2020 Wind Rivers; NE Wind River Loop from Torrey TH
Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 8:41 am
2020 WR 5: Northeast Wind Rivers Loop from Torrey Creek TH
8/23 – 8/30
The sun was a red ball the morning of my day in Lander as smoke drifted in from the California fires. My friend Nancy (yup, same name as me!) showed up at noon, took a brief shower, and then we picked up lunch at a deli and ate in the Lander City Park. The free camping was still open, so she stayed there since she had not quarantined (the people I stayed with were in their 80’s and vulnerable to COVID). I did my usual packing, visiting, and eating real food.
This trip was also scaled back. Initially my husband was going to meet me at the end for a cross-Divide route from Green River Lakes on the west side; due to the fires, he stayed home. It now made sense to simply do a loop out of Torrey Creek Trailhead, which was my “Plan B” and I had maps and the schedule already figured out. We eliminated two day-hikes to fit all into eight days. Nancy had already done the CDT and Skurka’s High Route, so this loop would take her through the lakes she had viewed from the top of Goat Flat, the exit for the High Route. Being a fanatical thru-hiker (Triple Crown and world-wide thru routes), nook-and-cranny exploring would be something new for her. Fishing was not great along this route, but I still took gear. As a UL hiker her starting pack weighed 25 pounds; mine 30. I took my bear can as backup and she used an Ursack. We both carried bear spray and both had the Tarptent Notch tent, hers the older version and mine the newest.
The route ended up a leisurely 53 miles in 8 days with 11 miles of day-hikes. Turned out we got out just in the nick of time; day after it snowed! All considered, we had a great trip!
Day 1: Torrey Creek TH to Bomber Creek at Glacier Trail junction. 3.1 miles, 1140 gain, 2.5 hours plus fishing
It is 11 miles and 4,000 feet elevation gain to reach Golden Lake in one day. Two days would give us time to day-hike above Golden Lake and test out the fishing in Bomber Creek. I was pretty tired from the quick turn-around from my previous trips, and she had just driven nearly 1,000 miles, so both of us welcomed a short first day.
We found an established campground by noon. I fished for several hours and caught five trout, all about 8 inches. It was fun to do some stream fishing after all summer of lake fishing. Nancy read her book. We had a leisurely dinner sharing the fish and visiting. Unfortunately the smoke obscured the sky, but there was not much of a view here anyway.
Day 2: Bomber Creek to Golden Lake. 7.5 miles, 2870 feet gain, 6 hours plus a 2-mile, 600 feet gain day hike.
We got an early start to avoid the heat on the exposed switch-backs up to Glacier Trail Pass. Instead of the off-trail route to Golden Lake, we stayed on the trail and dropped to Phillips Lake, where, after crossing the outlet we found the use-trail going towards Upper Phillips Lake. To get to Golden Lake one can ascent the outlet stream from Golden Lake or the stream that drains Neck Lake; I had done the former so wanted to check out the latter. We had to scramble up some rock and then ascend in the streambed until we came to a willow choked meadow. Shortly we were at Golden Lake where there were exactly (and only) two campsites that would accommodate our tents. We set up, bathed, and I fished a bit.
It was mid-afternoon so we hiked up to the next unnamed lake, continuing up the inlet to a viewpoint above Lake 10943. The view was impressive, yet almost “doomsday” with the weird colors from the smoke. Travel was fairly easy except for crossing a thick streak of willows. Back at camp I tried fishing again with no luck. In 2012 I had observed tons of baby fish in the lake; it had just been stocked. I had also been lucky to see several mountain sheep; this time none were in sight. The air was still smoky so photos were less than stellar. Thus, a few photos below are from previous trips
Day 3: Golden Lake to Honeymoon Lake. 4.7 miles, 1010 feet gain, 5 hours including the 2-mile, 610 feet gain day-hike to Florence Lake
We walked down to the willow filled meadow and then tried a higher route to Upper Phillips Lake to avoid the difficulties of the previous day. One small wrong turn in thick trees and we ended up dropping to Double Lake instead. Well, I always wanted to check this out. A use trail went along the northwest shore, but soon came to a cliff that we could not get around, so had to climb up over a buttress. It was a struggle to reach the trail at Double Lake Creek. This definitely was not a good route.
Back on the huge Glacier Trail (the main trail to Gannett Peak), we quickly reached Star Lake, dropped packs at an established campsite and day-hiked to Florence Lake. I had been on this route in the late 1990’s but had no good photos. Thankfully the smoke had lifted and when we arrived at the lake. It was not an easy route! Once, I had backpacked directly from Florence Lake to Golden Lake but now looking at the route, I wondered how I did it!
Back at Star Lake I fished for about half an hour with no luck. It was still early so we packed up and continued down the trail, deciding to camp at Honeymoon Lake, which is just a few hundred yards off the trail. First we could not find a single flat piece of ground for camping but after much hunting finally found an established campsite on a hill near the outlet. Later I walked the shores to the peninsula on the west side where there were several more campsites. It spit rain while I fished the west shore and caught a nice fat cutthroat. Then the wind picked up and the lake turned rough and I had no more luck. We cooked dinner sharing the fish and were glad our campsite was in timber as the wind picked up. We could hear horses on the trail, but trees obscured the trail. Few people ever camp here, instead continue down the trail to the Downs Fork.
8/23 – 8/30
The sun was a red ball the morning of my day in Lander as smoke drifted in from the California fires. My friend Nancy (yup, same name as me!) showed up at noon, took a brief shower, and then we picked up lunch at a deli and ate in the Lander City Park. The free camping was still open, so she stayed there since she had not quarantined (the people I stayed with were in their 80’s and vulnerable to COVID). I did my usual packing, visiting, and eating real food.
This trip was also scaled back. Initially my husband was going to meet me at the end for a cross-Divide route from Green River Lakes on the west side; due to the fires, he stayed home. It now made sense to simply do a loop out of Torrey Creek Trailhead, which was my “Plan B” and I had maps and the schedule already figured out. We eliminated two day-hikes to fit all into eight days. Nancy had already done the CDT and Skurka’s High Route, so this loop would take her through the lakes she had viewed from the top of Goat Flat, the exit for the High Route. Being a fanatical thru-hiker (Triple Crown and world-wide thru routes), nook-and-cranny exploring would be something new for her. Fishing was not great along this route, but I still took gear. As a UL hiker her starting pack weighed 25 pounds; mine 30. I took my bear can as backup and she used an Ursack. We both carried bear spray and both had the Tarptent Notch tent, hers the older version and mine the newest.
The route ended up a leisurely 53 miles in 8 days with 11 miles of day-hikes. Turned out we got out just in the nick of time; day after it snowed! All considered, we had a great trip!
Day 1: Torrey Creek TH to Bomber Creek at Glacier Trail junction. 3.1 miles, 1140 gain, 2.5 hours plus fishing
It is 11 miles and 4,000 feet elevation gain to reach Golden Lake in one day. Two days would give us time to day-hike above Golden Lake and test out the fishing in Bomber Creek. I was pretty tired from the quick turn-around from my previous trips, and she had just driven nearly 1,000 miles, so both of us welcomed a short first day.
We found an established campground by noon. I fished for several hours and caught five trout, all about 8 inches. It was fun to do some stream fishing after all summer of lake fishing. Nancy read her book. We had a leisurely dinner sharing the fish and visiting. Unfortunately the smoke obscured the sky, but there was not much of a view here anyway.
Day 2: Bomber Creek to Golden Lake. 7.5 miles, 2870 feet gain, 6 hours plus a 2-mile, 600 feet gain day hike.
We got an early start to avoid the heat on the exposed switch-backs up to Glacier Trail Pass. Instead of the off-trail route to Golden Lake, we stayed on the trail and dropped to Phillips Lake, where, after crossing the outlet we found the use-trail going towards Upper Phillips Lake. To get to Golden Lake one can ascent the outlet stream from Golden Lake or the stream that drains Neck Lake; I had done the former so wanted to check out the latter. We had to scramble up some rock and then ascend in the streambed until we came to a willow choked meadow. Shortly we were at Golden Lake where there were exactly (and only) two campsites that would accommodate our tents. We set up, bathed, and I fished a bit.
It was mid-afternoon so we hiked up to the next unnamed lake, continuing up the inlet to a viewpoint above Lake 10943. The view was impressive, yet almost “doomsday” with the weird colors from the smoke. Travel was fairly easy except for crossing a thick streak of willows. Back at camp I tried fishing again with no luck. In 2012 I had observed tons of baby fish in the lake; it had just been stocked. I had also been lucky to see several mountain sheep; this time none were in sight. The air was still smoky so photos were less than stellar. Thus, a few photos below are from previous trips
Day 3: Golden Lake to Honeymoon Lake. 4.7 miles, 1010 feet gain, 5 hours including the 2-mile, 610 feet gain day-hike to Florence Lake
We walked down to the willow filled meadow and then tried a higher route to Upper Phillips Lake to avoid the difficulties of the previous day. One small wrong turn in thick trees and we ended up dropping to Double Lake instead. Well, I always wanted to check this out. A use trail went along the northwest shore, but soon came to a cliff that we could not get around, so had to climb up over a buttress. It was a struggle to reach the trail at Double Lake Creek. This definitely was not a good route.
Back on the huge Glacier Trail (the main trail to Gannett Peak), we quickly reached Star Lake, dropped packs at an established campsite and day-hiked to Florence Lake. I had been on this route in the late 1990’s but had no good photos. Thankfully the smoke had lifted and when we arrived at the lake. It was not an easy route! Once, I had backpacked directly from Florence Lake to Golden Lake but now looking at the route, I wondered how I did it!
Back at Star Lake I fished for about half an hour with no luck. It was still early so we packed up and continued down the trail, deciding to camp at Honeymoon Lake, which is just a few hundred yards off the trail. First we could not find a single flat piece of ground for camping but after much hunting finally found an established campsite on a hill near the outlet. Later I walked the shores to the peninsula on the west side where there were several more campsites. It spit rain while I fished the west shore and caught a nice fat cutthroat. Then the wind picked up and the lake turned rough and I had no more luck. We cooked dinner sharing the fish and were glad our campsite was in timber as the wind picked up. We could hear horses on the trail, but trees obscured the trail. Few people ever camp here, instead continue down the trail to the Downs Fork.