Titcomb Basin, Fremont Peak, Indian Basin, Knifepoint Glacier, & Island Lake

Blake Merrell

Blake Merrell

Life Elevated - Rising Higher
Joined
Feb 25, 2013
Messages
600
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For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;

For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light;

For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind's delight,
for the mystic harmony,
linking sense to sound and sight;

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild;

Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

- For the Beauty of the Earth by Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1835-1917
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This backpacking trip was years in the making! On August 18th the dream became a reality. Adam and I embarked with our packs into the heart of the Wind River Mountain Range.


Preparation for this trip began months in advance. Last winter I began measuring and documenting th weights for all of my gear. And a few months ago I began tweaking my food menu. All that planning payed off! At the beginning of this trip I had a fully loaded pack that only weighed 36lbs! For 6 days, lived off of 10 lbs of food and I was happy to say that I ate well and never felt hungry after my meals.



I few notes about the trip :)

We had to change plans because my friend got shin splints on the first day. He was carrying a ~60lb pack and after 15 miles of hiking, he was hurting pretty bad. I was amazed at his positive attitude and his ability to push through the pain. I could hardly tell that he was even hurting, even though he said he was experiencing great pain.

Because of my friends shin, we opted to stick to trails we knew and were not able to complete our planned loop through Alpine Lakes and Cook Lakes. Instead we spent more time exploring Island Lake and camped at Hobbs Lake for our last night.

I spent $70 for wyoming fishing license, and this is all I was able to catch! haha


Here are my trip reports by day:
Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 / Day 6​

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Featured image for home page:
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spectacular time lapses!
 
Looks like you went down the glacier a ways! Actually maybe just to the upper reaches of the ice?

Thanks for the meal plan, might copy some aspects of it. Geeking out on this stuff always pays off. What is your weight?
 
Kullaberg63 said:
Looks like you went down the glacier a ways! Actually maybe just to the upper reaches of the ice?

Thanks for the meal plan, might copy some aspects of it. Geeking out on this stuff always pays off. What is your weight?
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We only went to where the Knifepoint glaicer could be seen. Getting back there was super fun.

I weigh about 190. My pack weiged 36 at the start of the trip. 10.5 of that was my food
 
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Nice! So did you eat your fish? :)
I think you ran into a fellow BCP poster out there, @isleroyaleguy . Glad you were able to make a great trip out of it after your friend's shin problem.
 
Joey said:
Nice! So did you eat your fish? :)
I think you ran into a fellow BCP poster out there, @isleroyaleguy . Glad you were able to make a great trip out of it after your friend's shin problem.
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It was great meeting you guys too Blake.
It was also cool to follow your SPOT tracker.
I will have to give you some fishing tips.


Also great to meet you to @Joey...and thanks again for the shuttle. I wish we had more time, I'm sure you have many more great adventures to share.
 

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Great video. You captured so many great pictures and the time lapses were cool. I appreciated seeing the winds through your eyes and feeling the awe and wonder of being in such a beautiful place. I also liked how you included your love for your newborn son and the miracle of creation and life. Well done.
 
Mike K said:
Great video. You captured so many great pictures and the time lapses were cool. I appreciated seeing the winds through your eyes and feeling the awe and wonder of being in such a beautiful place. I also liked how you included your love for your newborn son and the miracle of creation and life. Well done.
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Thanks Mike! Your comments are very kind. It was a special trip. But, i can say that about most trips though haha. Being outside like that really helps me to see life clearer. Its part of why I love getting out so much. I don't think I am alone in feeling that way either. There is something good about getting away from the hustle and bustle of life.
 
Nico said:
You are only as light as the lightest person in your crew! Remember that - no 60 lb packs allowed!
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if that was the case, i wouldn't have been able to go at all. much happier that I went, than banish friends who don't go ultralight hahaha
 
Nice video! Bummer about not being able to hike the route as you planned. But I bet it was nice to be able to explore Titcomb and Indian Basin more. I didn't have time to do so when I was there. As for the fishing license, I've been in your shoes many times... spent the big bucks on those out-of-state licenses and then catch nothing.
 
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