TR: Big Sandy 5/9-5/10

**Lone Star** · 05-15-2007, 07:52 AM

In the summer of 2000, I took a position as a volunteer Wilderness ranger in Wyoming. I hadn’t lived outside of Texas-even briefly- since moving there as a small child. I’d never backpacked; I knew mountains only through ski trips and short touristy vacations. My first backpacking trip was also my first 10 day hitch as a ranger. For the first day, my partner and I had what I would now call an easy hike- 6 miles, 400 vertical feet, and a good trail. I hadn’t learned how to pack a backpack correctly, I didn’t know that carrying canned food was a bad idea, and I certainly hadn’t done anything as physically exhausting. I barely made it- I wouldn’t have been able to go a quarter mile farther.

When we arrived at the spot where we made camp, the mosquitoes swarmed immediately and didn’t let up for a week and a half. Our job duty for the following two days was to do Campsite Condition Monitoring, which, for the most part, is cleaning up a bunch of trash out of fire rings. FYI: Foil doesn’t freakin’ burn!! It was miserable work, with miserable bugs….. in paradise. I fell in love with the Winds and the job I got to do.

I’ve skied in the Winds a little bit- on a few of the only peaks that are accessible easily in a day trip. I’ve dreamed about skiing in the heart of the range since I came here. Last week, for the first time, I was able to take an overnight tour in my favorite mountains.

A few days previous, a couple of friends and I took a long day tour out of the only trailhead accessible by paved road. We wanted to check out the snow conditions and see if a tour in that area would be worth trying. We made it in six or seven miles, got some great views, and decided that the snow was good enough for an overnight tour.

Fremont Peak, Hobbs Lake

Paul and I considered going back in with packs, but we knew the approach to a good base camp would probably be ten miles or more. So, we opted to go to the south end of the range and ski out of the Big Sandy trailhead, with the goal of camping at Big Sandy Lake. Same trailhead, same destination as that first backpacking trip seven years ago.

We were able to get our hands on some ATVs, which were necessary since the road to the trailhead still had too much snow to drive a truck through.

The trail is on a southeast aspect for the first couple of miles. This made for dry trail, mud, supportable crust, and deep postholing all within a hundred yards of each other. My feet were wet since the first quarter mile, which involved just-over-boot-top deep water, so my options were a lot more open with no worries about keeping my feet dry. The snow was wet, the skins were soaked, and it wasn’t long before I was skinning across 30 yard stretches of mud, running water, and sketchy logs across running water. I was pretty surprised how well the skins up- I thought they’d be ruined.

Four or five hours after leaving the trailhead, I arrived at our campsite, just six miles away. It was one hell of a slog, and I felt almost as exhausted as that first time in the Winds seven years ago. My feet were thrilled to be exposed to warm, dry air!

The snow at the lake was still holding on all aspects, but there were enough open rock slabs that had melted off to easily find a place to lay down in a dry spot. I spent the rest of the day in shorts, laying on a rock, surrounded by blue skies, limber pine, and glaring bright snow. It’s the first time I’ve ever been able to bask in the sun-all afternoon- in the Winds without a single insect buzzing around my head or eating me. After some good scotch and a starchy dinner, we slept under the stars on a clear night that was perfectly still and comfortable, though probably a bit too warm.

We got up before sunrise, knowing that the warm weather was giving us a small window to play on snow that wasn’t dangerous or manky, slushy, goop. The sunrise illuminated one of my favorite peaks beautifully.

Warbonnet

East Temple peak

We decided to head to the base of Temple Pass, a saddle between Temple Peak and East Temple Peak.

Temple Peak from below Temple Lake

Temple Lake, Temple Pass at far left

Warbonnet with Pingora just sticking out to the right.

Paul decided that he didn’t want to go up Temple Pass, opting instead to ski off a nearby ridgeline which he loves dearly. I decided to continue to Temple Pass, and started making my way up the west flank of East Temple. The sun was heating the snow quickly, and I probably would have needed to leave camp about an hour earlier to summit the peak. Still, I made my way up far enough to get some good turns- and good views of Temple’s east face.

Temple’s east face, with my ultralight touring setup in the foreground.

A closer look at that line near the top.

Can’t get enough Wind River rock

A glimpse of the Cirque of the Towers

I wish I had someone with me to photoslut on this line.

And this one

I skied way down to and below Temple Pass, stopping once more to snap a shot of the view I had the entire way down.

Mom and Dad, this is why I became a dirty bum

The snow at the bottom of the pass went from corn to just-getting-sloppy. By the time I was back at Big Sandy Lake, it was heavy and sloppy, but still supportable. We had intended to stay at our campsite for a second night, but Paul worried about getting our ATVs out in the morning if we didn’t get to the trailhead early enough in the morning. I really didn’t care to be working my way through horribly crappy warm unsupportable snow, but he had a point, and he was ready and willing to start breaking trail down to the trailhead before I even packed up my gear.

The slog out was as bad as the slog in. With fast, crusty snow on continuous snowpack, it would be a quick, fun traverse out. Instead, it was a struggle through rotten, wet snow.

Ya know that feeling where ya think it’s going to support you, and you put that last little bit of weight down, and you break through down to your thighs?

I made it out at dusk, with just enough light to set up camp near the trailhead. Paul already had a fire going. I was worked, for the second day in a row. Felt damn good to get out of those boots, though… and I had another magnificent night’s sleep.

I didn’t ski any crazy lines, and since I was alone most of the time I was on skis, I didn’t get any pictures of anyone skiing. In all, I got something in the neighborhood of two thousand- probably a little less- vertical feet of good alpine turns in. I did, however, get my first taste of a spring tour in the Winds. I was able to go up into one of the more spectacular basins in one of the more spectacular mountain ranges in this country. I made turns while looking out at the Cirque of the Towers, covered in snow. I camped at a lake that sees some of the highest use of the entire range, but didn’t see a single track or sign of people the entire trip. I got a glimpse at just a fraction of the amazing opportunities these mountains have for springtime skiing.

My first summertime hike along the Big Sandy River marked the beginning of the rest of my life. If I’m fortunate, my first ski tour along the Big Sandy will be just the first in a lifetime of spring wanderin’ in the Winds.

**~mikey b** · 05-15-2007, 07:58 AM

nice!

You owe me a couple WY tr's since you took that other job.

Have fun out there this summer, and get in touch with me if you're looking for FS work this winter.

ps - my family still doesn't understand why I chose to be a ditry bum, but after 15 years, they're sorta getting used to it

**TyWebb** · 05-15-2007, 07:59 AM

Great story - good read.

**IridePow** · 05-15-2007, 08:11 AM

Nice writeup, great pictures.

And yeah.... everybody got his share of postholing this past few days.

**skinnyskier** · 05-15-2007, 08:45 AM

Nice TR. Brings back memories of my one and only visit to the Winds: a climbing trip into the Cirque in 1995. Beautiful place! I can't imagine it gets much skiing traffic, given what you guys had to do on the approach.

**marshalolson** · 05-15-2007, 08:53 AM

YEAH MAN!

**Northway** · 05-15-2007, 09:00 AM

I heart the winds!

Great pics and nice write-up, sounds like a great trip, thanks for sharing!

**DJMingus** · 05-15-2007, 09:19 AM

That area is so beautiful... sounds like you guys had a fun trip.

**powdherb** · 05-15-2007, 09:34 AM

I was in elkhart park at the same time and I have a Tr coming soon. I post holed for hours, and didn't have an atv.

**skiski** · 05-15-2007, 12:59 PM

awesome. good see close up pics of the winds in skiable condition. really beautiful. i really need to get up there in spring sometime myself.

**Lone Star** · 05-15-2007, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by powdherb

I was in elkhart park at the same time and I have a Tr coming soon. I post holed for hours, and didn't have an atv.

do tell! you missed great conditions out Elkhart by just a few days. It would have been a cruise up to the Lester Pass area or even farther. Didn't stay cold long enough. would be nice to have a real spring season, eh?

**shera** · 05-16-2007, 05:17 AM

I was wondering what you were up to.

Very nice TR.

My mom sure doesn't understand. :shrug:

**Tectonically_Neglected** · 05-16-2007, 05:29 AM

Nice write up!

**SuperChief** · 05-16-2007, 08:50 AM

Fawk wyo is beautiful until ya meet the roughnecks.

**MarsB** · 05-16-2007, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by SuperChief

Fawk wyo is beautiful until ya meet the roughnecks.

As opposed to here?

**stihletto** · 05-26-2007, 10:37 AM

nice work brent. i'm glad i found this tr.

**alto** · 10-25-2007, 04:47 PM

Jesus H Christ. How did this TR sneak under the radar?

Sickness.

**biggins** · 10-25-2007, 04:53 PM

nice search skills alto. That was the raddest solo tr I've read.

**Sutter** · 10-25-2007, 05:00 PM

Mega-sickness, after seeing this, a trip to go to the WR range is high high high on the dream list. Good bump!

**alto** · 10-25-2007, 05:03 PM

Oops... Actually it sucks there.

**summit** · 10-25-2007, 06:15 PM

cool stuff

**chuckh** · 10-25-2007, 06:24 PM

Nice pix and write-up, thanks!

**Lone Star** · 10-26-2007, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by alto

Oops... Actually it sucks there.

the nice thing about the Winds is that there's enough Wilderness to keep out the riff raff everywhere except around a few summertime trails... I don't feel very bad about posting TRs from there because I know not too many people think it's worth the effort to see those spots. Dummies.