Wind River Range
July 17-24 2022
Wyoming’s mountain peaks
– Via the Ink Wells Trail and the Glacier Trail –
Miles
State High Point
Summit Elevation (Ft.)
About the Wind River Range
Wyoming’s Wind River Mountain Range (also known as “the Winds”) is one of North American’s more scenic and remote mountain ranges. This rugged 100-mile chain contains seven of the largest glaciers in the Rocky Mountains, more than 1,300 named lakes, and Gannett Peak, Wyoming’s highest mountain.
Summiting Gannett Peak was on my highpointing bucket list, but it’s considered one of the more arduous states high points to attain. Some aspects of the mountain’s difficulty are its remote location deep in the Bridger Wilderness and the very narrow weather window for climbing the peak. Other challenges include the mountain’s steepness (7,076′ of clean prominence) and technical aspects that include glaciers, a couloir, and a bergschrund. In short, climbing Gannett Peak is actual mountaineering, not just hiking to a summit.
Rather than paying to climb Gannett Peak with a professional guiding company, I chose to attempt it as a mountaineering trip with the NOLS – a non-profit global wilderness school, where I had nine other climbers and three guides working together as a single team. This approach blended a wilderness experience with an educational curriculum rope handling, climbing, belaying, snow and ice work, and identifying mountain hazards.
Trail Journal
- Day 0: Meeting the NOLS Team
- Day 1: Mosquitoes & Soft Coffins
- Day 2: Through the Dinwoody Basin
- Day 3: Snow Skills and No Sleep
- Day 4: Climbing Gannett Peak
- Day 5: Backtracking to the Horse Camp
- Day 6: Am I Allergic to Llamas?
- Day 7: Slow & Steady Wins the Day
- Day 8: Finishing up Solo
- The Aftermath: Reassessing My Health
Other Posts
Gannett Peak – Wyoming’s High Point
Order of Visit: High Point # 45 Date Visited: July 20, 2022 Route Taken: Ink Wells Trail (from Cold Springs) and and Glacier Trail (exiting at the Glacier Trailhead) – 50 miles...
A Little, tiny Heart Condition
If you've read my trail journals, you know I encountered a fairly scary health issue in 2022. I was on an 8-day hiking and climbing expedition in Wyoming's Wind River Range. A few days earlier, we'd...
PLANNING RESOURCES
- Gannett Peak Alumni Trip (NOLS)
- Gannett Peak (Summit Post)
- Wind River Indian Reservation (Cold Springs/Ink Wells Trailhead Access)