Wind Rivers, Wyoming Backpack

On July 25th, Bobbie, Norma and myself started the Lizard Head backpacking trip from Big Sandy Trailhead in the Wind Rivers mountain range in Wyoming.

We drove to Pinedale, Wy on the 25th and got a motel so we could start out fresh on the trail the next day. On the 26th, we then drove the 1 1/2 hour to the Big Sandy Trailhead and hiked out to Big Sandy Lake. The Big Sandy Lake hosts a lot of backpackers who start off their trips from there or use as a base camp to do day hikes from there. The bears have become wise to the backpacking population and there are not bear containers for backpackers to put their food in at night. The hike from the Big Sandy Trailhead to Big Sandy Lake was a gentle uphill and we completed the 6 miles in under 2 1/2 hours. We found a place for our tents and got ready for the next day. No bears, fortunately, but Norma frightened some deers which decided to almost run over my tent in the early a.m.

Day two we went from Big Sandy Lake, up over Jackass Pass to the Cirque of Towers and then on to Lizard Head Meadows. We took off the main course accidently a couple of times resulting in clamboring down rocks and boulders trying to get back on the main trail. Jackass Pass was steep and high at about 10,800'. The minute we got on top of the pass a thunder storm with lots of rain hit us and we got our rain gear on and ran for the protection of underneath a large boulder. After waiting there quite awhile, the storm passed and we got some pictures before the sun again went away for the next series of storms. We headed on down to Lonesome Lake beneath the cirque, crossed a large stream and walked on down to Lizard Head Meadows to camp.

The Cirque from Jackass Pass

Bobbie at Cirque of Towers


Looking down at Lonesome Lake

Norma at Cirque of Towers

At Lonesome Lake

Day three of the hike will take us 10 miles, up to Lizard Head Trail which is an ascent of 1,800 feet in the first 2 1/2 miles. During the ascent we get a great view of Bear Lakes.

Once on top, the trail is great. A bit rocky but with cairns to show us the way. It was this great plateau where we were up with the peaks across the valley. We finally got to the junction with the Bears Ear Trail, where we descended down to Valentine Lake for the night.

Lizard Head Trail

Day four was to be our relaxation day with only 6 miles to go to Grave Lake. We woke up to misty, rainy conditions. This continued as we hiked on to Grave Lake. Grave Lake is huge with lots of peaks surrounding it in a spectacular scenery. We didn't see any peaks that day, just the clouds we were walking in. We got to camp and it started hailing. We all got into our tents rather early waiting for the hail to stop. Well, once it stopped another hail storm started with bigger hail stones. Then the next storm, even bigger. It continued to rain for 36 hours. None of us even got up to fix ourselves any dinner. Norma was creating ditches around her tent to keep from flooding beneath the tent. She eventually had to move her tent and noticed the flood gathering under my tent. I had to get up and move that also. It was a loonng night. So much for washing clothes and our hair.

Grave Lake in the early morning

Day five we had to get to and over Hailey Pass. We knew this would be a challenge and with all the rain, we anticipated fresh snow on the Pass. It is also at 11,200'. We first had to get around Grave Lake. To get around this we had to go over great boulder field on the waters edge. These were huge boulders and took us 45 minutes to negotiate over them.

Then we had to start our initial uphill along the Baptiste Creek and pass a huge waterfall. The last part of the pass was a 900' climb in 1 1/2 miles over Hailey Pass. There was fresh snow but it actually helped our climb. One party had gone through before us and created footsteps in the snow for us to get up to the steep scree section of the trail. It was steep and tough, but we made it just fine. Once on top, we could see into the next valley where we would spend our last couple of days.





Once over the pass, we headed on down to Skull Lake for the night. Norna even made us butterscotch pudding to celebrate. What a treat. We decided to go ahead and just hike out the last 10 miles Friday. No one was up to base camping and doing a side trip into one of the other trail possibilities along the way. I think the rainy weather got the better of us. Thus Friday, we hiked on out pass good fishing lakes and folks coming in for the weekend.