Cirque of the Towers

In September 2012, we did a five-day, four-night backpack trip to see the Cirque of the Towers in Wyoming’s Wind River Range. John was 59 and I was 58.

We started from the Big Sandy Lake Campground.

The trail is relatively flat for the first seven miles until it begins the steep ascent to Jackass Pass. Apparently, this pass is also known by the nondescript name of Big Sandy Pass, but at the time, Jackass just seemed more descriptive.

Once we reached the pass, we began getting views of some of the notable peaks within the Cirque of the Towers.

We could also look back at Arrowhead Lake at the base of Warbonnet Peak.

As we descended from the pass, we could see Lonesome Lake.

We found a private site to pitch our tent not far below the pass and well above Lonesome Lake. This made it easier for John to get out reasonably early for some great photo opportunities.

One example was this gorgeous reflection of the Watchtowers, Wolfs Head and Pingora Peak in an unnamed tarn …

… as well as Warbonnet and Pylon Peaks.

The outflow from Hidden Lake creates a beautiful waterfall that is apparently unnamed, which doesn’t seem quite fair.

We reluctantly left the area as we believed the Cirque of the Towers would be the highlight of the trip, but it was nearly noon and we had miles to go. However, I soon came to realize that it wasn’t possible to have one’s eyes open in the Wind River Range and not see something beautiful.

As we crossed Lizard Head Meadows, we enjoyed the view of Mitchell Peak …

… as well as the unusual Lizard Head Peak and the North Popo River.

The trail then climbed steadily toward Lizard Head Plateau and provided different views of Lizard Head Peak as well as Bear Lake below it.

The wind picked up significantly while we continued on the Lizard Head Trail across the broad plateau. I have seen it referred to as Lizard Head Pass, but it seemed too long and broad to us to be a true pass.

Our leisurely start that day was now working against us as we needed to reach water before stopping for the night. We also hoped to find a tent site that was a bit sheltered from the wind. We were uncertain how far below the plateau/pass we would have to drop before locating a suitable spot. Fortunately, we found a spot not far below the plateau/pass somewhat protected from the wind by some larger rocks and not far from a water source.

It was quite cold that night, and neither of us looked forward to the inevitable need to get up and pee. However, the sky was clear and the stars amazingly bright. The moon was not many days past full and still capable of illuminating the entire area. The moonlight removed what little color there was and turned everything a cold grey. It looked and felt the way I imagined it might on the surface of the Moon.

The next morning was still cold, despite the sunshine, and still windy. The evening before, I had done a little excavating in a large crack in a rock in a moderately successful attempt to shelter from the wind while we cooked and ate supper. I had hoped we wouldn’t need it for breakfast, but we were once again grateful for it.

We continued on to the Bears Ears Trail toward the Moss Lake Trail. After the austere beauty of the Lizard Head Trail, we looked forward to seeing some green.

The trail dropped down into some open trees and took us past Dutch Oven Lake.

We then took the Valentine Mountain Trail, which provided us with great views of the Chess Range in the distance.

The trail continued to drop, taking us through denser woods …

… and across the South Fork of the Little Wind River where we rejoined the Bears Ears Trail toward Grave Lake.

We set up camp close to Grave Lake.

The next day, we continued on the trail as it skirted the lake and joined the Hailey Pass Trail. We could see Mount Hooker, the angular peak to the left in the photo below, in the distance, and we knew that the trail would go through Hailey Pass just to the left of it.

It can be a bit daunting to see something so far in the distance knowing that you have to get there and then continue on for several more miles. But experience has taught us that if we just keep putting one foot in front of the other, we can generally reach our goal.

The trail to Hailey Pass climbs steadily out of the trees, through meadows and back to the austerity of higher elevation. Something we really enjoy about backpacking is the variety of terrain we encounter throughout each and every day.

We also enjoy the sense of satisfaction that comes from looking back and seeing just how far we have come.

After having seen Mount Hooker in the distance, it was interesting to be this close as it looks much less angular from the trail to the pass than it did when we saw it from Grave Lake that morning.

The last half-mile or so to the pass is steep with loose rocks and pathetic switchbacks, not my favorite sort of trail, but at least it is short, and we won’t have to go back down this way.

After crossing the pass, the trail first skirts Twin Lakes …

… before dropping back toward meadows and forest.

We joined the Pyramid Lake Trail just past the unfortunately named Skull Lake.

We continued on the trail through the broad open meadow and under gathering clouds …

… to the lovely Marms Lake, where we planned to camp for our last night out.

The weather encouraged us to put on our rain gear and seek a more sheltered spot before cooking and eating dinner.

The next day was mostly clear as we headed out toward the Fremont Trail. We are both mountain people at heart, but can appreciate the contrast that open meadows provide.

We were disheartened when we looked back at the mountains. Smoke from one (or more) of the countless wildfires that plagued the American West had created a haze that threatened to obscure them.

We had wanted to visit this area for a long time, and we were not disappointed! Despite the smoke, we know we have nothing to complain about on our first but not our last visit to the Wind River Range.

All photos from this trip are on Flickr.