This summer had a frenetic pace, with travel every couple of weeks. I planned again on getting to the Winds with my friend Bryce, which was the big one for the year. We managed to get there this year, fortunately. I also spent time in Montana. We booked the annual trip to the Maxey cabin during the same week that the Bridger Ridge Run was scheduled to take place, so I entered the lottery and was granted the opportunity to run that again, nine years after my last trip along the ridge. The Montana trip was a couple short weeks after the Winds trip, so my fitness was very general (30+ miles of hiking in the Winds with big packs). However, the time at altitude definitely carried over.
The Wind River Range was amazing. Such a beautiful, remote place. We flew into Jackson, then after a couple stops for supplies, drove to Pinedale for some final provisions and up to the trailhead. I could feel the altitude from the get go. The hike into our objective, Ellingwood Peak, is about 15 miles total, but starts very gradually. There are only a couple steeper climbs the whole way- you only gain about 2000′ net vertical (after some downs) over the 15 miles.
We started around 2:30 pm or so and hiked 1/2 way that day, then finished up the hike the next morning. We stopped at Island Lake the second day for a bit, and ate food and enjoyed the view. We were in no great rush on day 2, since we’d be waiting to climb the ridge until the next morning.
We set up camp in an alpine meadow near Lake 10,800′. Beautiful spot.
The plan was to get up before dawn the next day and be on the climb at dawn, but our bodies seemed to have other plans. Bryce had a solid altitude headache, while my body didn’t seem to like processing the high fiber dinner of quinoa and black beans at altitude. Our alarm went off and we’d felt like we hadn’t slept a wink, so we decided to give it a bit. After giving ourselves a pass on the early start, we moved pretty slowly and started heading up to the base of the climb about 3 hours later than planned. This delay would likely put us in harms way of any afternoon storms, should they materialize.
We decided we’d see what our pace was like and then make a call depending upon that pace . I led the first pitch — my first trad lead of the year, no less. It was pokey, but felt like I got back in the groove of placing gear efficiently by the end of the pitch.
Even so, we needed to be moving about twice as fast as we were in order to put the summit in sight at a reasonable time of day. The weather looked pretty solid, but we couldn’t be sure that we’d avoid an afternoon storm if we continued on. So we elected to rap off before we got too committed (retreat gets less feasible higher on the route). I think my body thanks me — I felt really beat up just from easy effort at that altitude for that long, and the walk out was a bit of a slog for me.
I definitely want to go back there, but maybe without lugging all that climbing gear. I would like to climb there again, but I didn’t feel strong enough mentally for it. Seemed like I was fighting a voice in my head the whole time, just wanting to be back home. Committing experiences climbing in remote areas are probably in my rear view mirror at this point. But moving light and fast, making long day trips, seem realistic still.
It was a fun few days catching up with friends at the Maxey cabin. Got some shorter hikes and bike rides in. The Ridge Run went well enough, made good time for me through mile 14 or so, then had to take it pretty easy on the final long 4+ mile descent to the finish as my knee was flaming out. Lost close to an hour through those last miles, but thanks to wiser pacing, still beat my time from 9 years ago (where I blew up pretty bad due to lack of experience).
Its a great event, always glad to take part.
I’d love to type more about the fall, but this post has been sitting on my computer for weeks now, and its now the new year, so I guess I’ll leave it there. Have some thoughts I’d like to hammer out on this platform, so hopefully I can make writing more of a habit!
Sub-urban Adventure 