Lizard Head Loop - Wind Rivers Trip

“Dates are very tentative at the moment.

This is a spectacular trip into the Southern portion of the Wind Rivers. We'll hike to Big Sandy lake, then over Jackass pass to the incomparable Cirque of the Towers. Then up the Lizard heaid trail to Valentine lake, over to Grave Lake. Then we'll climb over Hailey pass and return to the Big Sandy Trailhead via Mae's, Marm's, and Dad's lakes.

The other possible dates for this trip are Aug 30 to Sept 4.”

“embear's gone photo crazy!”

“Ooooh La la”

“We did a 12 day trip there. From Grave Lake we did a xctry route and came out at Green River. Awesome trip!

Part 1: http://community.webshots.com/album/46374109YLxqgR/2

Part 2: http://community.webshots.com/album/46392635VoRxji

Part 3: http://community.webshots.com/album/47051606chIxlu

Our trip continues with Part 4-7, but you'll be going over Hailey Pass instead. You'll have a great time on this trip!”

“

The year after you were there, we were on top of Windy Peak looking back at where you were. What a great view from there and cool formations. I took my video camera and have it on DVD.

There is a good reason they call it Windy Peak.”

“Campsites and daily mileage have been updated.”

“Ah, what the heck, let's go now!”

“ooooow....aaaahhhhhh....ooooohh.”

“Kin I come too?”

“Sure! But the dates for this trip are changing, let me update things later this evening.
last edited: 5/20/05 6:56:12 AM”

“The dates for this trip have been changed to August 27th through 31st.

Em and I will be leaving for our vacation on July 1st so if anyone's definite for this trip try to let us know by then.”

“Thats a great trip. A few years ago a group of 5 did figure 8 loop out of Big Sandy to Cirque; over Texas pass to Texas and Shadow lakes; over Washakie Pass to Washakie lake; up to Illinois Pass, down and back to Big Sandy. Thats a spectacular place. I suspect that now there would be alot of snow. I'm not sure the road is currently open to Big Sandy. You've picked a good time, few bugs (hopefully),drier. Nights will be cool, maybe below frezing. I envy you, you'll have a great time.”

“In August of 2001 my girl friend (now X) and I did a five night trip in the Winds. We started at Big Sandy and went up to Pyramid Lake and then over Hailey Pass and down to Grave Lake. Then we went over Washakie Pass and back to Big Sandy. The weather was great and no bugs. It's one of the best backpacking trips I've done. You'll have a great time.”

“Bison, your date changes make me much more likely to be able to make both the Teton Crest and Lizard Head Loop. Before I could have probably made only one.”

“Bison - our trip don't suck! ;)”

“Bateauxdriver - Excellent, keep us informed about your status. If you don't know by the time we take off, we'll make sure that you can contact us to let us know.

Squilax - your trip is horrendous (So I didn't even bother to see where exactly in the Winds you're going, and, well, ok, it's true, no trip to the Winds could possibly suck :) )”

“:p~~~”

“Long live the Winds!”

“This trip is looking better and better. My chances of making this trip and Teton Crest are improving my the day. This is a trip that could exceed my previous excellent adventures. I'll let you know when I am a "fer shure" on this trip.”

“This trip will exceed your previous adventures! I know Bateauxdriver wants to make both trips as well, it'd be great to have a nice group to do both trips together.”

“Yee Haw! Come on boys!”

“Have you got one of these for your group???



pbbbbbbbtttttttttttttt!!! neener neener neener.... LMAO!”

“So we lost em? Too bad.

I was hoping to work out two weeks so I could do the Tetons too, but I can't do that and keep regular paychecks comming/keep the family happy. This sounds like a really great trip. In fact it sounds so good I'll be running when it's 100 degrees to get ready. I hope Bateaux's wife doesn't use up all his vacation so he can make it too.

Let's make it happen.”

“Anybody know of a good bear spray and how to get it?”

“Toejam, I really don't know what's happening with this trip considering the circumstances. Right now I do plan on making it happen. But I'll keep you updated. You won't need any bearspray for this trip, I seriously doubt we'd even see one.”

“Work would be the only thing that could stop me. The kids will be back in school and my mister mom period should be over by then. I work the legs a bit on my Touron trip to Colorado in July. I work outside in the heat now and have to run the stairs a lot. I'm feeling pretty strong right now.”

“I've decided to go backpacking that week whether this trip happens or not for sanity's sake. I'm glad it's still a possiblility. Bateauxdriver, you rock! It will be good to see you.

Nice bears there? I'm willing to carry pepper spray but I'm not willing to wear bells.

Email me - toejamhikes at yahoo dot com.”

“Toejam - Only very shy bears in the area, I've never even seen a bear in the Winds and I've done plenty of hiking there.

I'll try to let you know if I'm absolutely going to do this hike once I get settled in Colorado right around the 1st of July.”

“Settled as in taking up residence in Colorado?”

“Yep.”

“Get out! Where?

Can you get me a job?”

“Denver, need to get me a job first. Probably won't start lookin' for one until September though. Why don't you just get a job and move out there?”

“I've been doing an unhealthy amount of thinking about chucking it all to be in the mountains. I hope you enjoy it.”

“hey toejam, just say phuk it and move. I know four people that did that very thing this past year.

Colorado - its where all the cool kids go to play.

lol”

“Hey Toejam you've got a great place in Granbury. That would be hard to leave behind. In the end though it is just sticks and bricks. Your kids are almost grown so what the heck. Go west young man. I wanted to live in Colorado sooooo bad after my first trip in 1985, when I was 17. I even applied to the University of Colorado at Boulder. I got accepted but couldn't afford to attend. I often think of how my life would have been different if I had left the bayou for the mountains. I'm 36 and have at least 15 years left to retire with pension. I hate to wait that long. I would be happy with just having more vacation time to travel. I've got 4 weeks vacation yearly but I've got another 7 years before I get another week. That is a long dryspell.

We have to make this trip happen guys. I hope Shawn is going to go. This trip is going to rock!”

“Hey Roam, why haven't you signed up for this trip?”

“Yeah I still got kids at home and make too much money to quit and my medical benefits cover a therapist to talk me out of it and a psychiatrist to keep me tranquilized. What a life!

But I'm getting closer and closer to taking up my next career as a campground host. "Y'all keep that food put away - there was bears in here last night. Need to buy some firewood?"

But I'm not here to talk about me. Where can I get good maps of this route? Are there anything besides USGS quads?

I guess the bears won't be hanging out above treeline where most of this hike appears to be. Very cool.

And the trailhead looks like a challenge. Can you get passenger cars there or can I get a ride in a 4x4?”

“Toejam-

The road is rough but should be suitable for a regular passenger car.

Other than the USGS quads you'd want this map-

http://www.lattaoutdoors.com/shop/hmr008.html

Again, even in the trees the bears in the Winds want nothing to do with people. The only place there'd even potentially be a problem would be Big Sandy. Hang your food and that's all you need to worry about.”

“If/when this gets locked in I'd like to get a cabin at Big Sandy for a couple day ahead of time to aclimate. Is that a good enough excuse to just hang out in the woods?”

“That is an excellent idea, Shawn. I was thinking of bagging a couple of peaks on my way through CO to acclimate.

Thanks for the map tip, Bison. I'll have to get one right away.

The reason I mention bears is that when my parents lived in Thermopolis a lot of the locals would turn cowboy in the fall to help the local ranchers herd cattle out of the mountains. Every one of them had two stories; 1)how a horse had kicked their ass 2)how they or their party had been attacked by grizzlies. Most of the grizzly stories were from the Lander area. I've never seen a bear that wasn't within a couple of miles of a trash dumpster. If we don't need to sweat it, I won't sweat it.”

“Tall tales or very old tales toejam, There aren't any grizzlies anywhere near Lander. The only place you'd have even a miniscule chance of seeing a grizzly would be in the far Northern part of the range, we'll be way down in the South.”

““I've done most of this trip but not the Teton Crest. And I'd love to do both, but being that it's realistic to do only one, Teton should be my priority. So I'm signing on there and changing to a (remote) maybe for the here :(

If car pooling from Phoenix makes it work for anyone else, speak up. I could pick you up at the airport on early Saturday, 8/20 flights and head north. And if we planned it right, drop you for late Sunday 8/28 flights home. Check SWA, buy early for great rates.

All this posted without checking the work calendar. (fingers crossed)”

“Just signed up as a maybe. I'd like to do both these trips, (singed up as a mybe on the other one too), but one of my colleagues is on vac for most of August so not sure if my manager will let me go.

Are there permits and costs for anything to be paid ahead of time ?

I'm signed up for the High Sierra Trail starting 7/2, and I think Shawn and I met in passing two years ago on a Sierrapalooza....”

“I'm doing this trip if I have to do it solo. I'll be driving from Texas and climbing a mountain or two in CO. I'm still trying to figure out how to get 3 more days of vacation so I can do the Teton Crest too.

I hope to see all you guys on the trail soon, if not this trip then another.

There's no permits for this trip. The only cost may be if you leave a car at the Big Sandy campground. I haven't checked that yet.”

“I could also pick people up in Salt Lake.”

“toejam - I'm probably going to take Shawn up on his offer of a pick-up at Phoenix or SLC airport for the TCT. Wondering if your route home from this trip would take you close to either of these, and if so if I could possibly carpool with you and split the costs ?”