After a long summer of a big move from western Kansas to the mountains of Wyoming, there was not time for me to make my yearly trip to Colorado for some 14er fun. I will still be stuck at 40 for the time being aiming to be back in 2024. However, I went for an attempt on the highest peak of Wyoming, Gannett Peak. I have attempted before with no success, and unfortunately, this turned out the same way. Fun was had along the way with some good people and we came about 1300 feet short of summit.

We started from the Cold Springs Trailhead that required us getting permit access through the Wind River Reservation out of Crowheart, Wyoming. We were driven in the back of a pickup and on a offroading machine over an hour away. The first day required going over Scenic Pass before arriving to Echo Lake.

The second day had us push to high camp at Tarn's Lake after joining the Glacier Trail by the horse camp. A couple of creek crossings that took some time to find ways across and another 10 miles in, we finally arrived late afternoon. We decided the next day would be a rest day and would go for the summit the next night leaving at midnight.

The next day was spent resting and staying hyrdated awaiting an early bedtime at 5-6 before a midnight alpine start.

After a midnight start, we made it through the boulder field and up the rock slopes leading to the Gooseneck Glacier. Once on snow, it turned out the rain from the first night and second day to high camp iced over the glacier making for dangerous conditions even with crampons and ice axe. A search and rescue helicopter was seen on the day we arrived to high camp and again on rest day. Later did we find out, someone had slipped and fell not surviving on that very same ice slopes that we were on. We decided to call it after a couple slips, and with 9 of us, it made for slow going on it. We were about 12,500 feet, just 1300 feet short of the summit. This first snow chute was about 40 degrees, and knowing the next one to the summit ridge was even steeper, it was best to live to climb another day. The mountain will always be there.

We waited on rock for sunrise to make it safely back to high camp in daylight before packing up and heading back to our first camp.

We were exhausted and slept in the next morning before going back over Scenic Pass one last time. While on the pass, we decided to at least tag a peak to make it somewhat successful. We dropped packs on the pass and went up to Dinwoody Peak 400 feet above.

We camped at the trailhead after getting water a mile out since there is no water source there. We caught a nice sunrise the next morning before our pickup and back to civilization.

The mountain will not be going anywhere anytime soon, so it was a great decision to turn around and a tough one us mountaineers have to sometimes endure.

Until next time, God Bless!