randakag
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- Jun 8, 2013
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For our third week-long Wind River backpacking trip, we headed right into the middle of the range and did a loop around Pronghorn Peak. The fourth day of the forty-mile route took us off-trail from Bonneville Lake and Middle Fork Lake via Sentry Pass. There are several conflicting ways to do this, and we believe we took the best one, so I will detail it with topos from my watch app below.
In 2006, we did a loop of the southern Winds from Big Sandy. We returned in 2018 and did a traverse from Green River Lakes to Elkhart. Both were magnificent trips:
https://randakag.smugmug.com/Wilderness/Wind-River-Range-2006
https://randakag.smugmug.com/Wilderness/Wind-River-Range-2018
This time, we began from Scab Creek Trailhead, about 30 minutes from Pinedale. We camped at Little Divide Lake the first and last nights. In between we enjoyed Dream, Bonneville, Middle Fork and Crescent Lakes. We were four this time. Peter and Chris, as usual, and Jason, an old friend from my Chile days. We last backpacked together in the high Andes in 1999, so I knew he knew how to suffer, if necessary. We met in Jackson, drove to Pinedale, stayed a night at our favorite Log Cabin Motel, ate Chinese for dinner, and the next morning drove to Scab Creek Trailhead at the end of a dusty dirt road.
Day 1
Scab Creek Trailhead to Little Divide Lake
6 miles from 8,221' to 9,692'
The trail quickly ascended into a forest of pale shimmering aspens. Soon we were up on the rock amidst thick pine forests that followed the plateau toward the range. The high peaks were still out of sight. We met a young couple on their way down that had summited Pronghorn Peak. We also met two bow-hunting parties. One on horses and the other hiking with llamas. We parted with the llama group at Little Divide Lake, where we camped by a rushing creek that hugged the side of a rise. There was only room for three tents, so Peter camped on the far side of the meadow next to us. Thick clouds came and went, lighting up the willows in autumn gold. Elk bugled in the night.
Day 2
Little Divide Lake to Dream Lake
5 miles from 9,634' to 9,941'
We hiked for a few miles through pine forest and past Lightening Lake. Around midday, the trail dipped down and the forest ceased, giving us a wide view of the central Winds. Mount Bonneville stands jagged in the center below. Pronghorn Peak is the pointy one to the left.
We followed the South Fork of Boulder Creek to Dream Lake, and found a solid campsite on the western flank of the lake. That's when the weather turned for the first time. Heavy but short bursts of rain. Lightening off in the peaks. The clouds moved fast. We heard more elk bugling and coyotes howling in the night. Rain came and went and came back again.
It was before sunrise and I was awake, but deep in my sleeping bag. The rain had stopped, but I knew everything was wet. So I really didn't want to move. I heard shuffling about outside. Chris or Peter was up. Then Chris says, "Andrew, you really should get out here."
Day 3
Dream Lake to Bonneville Lake
4.5 miles from 9,868’ to 10,615’
After the fog burned off, the sun lit up the lake and the surrounding foliage. We spent a few hours drying out our tents and gear, and lazily made our way towards Bonneville Lake. In spite of being on no maps at all, the trail to Bonneville Lake was easy to follow as it slowly made its way up the narrowing valley.
We had lunch in the sun on a giant slab of granite. An hour later we stood at the edge of the lake. Good campsites were hard to find, unless we wanted to freeze next to the lake. We eventually settled into a spot on the east side of the lake. After a hearty dinner and top-notch fire, Chris, Jason and I went out into a nearby meadow and watched the Milky Way appear.
Day 4
Bonneville Lake to Middle Fork Lake via Sentry Pass 11,419'
5.8 miles from 10,562' to 10,283'
This is where things got dicey. First we had to get up to Upper Bonneville Lake, but the already faint trail disappeared. So we made our way up a steep grassy slope that - according to our topo maps, should put us on a rock shelf above the upper lake.
The good news is that it worked. The bad was that we now had to get around to the far side of the lake on what was only a trail for about 100 feet. The rest was rock scrambling and zigzagging. On the far side was a bigger problem: Sentry Pass, the lower but steeper of the two passes in the middle of the photo below. While we knew that backpackers had gone over the pass many times, this would challenge our scrambling and route-finding skills. Throughout our approach, we debated which way to go. Only as we got closer did our plan coalesce.
The nearer we got, the less steep it looked, which was good. We also started seeing small grass "ramps" that could help us make our way up. Soon Chris - the orange speck in the photo below - found a ledge that took us along the face of the rock to a cleft that went up and up. Once in the cleft, we moved quickly up the pass, from grassy chutes to flat boulders, until all of a sudden, we all stood on nearly flat ground.
At the pass, Pronghorn Peak came into view and towered over the lunar landscape. While the skies were clear, we didn't linger, knowing bad weather was always nearby. The initial descent was confusing as there was no trail in this sea of rock. There were also steep dropoffs that forced us to the eastern side of the upper canyon. As we rock-hopped down, tufts of grass appeared and soon grew larger. We followed those for a few hours down to Lee Lake and relatively flat ground.
We camped on a small "bench" above Middle Fork Lake with wonderful views of the valley. Getting water was a chore, and we had to set up our tents much closer than we like. The sunset that evening was one of the oddest ever. Vibrant peach with thick puffy cloud bricks that moved through the valley at a snail's pace.
Day 5
Middle Fork Lake to Crescent Lake
9.3 miles from 10,325’ to 9,784’
The temperature that night was just above freezing, which meant clouds. And rain. Then snow. Or sleet. Then more snow. By dawn it was a slushy snowy mess and we packed up quickly and headed out the valley, happily bushwacking golden willows along the lake shore. Low clouds obscured the snowy slopes in the far side of the lake.
In what seemed no time we reached the outlet, crossed and stood on an honest to goodness trail. The snow and rain let up and we merrily walked down the valley through forest and meadows. Before we got too giddy, a hailstorm rolled in. At first, we kept hiking, but the hail got big fast, and we huddled in a stand of pines. They hurt when landing on your head, and fortunately the hail passed quickly. That was when we first saw lightning and counted out loud until we heard the thunder.
Six seconds equals six miles. So we moved on down the valley towards Sandpoint Lake. There we crossed the creek just as more lightning flashed. Three seconds now. Chris and I looked up and saw Peter hiking a hundred yards ahead, which never happened. Just past Bob's Lake the lightning and thunder converged and we ducked into the woods for a strategy session. After an hour the storm moved south and we made the executive decision to boogie across a wide-open swath of plateau to the forest and, eventually, to Crescent Lake.
The skies cleared as we approached Crescent Lake. The only challenge now was to find places to put our tents. The lake is surrounded by boulders and offers almost no flat ground. So we spread out, set up camp and began drying our gear in the sun. My tent site was the flattest of all, but also the most exposed and closest to the lake. Almost all the clouds disappeared after sunset, and I began the second coldest night in a tent ever (the first being in the snow high up in the Anaconda Range of Montana).
Day 6
Crescent Lake to Little Divide Lake
3.7 miles from 9,934' to 9,652'
We spent the morning drying out frosted gear and exploring Crescent Lake, which is both a crescent and a jewel, with stunning blue waters surrounded by lush red shrubbery. After packing up, we slowly made our way to Little Divide Lake. The most difficult terrain and weather was behind us, and we began to think about home.
Day 7
Little Divide Lake to Scab Creek Trailhead
6.5 miles from 9,768 to 8,249'
The hike out. A leisurely stroll with lighter packs and acclimated trail legs. The weather was mild as we descended Scab Creek Canyon. We passed a clasp of arrows that fell off a hunting party. The aspens on the way out were now golden like the willows higher up, having turned in our absence. Hours flew by and before anyone knew it, we could see out into the high plains again. Peter - who left camp way before us - had just unclipped his backpack when we rolled in to the trailhead. Happy and refreshed.
Conclusion
When the hail was coming down extra hard on day five - but before the lightning - I asked Peter how he was doing. "Loving it!" he exclaimed. Where else would you get hail and snow and lightning and massive granite peaks and azure lakes and golden willows in all directions? And solitude. After the first day, we saw almost no one until driving back to Pinedale. Our third trip to the Winds was as majestic as the prior two, with worse weather, and the best company. Thank you, Jason, Chris and Peter. One shouldn't go into the Winds alone and I am grateful for for their madness as sane people never go to such places.
The full set of photos is here, should you wish to see more:
randakag.smugmug.com
In 2006, we did a loop of the southern Winds from Big Sandy. We returned in 2018 and did a traverse from Green River Lakes to Elkhart. Both were magnificent trips:
https://randakag.smugmug.com/Wilderness/Wind-River-Range-2006
https://randakag.smugmug.com/Wilderness/Wind-River-Range-2018
This time, we began from Scab Creek Trailhead, about 30 minutes from Pinedale. We camped at Little Divide Lake the first and last nights. In between we enjoyed Dream, Bonneville, Middle Fork and Crescent Lakes. We were four this time. Peter and Chris, as usual, and Jason, an old friend from my Chile days. We last backpacked together in the high Andes in 1999, so I knew he knew how to suffer, if necessary. We met in Jackson, drove to Pinedale, stayed a night at our favorite Log Cabin Motel, ate Chinese for dinner, and the next morning drove to Scab Creek Trailhead at the end of a dusty dirt road.
Day 1
Scab Creek Trailhead to Little Divide Lake
6 miles from 8,221' to 9,692'
The trail quickly ascended into a forest of pale shimmering aspens. Soon we were up on the rock amidst thick pine forests that followed the plateau toward the range. The high peaks were still out of sight. We met a young couple on their way down that had summited Pronghorn Peak. We also met two bow-hunting parties. One on horses and the other hiking with llamas. We parted with the llama group at Little Divide Lake, where we camped by a rushing creek that hugged the side of a rise. There was only room for three tents, so Peter camped on the far side of the meadow next to us. Thick clouds came and went, lighting up the willows in autumn gold. Elk bugled in the night.
Day 2
Little Divide Lake to Dream Lake
5 miles from 9,634' to 9,941'
We hiked for a few miles through pine forest and past Lightening Lake. Around midday, the trail dipped down and the forest ceased, giving us a wide view of the central Winds. Mount Bonneville stands jagged in the center below. Pronghorn Peak is the pointy one to the left.
We followed the South Fork of Boulder Creek to Dream Lake, and found a solid campsite on the western flank of the lake. That's when the weather turned for the first time. Heavy but short bursts of rain. Lightening off in the peaks. The clouds moved fast. We heard more elk bugling and coyotes howling in the night. Rain came and went and came back again.
It was before sunrise and I was awake, but deep in my sleeping bag. The rain had stopped, but I knew everything was wet. So I really didn't want to move. I heard shuffling about outside. Chris or Peter was up. Then Chris says, "Andrew, you really should get out here."
Day 3
Dream Lake to Bonneville Lake
4.5 miles from 9,868’ to 10,615’
After the fog burned off, the sun lit up the lake and the surrounding foliage. We spent a few hours drying out our tents and gear, and lazily made our way towards Bonneville Lake. In spite of being on no maps at all, the trail to Bonneville Lake was easy to follow as it slowly made its way up the narrowing valley.
We had lunch in the sun on a giant slab of granite. An hour later we stood at the edge of the lake. Good campsites were hard to find, unless we wanted to freeze next to the lake. We eventually settled into a spot on the east side of the lake. After a hearty dinner and top-notch fire, Chris, Jason and I went out into a nearby meadow and watched the Milky Way appear.
Day 4
Bonneville Lake to Middle Fork Lake via Sentry Pass 11,419'
5.8 miles from 10,562' to 10,283'
This is where things got dicey. First we had to get up to Upper Bonneville Lake, but the already faint trail disappeared. So we made our way up a steep grassy slope that - according to our topo maps, should put us on a rock shelf above the upper lake.
The good news is that it worked. The bad was that we now had to get around to the far side of the lake on what was only a trail for about 100 feet. The rest was rock scrambling and zigzagging. On the far side was a bigger problem: Sentry Pass, the lower but steeper of the two passes in the middle of the photo below. While we knew that backpackers had gone over the pass many times, this would challenge our scrambling and route-finding skills. Throughout our approach, we debated which way to go. Only as we got closer did our plan coalesce.
The nearer we got, the less steep it looked, which was good. We also started seeing small grass "ramps" that could help us make our way up. Soon Chris - the orange speck in the photo below - found a ledge that took us along the face of the rock to a cleft that went up and up. Once in the cleft, we moved quickly up the pass, from grassy chutes to flat boulders, until all of a sudden, we all stood on nearly flat ground.
At the pass, Pronghorn Peak came into view and towered over the lunar landscape. While the skies were clear, we didn't linger, knowing bad weather was always nearby. The initial descent was confusing as there was no trail in this sea of rock. There were also steep dropoffs that forced us to the eastern side of the upper canyon. As we rock-hopped down, tufts of grass appeared and soon grew larger. We followed those for a few hours down to Lee Lake and relatively flat ground.
We camped on a small "bench" above Middle Fork Lake with wonderful views of the valley. Getting water was a chore, and we had to set up our tents much closer than we like. The sunset that evening was one of the oddest ever. Vibrant peach with thick puffy cloud bricks that moved through the valley at a snail's pace.
Day 5
Middle Fork Lake to Crescent Lake
9.3 miles from 10,325’ to 9,784’
The temperature that night was just above freezing, which meant clouds. And rain. Then snow. Or sleet. Then more snow. By dawn it was a slushy snowy mess and we packed up quickly and headed out the valley, happily bushwacking golden willows along the lake shore. Low clouds obscured the snowy slopes in the far side of the lake.
In what seemed no time we reached the outlet, crossed and stood on an honest to goodness trail. The snow and rain let up and we merrily walked down the valley through forest and meadows. Before we got too giddy, a hailstorm rolled in. At first, we kept hiking, but the hail got big fast, and we huddled in a stand of pines. They hurt when landing on your head, and fortunately the hail passed quickly. That was when we first saw lightning and counted out loud until we heard the thunder.
Six seconds equals six miles. So we moved on down the valley towards Sandpoint Lake. There we crossed the creek just as more lightning flashed. Three seconds now. Chris and I looked up and saw Peter hiking a hundred yards ahead, which never happened. Just past Bob's Lake the lightning and thunder converged and we ducked into the woods for a strategy session. After an hour the storm moved south and we made the executive decision to boogie across a wide-open swath of plateau to the forest and, eventually, to Crescent Lake.
The skies cleared as we approached Crescent Lake. The only challenge now was to find places to put our tents. The lake is surrounded by boulders and offers almost no flat ground. So we spread out, set up camp and began drying our gear in the sun. My tent site was the flattest of all, but also the most exposed and closest to the lake. Almost all the clouds disappeared after sunset, and I began the second coldest night in a tent ever (the first being in the snow high up in the Anaconda Range of Montana).
Day 6
Crescent Lake to Little Divide Lake
3.7 miles from 9,934' to 9,652'
We spent the morning drying out frosted gear and exploring Crescent Lake, which is both a crescent and a jewel, with stunning blue waters surrounded by lush red shrubbery. After packing up, we slowly made our way to Little Divide Lake. The most difficult terrain and weather was behind us, and we began to think about home.
Day 7
Little Divide Lake to Scab Creek Trailhead
6.5 miles from 9,768 to 8,249'
The hike out. A leisurely stroll with lighter packs and acclimated trail legs. The weather was mild as we descended Scab Creek Canyon. We passed a clasp of arrows that fell off a hunting party. The aspens on the way out were now golden like the willows higher up, having turned in our absence. Hours flew by and before anyone knew it, we could see out into the high plains again. Peter - who left camp way before us - had just unclipped his backpack when we rolled in to the trailhead. Happy and refreshed.
Conclusion
When the hail was coming down extra hard on day five - but before the lightning - I asked Peter how he was doing. "Loving it!" he exclaimed. Where else would you get hail and snow and lightning and massive granite peaks and azure lakes and golden willows in all directions? And solitude. After the first day, we saw almost no one until driving back to Pinedale. Our third trip to the Winds was as majestic as the prior two, with worse weather, and the best company. Thank you, Jason, Chris and Peter. One shouldn't go into the Winds alone and I am grateful for for their madness as sane people never go to such places.
The full set of photos is here, should you wish to see more:
2025 Wind River Range Trek - Andrew Randak
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randakag.smugmug.com
