In September 2016 Dan and I returned to the Wind River Range in western Wyoming for a week of backpacking. We arrived earlier than we normally do, on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. What a MESS!! The Big Sandy trailhead parking lot was completely full. Cars were parked for blocks down the road on both sides. People were coming and going like ants. We'd never seen more than 20 cars at this trailhead. They have scraped and improved the road and the Winds have become more well known. This is the price of fame and easy access I suppose. But next time we'll go a week later.
We are getting older and slower. The first day we stopped at Dad's Lake at a really nice site. It was chilly and windy but great outdoor weather. Our intent was the backpack from there to Billy's Lake along the chain of lakes that leads to Texas Pass. But it seemed that everyone we met on the trail was going to or leaving Shadow Lake, which is just below Billy's Lake. We decided to find a spot below Shadow Lake along Washakie Creek, which we did. We stayed there for three nights and did day hikes and general wandering. Again it was quite windy (the range earns its name), and cold. Mornings were about 22 degrees, which is fine absent wind. But there were no bugs!
We are getting older and slower. The first day we stopped at Dad's Lake at a really nice site. It was chilly and windy but great outdoor weather. Our intent was the backpack from there to Billy's Lake along the chain of lakes that leads to Texas Pass. But it seemed that everyone we met on the trail was going to or leaving Shadow Lake, which is just below Billy's Lake. We decided to find a spot below Shadow Lake along Washakie Creek, which we did. We stayed there for three nights and did day hikes and general wandering. Again it was quite windy (the range earns its name), and cold. Mornings were about 22 degrees, which is fine absent wind. But there were no bugs!