Central Wind Rivers, 8/3-8/11
Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:35 pm
Scab Creek to Elkhart. 8/3 to 8/11 2018
Panoramas added at bottom, Nov 3
My friend from Bozeman joined me on my third trip. With two cars we could do a true thru-hike between trailheads. About 7 miles, from the upper East Fork to Lee Lake would be missed by using the Scab Creek trailhead. Car logistics between Elkhart and Scab Creek trailheads are significantly easier than the more than 2 hour drive on long dirt roads to start from Big Sandy, required to exactly connect with where I had left off on my second trip.
I left Lander the day before the trip and met my friend, Steve, at Elkhart Park where we camped in the FS campground, scoring the last campsite available. It rained cats and dogs but Steve had a truck camper so we stayed dry.
Day 1. Scab Creek to Boulder Creek (8.1 miles, +2145 feet)
We were up early, ate a quick breakfast, parked Steve’s truck at Elkhart and drove my car to Pinedale to purchase last-minute supplies. The parking lot at the Scab Creek trailhead was nearly full! The immediately ascends 1300 feet to a bench full of small stagnant ponds. I had the unfair advantage of already being acclimated but still was slow due to my sore feet. It was Steve’s first backpack in a few years, slowing him down too. We met several groups exiting, which explained the full parking lot. The trail was actually in better shape than either of us had experienced in the past. Often this heavily used horse trail is muddy and rutted.
Before we reached Little Divide Lake, where several groups were camped, we got caught in a heavy rain that soon cleared. Although tempted to stop at Lightning Lake, we slowly continued to the trail junction at the crossing of Boulder Creek, where one can first see the mountains in the distance. Water was low but we still had to wade across to a nice grassy flat where we set up camp. We set up the tent and cooked dinner in the fading light. It lightly frosted by early morning.
Day 2. Boulder Creek to Lee Lake. (7.1 miles, +1120 feet).
We awoke to hazy, smoky conditions. We continued on a well-used trail to Dream Lake, located on the Fremont Trail (CDT). We then started up a less used trail to Rainbow Lake, choosing the trail along the west shoreline, when it would have been better to take the east shoreline trail. The trail becomes harder to follow to the saddle west of Lee Lake, and then it descended, only to go missing. Off trail travel is easy to Lee Lake, so the trail was not really needed With his long legs Steve was able to hop rocks across the outlet of Lee Lake; I had to wade.
We found a nice sheltered campsite on the hillside near the outlet. Unfortunately it was hazy from smoke and clouds were rolling in. This lake is much more beautiful than the photos here show. I collected water, took a chilly dip and went fishing. No luck at Lee Lake, so I dropped down the drainage along many wide parts of the creek and small ponds where I caught enough 6-8 inch Brook trout to fill my pot. Steve meandered around enjoying the mountains. We had both been here many times in our old NOLS days. Two other fellows were camped at Lee Lake; they were hoping to climb Nylon Peak the next day.
Day 3. Lee Lake to Halls Lake (5.0 miles, +450 feet)
We awoke to threatening skies which turned to a drizzle as we departed. It rained off-and-on most of the day. Getting around the north shores of the very large Middle Fork Lake was an exercise in avoiding brush when possible but we still were soaked by the wet vegetation as we worked our way to the outlet. We stepped over the indistinct Photo Pass Trail and traveled off-trail past small ponds and an odd shaped lake. It was pretty country with wildflowers but the indistinct landscape made navigation tricky. I had been here before so simply headed around the south buttress of Pt. 11506, which I recognized. For a while skies cleared. We then dropped to Halls Creek Lake #12, which flows into Halls Lake.
When we reached Halls Lake outlet, rain drops again fell. We quickly set up the tent on the north side of the outlet, at an established campsite, just before thunder claps broke the silence. It rained hard for a while. When the storm subsided, we decided not to continue, and more carefully set the tent.
After a bath and washing my shirt, I dropped down from the outlet to fish, with no luck. Then I went to the inlet from Shoestring Lake and again, no luck. Later in the evening I spotted a few fish near the outlet. Again, it was quite windy so the fish were not much into feeding. I do not think there are a lot of fish in Halls Lake. On our walk here from Lee Lake, we had spotted many fish in Middle Fork Lake and many smaller lakes. Too bad I did not fish those lakes! I had hoped to reach Europe Canyon and the fish-filled lakes there but the weather and our slowness prevented that.
Panoramas added at bottom, Nov 3
My friend from Bozeman joined me on my third trip. With two cars we could do a true thru-hike between trailheads. About 7 miles, from the upper East Fork to Lee Lake would be missed by using the Scab Creek trailhead. Car logistics between Elkhart and Scab Creek trailheads are significantly easier than the more than 2 hour drive on long dirt roads to start from Big Sandy, required to exactly connect with where I had left off on my second trip.
I left Lander the day before the trip and met my friend, Steve, at Elkhart Park where we camped in the FS campground, scoring the last campsite available. It rained cats and dogs but Steve had a truck camper so we stayed dry.
Day 1. Scab Creek to Boulder Creek (8.1 miles, +2145 feet)
We were up early, ate a quick breakfast, parked Steve’s truck at Elkhart and drove my car to Pinedale to purchase last-minute supplies. The parking lot at the Scab Creek trailhead was nearly full! The immediately ascends 1300 feet to a bench full of small stagnant ponds. I had the unfair advantage of already being acclimated but still was slow due to my sore feet. It was Steve’s first backpack in a few years, slowing him down too. We met several groups exiting, which explained the full parking lot. The trail was actually in better shape than either of us had experienced in the past. Often this heavily used horse trail is muddy and rutted.
Before we reached Little Divide Lake, where several groups were camped, we got caught in a heavy rain that soon cleared. Although tempted to stop at Lightning Lake, we slowly continued to the trail junction at the crossing of Boulder Creek, where one can first see the mountains in the distance. Water was low but we still had to wade across to a nice grassy flat where we set up camp. We set up the tent and cooked dinner in the fading light. It lightly frosted by early morning.
Day 2. Boulder Creek to Lee Lake. (7.1 miles, +1120 feet).
We awoke to hazy, smoky conditions. We continued on a well-used trail to Dream Lake, located on the Fremont Trail (CDT). We then started up a less used trail to Rainbow Lake, choosing the trail along the west shoreline, when it would have been better to take the east shoreline trail. The trail becomes harder to follow to the saddle west of Lee Lake, and then it descended, only to go missing. Off trail travel is easy to Lee Lake, so the trail was not really needed With his long legs Steve was able to hop rocks across the outlet of Lee Lake; I had to wade.
We found a nice sheltered campsite on the hillside near the outlet. Unfortunately it was hazy from smoke and clouds were rolling in. This lake is much more beautiful than the photos here show. I collected water, took a chilly dip and went fishing. No luck at Lee Lake, so I dropped down the drainage along many wide parts of the creek and small ponds where I caught enough 6-8 inch Brook trout to fill my pot. Steve meandered around enjoying the mountains. We had both been here many times in our old NOLS days. Two other fellows were camped at Lee Lake; they were hoping to climb Nylon Peak the next day.
Day 3. Lee Lake to Halls Lake (5.0 miles, +450 feet)
We awoke to threatening skies which turned to a drizzle as we departed. It rained off-and-on most of the day. Getting around the north shores of the very large Middle Fork Lake was an exercise in avoiding brush when possible but we still were soaked by the wet vegetation as we worked our way to the outlet. We stepped over the indistinct Photo Pass Trail and traveled off-trail past small ponds and an odd shaped lake. It was pretty country with wildflowers but the indistinct landscape made navigation tricky. I had been here before so simply headed around the south buttress of Pt. 11506, which I recognized. For a while skies cleared. We then dropped to Halls Creek Lake #12, which flows into Halls Lake.
When we reached Halls Lake outlet, rain drops again fell. We quickly set up the tent on the north side of the outlet, at an established campsite, just before thunder claps broke the silence. It rained hard for a while. When the storm subsided, we decided not to continue, and more carefully set the tent.
After a bath and washing my shirt, I dropped down from the outlet to fish, with no luck. Then I went to the inlet from Shoestring Lake and again, no luck. Later in the evening I spotted a few fish near the outlet. Again, it was quite windy so the fish were not much into feeding. I do not think there are a lot of fish in Halls Lake. On our walk here from Lee Lake, we had spotted many fish in Middle Fork Lake and many smaller lakes. Too bad I did not fish those lakes! I had hoped to reach Europe Canyon and the fish-filled lakes there but the weather and our slowness prevented that.