Wind Rivers Traverse - Backpacking 90 miles in the Wind Rivers

Really am appreciating these videos of the Winds, you really seem to have experienced the fullness of them (and some parts I haven't seen but would love to someday). I've been on four hiking trips to the Winds and every time is an intense experience. Hope the lost guy got found, I was the separated guy for about an hour and a half in the Beartooths this summer and it was the worst experience I've ever had in the mountains, and I knew exactly where I was.

Hope to get back to the Winds this summer, but it may or may not happen.
 
steve said:
Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me.

We chatted with Bob and reviewed a few other routes that recommended going that way. I'm glad we did, it was pretty. The pass over into Wall Lake wasn't bad at all. I know it's sacrilege and i'll be burnt at the stake for saying this, but Wall Lake wasn't the most spectacular area for me. It could have been the wind, chilly temps, and how overcast it was. It wasn't a tough hike, but it seemed to last forever, trying to get down to the start of Wall Lake. If it had been sunny and 70*, I think we would have wanted to stay there all day. With nasty weather (and ours wasn't that nasty), I was just trying to get out of there as quick as possible, since it was a major wind tunnel.
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Thanks. I like the route you took. If I don't do the Alpine Lakes detour, I think id consider doing what you did. Looks fun and beautiful.
 
I have been browsing the interwebs lately thinking I need to get me a hooded baselayer. Interesting you mention that your favorite gear was your hooded fleece! haha :)
 
@Tess has the R1 fleece that's not a hoody. She wishes she had the hoody instead. She wears my hoody more than she wears her fleece.
 
I would make fun of you guys for wussing out and not going in the lake...but I've wussed out way too many times to be calling anyone out!
 
Day 5 Video: The views from Shadow Lake were beautiful! Interesting how your "best part of the day" have transisitioned a bit. More grateful for good camps and food toward the end, compared to amazing scenery. Happens to me too on long trips. Kinda get use to the amazing scenery and tend to focus on other aspects of the trip. Love it!

You guys playing in the water was so funny!
 
Day 6: Laughed out loud when I watched you guys dancing on the top of Texas pass! So fun! That Pass seems pretty easy, nice to see it in the video.

Congrats on doing the whole 90 miles. It is a dream trip of mine. I can't wait to do it one of these years!
 
Watched the final day while eating breakfast this morning. With how little of the Cirque you included in the video, it was obvious how anxious you all were just to be done with that trip and get back to the car and how quickly you all wanted to get out of there. I can relate all too well with Cody and @jentzschman and the extra food problems. I still haven't been able to dial in the right amount of food to take for extended trips. I do fine on the meals, but it's the snacks that I always seem to over do it and end up with so much extra because I always expect to be hungrier and in need of the extra food to provide the extra energy needed to make all those miles.
 
so amazing!! I'm really exited to go to the Winds this August.
But I could never do such a long treck in such a short amount of time.
With my bummed knees I walk more in a snail pace - slowly and taking a lot of time for everything :)
 
I had to keep reminding myself you were going out at Big Sandy, not Elkhart. The walk out from Elkhart sucks compared to the walk out from Cirque. That's a MUCH better way to top off such an epic journey! Oh, and 4k rocks. Thanks.
 
Blake Merrell said:
Day 5 Video: The views from Shadow Lake were beautiful! Interesting how your "best part of the day" have transisitioned a bit. More grateful for good camps and food toward the end, compared to amazing scenery. Happens to me too on long trips.
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Totally agree. It feels wrong to say, but you get kinda numb to the views over time. I'm totally guilty for rushing the whole trip. The weather was a giant question mark the entire time, so we pushed pretty hard to get through as fast as possible. Next time I'll definitely slow down and stop to smell the roses.
 
Mike K said:
@steve , how many batteries do you estimate you burned through on this trip (GoPro)?
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I had 3 or 4 GoPro batteries that I drained every day at least. I had my Enerplex solar panel and my aux battery to keep topping those off. In the middle I wasn't able to get enough solar to keep my batteries charged, so i had to just film less.

I was filming in 4k 24 fps, which eats more battery than 1080p or even 720p. I drained all 4 batteries every day. I'm kinda bummed that they changed the design of the Hero 4 from the Hero 3. I have some killer Brunton extended life batteries for the hero 3 that don't work for the hero 4.
 
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