Recommendations in the Gros Ventre and Washakie Wilderness Areas

D

Diane Greer

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Nov 28, 2013
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I am going to be spending some time in Jackson Hole this summer and would like to find some great hiking trails in the Gros Ventre and Washakie Wilderness areas. (Trying to avoid the crowds in Grand Teton National Park.) I prefer to hike 8-14 miles a day while day hiking. Elevation gains between 2,000-4,000-ft are not a problem. Love ridge walks, big views, wildflowers and a chance to see wildlife. I have also been intrigued by the area to the south of Togwotee Pass, but can't find any information on hikes in this area. Suggestions for 2-4 day backpacks are also welcomed. I tend to hike 8-11 miles a day while carrying a pack.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
 
Diane Greer said:
I am going to be spending some time in Jackson Hole this summer and would like to find some great hiking trails in the Gros Ventre and Washakie Wilderness areas. (Trying to avoid the crowds in Grand Teton National Park.) I prefer to hike 8-14 miles a day while day hiking. Elevation gains between 2,000-4,000-ft are not a problem. Love ridge walks, big views, wildflowers and a chance to see wildlife. I have also been intrigued by the area to the south of Togwotee Pass, but can't find any information on hikes in this area. Suggestions for 2-4 day backpacks are also welcomed. I tend to hike 8-11 miles a day while carrying a pack.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
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Not Gross Ventre or Washakie but Alaska Basin is on the Wyoming/Idaho side of the Tetons. Probably one of the prettiest hikes I have ever done. You could make it as long or as short as you wanted. It is in the Caribou-Targhee NP. Wasn't very crowded when I packed it in August a few years back.

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blueeyes said:
Not Gross Ventre or Washakie but Alaska Basin is on the Wyoming/Idaho side of the Tetons. Probably one of the prettiest hikes I have ever done. You could make it as long or as short as you wanted. It is in the Caribou-Targhee NP. Wasn't very crowded when I packed it in August a few years back.

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Thanks for the recommendation. I understand that Alaska Basin can be very crowded since it is on the popular Teton Crest backpacking trail. When did you go and did you have any difficulty find a secluded campsite?
 
Diane Greer said:
Thanks for the recommendation. I understand that Alaska Basin can be very crowded since it is on the popular Teton Crest backpacking trail. When did you go and did you have any difficulty find a secluded campsite?
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I believe it was in August right before i moved back to UT and we came across a handful of people. Zero problem finding a camp spot.

I guess your busy and my definition of busy are probably different. But honestly I felt like I was by myself 89% of the time because my hiking partner moved on speed mode. I am a [emoji222]. Even when I hiked Table Top the first year I moved up there I didn't come across too many people. There were several up top when I got there but up and down less than 10.

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Sounds like it may be worth your while to hike up onto the Buffalo Plateau from Brooks Lake. It's definitely a backpacking trip, as it's probably 15-20 miles one way to get up there. But you'll barely see another soul out there, and it's going to have spectacular views and good chance of seeing lots of wildlife. Rife with grizzly bears, like the Washakie Wilderness next door, so be aware.
 
Look into the Absaroka range, N of Dubois, S of Togwotee. Brooks Lodge area is the start of some hikes. Be sure to see Jade Lakes. Up in Wiggins Fork out of Dubois, starting from Double Cabin CG are some great trails. I'm headed back to 5 Pockets this year. Stunning area. Either day hike or expand into a backpack. Like Jackson says, heap of griz. Absarokanaut knows this area exceptionally well.

5Pockets.jpg
 
OldBill said:
Look into the Absaroka range, N of Dubois, S of Togwotee. Brooks Lodge area is the start of some hikes. Be sure to see Jade Lakes. Up in Wiggins Fork out of Dubois, starting from Double Cabin CG are some great trails. I'm headed back to 5 Pockets this year. Stunning area. Either day hike or expand into a backpack. Like Jackson says, heap of griz. Absarokanaut knows this area exceptionally well.

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Interested to hear about Five Pockets. Been on my backburner a couple of years and haven't made enough time to do it.
 
Fond memories of the place from my days at a dude ranch. It's also near where Osborne Russell recorded his trapping group getting lost on their way to Yellowstone Lake (Journal of a Trapper).

There's a description at: https://rootsrated.com/dubois-wy/hiking/five-pockets-hiking

You can also access it from Parque Ck Road, which will shorten the hike, but skip Carson L.

The photo on rootsrated (by Dubois Chamber of Commerce) is wrong. It's from Kissinger Lakes (another nice area).
https://www.summitpost.org/from-kissinger-lakes/556857
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/wyoming/bonneville-pass-kissinger-lakes-loop
 
Thank you everyone for the ideas. Setting up a basecamp in Alaska Basin and then exploring the Teton Shelf, Hurricane Pass and Buck Mountain Pass will be on the list this summer. Definitely will do some of the day hikes out of the Brooks Lake area. Five Pockets looks great. I am currently exploring the Hidden Basin Loop. Has anyone done the climb out of Bear Pocket? Any photo galleries of the loop? Love the idea of roaming around the high plateaus.

Still trying to figure out the area south of Togwotee. Finding some interesting backpacks in the Gros Ventre -- like the Shoal/Swift Creek loop, but have not been successful in finding hikes just to the west/south fo the pass. Any suggestions on trails to consider?

Thanks again for all the help.
 
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