TR: NFLittle Wind River, Wyo
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:19 am
North Fork of the Little Wind River: Wind River Indian Reservation:7/24-29
The purpose of this trip was to evaluate trail conditions on the southern section of the North Fork of the Little Wind River and explore some new off-trail routes. Trails have been historically maintained by tribal outfitters. In the last ten years, deadfall from bark beetle kill in addition to retirement of the St Lawrence outfitter has left trails in poor condition.
The planned 6-day trip was cut short due to annoying blackflies (Minnesota Buffalo Gnats, introduced to this region about 15 years ago and gradually spreading). I am lucky in that they do not bite me much but swarming gets old. Although on the downswing, blackfly season was still going. I fished little because cleaning fish really gets the blackflies swarming. Light smoke from nearby fires made skies a bit hazy.
The first challenge is driving to the trailhead! This rough road requires driving skills to avoid falling into deep ruts, tearing out the bottom of a car on large rocks, avoiding huge ruts, and luck in not meeting anyone on the narrow one-lane sections on steep cliffs. I managed to reach the trailhead in my Toyota Camry by going exceedingly slow.
Day 1. St. Lawrence TH to Raft Lake via Twin Lakes: 6.5 miles, 8 hours, 2015 feet gain.
I drove up 6AM in order to avoid other vehicles. There were only two other cars at the trailhead. On the trail at 7:45 it only took 15 minutes walking the 4wd road to the Roadless Area boundary and another 15 minutes to the SF of St Lawrence Creek, which was low enough to hop rocks across. Then it was a steady quick uphill grind on a huge stock trail to The Meadows where I left the main trail and followed an old trail to Twin Lakes, not shown on maps, using a lot of “trail detective” skills. Fair detours were found around the abundant deadfall, reaching the Twin Lakes-Raft Lake junction at 10:45. I headed down nearly impassible trail to Twin Lakes. At one point the “detour” route leads down a cliff where I had to swing off a tree branch. Numerous intersecting game trails add to the confusion. It took nearly an hour to go the 0.7 miles to the two bridges between the Twin Lakes; one collapsed and the other in pretty poor shape.
[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... eadows.jpg[/rimg]
The Meadows
[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... outlet.jpg[/rimg]
Upper Twin Lake
Contemplating which side to traverse around the upper Twin Lake, I chose the short but more technical south shore which turned out to be very difficult, continually being forced away from the shore and up on cliffs. Finally I reached easier terrain and crossed the creek; another half mile in one hour. Game trails went upstream for about 0.5 miles until I came to a cliff at 1:15. I ate lunch and then detoured uphill to the north on steep slabs and through a narrow notch, dropping to the south shore of Raft Lake. I wasted half an hour trying to set up on a marginal tent site, gave up and climbed back up 150 feet to traverse and drop to the sandy beach on the northeast shore. A family was camped at the established campsite so I found a small site on the other side of the sandy arm. It was now 3:00; it took three hours to go two miles! The family, who had been here about 10 years earlier, took the direct “trail” to Raft Lake and said it was also horrible. They fished and caught some large trout; I was too tired to fish. I cleaned up a knee wound, sewed the rip in my pants, discretely took a bath and hauled water up to my little campsite and cooked dinner. Thankfully the bugs were absent at this lower elevation site.
Day 2. Raft Lake to Moraine Lake outlet: 8.0 miles, 7.3 hours, 2085 feet gain.
I was up and on my way at 7:45. The only feasible way to get around the north shore of Raft Lake was to wade the first half mile, which was actually quite pleasant. I put my shoes back on and continued along the shore, then I headed straight uphill reaching the main trail at a small pond at 9AM. The continuing trail to Movo Lake was in good shape, with only a few deadfalls. Another bridge in poor condition crosses the outlet of Movo Lake, where there is a large packer camp. Past Movo Lake the trail tread is distinct, but covered with ever increasing deadfall with the Twenty Lakes trail junction basically gone. Above Lake 9530 I lost the overgrown trail in a meadow. (I also lost it again when I came back!). Finally I climbed up on a rock buttress to get out of the trees and found my way back to the trail. Nearing Wykee Lake the trail again became distinct and in fair shape but ended abruptly at an established campsite near the creek crossing above the lake. I found a game trail in the willows and was swarmed by mosquites as I waded across the creek. I had been here on the trail to Lake Solitude in the 1990’s. I found the trail but it was much more difficult to follow and disappeared as it neared Lake Solitude. I bashed through brush cross-country to the outlet where a good trail continued south. After some unnecessary wandering I found a marginal campsite near the outlet from Moraine Lake at 3PM. The view was stupendous but blackflies were thick. I set up and took a quick bath wishing for the wind to pick up. I then went down the creek to the spectacular falls to Polaris Lake. I studied this cliff on Google Earth and I was seeing if one could backpack up or down it. From the top it looked dubious at best. It was a “headnet” supper and then I retreated into the tent.
[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... ftLake.jpg[/rimg]
Morning at Raft Lake
[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... arMovo.jpg[/rimg]
Unnamed Pond on main trail
[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... _inlet.jpg[/rimg]
Lake 9530 (between Movo Lake and Wykee Lake)
The purpose of this trip was to evaluate trail conditions on the southern section of the North Fork of the Little Wind River and explore some new off-trail routes. Trails have been historically maintained by tribal outfitters. In the last ten years, deadfall from bark beetle kill in addition to retirement of the St Lawrence outfitter has left trails in poor condition.
The planned 6-day trip was cut short due to annoying blackflies (Minnesota Buffalo Gnats, introduced to this region about 15 years ago and gradually spreading). I am lucky in that they do not bite me much but swarming gets old. Although on the downswing, blackfly season was still going. I fished little because cleaning fish really gets the blackflies swarming. Light smoke from nearby fires made skies a bit hazy.
The first challenge is driving to the trailhead! This rough road requires driving skills to avoid falling into deep ruts, tearing out the bottom of a car on large rocks, avoiding huge ruts, and luck in not meeting anyone on the narrow one-lane sections on steep cliffs. I managed to reach the trailhead in my Toyota Camry by going exceedingly slow.
Day 1. St. Lawrence TH to Raft Lake via Twin Lakes: 6.5 miles, 8 hours, 2015 feet gain.
I drove up 6AM in order to avoid other vehicles. There were only two other cars at the trailhead. On the trail at 7:45 it only took 15 minutes walking the 4wd road to the Roadless Area boundary and another 15 minutes to the SF of St Lawrence Creek, which was low enough to hop rocks across. Then it was a steady quick uphill grind on a huge stock trail to The Meadows where I left the main trail and followed an old trail to Twin Lakes, not shown on maps, using a lot of “trail detective” skills. Fair detours were found around the abundant deadfall, reaching the Twin Lakes-Raft Lake junction at 10:45. I headed down nearly impassible trail to Twin Lakes. At one point the “detour” route leads down a cliff where I had to swing off a tree branch. Numerous intersecting game trails add to the confusion. It took nearly an hour to go the 0.7 miles to the two bridges between the Twin Lakes; one collapsed and the other in pretty poor shape.
[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... eadows.jpg[/rimg]
The Meadows
[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... outlet.jpg[/rimg]
Upper Twin Lake
Contemplating which side to traverse around the upper Twin Lake, I chose the short but more technical south shore which turned out to be very difficult, continually being forced away from the shore and up on cliffs. Finally I reached easier terrain and crossed the creek; another half mile in one hour. Game trails went upstream for about 0.5 miles until I came to a cliff at 1:15. I ate lunch and then detoured uphill to the north on steep slabs and through a narrow notch, dropping to the south shore of Raft Lake. I wasted half an hour trying to set up on a marginal tent site, gave up and climbed back up 150 feet to traverse and drop to the sandy beach on the northeast shore. A family was camped at the established campsite so I found a small site on the other side of the sandy arm. It was now 3:00; it took three hours to go two miles! The family, who had been here about 10 years earlier, took the direct “trail” to Raft Lake and said it was also horrible. They fished and caught some large trout; I was too tired to fish. I cleaned up a knee wound, sewed the rip in my pants, discretely took a bath and hauled water up to my little campsite and cooked dinner. Thankfully the bugs were absent at this lower elevation site.
Day 2. Raft Lake to Moraine Lake outlet: 8.0 miles, 7.3 hours, 2085 feet gain.
I was up and on my way at 7:45. The only feasible way to get around the north shore of Raft Lake was to wade the first half mile, which was actually quite pleasant. I put my shoes back on and continued along the shore, then I headed straight uphill reaching the main trail at a small pond at 9AM. The continuing trail to Movo Lake was in good shape, with only a few deadfalls. Another bridge in poor condition crosses the outlet of Movo Lake, where there is a large packer camp. Past Movo Lake the trail tread is distinct, but covered with ever increasing deadfall with the Twenty Lakes trail junction basically gone. Above Lake 9530 I lost the overgrown trail in a meadow. (I also lost it again when I came back!). Finally I climbed up on a rock buttress to get out of the trees and found my way back to the trail. Nearing Wykee Lake the trail again became distinct and in fair shape but ended abruptly at an established campsite near the creek crossing above the lake. I found a game trail in the willows and was swarmed by mosquites as I waded across the creek. I had been here on the trail to Lake Solitude in the 1990’s. I found the trail but it was much more difficult to follow and disappeared as it neared Lake Solitude. I bashed through brush cross-country to the outlet where a good trail continued south. After some unnecessary wandering I found a marginal campsite near the outlet from Moraine Lake at 3PM. The view was stupendous but blackflies were thick. I set up and took a quick bath wishing for the wind to pick up. I then went down the creek to the spectacular falls to Polaris Lake. I studied this cliff on Google Earth and I was seeing if one could backpack up or down it. From the top it looked dubious at best. It was a “headnet” supper and then I retreated into the tent.
[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... ftLake.jpg[/rimg]
Morning at Raft Lake
[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... arMovo.jpg[/rimg]
Unnamed Pond on main trail
[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... _inlet.jpg[/rimg]
Lake 9530 (between Movo Lake and Wykee Lake)