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Backpacking wind river range

1,540 Views | 12 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by oldarmy76
oldarmy76
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Next summer is a backpacking trip year for me and pretty certain I want to check out the winds. Anyone ever been? I'll probably have about 8 days to spend on then trail. Any can't misses?
acephotographer
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mpl35
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AG
Cirque of the towers? I'm leaning towards one in the summer as well. Coworker has been dozens of time and I can ask if you have specific questions
Newoldarmy
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AG
Meateater on Netflix has an episode where they float trip for mule deer.
OilManAg91
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AG
Green River Lakes are spectacular...especially the upper lake.
cplatt
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You won't regret it...beautiful country and wildlife everywhere
TommyGun
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AG
The Winds are awesome and offer up some spectacular backpacking opportunities. Cirque of the Towers, Photographers Point, Titcomb Basin, and Green River Lakes are some of the more popular areas. You can base out of Pinedale and do some day hikes or short overnight trips to all areas or do an extended trip in one. With 8 days you'll definitely have options.

Great Outdoor Shop in Pinedale has some good folks working there that can give you up to date trail info and help you avoid hazard areas. They've got some great gear you can rent and plenty of maps, as well.

Photographers Point a few years ago:

TailG8TR
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AG
GREAT area. I have been into Titcomb Basin and Indian Basin on five different occasions. Awesome and impressive landscape.

Used Elkhart Park trailhead each time. The trail up past Photographers Point leads to several picturesque lakes.....Hobbs, Barbara and then the LARGE Seneca and Island lakes. The basins or area around Island makes for good central base camps.

Snow complicates the approach in until mid/late summer. The trail has a pretty good amount of elevation gain/losses each day so be prepared.

My trips were climbing oriented. With my brother/buddies we did Helen, Fremont (twice), Jackson, Ellingwood, Bob's Tower, Miriam, and Dinwoody over the years. Opportunities for ice climbs and glacier travel on Helen, Jackson and in the huge bowl behind Fremont.

But the fishing up there is quite good the half dozen times that I did. Especially good at both the tumbling inlet stream/falls on the east side of Island and the outlet of Island to the west.

Mosquitos are pretty bad. DEET is your friend.

Bears are present. Canisters and hanging are a must.

The area is REMOTE. Be prepared to be self sufficient.

It is a REALLY beautiful and rugged landscape and I HIGHLY recommend it if you are looking for a challenging and awesome backpacking location.

Be sure to read the small book by Finis Mitchell - it is a MUST to full appreciation of the area.

The guidebook by Kelsey is likewise an important source to check into.

Hit me up if you want more specific beta.
TailG8TR
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AG
Fremont Peak is the mass on the right-most edge of your photo......with Helen and Sacagawea and Miriam and Dinwoody moving toward the left which form the eastern wall of Titcomb Basin. That basin is usually a two day hike in from Elkhart or from this vantage point (Photographers point where this pic was taken is just a couple hours in from the trailhead )

Good pic that brings back memories of the hikes in and up to those peaks.
TailG8TR
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AG
If you really are a backpacking sort of guy - YES - Do it ! It is a GREAT place to backpack and the scenery is awesome.
oldarmy76
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I've done a few trips. Here is part of the write up from my last:
https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/2886136
Is crossing the glaciers difficult? Can it be done without special gear?

Is the fishing phenomenal everywhere? It looks like there is water in the form of lakes rivers and waterfalls everywhere.
I already have most of the maps of the area for planning purposes and a few books. I like to experience the wilderness in isolation as much as possible, so I may try to avoid the towers and titcalm basin. Have you been on the reservation land?

Thanks!
TailG8TR
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AG
I will send you a PM with more detail so as not to clog up this post too much...but.....(ooops..cannot send you a PM)

Glacier work pretty much calls for crampons and a rope with a partner at minimum. Ice axe and prusiks and pulley for safety. Snow bridges, crevasse and bergschrund issues. Solo would be dicey if you have not done so before. I would not recommend it.

The winds (and Wyoming in general) are more rugged than the Weminuche you traveled. Colder and more snow for sure.

There is a whole lot of live water in the Winds. Most all of the streams hold good numbers of willing fish as do the lakes. (Although not ALL of the lakes. Trout were stocked by horseback carrying tin milk jugs back in the day. Read about Finis Mitchell) You will find success fishing throughout the range.

I have not entered via Lander (Indian Res Land). They have some additional fees, requirements and are strict about enforcement. I have heard from others it is a hassle to deal with.

The trail will have people on it, but spread out. Island lake will have people. But widely dispersed. Indian basin and upper Titcomb will be almost empty. It is a BIG area and you can - no doubt - find seclusion.
TommyGun
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AG
I agree with TailG8TR in that you can definitely find seclusion. The place is about as wild as you will find in the Lower 48. You might be a little discouraged when you pull up to the Elkhart Trailhead and see all of the vehicles but once you get past Photographers point along the main trail the crowds will really vanish.

Game and Fish conducts some fish stocking programs throughout the Winds and they can give you some info on which ones in particular have been stocked lately. However, if you roll up to a lake with no fish you usually don't have to go far to find another.

Like TailG8TR mentioned, the res side has a few more hoops to jump through, however, I'm sure the experience would be worth it, as well. I'm told the res side has better numbers of Golden Trout if you're looking to go after something like that. I've only been in the Sinks Canyon and Louis Lake area on the Lander side, so I couldn't give much more info there.

It looks like based on your previous reports that you definitely know what you're doing so I think you'll have a great time. I'd call ahead and start getting trail updates at least a month out. Much of the backcountry trail system was under several feet of snow until almost August back in 2017. This year looks like another heavy snow year so I'm sure the snowpack will be deep throughout the late spring into summer.
oldarmy76
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Thanks for the info. I'll bump this again in a few months as I'm getting more specific with route planning.
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