Wind River Peak via Tayo Lake

Wind River Peak via Tayo Lake
Southern Wind River Range, Shoshone NF, Popo Agie Wilderness
Area July 30th - August 3rd, 2007

Wind River Peak from Tayo Lake

Day One:

This was a guided trip I did for Lander Llama Company (I'm the guide). There were nine people, including assistant guide extraordinaire, Sam Pederson. We took nine Llamas. I didn't take any photos the first day, or the the last- mostly because we were on the Middle Fork trail all day on those days. It's beautiful hiking, but I've been over that stretch a million times- so I'm rarely inspired to shoot much along it. The first day we left Worthen Meadows around 10am or so and made it as far as the end of Bill's Park about six hours later. The intitial objective for this trip wasn't neccessarily Wind River Peak, but the group moved fast enough, it quickly became an option- one they seemed interested in.


Day Two:

The Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River and Bill's Park, early in the morning of the second day.

The Llamas munch some breakfast in Bill's Park before hitting the trail.

Sam crosses the Middle Fork in Tayo Park.


A few hours later he was marching them to our camp site above Tayo Lake.

After a hard day's work, Pinnacle (the Llama) scores some grubs above Tayo Lake.

Wind River Peak was just a hop, skip and long up hill hike away.

The view from camp.

After a swim in the lake, tents were pitched and Llamas were cared for, then it was time for supper.

The weather afforded us a pleasant evening for chomping grubs. The view from our table was hard to beat.

Day Three:

We got up early the next day to take a stab at summiting Wind River Peak. From the start it didn't look like we were going to have all day to get it done. The weather was overcast and it had rained during the night, but there was no thunder or lightening. We decided to make an attempt at least. We got rolling at eight o' clock.

On our way up, it didn't take long before we were enjoying views like this.

The crew approaches the base.

Getting near the crux of the climb. The weather was still holding.

A look back at Tayo and upper Tayo Lake.

Kickin' steps to Chimney Peak, just below Wind River Peak.

Sam and the crew on the summit of Wind River Peak. We made it!

A 180 degree panoramic from the peak.

The register.

The approximate route we took.

I made it too.

My fourth time- first using this route though!

Looking north up the Wind River Range, from the summit.

Looking down on Deep Creek lake, the North Fork and Sanford Park from the summit.

Earl Hinkey poses above the Little El Capitan Glacier on the summit.

Lunch on the summit, Lander Llama style.

Yum!

Temple Peak, from the summit of Wind River Peak.

After lunch, it was time to head down.

Sam scored some August turns on the way down!

They must have been good.

Off the snow, the group pauses to take in the view above Tayo Lake, Mount Nystrom and Little Sandy Lake are way in the background.

Continental Tower above upper Tayo Lake.

Getting close to camp again.

Mount Nystrom

The Llamas were happy to hang and chow while we conquered the peak. They enjoyed a day off.

Not long after we returned, the clouds started to drop and the weather went down. There was a little thunder and lightening, but mostly rain. Lots of rain. Pretty much for the rest of the day and all night.

A look at one of my new favorite backcountry kitchen spots, just before it got drenched with me in it.

A look up the drainage we were camped above, toward Sheep Lake. We saw a few folks on their way up the peak when we were coming down. They had started from Sheep lake where they were camped. They didn't make it up the peak before the weather went bad.

Day Four:

On day four, after night of constant rain, we awoke to weather that didn't look much better. At least we got a glimpse of some blue sky.

Looking down the trail from Tayo Lake to Poison Lake.

Typical trail Wind River trail marker.

Heading down country.

On the way out we got a little too up close and personal with some locals, at least for me any way. Since we out numbered them, and half of us probably looked like relatives- I think they tolerated us.

Back in Bill's Park, you could barely make out the tip top of Wind River Peak (looker's left next to the central tree tops).

This was pretty much what the trail looked like for me from here on out. Arter, the Llama, decided a sit-down protest was in order for the rest of the trip. Fortunately, it didn't really catch on with the rest of the crew.

Day Five:

We made it to Three Forks Park for our last night. It pretty much dumped on us most of the evening there. Oh well. Need the rain. Despite the rain, and a stubborn Llama, the trip went pretty well. We got soaked, but we got the peak... and we saw some beautiful country. Never a bad way to spend a week!

A few weeks ago Tally took a stab at guiding. Ha!