TripLeader
Explorer
Part 1 [On the Road]
We were westbound in western Kansas. The rainbow was out the passenger side of the Nissan. We were bound for a place of isolation fifteen hours away because I bought a map and guidebooks a decade ago. Surely this had to be a good sign.
We had planned it all out in April; finalized everything in the weeks prior to departure. Gear: check. Trail food: check. Vehicle shuttle: check. Hotel rooms: check. Gear (again): check.
After five years in a row of hitting Colorado's Fourteeners, we moved our destination northward. We moved our degree of difficulty in the same direction. We were all smiles and excitement on the way, even in the midst of road construction.
We made it to our room for the night at the Sundance Motel. Late August 2022 in Pinedale, Wyoming. Weather was cool and slightly unsettled. A hint of rain was about. We made an order of two pizzas from Old Stones Pizza and banqueted in the motel room. The restaurant was short-staffed and had closed the dining room.
We stopped by the laundromat to drop off the spare car key for the shuttle at the Clean Wash Laundromat. It was conveniently located right next door to the pizza place. The laundromat owners also owned the Great Outdoor Transportation Company. They would be driving the Nissan from trailhead to trailhead while we were hiking.
An early start in the morning took us across the street from the Sundance Motel to Obo's Phillips 66. They had a deli counter inside that offered a better breakfast selection than anywhere else in a small town at 5:00 a.m. We fueled up in anticipation of the shuttle. Our backpacks overloaded with care.
We started to leave town when the low tire pressure light came on. We went back to Obo's and paid our quarters to top off the air pressure. It turned out to be a minor deflation from altitude. We were on our way shortly.
First light started showing behind the mountains, the Wind River Range of Wyoming. We were in store for the Wind River High Route. Eighty miles of all the high-alpine, above treeline, off trail backpacking, route finding adventure three friends could hope for. Forty pound packs would keep us supplied for the week-long trek.
We neared the Green River Lakes Trailhead. The morning was cool and fog had settled over the water and most places near it.
It was nearly time. The last few miles of dirt rolled by. Was that a moose out the window? Too late, no stopping now. The dream of the Winds was finally a reality. It had come through as the object for the annual mountain trip. This was the sixth year in a row of the three of us venturing out and up. Our peaks had been higher, but our ambitions had not. The scenery was about to improve and impress.
We were westbound in western Kansas. The rainbow was out the passenger side of the Nissan. We were bound for a place of isolation fifteen hours away because I bought a map and guidebooks a decade ago. Surely this had to be a good sign.
We had planned it all out in April; finalized everything in the weeks prior to departure. Gear: check. Trail food: check. Vehicle shuttle: check. Hotel rooms: check. Gear (again): check.
After five years in a row of hitting Colorado's Fourteeners, we moved our destination northward. We moved our degree of difficulty in the same direction. We were all smiles and excitement on the way, even in the midst of road construction.
We made it to our room for the night at the Sundance Motel. Late August 2022 in Pinedale, Wyoming. Weather was cool and slightly unsettled. A hint of rain was about. We made an order of two pizzas from Old Stones Pizza and banqueted in the motel room. The restaurant was short-staffed and had closed the dining room.
We stopped by the laundromat to drop off the spare car key for the shuttle at the Clean Wash Laundromat. It was conveniently located right next door to the pizza place. The laundromat owners also owned the Great Outdoor Transportation Company. They would be driving the Nissan from trailhead to trailhead while we were hiking.
An early start in the morning took us across the street from the Sundance Motel to Obo's Phillips 66. They had a deli counter inside that offered a better breakfast selection than anywhere else in a small town at 5:00 a.m. We fueled up in anticipation of the shuttle. Our backpacks overloaded with care.
We started to leave town when the low tire pressure light came on. We went back to Obo's and paid our quarters to top off the air pressure. It turned out to be a minor deflation from altitude. We were on our way shortly.
First light started showing behind the mountains, the Wind River Range of Wyoming. We were in store for the Wind River High Route. Eighty miles of all the high-alpine, above treeline, off trail backpacking, route finding adventure three friends could hope for. Forty pound packs would keep us supplied for the week-long trek.
We neared the Green River Lakes Trailhead. The morning was cool and fog had settled over the water and most places near it.
It was nearly time. The last few miles of dirt rolled by. Was that a moose out the window? Too late, no stopping now. The dream of the Winds was finally a reality. It had come through as the object for the annual mountain trip. This was the sixth year in a row of the three of us venturing out and up. Our peaks had been higher, but our ambitions had not. The scenery was about to improve and impress.
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