Terrifying Beauty
The Wind River Range in Wyoming is a hidden gem and dream destination for backpackers and climbers the world over. Its towering slabs of granite and mountain lakes are wondrous to behold for all who venture into this remote bastion of adventure. I am utterly obsessed with exploring the Winds after my first journey to them two years ago, last year, and once so far this year (2024).
For my first trip to the Winds I travelled with my friend, Mark, and the mountains in central Wyoming were intended to cap off, almost as an afterthought, an incredible week of backpacking in the Yellowstone caldera. In Yellowstone National Park we looped around the South side Shoshone Lake, took in the views of Old Faithful, absconded with “stealth showers” at the Old Faithful Lodge, and finally… got sinus infections in the Sky Rim section of the park. This was the summer of 2022 and most of the Pacific Northwest was ablaze. For those who haven’t experienced it, smokey backpacking is an absolute nightmare and a recipe for feeling utterly terrible. The start of this journey was a wild adventure by itself.
With nine hours of driving to get back to my home in Colorado Mark and I decided it was still worth our time to swing by the Winds; if only for him to get a couple of day hikes in. Unfortunately, my sinus infection was substantially worse than his and I had to sit this one out. I opted instead to drool over the views from the parking area while I waited for Mark to do “a few” (12ish) solo miles. He happily reported when he got back to the car that the views were some of the most beautiful he had ever seen. And thus began my obsession with backpacking the Wind River Range; with snot fueled jealousy.
Since then, in the last year, I’ve twice trekked a loop in the Winds called “Cirque of the Towers”. The loop is 26 miles long and features 4500 feet of elevation gain. When you are in the cirque, you are surrounded on all sides by granite walls and spires. It feels as if you’ve stepped into Tolkien’s Middle Earth and you can expect elves and dwarves to jump out of the woods and mountains to distract you from your mission of defeating hunger and destroying your legs.
Much like Frodo and Sam had to contend with the slopes of Mount Doom, there is a challenging and terrifying climb that you must conquer to complete the loop. Your backpack, like the one ring, will feel heavier than normal because there’s less oxygen at altitude. And similar to how Peter Jackson portrayed the volcanic mountain in the films, there is a massive scree field to navigate, with no marked trail, on your way to the top of the pass. To make matters worse (and move us away from LotR copyrights), there is snow that blankets parts of the pass until mid to late July. Despite years of backpacking experience and a lifetime of hiking, this pass, as I anxiously stated to my girlfriend, “freaks me the hell out”. Staci, in the role of Sam pulling Frodo along on their mission, unwittingly played into my metaphor and talked me through a borderline panic attack at the base of Texas Pass before leading our way to safety.
Believe it or not, I actually consider my being scared on a hike a good thing. I’ve heard too many stories of people becoming careless, skipping safety procedures, and subsequently paying a price for their adventures - sometimes the ultimate one. Being scared tells me that I’m still in the right mind state to be journeying in the backcountry. That fear makes me cautious and focused. Without it, I might not be mindful enough to avoid hazardous situations. For this trip, without Staci and her sure-footedness to lead the way up the snowy, scree filled pass, I may very well have turned back and skipped a portion of the loop. I’m not one to shy away from a challenge, but I am cautious and not an overly huge fan of exposure at altitude. I’m happy to still have my fear in the backcountry.
To conclude, Staci and I have one more trip planned to the Winds this year before snow sets in. This time we’ll be backpacking in a place called Titcomb Basin! Having not been there yet I cannot describe it to you as that would truly be a work of fantasy (ba dum tss). But, like the cirque, there will be an epic journey and I already have some nerves… because there will be a ring involved… wish me luck! And thank you for reading!
Comment below if you have any questions about the cirque or my backpacking trips in Wyoming! I’d love to hear from you!
Added after initial posting…
SHE SAID YES!!!