Trip Info

Date: Sep 2, 2024
Distance : ~40 miles of hiking 
3 days / 2 nights 
Trailhead: Big Sandy  

I have dreamed about making it out to Wyoming’s Wind River Range for many years and finally made it happen. On this trip I had 3 days to explore a tiny part of this range and chose to enter via the Big Sandy Trailhead near Pinedale for my first visit. After much research I felt this section of the Winds had a bit of everything and would also let me scope out some peaks like Gannet I plan on climbing on future trips. 

The Trip

The Wind Rivers did not disappoint and this first trek into this range left me enamored and ready to make a pilgrimage every year. The towering rugged peaks, glaciated terrain, and pristine feeling checked all the boxes for what I want in a backcountry destination.

These mountains are remote so the approach distance to get to those majestic alpine views are long and keeps this place from being overrun by day trip warriors. I entered the Winds from what I believe is the most popular trailhead and spent this trip in one of the most popular regions so did see my fair share of people, however, by starting my trip in the middle of the week I still had my pick of campsites and found plenty of solitude.

Day 1 

I spent the first half of the first day hiking to the lake I wound setup base camp. After an early start at Big Sandy and somewhere between 12 and 13 miles I found a perfect campsite that no one could camp near and had: great fishing access and a granite slab for eating and enjoying the those high alpine sunsets.

I will never forget breaking out of the trees after many miles of wooded terrain and getting my first proper glimpse of the granite carved peaks and massive lakes that I had been dreaming of.

Day 2

This was my main exploring day. Originally I was planning on climbing Wyoming’s third tallest peak but some picky golden trout distracted me near the base of this climb. In retrospect the fishing was difficult and I do miss the chance to stand atop one of the tallest peaks in Wyoming and see the Winds from above. My main lesson is that on the next trip I need more time so I don’t have to choose between peak bagging and fishing goals.

I wound up hiking 14 miles this day around the Titcomb basin area and feel to have thoroughly explored this basin. I fished each body of water I passed, scrambled up little hills and prominent rock formations, and circumnavigated one lake to get off the main trail and look for monster Golden trout. After a lot of fishing on my way back to camp I arrived just in time to enjoy a well earned meal and some sunset views.   

Day 3

This was supposed to be my second exploration day while also moving camp closer to the car for Sunday morning where I had a long drive home. In the end I decided to head back out to the car on this day as I wanted to get home at a decent hour Sunday and any lake or place to camp within close striking distance of the parking lot didn't speak to me enough to warrant this extra night out vs. just powering back to my car equipped with a comfy mattress and multiple pillows.   

In retrospect I did lose a half day Saturday exploring the alpine and chasing golden trout which is a bummer but due to some fast hiking I was able to power home late Saturday night and had Sunday to unpack and get my life back together after such an incredible trip.

Driving home Saturday was made possible by my unexpectedly fast descent that was enabled by my decision to run most of the way back with my 25-30 pound pack.... I guess I am a fastpacker now. With this newfound speed, I can camp farther away in the future and still reach the car at a reasonable hour. That’s great to know!

Fishing 

This trip was meant as an introduction to the Winds but quickly became a fly-fishing focused trip as I was looking to catch a famous Wind River Golden trout and also find some pristine cutthroat waters. Overall The fishing on this trip was incredible and I found everything I was after and more. I had on a 16-18” golden trout that would have been one of the most memorable fish of my life (I will be back for him), caught some smaller pure goldens, caught some large golden-rainbow hybrids that fought as well as any trout I’ve seen, and caught enough big cutthroat and cutbows to make any angler gush. There is a lot of water in this area I still want to explore but for a first trip I found the lakes and locations that were best in this zone and can’t wait to get back and put that knowledge to good use.

I will be releasing a film focused on the fishing and beauty of this area which I am stoked for after a quick peak at the footage.

Gear 

I got to try out some new gear on this trip and wanted to highlight some favorites.

Overall my setup worked very well and had everything I needed and more while also keeping things comfortable. I also brought 4,000 calories of food per day which was perfect for me and my activity level. The only thing I could have done without was an extra fleece I threw in last second as the morning and evening before my trip were chillier than expected.

REI Flash Air 50L pack
This was a brand new pack for me and my first ever ultralight inspired pack. After a ton of research I wanted to buy the REI flash 55L but they were sold out so went with its more ultralight leaning cousin. I was loaded with around 30 pounds of gear that pushed this pack to its weight limit but even with this load I was impressed with its performance.

 I did wind up selling it after this trip as with my camera and fishing gear tend to have heavier pack weights and also somehow wound up buying the women's version (they are the same color and style) so it was a bit small for me. Even with these issues the Flash Air carried well and the design and organization was great. If someone was more ultralight than me I would for sure recommend this when at sale price.

REI magma quilt
I broke my quilt cherry on this trip with The REI Magma quilt that I got for 50% off earlier this year and loved the less constrictive feel and packability it offered. This is a 30F rated quilt and with lows in the 40s was a perfect temperature but the mornings got a bit chilly with some cold spots so think 30F would be pushing things without extra layers. For my summer trips this temp range is fine and I look forward to many more trips with it.

Xero sandals
These sandals in my opinion are overpriced and pretty useless when exploring around home but being able to put something on after long hot days and have something to wet wade in was a game changer.