read, some good info for fishing lakes with spin gear and fly's. I have been on that very debate myself-trying to figure out if I want to take my fly kit or a smaller lighter spin rig with fly's and hope to find some live bait here and there. This article give a good intro run down to using flys with a spin rig.

http://www.activeangler.com/flyfishing-articles/howard-fly_bubble.shtml

Cheers

Paul

[pgibson]

I just came across a good diagram of this kind of technique

http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbetter/bubble1.gif

and this gentleman's article here---http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbetter/bubble.htm

Ok yah I am drooling a little bit wanting to get out and hike and fish and EAT! :drool:

[angrysparrow]

I think the topic is wandering a bit here. Perhaps you can make a new 'fishing' thread in the Donating Member's Off Topic forum..

[BillyBob58]

I am answering this question that came up on Cannibal's thread
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8399&page=19

Thought I'd start a new thread so as not to Hijack.









Wow, there are a lot of choices. But the number one sure fired (IMO) to get to the spectacular country the quickest is to go to Big Sandy trail head about 45 minutes(?) west of Pinedale, WY. Or west of Boulder, WY( even smaller town). Now a rough dirt road gets you to this trail head and from there very quickly into the heart of the range and the Continental Divide. Hence, it is very popular, and in the summertime very crowded at least by Wind River standards. Likely, you will park at a very crowded parking area/camp ground. Don't let that discourage you, you will actually see very few folks on the trail, and almost none after the 1st day of hiking. From where you park at about 9100 feet I think, about 6 miles and 500 feet up the trail you will arrive at Big Sandy Lake, and steep jagged peaks will rise about 2000-3000 feet straight up above you. This ( and nearby lake's like Clear Lake) will normally be the most crowded lake in the range. Often you can find good campsites, often you can't. Don't worry, just go 1/4 - 2 miles back down the river that drains this lake for endless campsites all to yourself.

Or, last year in early Sept, it was a bit too crowded for us at Big Sandy. We took a chance and went 500 feet higher ( maybe a mile further?) to Clear Lake
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/2/2/9/alpineglowmoontemplepeak_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=4200&c=11)

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/2/2/9/catching_some_rays_at_clear_lake_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=4199&c=11)

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/2/2/9/haystackmtntemplepeaks_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=4198&c=11)

and had it all to ourselves for two days! And it was even more beautiful than Big sandy, and just gets better from there into Temple Basin. And the hanging was better than at Big Sandy.

The next day hike north from Big Sandy Lake over Jack A*s Pass to the Cirque of the Towers at Lonesome Lake, mind blowing!

I'll pick this up later, I've got to go eat at Cracker Barrel!

WalkingBear, did you ever get up to the Winds?

Anyway, I stumbled upon and was reading through this OLD thread, and I saw a mistake I made in the directions I gave above. I said "Wow, there are a lot of choices. But the number one sure fired (IMO) to get to the spectacular country the quickest is to go to Big Sandy trail head about 45 minutes(?) west of Pinedale, WY. Or west of Boulder, WY( even smaller town). Now a rough dirt road gets you to this trail head and from there very quickly into the heart of the range and the Continental Divide."

But what I MEANT to say was: Big Sandy trailhead EAST of Pinedale and EAST of Boulder, WY! So it's a little late, but there is the correction!