Summer in the Wind River Mountains
Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 7:10 pm
I have been planning in detail an equivelent of Roper's High Route in the Sierra for the Wind River Mountains. My two objectives are to do check out a few "missing pieces" in my current guide and actually do a through-hike. As many of you know I have written a guidebook or off-trail routes in the Wind Rivers. At some point you have to just get the book out there and there always are a few areas where more information is needed! This summer I hope to verify the remaining 5% uncertainties. I had originally planned the guidebook as a description of a through hike. I ended up instead doing 48 shorter routes. It was a practical choice - more books would sell if I offered many different trips of various lengths. I am looking at an update and would like to finally add a through-hike. After trying hundreds of variations I now have a pretty solid plan - a 220 mile, 39-day trip with two walk-outs (one only to a trailhead where friends meet me with more food and one where I spend a day off in Lander) and one commercial packer resupply; or a 34 day 200 mile trip with two commercial resupplies. At 6-7 miles per day, it is a slow rate, but most of the route is off-trail and success in the Rockies has a lot to do with getting over the passes before afternooon storms begin. This makes the logistics more complicated than my typical Sierra trip. A simple through-route could easily be done in less than 30 days, but there are those remote obscure places that I need to check out so this is a longer route than a strict through-hike. Luckily I have many friends in Lander Wyo who will help me out with the transportation logistics. I plan on leaving about July 10 earliest, July 15 latest. If anyone need a ride to Wyoming send me a PM. Also if anyone wants to join me on all or part of the trip, send me a PM. The trip requires extensive off-trail experience and I have a definite agenda that you would have to be willing to accept. If only doing part of the trip, you would have to figure out your own transporation back. The trip requires some expenses - $65 - $100 Shosone Reservation Crossing permit, optional out-of-state Wyo fishing licences are $120, commercial resupply share about $100, and gas cost sharing.