David Metsky
Well-known member
HR told me I had to use up 16.5 days of vacation before Jan 1 or lose them, so I immediately started planning some trips. The first one was 2 weeks in Wyoming with my longtime hiking buddy Seeker, hitting the Winds and Tetons. We just flew home yesterday so the full trip report (I have 4 Gig of photos and video) will have to wait but here's a teaser of the three 2-night backpacks we did.
We landed in SLC at 2:30 AM and the next day headed to the Big Sandy trailhead in the Wind Rivers where we camped amid 50+ cars at the busy Labor Day weekend parking area 30 miles from the nearest paved road. We basecamped at Big Sandy and travelled over Jackass Pass to Cirque of the Towers.
After spending a night in Pinedale (check out the brew pub!) we headed back in the Elkhart Park trailhead to Seneca Lake for our next basecamp. The weather was a bit rainy as opposed to the sun we had at Big Sandy. The next day we headed up to Titcomb Basin which is just spectacular.
After a second night there we headed out and drove to Jackson Hole for buffalo burgers and beers with my friend Scotty. He took me on a canoe down the Snake on Sunday, our rest day, while Seeker spent time relaxing on terra firma. Don't forget, never let go of the paddle.
Monday we headed up the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram (last public run the end of the month) to gain 4000' in 10 minutes and start our hike headed downhill. We spend nights at Lake Marion and Alaska Basin, seeing mule deer, elk, black bears, marmots, and pikas and crossing the wonderful Static Divide Pass then dropping those 4000' down to Death Canyon.
Our final adventure day was an all day drive to Yellowstone where we were on the look out for wildlife and thermal activitiy. Fortunately, that's where they keep both of them.
All that was left was the drive back to SLC (snowed along the way), running through the Phoenix airport to catch our connection, and laundry once I got home.
More to come, for sure.
-dave-
We landed in SLC at 2:30 AM and the next day headed to the Big Sandy trailhead in the Wind Rivers where we camped amid 50+ cars at the busy Labor Day weekend parking area 30 miles from the nearest paved road. We basecamped at Big Sandy and travelled over Jackass Pass to Cirque of the Towers.
After spending a night in Pinedale (check out the brew pub!) we headed back in the Elkhart Park trailhead to Seneca Lake for our next basecamp. The weather was a bit rainy as opposed to the sun we had at Big Sandy. The next day we headed up to Titcomb Basin which is just spectacular.
After a second night there we headed out and drove to Jackson Hole for buffalo burgers and beers with my friend Scotty. He took me on a canoe down the Snake on Sunday, our rest day, while Seeker spent time relaxing on terra firma. Don't forget, never let go of the paddle.
Monday we headed up the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram (last public run the end of the month) to gain 4000' in 10 minutes and start our hike headed downhill. We spend nights at Lake Marion and Alaska Basin, seeing mule deer, elk, black bears, marmots, and pikas and crossing the wonderful Static Divide Pass then dropping those 4000' down to Death Canyon.
Our final adventure day was an all day drive to Yellowstone where we were on the look out for wildlife and thermal activitiy. Fortunately, that's where they keep both of them.
All that was left was the drive back to SLC (snowed along the way), running through the Phoenix airport to catch our connection, and laundry once I got home.
More to come, for sure.
-dave-
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