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Another Best Wind River Hike, Ever…

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Hi from the Wind Rivers.

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?

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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

    • Good Views Come to Those Who Hike Uphill

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    Taking quick break at top of Cyclone Pass, overlooking Shoshone Lake and much of the southern Wind River Range.

    I just returned from my annual hike to Shoshone Lake above my town of Lander, WY. There’s no other way to describe this 22-mile hike. It’s a grunt.

    The trail is not necessarily spectacular, and in fact much of it follows a two-track and is a popular ATV trail. Solitude isn’t the reason you hike to Shoshone Lake. But I’m not complaining!

    As long as you’re willing to go uphill for a long time on a steep, rugged, loose and rocky trail, and then downhill for a long time on a steep, rugged, loose and rocky trail, then this hike is worth it. The rewards make it so.

    Reward number one: Shoshone Lake.

    A good friend, Kathy (Doyle) Swanson, of Casper, WY, joined me on the hike. We started beyond Sinks Canyon State Park, about eight miles southwest of my hometown of Lander, WY, at the base of Fairfield Hill.

    We started at 5 am, with headlamps on, with a 1,000-foot elevation gain over one mile. Along the way to Shoshone Lake, we hiked through McMahone Park, by Pete’s Lake, Twin Lakes, and through the vast and awesome Shoshone Basin.

    Shortly after hiking through Shoshone Basin and alongside a creek for a short bit, after about 11.5 miles of hiking, we arrived at our first reward: Shoshone Lake. The mountain lake is huge and scenic. For about a mile or so, we hiked along the lake’s shore.

    The second, and biggest reward, is what one sees from the top of Cyclone Pass. And the effort it takes to get to this point makes it even more grand. (I’ve done this hike every summer for the last five summers. Every time, regardless of my fitness level, Cyclone Pass is a lung-buster.)

    Kathy, hiking up Cyclone Pass. Here, she's almost to the top.

    Basically, at about mile 14 of this epic day hike, we faced a rocky incline that climbs close to 1,000 feet in a little over a half of a mile. It’s a combination of where in the hike this uphill grunt presents itself, and its steep nature that makes it grueling. Every time.

    No matter that this was my fifth time to see the view from Cyclone Pass. Every time I see it, I am overcome with emotion — i.e. goosebumps and happy tears. One thing I like to do when I have Shoshone Lake first-timer hikers with me is make them promise to not look back while ascending Cyclone Pass. The temptation is huge, if for no other reason you want to stop and catch your breath and take a look around.

    I made Kathy promise me she would not look down or back. As far as I know, she kept her word. :>

    When we got to the top I told her she could finally look behind her. Watching her take in the view for the first time was almost as great as taking in the view for the first time myself. She was stunned, as you’ll see in the first embedded video near the bottom of this blog post.

    After about 20 minutes of taking in the views, taking some video and photos, and snarfing a gourmet PB&H “rollover,” we were on our way to Point B, the point at which my husband, his dad, and my three sons would await for us in a car that would drive us back into Lander.

    Kathy, on part of the infamous "Chute." (This is actually the good part of it, though!)

    The way back, although it’s almost all downhill, is not for the faint-of-heart hiker. “The Chute” is the most notable reason for this. It’s a 1.5-mile long section on what resembles a dried up creek bed — make that a downhill, dried up creek bed with extra layers of rock for good measure.

    Here you walk on rocks and more rocks downhill. It seems like it goes for at least three miles, but it’s one and half miles. Trust me, that’s plenty.

    We made really good time on this hike, but The Chute (Yourself?) always slows you down. You can only walk so fast on piles of rocks without turning an ankle or falling down.

    We ended near the Switchbacks on Shoshone Lake Road, above Baldwin Creek road. Jerry and his dad awaited us at the top of the last stretch of trail with cold beers in hand (with our names on them.)

    It was another awe-inspiring day in my back yard.

    At the finish. (Notice the beverages in our hand. My wonderful husband was waiting with beers for us!)

    Some video clips of the hike:

    Hiking the Bears Ears Trail

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    Me, on the Bears Ears Trail. You can see by looking at Bears Ears Mountain behind me in this photo where the trail gets its name.

    The Bears Ears Trail is one of my favorite trails in all of Wyoming’s Wind River Range. This is due to the nature of the trail and the views it provides.

    After a little more than three miles of switchbacks through forest, the trail opens up into alpine tundra and hands out spectacular views as it ascends Adams Pass.

    We had set out with plans for a long and epic hike that would include the Bears Ears Trail and the Lizard Head Trail as an out-and-back day hike that would total about 28 miles. Mother Nature had other plans, though. Thunder and rain crashed our party around 11 a.m., which meant we did not get to hike the Lizard Head Trail. It was still a phenomenal adventure I will not forget.

    We had a generous winter this year, which meant on our July 21 hike, the trail was still wet in many places. We even hiked over snow a handful of times. But it also meant the wildflowers were amazing.

    My husband, Jerry, and friends Holly and Leann hiking Adams Pass on the Bears Ears Trail.

    Adams Pass is amazing in its own right. But the hands-down prize is the view hikers are provided after about seven miles of hiking. What hikers get to see seven miles into this hike has got to be one of the best views in and of Wyoming’s southern Wind River Range.

    We hiked over some snow in a handful of places along the trail.

    What you see is an awesome panorama of rugged country, including Mount Washakie, Washakie Pass, Bernard Peak, Lock Leven Lake, Chess Ridge, Mount Hooker, Mount Bonneville, and Musembeah Peak, which towers over Grave Lake.

    We chose our turnaround point to be the area in front of a deep and dramatic cirque that lay directly in the foreground of the aforementioned view. We pulled just off the trail to what looked like a mess of huge boulders that fell out of the sky, leading to a sudden and deep hole/cirque. We all agreed you would not want to walk around this area in the dark!

    Well, what more can I say? This was yet another epic day in my back yard. Another reminder of how lucky I am to live here.

    My husband, Jerry, standing in front of a sudden cirque and an amazing, panoramic view of the southern Wind River Range.

    NOTE: The trailhead is in Dickinson Park, about 37 miles northwest of my hometown of Lander, WY. The trail starts at about 9,300′ elevation and gains about 2,600′. It’s recommended you hike the eight miles to the junction of the Lizard Head Trail, and then scramble approximately 350 feet up to the top of Mt. Chauvenet, via its western slope. We didn’t on this day, but Jerry and I did so about 11 years ago and it’s highly recommended!

    HERE ARE 3 SHORT VIDEO CLIPS THAT PROVIDE A GLIMPSE INTO THE BEAUTY OF THIS HIKE. ENJOY!

    Blue Ridge Lookout: A Perfect Family Hike

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    Blue Ridge Lookout is a short, but exciting hike for families, especially those who have small children. These are our boys.

    I live in Lander, Wyoming, which is an awesome town with about 7,000 people in it, located in the foothills of the spectacular Wind River Range. Those of you who follow me and this blog are well aware of my love of this area and for hiking.

    Recently, my husband, Jerry, and I took our three young sons on a favorite local day hike. The hike is only one mile round trip, making it an “easy adventure” for young children with small legs. (The hike starts at 9,600 feet elevation so there could be some effort and huffing and puffing even from the adults in the group.)

    Family timer photo on top of the historic Blue Ridge Lookout.

    The Blue Ridge Lookout was constructed in 1938. The views from the top are magnificent. Among other sights, you’ll see Wind River Peak and Atlantic Peak, Fiddler Lake and lots of forest. I have fond memories of making this hike with my siblings and parents when I was a kid. It is truly one of the best short hikes and picnic spots for families here in my back yard.

    The trailhead is located about 23 miles southwest of Lander, along the Sinks Canyon-Louis Lake Road. The trail, which starts at about 9,600′ elevation gains about 365 feet by the time you reach the top of the lookout.

    Note: Keep your young children on a short leash. This could be a dangerous destination for kids left unattended due to the heights of the lookout.

    Here’s a short “video journal” of the day’s outing. It will provide visuals for the actual hike, as well as the lookout. Enjoy!

    Deep Creek & Ice Lakes hike is epic

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    As I write this blog post, it’s Oct. 4 and we’ve had 18 inches of snow fall on my hometown of Lander, Wyoming.

    Stopping to pose by one of many beautiful lakes on a recent 25-mile day hike in Wyoming's Wind River Range.
    Stopping to pose by one of many beautiful lakes on a recent 25-mile day hike in Wyoming's Wind River Range.

    Boy, I’m sure glad I was able to do the epic hike to Deep Creek and Ice Lakes in the southern Wind River Range a week ago. Last Saturday, on Sept. 26, we had a stellar Autumn day. Bluebird sky all day long and the trail — all 25 miles of it — seemingly to ourselves.

    Holly Copeland, Leann Sebade, me, Milo the dog, and Florian Herrmann, in front of the first lake in the Deep Creek Lakes basin.
    Holly Copeland, Leann Sebade, me, Milo the dog, and Florian Herrmann, in front of the first lake in the Deep Creek Lakes basin.

    The hike was epic because it was beautiful. But also it was epic because it was long for a day hike. At 25 miles, the hike was one I thought I’d be taking alone. My husband, who is usually my companion on these long day hike efforts, is recovering from a 4-level neck fusion, so he was out. And, when I asked some friends if they’d be interested, one said: “Hmmm. How do I say this? I would do it if we had 2-3 days.”

    But by some miracle, within a couple of days, I had 4 takers. I had a “group” to accompany me on this long day hike.

    The cast of characters included Florian Herrmann, Leann Sebade and Holly Copeland, and her black lab, Milo.

    Holly and her dog, Milo, Leann and Florian, hiking through the Deep Creek and Ice Lakes region.
    Holly and her dog, Milo, Leann and Florian, hiking through the Deep Creek and Ice Lakes region.

    We departed down the Sheep Bridge Trail from Worthen Reservoir at 6:15 am with headlamps on.

    We hiked to Sheep Bridge, then up the Middle Fork toward Pinto Park before taking the Deep Creek and Ice Lake Cutoff Trail. Then, for several miles we hiked amongst lakes and granite cirques and tundra. We returned via the Tayo Park, Middle Fork and Stough Creek Lake trails.

    Oh oh, girls and a map. Trying to find our way. And we did, thank you very much.
    Oh oh, girls and a map. Trying to find our way. And we did, thank you very much.

    It was a spectacularly beautiful hike. I was inspired by the stunning sights, the effort and the good company.

    It was another remarkable day in this paradise in my back yard, the Wind River Range of Wyoming.

    It’s tough to beat seeing so much of our magnificent Wind River Mountains as I can in one day while getting a great workout and spending time with great friends who are positive people and who are a great influence on my life. I feel very lucky.

    By the way, my husband and three sons were able to track our progress and whereabouts all day long thanks to the Spot Satellite Messenger I had attached to my backpack. It logged GPS coordinates throughout the hike and Jerry and our sons watched us on Google Maps. Very cool. Here, I mapped the trip on Backpacker.com:

    One of several beautiful lakes we hiked by.
    One of several beautiful lakes we hiked by.

    Here are some video clips captured on the great hike. Enjoy!