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- Sep 10, 2021
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- 45
Commissary Ridge, Wyoming Range, WY August 2024
I was scheduled to work the Hawk Watch Migration location on the south end of Commissary Ridge during the upcoming raptor migration season, Fall 2024. I wanted to hike the northern section of this ridge prior to this assignment.
Commissary Ridge is located in the Wyoming Range and runs about 40 miles North-South depending on which map is used, USGS or USFS. We accessed the trail from the Little Corral Trail-head on the east side of the ridge, a few miles south of where Forest Service Road 10072 crosses through the ridge. The recommended way to access the ridge is using FS road 10072 which intersects Route 89 south of Afton near Salt River Pass. We came in from the east on LaBarge Creek Road, which was a longer and rougher road. We left on FS road 10072.
The trail between Little Corral TH and Lake Alice was well used, mostly from horse packers. We immediately left trail 011 and got on trail 171. This trail showed little signs of use and disappeared and reappeared many time as we hiked down the ridge. My daughter and I hiked approximately 11 miles south from the trail-head. Once on the ridge, there were great views in all directions. Hiking the ridge had one drawback as there was no water source up high near the ridgeline. The first potential source would have been a mile or two past our turn around spot.
We elected to do an out and back on the ridge and had to carry water to stay on the ridge. There are many trail options to make a loop with the ridge trail. These loop options provide access to water.
All in all it was a fun trip. One on the ridge, the hiking was quite nice, though always more ups and downs than expected just following the ridge. As there was no domestic cattle grazing on the ridge, the flowers and grasses were quite lush on the ridge.
Little Corral Creek Trailhead trail sign, though it could easily pass as a grave site.
Hiking near the ridge line on Trail 171
A view looking pack to the TH, near large meadow in the center of photo.
A view looking East from CR
A view looking along CR to the north
A photo of me at the one marked trail intersection we saw on the ridge.
We had a couple juvenile Red Tail Hawks follow us for a few hours
Valley Floor near the trailhead
Thanks for reading.....
I was scheduled to work the Hawk Watch Migration location on the south end of Commissary Ridge during the upcoming raptor migration season, Fall 2024. I wanted to hike the northern section of this ridge prior to this assignment.
Commissary Ridge is located in the Wyoming Range and runs about 40 miles North-South depending on which map is used, USGS or USFS. We accessed the trail from the Little Corral Trail-head on the east side of the ridge, a few miles south of where Forest Service Road 10072 crosses through the ridge. The recommended way to access the ridge is using FS road 10072 which intersects Route 89 south of Afton near Salt River Pass. We came in from the east on LaBarge Creek Road, which was a longer and rougher road. We left on FS road 10072.
The trail between Little Corral TH and Lake Alice was well used, mostly from horse packers. We immediately left trail 011 and got on trail 171. This trail showed little signs of use and disappeared and reappeared many time as we hiked down the ridge. My daughter and I hiked approximately 11 miles south from the trail-head. Once on the ridge, there were great views in all directions. Hiking the ridge had one drawback as there was no water source up high near the ridgeline. The first potential source would have been a mile or two past our turn around spot.
We elected to do an out and back on the ridge and had to carry water to stay on the ridge. There are many trail options to make a loop with the ridge trail. These loop options provide access to water.
All in all it was a fun trip. One on the ridge, the hiking was quite nice, though always more ups and downs than expected just following the ridge. As there was no domestic cattle grazing on the ridge, the flowers and grasses were quite lush on the ridge.
Little Corral Creek Trailhead trail sign, though it could easily pass as a grave site.
Hiking near the ridge line on Trail 171
A view looking pack to the TH, near large meadow in the center of photo.
A view looking East from CR
A view looking along CR to the north
A photo of me at the one marked trail intersection we saw on the ridge.
We had a couple juvenile Red Tail Hawks follow us for a few hours
Valley Floor near the trailhead
Thanks for reading.....