Help! First Trip to the Winds.

b.stark said:
Just make sure you're in shape before you go! On my first backpacking trip ever, we tackled the Winds out of Elkhart park. Our route, of course, was to take the perfectly reasonable trail which goes down to a beautiful camp at Fremont Lake the first night, and the next day to climb up out of Pine Creek canyon to Trapper Lake via an "unmaintained" trail. I'm not sure I've ever felt so bad as I did that afternoon at Trapper Lake, but turning back didn't seem like a reasonable option... There's much more physical training involved before trips now!
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The high altitude can play a HUGE roll in that too. Staying a night or two up high before the ass-kicking begins is always a smart idea. I've gotten a couple times and I've watched others get really sick from pushing it too hard without being acclimated.
 
b.stark said:
Just make sure you're in shape before you go!
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Round is a shape? right ;) haha

yeah. I dropped about 13 lbs over the past couple months. I hope to drop about 10 more before the trip. cycling to work, lunch time workouts, canyoneering and backpacking weekend trips all will hopefully get me in shape for this trip!
 
Titcomb Basin Backpacking Trip 2015
60 miles of pure mountain goodness. I hope we can do it all!

Tuesday, 18 August 2015 - Drive to Elkhart TH
  • 5:00 PM - Leave home after work
  • 10:00 PM - Arrive at Elkhart TH
Wednesday, 19 August 2015 - Elkhart to Titcomb Basin (13 Miles)
  • 6:00 AM - Breakfast and Break Camp
  • 7:00 AM - Begin Hike
  • 3:00 PM - Arrive at camp
Thursday, 20 August 2015 - Explore Titcomb Basin (5-10? Miles)
  • 7:00 AM - Breakfast
  • Explore the whole basin for the rest of the day!
Friday, 21 August 2015 - Summit Fremont Peak (7? Miles)
  • 6:30 AM - Breakfast and Break Camp
  • 7:00 AM - Begin Summit of Fremont Peak
  • 4:00 PM - Camp in Indian Basin
Saturday 22- Indian Basin to Camp Lake (7 Miles)
  • 6:30 AM - Breakfast and Break Camp
  • 7:00 AM - Hike over Knifepoint Glacier, through Alpine Lakes and into Camp Lake
  • 4:00 PM - Camp at Camp Lake
Sunday, 23 August 2015 - Camp Lake to Wall Lake (11 Miles)
  • 6:30 AM - Breakfast and Break Camp
  • 7:00 AM - Hike to Golden Lake, over Tiny Glacier, and down into Wall Lake
  • 4:00 PM - Camp at Wall Lake
Monday, 24 August 2015 - Wall Lake to Elkhart TH (12 Miles)
  • 6:30 AM - Breakfast and Break Camp
  • 7:00 AM - Begin hike to Elkhart TH
  • 4:00 PM - Arrive at car
  • 11:00 PM - Arrive Home
 
Ok. so this will be my first trip into serious bear country. I just purchased an Ursak. but it looks tiny! haha. Anyone used an Ursak before? And what are your suggested HIGH Calorie - LOW weight and bulk food items. No i'm not willing to eat butter and drink olive oil haha :p

Here is a link to my food list for my week long last year. Any suggestions?
 
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Blake Merrell said:
my food list for
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Wow...you eat a lot better than I do on the trail! =) Maybe I'll mooch some ideas from you. I usually ditch the daily hot cocoa since it's starts to add up in weight. I take tea instead.

EDIT: I'll be curious to see how much that all weighs per day.
 
Mike K said:
Wow...you eat a lot better than I do on the trail! =) Maybe I'll mooch some ideas from you. I usually ditch the daily hot cocoa since it's starts to add up in weight. I take tea instead.

EDIT: I'll be curious to see how much that all weighs per day.
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I am curious of the weight as well.... hmmmm, guess I will need to drag out the scale again.

Im thinking of ditching my deserts. those were pretty heavy. (but it was so fun taunting the 14 year olds with them every night! haha)
 
I find mileage drawn on a map rarely to be accurate to actual mileage walked. Depending on how fine a line you draw it could be way over that. Even when I draw a fine line, it's still usually around 20% higher in reality just from all the fine movements. My GPS logged 14.19 miles between Elkhart Park TH and the campsite at Cook Lakes you have marked and 17.68 from that spot back via Lester Pass.
 
Nick said:
I find mileage drawn on a map rarely to be accurate to actual mileage walked. Depending on how fine a line you draw it could be way over that. Even when I draw a fine line, it's still usually around 20% higher in reality just from all the fine movements. My GPS logged 14.19 miles between Elkhart Park TH and the campsite at Cook Lakes you have marked and 17.68 from that spot back via Lester Pass.
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I agree. 20% seems about right when talking actual vs map miles. I think i need to start working out with my backpack on during my lunch breaks.... haha
 
Nick said:
I find mileage drawn on a map rarely to be accurate to actual mileage walked. Depending on how fine a line you draw it could be way over that. Even when I draw a fine line, it's still usually around 20% higher in reality just from all the fine movements. My GPS logged 14.19 miles between Elkhart Park TH and the campsite at Cook Lakes you have marked and 17.68 from that spot back via Lester Pass.
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Agree. And it's probably a little longer than 14.2 the way you have your route going from your camp on the Upper Cook Lake, along the south side of the lake, then south along the west side of the Lower Cook Lake like you have. I would take the trail south of your campsite along the east side of the Lower Cook Lake. You'll skip 2 crossings of Pole Creek too! The first crossing (by Upper Cook Lake) isn't bad, just a boulder hop; but the lower crossing you'll be getting your feet wet.
 
Always add 12% to mileage......in the Winds that is my usual over run. I use Garmin Mapsource and Google Earth to fine tune. You eat a lot.....I plan 1.25 lbs per day food/snacks. You will have a long hard day over Indain Pass and Alpine Pass. I don't know about Tiny Pass. We went from chain lakes to Elkhart in a decent day...13 miles.. Pole Trail is a decent fast trail...not a ton of scenery. There is a nice flat camp at the outlet of lake 11008, just before you cross the creek, there are OK camps farther up but you'll have to look.

Your route up from Golden to Tiny is not what I have seen, in the bottom may be tough. Your route around Alpine Lakes is not quite correct, one instance is you cannot go along the shore of Lake 10895 and you need to be higher on lake 10988.. Do you have Pallisters Book?....check it. I can send you the options... Stay out of Alpine Basin in any kind of big storm, it's not pleasant.

Don't worry to much on bears, the only place there has been any hassle is in the Golden Lk drainage. I've been through twice and never seen sign though, I just used OpSaks. Just keep a clean, bear aware strategy.
 
Bob said:
You eat a lot.....I plan 1.25 lbs per day food/snacks. You will have a long hard day over Indain Pass and Alpine Pass. I don't know about Tiny Pass. We went from chain lakes to Elkhart in a decent day...13 miles.. Pole Trail is a decent fast trail...not a ton of scenery. There is a nice flat camp at the outlet of lake 11008, just before you cross the creek, there are OK camps farther up but you'll have to look.

Your route up from Golden to Tiny is not what I have seen, in the bottom may be tough. Your route around Alpine Lakes is not quite correct, one instance is you cannot go along the shore of Lake 10895 and you need to be higher on lake 10988.. Do you have Pallisters Book?....check it. I can send you the options... Stay out of Alpine Basin in any kind of big storm, it's not pleasant.

Don't worry to much on bears, the only place there has been any hassle is in the Golden Lk drainage. I've been through twice and never seen sign though, I just used OpSaks. Just keep a clean, bear aware strategy.
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Ha! You couldn't be more right! I do eat a lot. That food list was from my week long Uinta trip last year and I was forcing myself to finish my food so that I wouldn't' have to pack it. I planed my food for that trip mostly by calories. I didn't worry about weight, I was mostly worried about getting 3500-4000 calories a day. Maybe I need to adjust my strategy and not worry so much about calories, but weight??

Thanks for the tips about my route over Tiny and through the Alpine basin. I readjusted my route over Tiny pass. If you have better beta, and are willing to share, I would love to see it. (I do not have Pallisters Book. maybe I should buy it....) how do you suggest getting through the Alpine Basin?
 
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With the help of BCP, i am happy to say I have changed my food menu :)

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I think I cut at least 0.5 - 0.75 lbs of food per meal out of my menu!
 
How in the world do you guys take cheese? Every time I have tried it it turns disgusting in about 2 hours.
 
It's always been fine for me on mountain trips where it's usually cooler. Just don't keep it near the outside of the pack where the sun warms things up.
 
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