A hydration vest with a few snacks stuffed inside is my preferred pack weight. But in the Wind River Range, it is usually six miles of forested trail before you get into the mountain range. Which doesn’t leave a lot of time for exploring mountain scenery, before having to turn back for the day. So, the plan for the north Wind River Range was to leave the comforts of base camp for an overnight backpacking adventure.
The well-worn path to the North Wind River Range is the Pole Creek Trail which starts at the Elkhart Park Trailhead. From the trailhead it’s about six miles of non-technical trail to Photographer’s Point, at an elevation of about 10,300’.
Shortly after Photographer’s Point the Seneca Lake Trail splits off from the Pole Creek. There is very little in overall elevation gain from here. Instead, the trail is a roller coaster up and down to a series of alpine lakes. The first named one being Barbara Lake.
The roller coaster then continues on to Hobbs Lake. A short section of the trail here is actually more in the lake than around it, as a rock outcropping forces the path into a stone hopping challenge. Here I was reminded why dislike backpack hiking, as the pack weight throws off my balance. I did everything except face plant into the lake.
There has been a serious ongoing drought in Wyoming and water sources were not as plentiful as I had anticipated. So, I was happy when I heard the sound of a running creek just ahead. This was the absolute best water source on the entire trail. I topped off my water supply and took a lunch break.
After the creek, the trail gets steeper and more challenging with technical sections and plenty of switchbacks.
Finally, I arrived at Seneca Lake. It wasn’t hard to figure out that this was the place to set up camp. The scenery was simply beautiful and surrealistic.
The camp sites at Seneca Lake are not obvious until getting off the trail and exploring a bit. But once you do there are a number of small spots (and a few slightly larger ones) to squeeze a tent into.
That evening the wind picked up for an hour or so and there was some light rain. But even this provided unique coloring to the view of Fremont Peak.
The skies cleared up for incredible views of the Milky Way and the visible universe. The morning provided a beautiful sunrise. It amazed me how the hues of the lake area changed at different times of the day. Could be the best campsite I've had.
