Wind Rivers

14ers in California and Washington state or any other peak in the USA
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Scott P
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Re: Wind Rivers

Post by Scott P »

I will be there September 8th through 13th so I hope they'll be gone by that time.


The mosquitoes should be completely gone by then.
What kind of traffic can I expect on the cirque at this time of year?


You will likely see some people, but traffic really drops off after Labor Day. Go prepared for the weather though. In September you can have beautiful summer weather or some rather large winter storms. September can be rather wintery in the Wind Rivers, but when the weather is good it's my favorite time to go there since the mosquitoes are gone.
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Vermont Mike
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Re: Wind Rivers

Post by Vermont Mike »

I'll be in the Titcomb Basin area 9/11-12 for a quick two-day attempt at climbing Fremont Peak. If there's much snow or some other situation arises that I can't climb a peak I may go in to Cirque of the Towers for a sightseeing overnighter instead. Have fun!
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bohlsen
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Re: Wind Rivers

Post by bohlsen »

Yoric wrote: What kind of traffic can I expect on the cirque at this time of year?
I was there the first week of August which is supposed to be the most crowded time of year and I personally didn't find it to be overly crowded. There were definitely plenty of people and cars at the big sandy trailhead but once we got over Jackass Pass it thinned out a bit. We still came across people on a regular basis but it was certainly less crowded than RMNP or a 14er. If you really want solitude while in the Cirque, camp below Lonesome Lake up in the woods leading north towards Lizard Head. We were only a hundred yds or so off the trail but we didn't see a single person the two nights we stayed there. In retrospect though, I wish we'd camped above the lake in the Cirque itself because the views when we woke up would have definitely been worth it.

As for non-technical climbing routes to do near the Cirque, here's the list from Kelsey's book:

Lizard's Head west ridge (class 4 and a very long time up high on an exposed ridge, we wanted to do it but the weather was way too dicey)
Bollinger Peak northeast ridge (class 3)
Watchtower/South Watchtower/Pylon Peak all from the west slopes all class 2
Warrior I south slopes (class 2)
Warrior II south and east slopes (3)
Warbonnet south ridge (3)
Mitchell Peak south slopes (2) or northeast slopes (3)
Big Sandy Mountain west slopes (2)


In the Deep Lake area:

East Temple Peak southwest slopes (class 2)
Temple Peak southwest slopes (2-3) south ridge (3) east couloir (4)
A Cheval Peak southeast slopes (3)
Schiestler Peak southwest slopes (2) east chute (3)
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snowypeaks
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Re: Wind Rivers

Post by snowypeaks »

Find out what valleys are open to sheep grazing and don't plan on camping there... pretty nasty! I ran into a ton of sheep below Shadow Lake on the way back to Big Sandy a while ago. The Cirque is a fantastic area, as is all of the Bridger Wilderness. Have a great trip and enjoy the solitude!
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Yoric
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Re: Wind Rivers

Post by Yoric »

HuskyRunner wrote:
If you decide to check out Cirque of the Towers you can make a loop of it by hiking into COT via Jackass Pass, crossing the COT and taking Texas Pass to Billy and Barren Lakes then making you way back to Dads Lake and out to Big Sandy Opening TH. Texas Pass is an unmaintained path so again you will have to use off trail navigation skills although the way is fairly well used by off trail hikers. Check the distance but fuzzy recall I think its around 30-35 miles?
The lack of information on this area was starting to concern me, but after receiving my guide in the mail I feel much more comfortable. There's still not nearly as much information available as what's out there on almost everything in Colorado.

I really, really appreciate all of the feedback from everyone. After looking over trip reports and my hiking guide I'm fairly confident that HuskyRunner's route seems like what I'm looking for. I'll start out in the opposite direction though and pass by Dad's Lake and then over the Texas Pass into the Cirque of the Towers. It looks like the first portion of my trip will be more secluded than once I pass into CoT. I'll start on the trail early on a Tuesday and finish up by Saturday. I think this will be more than enough time to hike and play around a bit.

Thanks again for the abundance of feedback!

I have just one last question. I'll be arriving at around 8 to 8:30 pm and would like to camp at the Big Sandy Lake Campground instead of car camping. I can't find any places to make reservations online. Am I required to just show up and hope for the best?
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HuskyRunner
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Re: Wind Rivers

Post by HuskyRunner »

Yoric wrote:
The lack of information on this area was starting to concern me, but after receiving my guide in the mail I feel much more comfortable. There's still not nearly as much information available as what's out there on almost everything in Colorado.


I have just one last question. I'll be arriving at around 8 to 8:30 pm and would like to camp at the Big Sandy Lake Campground instead of car camping. I can't find any places to make reservations online. Am I required to just show up and hope for the best?
If the off trail hiking is more what you're looking for this book provides some of that: "Beyond Trails in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming: Off-Trail Routes for the Advanced Backpacker," by Nancy Pallister. The Winds have a lot of off trail possibilities but it does take a sense of adventure, a willingness to alter your plans, an open mind to know when you've potentially gotten over your head and need to turn back. That said you should be able to find the user trails and navigate around Barren and Texas lake and over Texas Pass. Be aware that there is another off trail route over Illinois pass at the end of Texas Lake that you do not want to take, just check your map and Texas Pass should be obvious.

Have you tried the number on this page? http://www.big-sandy-lodge.com/

We usually stay in Pinedale and make the early drive in. If you decide to stay in Pinedale call Emi at the Rivera Lodge and Cabins right behind the brewpub, she and Bird will treat you well, the breakfast is good as well.
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tlmrk
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Re: Wind Rivers

Post by tlmrk »

The big sandy campground is non-reservation I believe, and closes in early September depending on snow conditions. You'll probably have most of the east fork valley to yourself except for a lot of sheep. I'll be in the area with a group of climbers around that time. Nice hike over Texas pass into the COT. Might see a moose or two. No flowers, but no mosquitos. Shadow lake has some nice camping spots near the outlet, below overhanging tower and sharks nose. Sounds like a great trip.
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