Just need a bigger dog! Wolf dog!Originally Posted by DuneElliot
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Lol...I actually carry a rather bulky but very light pillow; it's my one luxury (that and an air pad). I love that it all fits in my Arc Haul with 6 days of food.
That might smoosh my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That, and I carry a pillow. :-)
Perhaps we need a WhiteBlaze Hike The Wind River Range Buddy Plan?
Wayne
Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
https://wayne-ayearwithbigfootandbubba.blogspot.com
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Yea about like my dive buddy system.......same ocean same day!!!! Works for me....
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I like it
Wyoming is at the top of my list in 2017.
Keep in touch Y'all. We can make this work.
Wayne
Old. Slow. "Smarter than the average bear."
Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
https://wayne-ayearwithbigfootandbubba.blogspot.com
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already mentioned it on another thread, but do not forget about the total solar eclipse swathing down through the middle of the USA on August 21 of 2017, and we plan on using Wyoming as our place to view this. Unfortunately, the swath will be south of the Solitude area... but still, plenty of place in wide-open WY to witness this rare event.
I'll be in the UK until July 11th but would definitely be interested in doing a Wind River Range backpack trip with some other people...but I do hike slow and prefer to take in all the detail of a place. I also plan to be heading to the Colorado Trail at the end of July. I eould love to make a WRR trip work if others are willing and able.during mid July.
Dune, I enjoyed reading your blog reference the Solitude Loop trail. I just completed it myself for the 3rd time 20-22 Aug. I don't write as well as you do but will attempt to shed some light on the areas where you had the issues.
Not knowing where you camped at Willow Park Res. I will simply explain the route as I hiked it. As you approach the reservoir the trail turns left (west). You soon cross a bridge and very shortly the trail takes a sharp left (south). At this point the area is crisscrossed with routes that atvs, hikers, and horsemen have left the trail erroneously or to find camp spot, so it is easy to miss the actual trail. There are a couple of old, small trail signs with 038 on them. But, the actual trail is the most beat-in route. It goes south a short ways then turns west moving away from the res. Before long it turns north. At this point I don't believe the res. is in sight any longer. Going north a ways you will come to a trail marker for 118 (the Penrose Creek tr which eventually takes you to trail 400 (or Tut's 038 Bypass) that leads down to Beaver Lakes. I took this route this time as it gets you off of the ATV road and is probably a bit quicker. But from memory, if you continued going north past 118 you would eventually come to where the ATV route (038) crosses the bridge. I thought that almost immediately you take a sharp left. At most, it is 100 yards before you cut left towards Kearney Res. I took that route about 4 yeas ago (and 24 years ago) and don't remember any issues finding that trail.
The error you made going into Bighorn Res. is also tough to explain. But, as you were hiking down to Cross Creek you should remember seeing a small sign on the left (south) side of the trail. You followed the most beaten-in route that made a right turn (north) which took you to Bighorn Res. Had you stopped and read the sign, near the bottom of it you would have seen in marker, trail 038 with left and right arrows. Immediately below that writing was a note saying,
Bighorn Res trail is behind you". Turning 180d you would be facing the direction you hiked. But, looking left (west)you would have seen a slightly fainter trail (there might have been a small downed tree that you had to step over) which is 038. Following it you soon cross Cross Cr. Continuing west you pass through a large camp area and soon come to the road. There is a sign on the east side of road indicating trail 038. Literally directly across the road is where the trail continues westward.
I know that you didn't have any issues navigating out to Hunter TH but want to bring up another issue. As originally built, the Solitude Loop trail followed 394 all the way to Soldier Park. From Soldier Park it went north on 365/65 to Triangle Park then over the east/northeast flank of Ant Hill to Elk Lake. I have a guidebook written By Bonney and Bonney that was written in the 70's describing the original route. I think that some time in the 70s the Forest Service renumbered many of the trails and at that time re-designated the Elk Lake trail as the Solitude trail 038. Probably to keep it more in the wilderness and off of old/current jeep/ATV roads. Current employees of the FS disagree with me a bit on this but the book is written with such detail that it appears to be meticulously researched. The fact that the wrong trail is labeled as 038 on some maps (at that time, now all of them probably) is also directly mentioned in the book.
Reference not finding side trail to Gem Lake (if it is the Gem like I am thinking of). I also have never seen this trail. My thoughts on it are that so few people hike to it that the trail must be faint to non-existent. I don't think that it would be hard to find simply by using a map and terrain association.
Hope this helps a bit for next time.
Ref the Wind River Range. I have a Yellowstone (and out of the park to Two Ocean Pass) trip planned for 4-8 Sep. But, if the Berry fire continues to have the south entrance to the park closed there is a good chance that we will opt to hike Green River Lakes to Big Sandy instead. You are welcome to join us if we choose that option.
Lonehiker (MRT '22)
How did the Zpacks Duplex hold up? Was there a lot of wind?
The Duplex held up AWESOME. This is a great tent...and yes a couple of nights there was some pretty insane wind. I had some good stakes; slightly heavier version of the MSR Groundhogs that held very well. I never worried about my tent blowing away.
I figured out my mistake at Willow Park Reservoir after I got home and looked at the book. The book describes the route you took, not the one I was assuming from the map. It was all good experience for cross country navigating!
I spent a long time going back and forth looking for the trail going west. I wasn't too worried about where I came out...it still ended up getting me to the same place. I did see where the I should have hit the road to Cross Creek Reservoir and where 038 came in from the east, but I couldn't find any trail for the life of me going west. I really want to drive up there and look again because everyone is telling me the same thing; I know it's there, it has to be there, but I missed it! I walked back and forth so many times looking for it that I think I wore my own trail!
It was a great trip and one I want to do again at some point. I think going counter-clockwise is the best way to do it and maybe next time I would start at Hunter vs Coffeen, just to end with an amazing day coming over Florence Pass!
Would have been interested in joining you for that trip but I had to [finally] go back to work and I don't have the time to take off. Have fun and hope your PCT section hike went well.
I know this thread has been over for quite a while, but I was wondering if any of you knew of good maps or resources for the solitude trail. Information seems to be lacking. I did a road trip from Minnesota to Oregon back in 2014 and loved driving through Bighorn and knew I had to come back. In 2017, I did a 3-day 2-night trip to cloud peak. After doing a 200-mile section of the Superior Hiking Trail this May, I'm ready to head back into the wilderness.
CalTopo on a real computer. DIY printing. Worked for me in the Winds.
Have fun!
Wayne
I replied to your question in the other thread about the Bighorns and Black Hills. Please PM me if you want to chat more
The current National Geographic map is a decent map for the route. Just be aware that the "original" route is slightly different than what the NG shows. The difference being the Soldier Park area. The best resource describing the route is an out-of-print book by Bonney & Bonney. Copywrite was '71 or '73 (my copy is not handy)? I have scanned the appropriate pages describing the "Solitude Loop Circle" and am willing to send the to you. PM me your e-mail address and I will be happy to do so. Just an FYI, there is a small section of the trail that requires that you pack-out your feces. To work around this requirement I simply planned not to camp in this zone and did my business prior to entering it.
Lonehiker (MRT '22)
Alltrails phone app has a map of the trail. I don't know how good it is since I haven't had a chance to hike the trail yet. Trying to sneak it in this year.
4 year old thread, but we finally got our act together and we're heading up there in late August this year, seems like the link to your TR is broken Dune? Do you still have this somewhere online? I realize you're in the UK these days. Looking forward to visiting the Cloud Peak area. We're going to combine it with a Cirque of the Towers visit.
Wow. My first trip west of Mississippi was To the Big Horns. Mirror Lake, Ringbone, Lost Twins, Leigh Creek (Upper and in the canyon). Love that place. Back in ‘76. Hiking to fly fish.
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