Raft Lake/ Wykee Peak

FWCHS Wilderness Expedition
Washakie Park/ Raft Lake/ Wykee Peak/ St. Lawerance Basin
Wind River Indian Reservation Roadless Area, Southern Wind River Range
June 13th through the 19th, 2007

I did this trip as a principal for a class I organized for students attending our high school at Fort Washakie (FWCHS). I worked with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) to put together a wilderness experience for our students that would get them in their own wilderness. The Wind River Reservation Roadless Area is basically quite a chunk of Southern Wind River wilderness that doesn't see many people. It's pristine wilderness. To be able to explore it with students whom some day could manage it, was extraordinary.

The Route:

(click to enlarge)

The Commanders (NOLS Instructors):

Left to right; Matt Lloyd (aka "Old Lady"), General Iris Saxer, and ex- felon Rachel Landis (aka "The Choker")

The Students:



Day One:

A peek through the trees minutes after starting down the trail from Washakie Park.

Cruising through some open country on our way to our first "x". We didn't make too far the first day because we didn't really make it to the trailhead until after 3pm.

Approaching our first night's camp site.

The view from camp; Shoshone Mountain. It was a great place to spend the night. We saw some Elk and maybe a Wolf in this meadow (could've been a coyote on steroids).

The view looking down on Yahtic Lake from the other side of the ridge we were camped on.

Day Two:

A look at Twin Lakes and some of the country we'd have bushwack, I mean hike, through to get to Raft Lake. Wolverine Peak dominates the sky line looker's left.

After a few hours we reached Twin Lakes.

Amazingly enough, there was a bridge still entact between the lakes. That made crossing the lakes pretty easy.

After crossing the bridge, we went off-trail a bit and followed the drainage up to Raft Lake.

Our route got pretty interesting the closer we got to Raft Lake.

Treking poles don't help much traversing granite cliffs.

After traversing and climbing some small cliffs, we dropped into a tight canyon that lead up to Raft Lake.

Eventually the canyon spit us out on top, where we got a great view of Raft Lake. We set up our second camp just a bit further.

Day Three:

The next morning looking up the Raft Lake drainage. We had great view of Wykee Peak from our campsite, so the group decided it would be fun to climb it. With that in mind we made our way up past Raft Lake, to Movo Lake in order to position ourselves for an ascent of Wykee Peak the next day.

Who say's Wyoming doesn't have beaches? Surfing might be a tad bit cold- no sharks though. Ha!

Raft Lake from Raft Lake beach. Wykee Peak is far looker's left. That would be our objective the obejective for tomorrow.

Some dude on the beach.

Later we found another good bridge across Wolf Creek. The trail got pretty good after we crossed the beach. It seemed like that it probably saw most of the traffic into this drainage.

Looking up, and then down Wolf Creek. Good thing there was a bridge.

There weren't bridges everywhere though. Matt watches as students cross a small flooded lake and meadow.

Crossing the flooded lake with Wykee peak in the background.

Day Four (Wykee Peak Acsent):

Heading up a snow field on our way to the top of Wykee Peak.

The original plan was to get up at 6am and start hiking at 7am. Our commanders awoke to the sound of rain and thunder at 6:00am and decided beauty sleep was a better option. Later by 8am or so, the clouds started clearing and it looked like the weather would clear. We left to conquer Wykee Peak around 10am- knowing that the time we had before the next storm started building was probably going to be very limited.

A student kicks in a boot track up the snow field for the rest of the crew.

Lots of stuff like this before we reached the ridge line that would take us to the summit of Wykee Peak.

Pausing for a view before the ridgeline.

Refeuling and gathering strength for the final climb to the ridge line. Wolverine Peak looker's left.

The final push, just to the ridge line below Wykee Peak.

Finally once on the ridge, Wykee Peak (12,055 feet) comes into full view.

A look up the Little Wind River drainage from the saddle below Wykee Peak.

Making the final climb towards the summit of Wykee Peak, racing clouds that seemed to be building. Unfortunately a few hundred feet shy of the summit, after hearing thunder, we had to abort. Denied, we turned and headed for lower ground.

Scrambling down Wykee Peak towards the saddle, trying to beat the weather.

A variety of down-hiking/ scrambling techniques were employed.

A look at Mt. Baldy and the Twenty Lakes drainage from the saddle below Wykee Peak.

Beautiful country!

Good stuff!

Our route back down to camp seemed to afford a few more opportunities to play in the snow.

Weehoooo!

I demonstrated proper self-arrest technique to avoid going for a swim in the hefty puddle at the end of this drift. Glad someone was able to document it. Ha!

One last look up the Little Wind River Drainage, before descending to camp. Truly amazing country. I was thrilled that our students were able to experience some of it at 12,ooo feet.

Day Five:

We began our fifth day with a nice nads-deep morning wade across the balmy Little Wind River. Our goal was to intersect the Kagevah Pass trail and follow it out to St. Lawerance Basin.

A look at some glaciers up the Little Wind drainage, from somewheres along our bushwack to the Kagevah pass trail.

A look towards Windy Ridge from across some lakes that we camped near.

Day Six:

A different look at Wykee Peak from one of the meadows we hiked through on our way up the pass that would lead down to St. Lawerance Basin.

A look back at the Wilson Creek Drainage and Look Out Mountain from the pass.

The pass we hiked over (up inbetween the snow fields).

The Meadows, a few mile above the St. Lawerance trailhead. What a way to finish a great trip! You could see our whole route from this meadow. We spent our last night a little ways below The Meadows and got picked up at the St. Lawerance Guard Station bright and early the following morning.

A special thanks to the Eastern Shoshone and Nothern Arapahoe Business Coucil for permitting NOLS to conduct this course for our students on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

"I want for my home the valley of the Wind River and lands on its tributaries as far east as the Popo Agie and want the privilege of going over the mountains to hunt where I please."

- Washakie, 1868

Leg Lake Couloir

Leg Lake Couloir
Southern Wind River Range, Popo Agie Wilderness, Shoshone NF
June 9th, 2007

Leg Lake Couloir and the Roaring Fork Cirque as seen from the highway heading into Lander from Riverton.

The couloir and cirque are pretty outstanding features in the southern end of the range. A few years back I took crew up there and we attempted to ski it. The first guy was successful, but the rest of had to bail due to wet slides he triggered as he was reaching the top. Back then I was kind of new to couloirs. I've always wondered maybe if we gave up to early that day. It's a thought that has hounded me every time I'd look up there. This weekend, after a hefty June snow storm that dumped as much as eight inches in the backcountry, I decided to pack my pack and pay another visit to Leg Lake. I was determined to take another shot at the couloir.

An absolute beheamoth of a pack. 75 pounds plus! My wife, shook her head and said, "Why would anyone do that to their body?" The she corrected herself and said, "I know, I know, it must have something to do with a Koooolar! God save the almighty Koooolar." Ha! I had to go heavy though, the weather conditions were still iffy, and I was traveling solo. Like it or not, the monstrous pack would have to do for the 3 to 4 mile, 1500 foot bushwack into the base camp area I was shooting for. I left the trailhead about 6pm, in rain that was turning to snow.

About a mile in I discovered that my pack might not be the only thing around to keep me company. I sang a few verses of the "Hey bear!" song. Never did see it though.

The next morning I got up early, saddled up and started the approach. Today was all about the coulior. I was camped about a mile from it. I'd reached the spot around 9pm the previous night. In between snow squalls I had just enough time to set up my tent before it got too dark. Thankfully, the weather did like the forecast had predicted- it was stellar, a perfect day for a couloir.

Looking across the Roaring Fork Drainage at a nameless lake, about a half hour into the approach.

Finally, Leg Lake Coulior comes into view, from across Leg Lake.

Had to stop for a water break. Also had to put on my helmet. The rocks exploding as they crashed down the granite walls pretty much commanded it.

Setting my sights, looking up Leg Lake couloir.

About halfway up it, I noticed this little couloir. It turned out that this one went all the way too. Guess I'll have a reason to visit again some day.

Looking down the couloir from about two-thirds of the way up. You can see a significant slide on looker's right that had to have occured the previous day- it was all of the new snow. It had me a little concerned about the stability of the new snow that still covered the top third of the couloir. I chose my route up carefully- short pitches to safe spots all the way.

It was looking pretty good. Things still felt solid.

Looking down from a little closer to the top. I had to break out my ice axe for the last stretch.

A wind scalped area below the cornice that made up the headwall of the coulior. It was cake now!

Up on top I noticed some Forget-Me-Nots that had begun to bloom already- now covered in June snow.

A look at what's on top, above and beyond the couloir. Awesome country! I was super glad I made it this time.

Aiming my skis down the couloir, the edge of Leg Lake visible below.

A ski's-eye view of the Wind River Valley from the top of Leg Lake Couloir.

Bombs away!

Looking down on fresh snow, for the top third. Really good stuff. Too hot to be powder anymore- but it made fantastic virgin corn!

Every few turns I pulled up to let the sluff pass. It was heavy enough, I didn't want to chance riding in it until I was further down. Figured it's best to play it safe while flying solo.

Terrific spring skiing! Great fun!

A look back at one super fun run down Leg Lake Couloir.

A look out across Leg Lake from the base of the couloir.

I hiked back up the couloir a ways to snag another few hundred feet of corn, that went in the direction I wanted to go. It was 10am when I dropped this line, and it was beggining to get too hot.

Couloir conquered, temp rising, it was time to head back to camp.

My last bit of excitement before reaching camp- crossing Roaring Fork Creek.

Hiking in ski boots is always fun. Crossing logs over a creek in them with skis on your back is even more fun.

Whew! Back at camp around noon. Just in time for some grubs and a short nap.

I got this tent this winter. It's mostly for winter conditions, which is pretty much what I encountered the previous night. It was pretty comfy. A little on the heavy end though.

One last look back at Leg Lake couloir and cirque from the meadow I camped in. Took me an hour or so to eat, nap, strike camp and pack the monster. I began my 2 hour march back to the trailhead around 2pm. Pretty cool for an over-nighter!

Back in Lander the next day, on my way to the dump with a load of tree limbs, I get another look at the Leg Lake Couloir. This time I'm not thinking about the trip I took up there a few years ago, wishing I could have skied the whole thing. Instead, I'm thinking, "That's one amazing couloir, and I bagged it!" I was also thinking how glad I'll be not to have to pack my winter tent, skis, and boots on my next backpacking adventure. Ha!

Yaaahooo! The end.