The Wind River Peak stands at 13,192’ and is the highest peak in the southern Wind River Range. My plan to summit the peak sounded simple enough. Leave at sunrise to make the 2 ½ hour drive to the Worthen Meadow Reservoir trailhead. Then take the balance of the day hiking up to the Deep Creek and Ice Lakes area. Where I’d then have an entire day to get up and down the “ramp” of the Peak and another to descend back to Worthen Meadow.
The mistakes began when I woke late and trusted Google directions to a wilderness area. Instead of arriving at the trailhead at 9:00 A. M. I got there about noon. Well, no problem I thought. The fastest known time (FKT) for the entire 30 mile loop is 5 hours and 43 minutes. So, it should still be easy to get the 12 miles up to the Lakes area. Right?
Well, maybe this would have been true if I knew where I was going. I thought I did, but I really didn’t. To make a long story short, I either missed a trail or the connection never really existed. In any event, when I finally accepted that I was off course, I turned back only to see the black clouds of a storm approaching. The wind became intense and then the rain came. Instead of heading back up into the storm I put on my rain gear and took refuge behind a giant boulder.
By the time the storm passed, the sun was beginning to set and I arrived at a bleak conclusion. I had hiked 13 miles and was no closer to my days goal then when I started, yet somehow I had lost 1,500’ in elevation.
The next morning I came to grips with the situation. More storms were predicted (and arrived), I had little confidence in my route, my food supply would have to be stretched and I had already spent a lot of energy going nowhere. So, the decision was taken to abandon the effort to summit Wind River Peak.
On the bright side, carrying a backpack through miles of rugged terrain is good training for my ultimate goal, I missed the worst of the weather, the hike was still an adventure, the drive down Sinks Canyon Road is stunningly beautiful and I made a new baby cow friend.
