adventure

Another Best Wind River Hike, Ever…

September 22, 2010 by Shelli

I have had a great four months. My beloved Wind River Range has been good to me. I have been lucky enough to experience seven or eight long and stunning day hikes in my back yard plus a bunch of smaller hikes and outdoor adventures with my family.

Most recently, my husband, Jerry, and I hiked up (and down) and up to the end/top of Roaring Fork Mountain. The mountain itself it not that spectacular. Its high point is a little over 12,000′. But the mountain is broad, and as its name suggests, it forks into what are two pretty long mountains/ridges that are all part of The Roaring Fork. We are pretty sure the Roaring comes from the roaring nature of the wind, but we’re only guessing?

P9190184 — One of our many spectacular views. These are a handful of lakes in the Stough Creek Lakes Basin.

There are two reasons this hike was/is so special to Jerry and I. For one, we can see this mountain from most of the hikes we do in the southern Wind Rivers as well as from the deck of our mountain cabin. The Roaring Fork, complete with its notch (“bite”) in its summit ridge, are iconic if you live and play in the mountains above my town of Lander, WY.

P9190155 — Jerry and I with some Stough Basin lakes and much of the southern Wind River Range as a backdrop.

The second reason is Roaring Fork Mountain juts out of a landscape composed of regions marked by spectacular canyons, cirques and lakes. We have hiked into, or taken llamas into, most of these awesome regions. Standing on the top of Roaring Fork and getting up-close and more intimate with it, was quite a meaningful experience for us.

I wish I could take credit for thinking up this hike, but I can’t. A friend, Jared Kail, has talked about wanting to do a version of it for some time. For his 40th birthday he was going to hike it and invited us along. Unfortunately, he came down with a cold the day before and had to forego it. But I owe Jared for thinking of the hike.

I have pretty much hiked and camped in and explored a good majority of the trails in the southern Wind River Range. And yet, somehow this one eluded me until last Sunday. And, turns out, it’s a major favorite. I cannot wait to return when I have more time to explore the mountain even further.

P9190110 — There is quite a bit of scrambling and boulder field hiking.

For the record, we did a long version. We did an out and back. We started at Worthen Reservoir and hiked the Stough Creek Lakes Trail for almost 4 miles to the Stough Saddle. This saddle is a favorite day hike that affords one of the best views of Wind River Peak, the tallest peak in the southern Winds, standing 13,192′ tall. (Jerry and I climbed it in 1997.)

P9190146 — Standing in front of LF Lake, at far end/above Silas Canyon area lakes.

From there, we headed left, off-trail for approximately five miles of tundra, scree, boulder field hiking. It was quite windy in the Winds! The Winds, as well as the Roaring Fork lived up to their names on Sunday. But no complaints — we had a perfectly brilliant Autumn day for the adventure.

P9190182 — Jerry hiking over the tundra.

We had jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring scenery pretty much constantly, and in all directions. To our right, for the five miles we hiked toward the end/high point of Roaring Fork Mountain, numerous lakes and cirques unfolded to our right that make up the spectacular Stough Creek Lakes Basin region. At any single vantage, we could count six to seven lakes and cirques. This is how it was the whole way to our right.

To our left, especially when we gained the high point of the ridge, we had similarly spectacular views, including the Roaring Fork Lake/Creek, Leg Lake, Silas Canyon and its lakes, Atlantic Canyon and its lakes, not to mention Fossil Hill, Frye Lake and Worthen Reservoir. And, let’s not forget the view that unfolded behind us, which was basically one containing most of the southern Wind River Range, complete with iconic Wind River Peak, Temple and East Temple Peaks and Lizard Head peak standing out. We could also see Shoshone Lake, the lake we hiked to the previous week.

Another friend of ours, Mike Lilygren, had hiked a different variation of the same hike a week prior and provided invaluable input to us the night before. Basically he instructed us to not head directly over the rocky mounds immediately to our left of the Stough saddle, but to instead keep them to our left. This was great advice.

Still this adventure found us ascending to 11,000, then descending 200′, then gaining 400′, then descending 200′ and so on. All told we hiked out about 9.3 miles and gained 6,600′ in elevation gain due to the aforementioned contour of the mountain (and due to our route-finding decisions).

By the time we were back at the car, our GPS indicated we had ascended 7,900′, despite the fact our high point was just about 12,000′ for the day, and hiked almost 19 miles. There are ways to make this hike a little shorter and probably have a little less elevation gain/loss, but that’s another conversation. And, um, we like ’em long. 🙂

VIDEO BLOG OF THE ROARING FORK HIKE:

LINKS TO MY OTHER HIKING ADVENTURE POSTS:

Big Sandy to Jackass Pass to Cirque of Tower, North Fork, Middle Fork

Shoshone Lake

The Bears Ears Trail

Historic Blue Ridge Lookout

Deep Creek and Ice Lakes

Jackass Pass to Cirque of Towers

Grand Teton Expedition (4 parts)

The Olympic Peninsula

Skate Skiing at Beaver Creek

Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim

My Most Epic Wind River Day Hike

August 18, 2010 by Shelli

P8160034 — Me, hiking Jackass Pass, above North Lake.

I just completed a life list hike that’s in my back yard, Wyoming’s southern Wind River Range. As those of you who know me, or read this blog, know, I live for these “epic” hikes in the Wind River Range. This year I had a list of five major ones I wanted to do. Due to a late summer start (the result of local flooding and lots of snow accumulation in the high country), and more than the usual number of thunderstorms during the first half of August, I’ve been able to complete only two of the ones on the list.

Thankfully, the most coveted one on this year’s list is the one this post is about, which means I completed it.

On Monday, I hiked almost 32 miles in a day — from sunrise to sunset — from Big Sandy Opening, over Jackass Pass to the Cirque of the Towers, to Lizard Head Meadows, along the North Fork Trail to Pinto Park, to the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie, to Sheep Bridge and finally, to our destination, Bruce’s Bridge, just beyond Sinks Canyon State Park outside of my hometown of Lander, WY.

Along for the hike were two of my good friends, Holly Copeland and Kathy Swanson.

Although I had previously hiked all of the trails we would travel, except for a 3-mile stretch, I had never linked them all into one trip. In fact, unless you’re looking to challenge yourself, as we were, you could spend a week or two or three, easily, hiking and exploring the route we traveled and the sights we enjoyed. And of course, that is more reasonable. But I relish these endurance challenges that afford so many spectacular views in a single day, not to mention the great camaraderie and conversation that is shared along the way. And, the fact I’m only away from my husband and three young sons for one day, also makes these epic day hikes appealing to me.

But okay, let’s talk about the hike…

P8160007 — Kathy and Holly enjoy views of Big Sandy Lake right after sunrise.

We departed Lander at 2:45 am and drove for 2 hours, 15 minutes to the Big Sandy Opening trailhead, accessed from Wyoming Highway 28/South Pass. With headlamps on, we started down the trail a little after 5 a.m. The first 5.5 miles is pretty flat and forested and parallels Big Sandy Creek for much of the way. This stretch was uneventful as the sun began to rise.

The sun was up before we reached our first major milestone, Big Sandy Lake, a beautiful lake that is surrounded by Schiestler Peak, Temple Peak, East Temple Peak, Haystack Mountain and Big Sandy Mountain. The trail follows the northwest shore of the lake. I always like to stop at the big flat rock near the end of the lake just before we start ascending Jackass Pass. It’s a great spot to adjust clothing, snap some photos and snarf a quick snack…

P8160048 — The spectacular granite towers that form the world-famous Cirque of Towers reveal themselves while hiking across Jackass Pass.

…And, get ready for the trail’s personality to change. Dramatically. From Big Sandy Lake, we hiked up over Jackass Pass, so named because a donkey cannot pass over it. It’s not only a significant uphill effort, it traverses a rocky side of North Lake and eventually leads hikers up, up and up some more.

The views are breath-taking, literally and figuratively. We’re talking jaw-dropping scenes. As soon as you’re beyond North Lake, you get a glimpse of Pingora, peeking through from the still-distant Cirque of Towers. To your immediate left, though, and towering majestically, is Warbonnet Peak.

We enjoyed views in all directions. Behind us was North Lake and the distinctive East Temple Peak and Temple Peak. And, unfolding in front of us were the towering granite walls and peaks that form the Cirque of the Towers. We were hiking in alpine tundra — a mess of vehicle- and small building-sized granite, a mess of rocks scattered throughout the alpine tundra, sprinkled with tiny wildflowers of all colors, and of course the aforementioned granite giants.

P8160054 — Jackass Pass travels through a mess of granite and alpine tundra, complete with lichen-covered rocks and wildflowers of all colors.

Before reaching the end of the pass, you descend a short but steep hill before ascending to 10,780 feet and the end of Jackass Pass. While making this last ascent, be sure to stop and take a look behind you at the aptly named Arrowhead Lake. This is one of my favorite views along Jackass Pass.

P8160067 — Holly and Kathy ascending the last stretch to the end of Jackass Pass. That's Arrowhead Lake.

At the end of Jackass Pass, we enjoyed our first actual break and sat down briefly to consume another snack and take in the views of Lonesome Lake and the Cirque of the Towers.

P8160081 — Group timer photo at end of Jackass Pass, above Lonesome Lake and the Cirque of Towers.

Next, we descended a small, steep hill and hiked around the south shore of Lonesome Lake.

P8160093 — Pingora, with wildflowers in the foreground.

From there we picked up the North Fork trail, named for the North Fork of the Popo Agie River and hiked to Lizard Head Meadows.

P8160104 — Kathy and Holly pause briefly in Lizard Head Meadows.

At Lizard Head Meadows, we stopped to watch a moose graze on the lush grasses and then continued on a trail that follows alongside the North Fork of the Popo Agie. This was an amazing stretch of trail: forested but with huge granite mountains to our right. It sort of made us feel as if we were hiking in Yosemite National Park, under and near the likes of El Capitan, but with one significant difference – our trail was lonely. It was almost as if we had it to ourselves. (We saw only approximately 10 other hikers, all backpackers, the entire 32 miles.)

P8160110 — The Monolith, towering over a calm stretch of the North Fork of the Popo Agie.

A great sight was the river, complete with fish jumping out of its calm waters, and a huge peak towering over it that is aptly named The Monolith.

From here, the trail gets a little mean-spirited. It goes uphill. For a long time. Finally, we arrived at Pinto Park, a great expanse of lush grass, surrounded by forests and more granite peaks in the distance.

P8160128 — Kathy and I in Pinto Park. The uniquely-shaped peak at right is Lizard Head Peak, which is part of the Cirque of Towers. (My husband and I climbed Lizard Head in 1998.)

After more hiking, we arrived at the Middle Fork trail, which parallels the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River, the river that flows through my hometown of Lander, WY. There, we refilled our hydration packs with treated water and continued on.

Next was Sheep Bridge. And, as we were about four miles out from the trek’s end, my husband, Jerry, and Holly’s husband, Scott, and their dog, Milo, met us on the trail. Their presence provided a little surge of energy for us. (I’m guessing the cooler of ice-cold PBR they hauled in for us helped, too.) We finished the hike with a fair amount of daylight remaining.

P8160144 — Yay! We did it! 31.9 miles and finished without injury and with daylight remaining.

To be sure, completing this hike was a phenomenal personal achievement for me and my friends. But spectacular sights we saw and the great conversation we shared along the trail are what will remain with me for days and months to come.

It was another memorable day in my back yard, and I will not forget it.

Here’s a video of the various segments of our adventure patched together. Enjoy!

Hawaii’s Big Island Delivers Big

April 23, 2010 by Shelli

In early April we spent our spring break on the Big Island of Hawaii. It was our second time there. It is one of our favorite places in the world.

FinatTidepools — Finis, our 2-year-old, poses on a rock in the ocean tidepools. That's the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort in the background.

We had a magnificent time. We had seven days there, including the first three days in the Kona area, and the last four days in the Waikoloa region.

Our initial nights were spent at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort, and it is fabulous. It’s located on the ocean and is literally a few steps from several tidepools. Our three young sons had a wonderful time starting and ending each of our days in exploring the pools, where they spotted sea urchin, sea turtles, crabs, and made other interesting discoveries.

P4040226 — Me, dog-piling with our three boys during sunset at the Outrigger, in Kona.

The view looking out to the ocean from the bar and eating areas was magnificent. The breakfast, which is included as part of your stay, was abundant and delicious. Each morning we stocked up plate fulls of fresh fruit, eggs, pastries, pancakes, coffee, juice, etc., while watching the ocean hit the shore.

P4040153 — All four of my guys on the beach next to the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort in Kona.

It was also nice to be located so close to many other restaurants and to the heart and pulse of the great town, Kona. Just a handful of miles away were many restaurants and bistros, as well as beaches and places from which to rent surf and boogie boards, snorkel equipment, etc. We loved Kona the first time we visited six years ago. We love it even more now.

While based at the Outrigger, one day we snorkeled and swam at the adjacent beach, Kahalu`u Bay, where water toys are available for rent, there is a beach shower and bathrooms, as well as a food truck complete with shaved ice, grilled lunches and other tasty snacks.

Another day we traveled a few miles north of the Outrigger to a beach called Keauhau Beach. I rented a stand up paddle-board and oar and gave standup paddling a try. It was a blast and I’m now hooked!

Here’s a video clip I captured while enjoying some stand up paddle-boarding. Watch toward the end and you’ll see a sea turtle:

As I sit here now in my hometown of Lander, WY, which is in the snowy mountains, I ponder how/where I can do stand up paddle-boarding in Wyoming. It was that much fun.

Mostly, stand up paddle-boarding provided a different way to “tour” the ocean. As I stood up and paddled out into the ocean, sea turtle would every now and then swim near me or right with my board. (See video for proof-it’s toward the end of the clip) Then, with a little more confidence, I tried catching a wave. That didn’t work out so well. :> But, it is a great sport that I will definitely look forward to doing again on a return trip to Hawaii.

In addition, the older boys and I went on an adventure where we got to swim in the wild with dolphins, and see humpback whales and a manta ray. This was an adventure of a lifetime we’ll never forget. (Provided by Barefoot’s Adventures and Sunlight On Water.)

Here’s a video clip of Wolf, our 9-year-old, during one of the swims:

Our Outrigger room was beautiful and clean, and after a day of adventuring, we could see and hear the ocean from our room’s balcony and its sliding doors.

Next stop: Luxurious Paradise
After a lot of adventuring in the Kona region, we headed north for luxury, what our boys later dubbed “as sort of a paradise” — the Hilton Waikoloa.

Take it from me, once here, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a reason to leave the Hilton Waikoloa — ever. (Except maybe to return to work to start saving for the return trip)

There is a natural lagoon area, complete with sandy beach, ocean access, a waterfall, sea turtles, eels and other ocean critters, and water toys like bike and pedal boats, kayaks and stand up paddleboards to rent and explore.

BeachLagoon — The lagoon at the Hilton Waikoloa is a magnificent place at which to spend time.

Or, just suntan on the lagoon’s beach while listening to the ocean slap against the shores behind you.

P4060283 — Our three sons loved riding the pedal boats in the lagoon while looking for turtles and other critters.

Here’s a video clip of us playing the lagoon:

Then, after exploring in the lagoon each day, our mission was to swim, swim and swim some more in the many pools on the property. (Our routine was pretty stringent at the Hilton Waikoloa.)

Here’s what swimming looked like for Fin and I:

It basically went like this: Eat a bunch of fruit, head to the Lagoon to swim, look for turtles and ride toys until noon.

AtPool — Wolf and Hayden pose in front of one of the main pools at the Hilton Waikoloa.

Then, move to the pools, but only after stopping for a great lunch at the grill in between the lagoon and pools. (Also worth mentioning, as we ate, we watched the dolphins swimming at the Dolphin Quest complex also located between the lagoon and the pools.)

A video of the “pool experience” at the Hilton Waikoloa:

Then, after re-fueling, we staked out chairs near the main pools. One pool is a baby pool that is sand-bottomed. Babies and young toddlers love it! The other pools are big and connected, eventually boasting a waterfall and a pretty good-sized slide, and a couple of hot tubs. There are bars everywhere, from which to treat your kids to a Green Gecko, or yourself to a Whale Watch, pina colada or Lava Flow. Take your pick. From my investigation into the matter, they are all more than satisfactory.

OnBeach-Waikoloa — Playing at Anaehoomalu Bay, near the Hilton.

Longing for a little more direct ocean and beach time, one afternoon we drove a few minutes to Anaehoomalu Bay (called “A Bay” for short), where we did some more snorkeling, sand castle-building and played with a few sea turtles that were near the shoreline.

The older boys and I departed for another guided adventure when we did a “deluxe” parasail over the ocean for 14 minutes. By deluxe, I mean we were about 50 stories over the ocean. UFO Parasailing provided the adventure, and it was a hoot! The boys did it for me, and they ended up loving it as much, or more, than I did!

Some helmet cam video of the parasail:

P4070387 — My guys on the walk between pools, etc.

P4070395 — Yummy. This was the famous chocolate soufflé at Roy's Bar and Grill, in Waikoloa.

P4040156 — Our son, Fin, shows how all of us felt about our Hawaii trip. It was awesome!

Other Hawaii blog posts:
Swimming with dolphins in the wild.
Parasailing

Parasailing Far Above the Ocean for 14 Minutes off Hawaii’s Big Island

April 17, 2010 by Shelli

We just returned from a week of blissful rest and relaxation on the Big Island of Hawaii. What a magnificent place!

Parasasail1 — Parasailing was an exhilarating experience.

While there, one of the exciting adventures we embarked upon was a parasail over the ocean. It was amazing.

I talked our two oldest sons, Wolf and Hayden, ages 9 and 8, to join me on a tandem parasail. They weren’t that excited about it, and actually a little nervous about it. But, being good sons, they did it for me. I wanted to share this experience with at least some of our family.

My husband, Jerry, is recovering from a spine fusion so he stayed at the beach and in the pools with our 2-year-old son, Fin, while we went “flying.”

Wolfparasail — Wolf, our 9-year-old, smiles from 1,200 feet above the ocean.

All told, we were up in the air — way up there, as in the equivalent of being 50 stories above sea level — for 14 minutes. It was thrilling and spectacular. The boys were yelling “woo hoo!” over and over again. They really got a kick out of it, as did I.

The view of the ocean was spectacular… turquoise in some areas and deep blue in others. As a bonus, we floated near a gigantic cruise ship that was docked in Kona.

Hayden parasail — Hayden, our 8-year-old, smiles from 1,200 feet above the ocean.

The “deluxe” adventure was provided by UFO Parasailing, who provides parasail experiences off the Big Island, as well as Maui.

About mid-way through our flight, the crew lowered us to right above the ocean for a short bit before jerking us up, up, up again. It was exhilarating. Then, right before reeling us back into the boat, they briefly dipped us in the ocean.

Here’s some helmet camera footage of part of the flight:

ThreesomeParasail — Hayden, Wolf and I, feeling a rush after our 14-minute flight over the ocean.

I would highly recommend this as an adventure for you or your family to consider. This was my second parasail. The other one I did was a few years back of Lake Tahoe. It’s an incredible experience that although it’s short-lived, provides yet another great vantage from which to view your surroundings — and a little bit of an adrenaline rush.

The boys were asking if we could do another parasail. I said, not until the next trip. But definitely count us in for another in the future.

(Another adventure we enjoyed during our trip to the Big Island was swimming with dolphins in the the wild.)

Angel’s Landing Hike in Zion National Park

April 24, 2009 by Shelli

Zion Trip, Pt. 2

Wow. I knew Angel’s Landing was exposed and that as a result of its heights and exposed nature it was to be an adventure.

We had been to Zion a few other times but as a family. Our sons are small so we had been (wisely) advised to stay away from Angel’s Landing… until the kids grow up.

But in early March, Kathy and I were going on a girlfriend adventure vacation and Angel’s Landing would be the “big star” on our itinerary, around which everything else revolved.

We got to the trailhead around 7 am to get an early start. We highly recommend that hikers start early. This way they’ll get to enjoy the views and the trail in solitude. I can’t imagine what it would be like hiking the narrow ridge to the top of Angel’s Landing if there was a line of hikers coming up and down. You don’t go hiking in a national park’s backcountry to be pressed and crowded. You can sleep in another time. (Or so we thought…)

We started up. It was pretty mild. A climbing and switchbacking trail to be sure, but nothing too tough to start. However, we had hiked to Observation Point the previous day which was 8 miles roundtrip and a gain/loss of 8,000 vertical feet. So we were “warmed up” anything this hike would throw at us.

Angel’s Landing is a 5 mile, roundtrip hike. For the first two miles, it’s a climbing trail but on a good trail that isn’t scary. Then, at two miles, the trail’s personality changes, big-time.

When we arrived at a narrow slick rock ridge that had chains/cables on which to hold, I thought to myself: “This must be where we get our money’s worth… This must be what all the fuss is about.” Even though I’d heard it was exposed and that small children shouldn’t go on the hike due to heights, for some reason I wasn’t mentally prepared for the reality.

I think it’s safe to say that Kathy, a flatlander from Omaha, was even more surprised than I was.

We ooohed and aahhhed and took in the views in all directions. I knew we hadn’t received the prize yet, but I think Kathy thought we had reached the end. Certainly the views were breathtaking and spectacular. The views at that point would have met my expectations in terms of scenery, no doubt.

But then when I was capturing some video I noticed that the cables/chains went all the way up, much further over a knife’s edge and to a precipice about a quarter mile away, yet.

Kathy’s response when I pointed out the cables that followed the very narrow steep ridge to the “top” was priceless. But she’s a trooper and we were off.

It was a thrilling adventure that left us anxious at times. The views at the top, and all the way up and down really, were striking and beyond words. The beauty was worth the hike, and all of the anxiety is stirred in us.
For an 8-minute clip of the “middle” of the Angel’s Landing Hike/Trail: