Following is my log and photo record of my recent trip into the Wind River Range Wilderness in Wyoming. I have been waiting for 12 years to take this hike. I didn’t want to go alone and could never find anyone to go with me. Finally my step-daughter, Melissa Berger, told me she wanted to go. So we prepared for 8 or 9 months, slowly buying the backpacks and gear and training our bodies. On Monday, August 8, 2016 we departed the Big Sandy Trailhead in the Wind River Range of Wyoming for a 7-day, 40-mile hike into the wilderness. We started our hike at 9,080 feet of elevation (2743 Meters) and crossed the Continental Divide of the Rocky Mountains twice, first at 11,200 foot (3353 Meters) Hailey Pass and again at 11,611 foot (3537 Meters) Washakie Pass. We walked through two wilderness areas, Bridger and Popo-Agie, and visited two significant glaciers at Washakie and Camels Hump/Lizard Head.
This was a bucket list journey for me. Hopefully I get a chance to hike the Northern section in the future. Neither Melissa nor I had ever undertaken more than a day-hike or overnight hike prior to this trip. I am 58 y.o., 6’-2”, 225 lbs. Melissa is 27 y.o., 5’-2”, 120 lbs.
Monday, Aug. 8, 2016. Big Sandy Trailhead (elev. 9,080 ft.) to Dad’s Lake (elev. 9,741). 6.0 miles and 661 feet of net elevation gain. Weather clouds and a nice breeze, 60’s f. Began hiking 10:30 AM. Reached destination 4:00 PM.
We got a late start. Melissa didn’t sleep well. Had a bad cough all night. We departed Pinedale, WY for the Big Sandy Trailhead which took about 2 hours by car. After we reached the trailhead it took her a long time to get packed. We found our packs were overweight so we took out as much as we could and left it behind. Hike started out fine but we didn’t leave trailhead until 10:30 maybe. Trailhead is beautiful alongside the Big Sandy River. We followed that for a while and then turned up the hill and started struggling right away, a combination of the thin air at 9,000 feet and overweight packs. The trail went uphill for a while and then turned into a pretty meadow with a nice lake named Meeks Lake. We stopped and ate summer sausage and cheese. Hit the spot. Started out again and took a wrong turn that was taking us back to the trailhead. Didn’t go very far before the mistake was discovered and we turned around. The trail started a gradual climb uphill becoming steeper as we went along and we were soon struggling again. We were passed by a group using llamas to carry their packs and supplies. The forest all around us was wet and lush from the heavy storms yesterday. Lucky for us the weather was beautiful today.
We had to stop every 5 minutes and rest. Making slow time. 6 miles to reach the lake and we had been on the trail for hours and not halfway there yet. Stopped in a meadow and took a 30 minute break. Some young Forest Service guys doing college internships came by and talked to us a while. I think they spotted Melissa and just wanted to check her out. It was a mistake to stop so long. Muscles wouldn’t fire up again. Never stop. Finally reached the top of the hill at 9,933 feet and were in a huge flat meadow called Fish Creek Park. Beautiful with huge peaks all around. Finally some easier going. After an easy downhill section we had one last hill and we reached Mirror Lake. Pretty. Hiked along the shore and then one more mile to Dad’s Lake where we were going to camp for the night. At this point we were both toast physically and wondering if we could make it. 8 days of food is just too much for two people to carry along with everything else. Made Dad’s Lake about 3:30 PM and then another hill up to the campsites where we both collapsed. Finally drank some whiskey shots and smoked cigars which helped. Then aspirin and rest. Got tent set up and realized it doesn’t get dark until 9:30 pm. Hung our food in a tree, rested, and then made dinner and coffee. Went down to the lake and filled water bottles. Saw a small otter. Washed up. 7 PM now and just wasted. Killing time until dark. Lots of mosquitoes coming out. Sat on some boulders on the hill above our camp and watched the sunset. Clouds floating by turning orange and then red and finally purple, all reflected in the lake.
Added notes: Rained during the night.
Tuesday Aug. 9, 2016. Dad’s Lake (elev. 9,741) to Pyramid Lake (elev. 10,570) then back to Maes Lake (elev. 10,343). 7.5 miles and 829 feet net elevation gain. Weather partly cloudy, cool, windy late in the day. Began hiking 10:30 AM. Reached destination 5:00 PM.
Started earlier today than yesterday and made good progress. Hiked out of Dad’s Lake and up a pretty canyon with a creek running down it. Topped out at Marms Lake and hiked around the lake on the shore and up another canyon. Topped out at a spectacular basin of Shadow Lake. Hiked down the hill on an easy slope to Washakie Creek which drains the basin and Shadow Lake. Sat and had lunch and refilled our water bladders. Forded the creek and up another hill. We are getting very tired and have become pretty adept at short strides, shuffling the feet plodding up the hill. After a long, gradual climb we topped out again and started a slow descent to Skull Lake. Stopped about halfway around the lake and dropped our packs and soaked our feet in the cold water. Tried some fishing and caught two in about 15 minutes, a Cutthroat and Brook trout. Watched a bald eagle fish the lake above us. Started another long slow climb and finally topped out above Maes Lake. Saw an elk on the hill above the trail. We also saw what we believe was a wolverine. We tried to take a picture but it wouldn’t sit still for us. Google reveals that the Winds have a good wolverine population which we did not know going in.. Weather has been nice all day but now very windy. Clouds overhead and 60’s. Decided to set up camp behind a huge boulder above the lake to get out of the wind. Took essentials, refilled our water and headed out to Pyramid Lake. Another long climb but not so bad without full packs. Made the crest and the valley and lake are spectacular. Lake sits at base of three 12,500 foot peaks. Saw another Valley to the left and hiked to an overlook and found the best view of the trip so far. Mt. Geinke in all is glory and the East Fork Lakes valley. Made our way home. We are hurting and exhausted. Made dinner and then walked down to the creek where I stripped down and gave myself a towel bath. Freezing cold and wonderful. Fresh clothes and underwear and deodorant. A couple of elk have come down into the drainage to feed. Wind has been howling but finally settling down at 9 PM. Our little tent is a champ. Doesn’t leak and mosquito proof. Melissa still fighting a cough. Tomorrow we go over Hailey Pass crossing the Continental Divide at 11,200 feet and on to Grave Lake.
[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”2″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_imagebrowser” ajax_pagination=”1″ display_type_view=”default” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]Day 3. Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016. Maes Lake (elev. 10,343 to Grave Lake (elev. 9,964). 5 miles total distance with 857 feet of vertical elevation gain in just over 2 miles and then 800 feet of elevation loss in less than ½ mile followed by another 436 feet of elevation loss over the next 1-1/2 miles. Began hiking 9:30 AM. Arrived destination 3:00 PM. Weather partly cloudy, cool.
It was warm last night when we went to bed. Woke up in the night hot and sweaty so I opened up my sleeping bag zipper. Fell asleep and woke up freezing cold. Sometime last night the temp changed dramatically. I have been fighting a sore throat and a cough all day. Melissa’s cough seems better but still bothering her. We worried all last night about the climb up to and over Hailey Pass but it turned out to be a wonderful climb with amazing things to see. Wildflowers everywhere and snow melt lakes and streams. You don’t think that at 10,500 feet there would be bees and butterflies everywhere. We are surrounded on three sides by sheer vertical cliffs thousands of feet above us. We watched a Golden Eagle soaring on thermals near the top. Drinking lots of water and it tastes so good. A solitary female hiker overtook us just before we reached the pass. She borrowed some contact solution from Melissa and we chatted for a while and off she went. She is a power hiker putting in 12 miles a day with lots of inclines. Takes us 2 days to cover the same territory. When we reached the pass it is 800 feet almost straight down. Not what we were expecting. The climb down was really tough. Slippery, rocky, switchbacks all the way to the bottom. The surroundings are again amazing. Shear vertical walls surround us on three sides with an immense valley below with a small river through the middle of the valley. Un-melted snow areas are all around us, like mini-glaciers. When we reached the bottom of the valley we thought it would be an easy path to Grave Lake where we are spending the night. But again, rocky descents through thick forest and a nice river ford where we got out feet wet when we couldn’t find rocks all the way across anywhere. Our legs and ankles are so sore from the weight of our packs with each step down the slope. My shoulders are aching. We stop for lunch above a beautiful waterfall. We have seen bear tracks in the mud several times on the hike in. Have not seen the bear. By the look of the tracks they are recent and belong to a small black bear. We finally reached a nice campsite along Grave Lake. We have seen one other person all day. Camp is set up, feet soaked in the lake, took a nap and started snoring and Melissa thought I was a bear. Washed my pants in the lake and then my face and arms and hair. Starting a small fire and getting dinner ready. Freeze dried mashed potatoes and chicken tonight. It is windy and cold again. We have not had any significant problems with bugs or mosquitos until this place. Bugs are terrible here. Both of us are getting sick with chest colds. Hopefully better in the morning. Saw three people walking by. That makes 4 people we have seen today. They must have been doing a day hike to Baptiste Lake.
[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”3″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_imagebrowser” ajax_pagination=”1″ display_type_view=”default” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]Day 4, Thursday Aug. 11, 2016. Weather was windy last night and rained briefly. Overcast.
Melissa and I have gotten sicker and both of us had a bad night without much rest. I laid in my sleeping bag until the sun came over the peaks. Went down to the lake to get fresh water. I was so thirsty all night. Not a ripple anywhere on the lake and the sky and mountains reflected perfectly on the surface. Watched a solitary trout working the shoreline feeding on bugs. The lake is shallow and crystal clear. Laying in the sun seemed to be helping but the air was full of clouds of bugs I thought were mosquitos. But I wasn’t being bitten. Then I realized the whole surface of the lake was covered in a sheen of these tiny white bugs emerging. Went back to the tent to check on Melissa. I made our last coffee. Note to future expeditions, you can’t have enough coffee. Melissa got up and we discussed the day ahead. Options are stay here and rest or trudge on 6 more miles to next campsite. We agreed we would move on by noon. Set the alarm for 10:30 and crawled back inside tent to sleep. Alarm went off and we both agreed its best to stay and sleep day away rather than trudge on. We are both very sick and our bodies are aching, especially shoulders and legs. Both of us coughing badly. It is weird sleeping the day away here. No sense of time, no clocks or phones or TV or radio. No people for that matter. We have seen no one. It’s 2:30 in the afternoon now. Probably best we stayed in camp. The wind kicks up every day around noon or 1 as it climbs over the Continental Divide and races down the slope. Rained a bit too, but not terrible. Bugs seem to have lightened up, or maybe they just gave up on us since we have been in the tent so much. Melissa sleeping again, and not coughing. She needs to get well. Me too as far as that goes. Plan is to be up and at it early tomorrow and be at next camp before the rains hit. Hoping tomorrow is an easy day into Washakie Basin and the East Fork of the Little Wind River. Spend a couple easy days there and then 2 ass buster days going home. The climb up to Lizard Head Plateau will be rough as it will be over 1200 foot elevation gain and takes us to 12,000 foot mark for first time. Then the same amount of descent at end of day down to Lizard Head Meadows for the night. Last day will be Cirque of the Towers and the Climb out over Jackass Pass and then an easy 6 miles back to Big Sandy Trailhead.
Took a long nap after I wrote the prior entry. Woke up and feel worlds better. Let’s hope it lasts. Melissa made dinner. First meal of the day. Chili Macaroni. Yummm. Should have brought more of that. Most of the food has been gross. Went to the lake to wash our pans and took my fishing pole. Walked up the lake a ways but no luck fishing. A big storm came over the pass and I had to hightail it for camp. The temps dropped, sky got black, thunder rocking us and then all of a sudden it was gone. Laying here in the tent killing time until dark and tomorrow. As I lay here I realize how not quiet it is. Every kind of bird making every kind of sound and racket. The wind of course, and the ever present sound of the big waterfall up the canyon. And bugs. And aircraft that fly over from time to time, mostly jets high up. Rarely people although we did hear two fishermen today. Need to get back on the trail. My neck and shoulders and hips hurt from hour after hour on this air mattress. And I am bored out of my skull.
Day 5. Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. Grave Lake (elev. 9,964) to Washakie Lake (elev. 10,363). 5.5 miles and 400 feet of net elevation gain. 250 feet of elevation gain from Grave Lake to the ridge above the lake, and then 250 feet of elevation loss from the ridge to the Bears Ears-Moss Lake trail junction followed by 450 feet of elevation gain from the junction to Washakie Lake. Began hiking approx. 10:00 AM. Reached destination 3 PM. Weather cool and 60’s most of the day, partly cloudy.
Tough day. It was cold again last night. Woke up to a beautiful sunrise and felt pretty good. Melissa’s cough is back. The trail started rough today by not being a trail. We had to cross a large rock slide area that runs right down into the lake, basically just picking your way through and over the boulders for about 1/2 mile. Then small ups and downs as we walked the perimeter of the lake. The view is better on the East side of the lake. We camped on the West. Forded a couple of good size creeks and then started our climb out of the valley. We found out pretty quickly that we weren’t healthy yet. Coughs, runny noses and rubber legs. We slogged out the climb of about 250 vertical feet, stopping constantly, and then finally made the ridge and had a good even run alongside the East Fork of the Little Wind River. A beautiful valley with a clear view of the glaciers at Camel’s Hump and Lizard Head Peaks. We stopped for lunch at the trail junction of Bears Ears and Moss Lake Trails having descend about 250 vertical feet from the ridge dividing this valley from Grave Lake. We had planned to go to Valentine Lake and then climb the Lizard Head Plateau and cross the plateau at 12,000 feet. But with our health we are not sure we can do it and then climb Jackass Pass the next day. Our only other option is to hike into Washakie basin and go out over Washakie Pass. This saves us 300 feet of elevation gain and 4-6 miles in distance and then it’s a straight shot down the hill to the trailhead. We should finish a day early. I am deeply disappointed in this turn of events. Seeing Cirque of the Towers was a milestone that will be missed. But I don’t want to take chances with us getting sicker and struggling over the high passes.
We made it to Washakie Lake after a hard climb of about 450 vertical feet. Very pretty here. We have seen elk tracks and scat all day but have not seen elk since day 2. We saw bear scat on the trail out of Grave Lake and Melissa is disappointed we have not seen bear. My guess is if we see a bear it will be in our camp. Head congestion has gotten very bad since we stopped here at Washakie. This is the nicest campsite on our trip. We saw some fishermen at Graves Lake, then two hikers on the way out of Graves Lake, then a female outfitter with two pack horses at the Little Wind River junction of Bears Ears and Moss Lake trails. Finally a family of 4 hikers came in late this afternoon to Washakie and are camping nearby. My nose won’t stop running. Melissa is looking forward to getting back to civilization. I am too I guess. Just bothers me a lot that I will miss the Cirques. I wish I felt better. Lake seems to be teeming with Golden Trout. But frying fish would be a big bear attractor.
[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”4″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_imagebrowser” ajax_pagination=”1″ display_type_view=”default” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]Day 6. Saturday, August 13, 2016. Washakie Lake (elev. 10,363) to Dad’s Lake (elev. 9,741). 9 total miles. 1,248 feet of elevation gain in 1.6 miles from Washakie Lake to Washakie Pass. Then 1,511 feet of elevation loss in 2 miles from Washakie Pass to the Pyramid Lake/Hailey Pass trail followed by 360 feet of net elevation loss over the next 4 miles to Dad’s Lake. Began hiking approx. 10 AM. Reached destination 3:30 PM. Weather partly cloudy, mostly sunny, temps ranging from the 30’s in the early morning to the 70’s in the afternoon.
We woke up this morning to very cold temperatures and frost covering the ground and our tent. Things warmed up nicely once the sun rose over the peaks. Weather is odd. When the sun is out from behind the clouds we are roasting and hot and as soon as a cloud covers the sun we are cold. Melissa feeling better today. I am a little better but fighting a bad cough with mucus in my lungs and a non-stop runny nose. We ate breakfast and Melissa found some coffee in her pack that hit the spot. The climb out of Washakie is daunting, glorious, breathtaking, and physically taxing. The vertical climb out starts immediately and we found that we could walk 20 yards and then stop, cough and rest and then repeat. We made steady progress and once above tree-line the views of the valley below and Washakie Glacier looming to our left were stunning and far better than we had ever hoped. This is truly the highlight of our trip and all because we got sick. We finally reached the last section of the climb to the pass and the trail disappeared and became rock and talus. It also became near vertical. Previous hikers had stacked rocks to mark the way. Melissa reached the pass long before I did as I struggled with my cough and expelling mucus out of my lungs. Finally reached 11,600 foot Washakie Pass in just over 2 hours after starting at 10 AM to the cheers of another group of hikers resting at the top of the pass coming from the other side and watching us struggle to the top. As stunning as the view behind us was the view on the other side of the pass was just as spectacular in a completely different way. All of Wyoming seemed to be in our view. We could even see the Wyoming range in the far distance and a huge expanse of the Western side of the Wind River Range below us all the way to Boulder and Pinedale. Just amazing. This is the topper of the trip.
What followed was a long steady descent where we lost as much elevation as we gained going up. The views the whole way were glorious. We had used all our water going over the pass expecting to find a snowmelt stream on the other side but the streams were dry. We were alternately roasting and freezing on the descent depending on if we were in the sun or under cloud cover and we began to become dehydrated. Going downhill over steep and rocky terrain for an extended period began to make my feet and legs hurt quite a bit. We finally reached the trail junction and then after another mile or so reached Washakie Creek where we rested, refilled our water bladders and soaked our feet in the icy water. We really felt like power hikers for the first time this week. My cough had abated quite a bit and we were making good time. I started getting very tired once we reached Marms Lake and realized I had a pretty good sunburn going on my arms and the back of my neck despite plenty of sunscreen. The sun was really baking us now but we only had another couple miles to our campsite at Dad’s Lake so we powered on, not resting much and tackling many of the small climbs without stopping or resting much. Coming into the valley on the inlet side of Dad’s Lake I realized my tank was empty and I had nothing much left to give. Melissa was powering on ahead while I struggled the last mile, trudging up the last 2 climbs to the ridge above the lake and then, finally arriving at our campsite. We began hiking at 10 am today and it was now 5 pm. I was exhausted, my entire body hurting and aching, and incredibly proud of what we accomplished all at the same time. It feels really good to finish like this. Although initially disappointed in not climbing Lizard Head Plateau and reaching the 12,000 foot mark or seeing the East Side of the Cirques, the Washakie Pass hike was far better than anything I imagined and we did get great views of the West side of the Cirques. Seeing Washakie Glacier up close was also huge for me. We saw two major glaciers and crossed the Continental Divide twice on this hike, 11,200 feet once and 11,600 on the other. Over the last 6 days the majority of our time has been at 10,000 feet of elevation or above. We were blessed by good weather. Some light rains a couple of nights, mostly warm weather with days in the low to mid 60’s and nights in the 40’s. Only a couple nights in the 30’s. One thing we noticed today was how quickly things dry out here. There were big storms the day and night before we started so when we got here everything was lush and wet and flowers popping everywhere. But there has been very little rain since we started and as we were descending Washakie and retracing our steps back to Dad’s Lake we realized things were drying quickly, the flowers withering a bit, and the trail dusty. A couple other notes, during the hike today we kept ourselves mentally occupied by imagining tomorrow’s orgy of greasy burgers, beer and whisky. I am also going to get a Pepsi as that is the one thing I have craved the most. Ended the day by walking to the lake and giving myself a cleaning and sponge bath. It feels glorious. Then made two dinners as we missed lunch. I am sick of freeze dried crap although the chili-basil rice was really good. Smoked cigars and Melissa met some hikers who gave us two instant coffees so we relaxed in splendor of full bellies sated with black coffee and cigars. And oh yeah, as we approached our campsite there on a rock beside the trail sat the shoe I had lost four days ago. I have hauled its companion over 30 plus miles and thousands of feet of vertical climbs all because I was trying to be environmentally sensitive. I should have chucked that weight to the bottom of the lake 4 days ago. I was fantasizing today that I should frame that lone shoe in a nice box with a brass plaque saying in this box is the worthless shoe that I drug all over the mountains of Wyoming because I didn’t want to litter. And now its brother has rejoined us. We also lost a small bottle of Jack Daniels but nobody left that on a rock for us. Go figure.
[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”5″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_imagebrowser” ajax_pagination=”1″ display_type_view=”default” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]Day 7. Sunday, August 14, 2016. 6.0 total miles. Net elevation loss 661 feet. Weather mostly sunny, highs in the 70’s.
I had a hard time falling asleep last night because of the congestion in my head and lungs which seems to come back with a vengeance every time we stop or rest. Woke up early but sat in the tent until I could no longer avoid getting on with the day. We packed quickly, made an oriental noodle soup for breakfast as we had no coffee and wanted something hot, and got onto the trail around 9:30 or 10:00 AM. Melissa seemed to be feeling better, not much coughing, and was taking the lead early. I was determined to make today a good day on the trail and pushed myself hard to keep up. We were moving quickly, most of the trail a steady descent, and were making quick work of the 6 miles out to the trailhead. Again we noticed how dry things had become in the last week. As we made our way down the steep descent down into Meeks Lake my legs and feet grew tired and sore again but we never stopped for a break or rest. Once we hit the Big Sandy River we were both amped to get to the car and visions of cheeseburgers and beer kept us moving even though we were both tired and sore. We finally powered into the campground just before noon, having covered 6 miles in 2 hours or maybe a little less. It took us 5 or 6 hours to cover the same distance going out, although it was uphill that time.
We loaded our packs in the car and set off on the 2-hour drive back to Pinedale. We debated on whether we should go to the hotel first, then the pharmacy for drugs and then eat, or just go eat first. Eating and beer became the priority so we rolled directly to the Pinedale Brew Pub where my bacon-cheeseburger was the perfect combination of juicy and greasy and washed down by two (or maybe three) freshly brewed cold beers and a couple of large iced teas. After lunch we checked into our hotel and took showers, put on clean clothes, and rested for the afternoon. A great end to a great trip.
[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”6″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_imagebrowser” ajax_pagination=”1″ display_type_view=”default” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]Epilogue.
The first task of the first day following completion of our hike was to visit the urgent care in Jackson, WY where I was diagnosed with a severe bacterial lung infection. I had lost my voice sometime in the night as well and was reduced to croaking mostly. Following release from urgent care we immediately visited the brew pub in Jackson for some of the best beer and food a hiker could ask for. After a couple cold ones, a Z-Pack, and chili and corn bread we headed out to Teton Village to visit my old stomping grounds and see how the place had changed. We had a great time at the outdoor bar at the Four Seasons, I had margaritas and Melissa had Old Fashioneds. We finished things off with a late afternoon horseback ride. Good times in Wyoming. I love this place. And finally, after several days of antibiotics I finally regained my voice on Thursday, August 18. Melissa had the same infection but being younger seems to have fared better.
Some notes and thoughts of what went good, what we learned and what we will do differently next trip, which we have already started planning.
What went good? First and foremost, our tent, an MSR Hubba-Hubba NX two-man wonder of 3.5 pounds that never leaked, was bug and mosquito proof and rode out the wind like a real champion. Next, our boots, Salewa MS ALP Flow Mid GTX. Neither of us had a blister or suffered any kind of foot problem. Our feet stayed dry, they provided excellent ankle support in the rocky sections and we both loved them. Our sleeping bags, Teton Sports Tracker 5F Ultralight. We stayed comfy every night. If anything, we were mostly too warm but when the temps did drop into the 30’s we were very comfortable. And they packed down really well. Our backpacks, Osprey Atmos (men’s) and Aura (women’s) 65 AG. These packs proved to be durable, functional and generally very comfortable. They also had all kinds of really well thought out extras like loops for holding your hiking poles, loops for a camera, and overall were super adjustable. The integral 2.5 liter water bladder option we purchased also proved to be a huge plus and convenience. We both found that getting the waist, shoulder, and chest straps adjusted properly was a key and it took us a few days before we found the right combinations. But once we figured it all out, these packs were superb. My cell phone, Samsung Note 3. It worked like a champ and took the vast majority of our trip pictures. The GPS worked flawlessly even though we were miles and miles from a cell tower. The altimeter and compass apps worked without a hitch and I kept my journal using the Polaris Office Suite app. The best app of the trip was US TOPO Maps Pro version. I was able to download the entire area of our trip onto my SD card and then use the GPS function to find our exact location, follow trails, see elevations, etc. A huge plus and it pretty much eliminates the need to carry a paper map except as an emergency back-up. Our stove, an MSR Windpro II. It never missed a beat, heated everything we needed heated quickly and efficiently, and packed down small and light. And one 8 oz. can of fuel lasted 7 days. Our SPOT GPS. Although it only provides one-way communication we were able to update friends and family on progress, let them track us, post our position to Facebook, and always have the SOS RESCUE button available should something really bad happen.
What went not so good? The Bear-Vault canister. It was really heavy and takes up lots of space. I understand the positive side, bears can’t get your food, and it is being required almost everywhere now, but the weight was an issue. We need to figure this out for the next trip. I was trying to find an URSACK bag but could never find one in stock anywhere and after several weeks gave up and went with the Bear-Vault the night before we departed. Our freeze-dried food. A lot of the food we bought tasted bad. But I think this is just a trial and error thing until we find things we like. The Chili-Macaroni was a big hit but we only brought one bag. The breakfast skillet was OK but I had to put lots of salt and pepper on it. Our water filtration. I bought an MSR Mini-Works Micro Filter. It worked as advertised but took way too long to fill our two 2.5 liter bladders and our two 1 liter Nalgene bottles. It was a little heavy also. I will be looking at the gravity options next time. Lot’s more expensive but I think lighter and faster.
Things we learned? First and foremost, all that stuff you think you need, you don’t. We over packed and it was very hard on us carrying the extra weight. 5 pounds might not seem like a lot but it is huge when you are dragging it up steep climbs at 10,000 feet (or even 11 or 12, 000 feet) of elevation. Extra batteries for all our devises was a waste. Nothing ever went dead. We should have brought 4 extra batteries for the SPOT GPS and been done with it. We didn’t need batteries for our camera, headlamps, etc. Lots of weight. Extra shoes. Every blog or checklist we ran across said to bring camp shoes or shoes for water crossings. This was a waste and shoes are heavy. Next time we are bringing light flip-flops. Big SLR camera with zoom lens. The zoom lens proved useless for anything but wildlife shots. What we really needed was wide-angle lenses for the vast landscapes and vistas. A really good cell-phone does 95% of what you need anyway. Fishing supplies and lures. We found the lightweight and packable spinning combination with a few lures did the trick. We each packed poles (mine a fly rig) and lures and do-dads and extras and we just didn’t need it as we had much less time for fishing than we thought, either because we were moving too fast or too bloody tired. Next time one pole and less stuff and we can share. Pots and pans and plates. We cut this way back and still didn’t need everything. Next time, two small pots that serve as bowls, leave the plates behind, and we didn’t need the cooking utensils either. Our Sporks did what we needed. And stove fuel. We found one 8-oz. can lasted 7 days and we brought two 8-oz. cans. Fire starter sticks where you scrape a metal rod and then make a spark to ignite it. Just bring an extra Bic lighter. Clothes. We both packed to many clothes. Keep it simple and realize you are going to get a little dirty and gross after 7 or 8 days and get over it. We found we did wash on the 4th day and our clothes washed out pretty good. We were told 4 pairs of socks which was too much, a long sleeved underlayer and a short sleeved underlayer were plenty, one good long sleeve shirt, one pair long pants, one pair underlayer pants, one pair shorts, two pair undershorts, thick wool socks and lighter weight acrylic socks to pick from depending on conditions. That’s about it.
