Days 90-93: South Pass City to Elkhart Trailhead, ~87 miles

This was our first time to the Wind River Range. In a word: spectacular! But that doesn’t aptly describe our admiration for these mountains.

We walked around punch drunk in awe of dazzeling white and granite walls rising over a thousand feet above us. Again marveling, “So this is the Continental Divide.” Strolling through miles of wildflower gardens sweet with lupine. We dipped in sun-warmed lakes when the breeze kept the mosquitoes at bay. The Winds are part of the CDT, but 8 days of traversing the range isn’t enough to satisfy our desires to know these mountains better. We promise ourselves that we’ll return…soon. It is the only way we can talk ourselves into walking from down from a pass, a lake, a rock, a flower we love. Right now, we remind ourselves, we get to hike the whole CDT.

I don’t have time to compose my journal notes and load up all the pictures I wish to share. (Sorry!) More to come… after we meet our campsite deadlines in Yellowstone.

Descending from the 11,500' pass between Temple and East Temple.

Morning light in the Cirque of the Towers on Pingora Peak.

From Texas Pass looking out to Mitchell Peak and the spires of Cirque.

We had company join us for breakfast.

Meadow wandering for miles and miles.