100 Beautiful and Brutal miles: Backpacking the Wind River High Route

[@two_dog]

Very nice job on completing one of the toughest, if not the toughest, route in the Winds. And you still held it together enough to do a nice video while doing it! Very nice. I've been all over the Winds, sectioned Dixon's route. You went places I've not, hard as nails places, and did well. I still giggle at my name for the Alpine Lakes section "The Valley of the Shadow of Death". The day long endless rock hopping is brutal. Loved your CDT videos too, took me back. you're a God!

[@PeteKnox-q4r]

One of the best WRHR videos I've seen!

[@davidfantle6721]

Excellent video and accomplishment! I've made 4 trips to The Winds before, have climbed Pingora, but have always wanted to do one of the High Routes. I may have aged-out by now, with trashed knees, but still hope to sample portions of it. I really like your approach to audio, with mostly scripted voice-over, rather than 'talk and walk' commentary. Much easier to listen to, more informative and gives a better feel for what you were feeling at the time, and why.

[@dodge_walks]

Wow! What a fantastic route and video. Your cinematography is wonderful, a lovely combination of POV walking and landscape panoramas, the narration was first class and the music fit perfectly. Wonderful piece of work and congratulations on your trip! It looked amazing...and brutal...brutally amazing!

[@eliseott]

Thank you SOOOO much!! I worked on all those aspects for this video and I'm so glad it came through! So brutally amazing is right haha.

[@stpetie7686]

I haven't watched this yet, but my day is already better. You gotta love this lady's videos. Edit: Big respect to both of you! I don't know either one of you, but I'm proud of both of you anyway.

[@eliseott]

Aw thank you so much!!

[@michaelking5490]

I did the Alan Dixon route a couple years back and want to go back to do this Skurka route. Such a beautiful place. Great video

[@eliseott]

that's awesome! I want to check out the parts that differ! Thanks for watching!

[@jjones5424]

I too hiked the full length of the Winds, solo, back in Sept. '96 but my introduction to the Winds was a NOLS 10 day winter mountaineering course back in Jan. of 1976 where we also climbed Wind River Peak!! Your video puts me right back on the trail, thank you!! 😊

[@eliseott]

That's awesome!! I'd LOVE to go to the winds in the winter! maybe when I get better at backcountry skiing.

[@ervinslens]

Another masterpiece my friend, so nicely and professionally presented! Love the ambiance here!

[@eliseott]

thank you so much! you are always so supportive and kind!

[@AlpineAtlas]

An inspiring story- Thanks for sharing the journey. That 3 pass day was mega and crossing Goat Flat in the dark is wild. Kudos!

[@eliseott]

thanks so much for watching! I'm excited to follow along with your nolan's journey!

[@chase-mode]

The way you took on such a challenging route is really inspiring

[@eliseott]

thank you!! It was years of build up!

[@abomb207]

You are a certified badass. What an incredible trek through such beautiful and challenging terrain. THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!

[@eliseott]

I'm blushing!! This route humbled the heck out of me, but thank you so much for watching!

[@hiking_heather]

Truly amazing! 💗 Love your narration and what a beautiful hike. This is now added to my list!

[@eliseott]

amazing! thank you so much!

[@dodge_walks]

Back from Florida and this pops up! Time to make a coffee, that's the next half hour sorted!

[@eliseott]

appreciate your continued support!

[@markellison143]

Congrats on the hike! Really cool to see E and I had very similar experiences along the way. It feels like your video mirrors what we went through and for that reason I’ll hold it close. This hike was savage, completing it in any way is no small feat. Definitely go back for NY Pass, it’s way easier than it looks, the descent was surprisingly stable.

[@eliseott]

thanks so much!! I can't wait to catch up with y'all over beers and discuss. It's very validating that you had a similar experience. I will def go back for NY! We felt it didn't look too bad at all but were hoping to get over Raid Peak that night, which, of course, didn't happen 😅.

[@bigbranch1]

Thanks!

[@eliseott]

Thank you so much!!! Very appreciated

[@markwilliams9133]

Epic! Congratulations.

[@PaulEgges]

I love the Winds, but I'm not sure I would be up to the challenge of the High Route. Congratulations!!! EDIT: Finally, just finished watching and all I can say is WOW!!!! While I knew it would be tough. WOW!!! Very, very impressed! I'm always so happy that the Wind River Range was never made into a National Park. Keeping it wild and less visited makes it very special! 8 days is a lot of food. I've never owned a minireach, but if I ever decide to attempt this route I would definitely invest in one. Again Congrats!!

[@eliseott]

Thank you so much!! It was so much harder than I anticipated and in a way I'm glad I didn't know haha. Ditto on the national park. Trails don't even go to so many of the best spots in the winds I'm realizing. The inreach gives me and loved ones a lot of peace of mind, which is nice! thanks again!

[@steveh5169]

Just got back from a trip in the winds with my two sons. It's already been said, but this is some badass shit! You really should feel proud of what you accomplished. I'm much older than you but wish we would have tried some off trail hiking. I've watched this 3 times and you've inspired me (along with my wife & kids) to lose some weight and get in better shape as I was constantly sucking wind. Keep it up and thanks for the video!!

[@eliseott]

wow what an awesome family trip! I do!! Still setting in though honestly. Three times! What an honor!! The altitude is no joke, i'm lucky to live around 9,000 feet which helps a lot! Any part of this route would be awesome as a section hike too!

[@wildeone1636]

You girls are such badasses. Imma start doin full body strength training to become a better hiker.

[@eliseott]

I need to do more strength training but I feel like the little I have done definitely came in handy!

[@mrspackraft4341]

It's a very interesting story. You are really cool

[@eliseott]

thank you so much, I feel very lucky!

[@wanttogo1958]

Very well done! Quite an accomplishment you should be proud of for sure. Three passes in one day in the Winds is extremely ambitious. I’m very impressed. Do you have Nancy Pallister’s book (2d edition) that provides some great off-trail (and on-trail) hiking routes and descriptions for the Winds? It’s well worth the expense if you want to create your own off-trail route in the Winds. The Winds is certainly a very special place. Congratulations again!

[@eliseott]

Thank you so much!! I don't have that but I will absolutely be purchasing - thanks so much for the recommendation!!

[@teddyhcuts]

so bad ass! thank you for sharing!

[@eliseott]

thank you for watching!

[@sarahboomer9392]

Bravissima!

[@robertsanders8866]

Pretty cool

[@suemoore1965]

COOL VIDEO. THANKS FOR SHARING 💕🤍👣

[@eliseott]

thanks for watching!

[@rockytopwrangler2069]

... Awesome location ... Enjoyed the video ,, well done ... 8 days ,,Wow !! ,,would take me a month , I would have to spend a couple days fishing each lake .... Note to self : Do NOT follow a Skurka route ... Stay Safe ...

[@eliseott]

thanks so much!! I was making mental notes the whole time of places to come back to fish! Killed me a little to pass them all.

[@neilquinn]

How was route finding? Outside of the difficulty that's another thing that I think might be tricky there

[@eliseott]

On a macro level, not bad at all. You're almost exclusively above tree line and usually can see your objective or obvious waypoints leading to it. There was one forested section that was a little more tricky. On a micro level, the decision making and gettting over so much talus is definitely what added to the difficulty of the route.

[@neilquinn]

@@eliseott That's what I figured - prob a lot of minor route decisions around all the rocks

[@addyfalgoust]

5 toes and claws…depending on the size, those could be wolverine tracks!

[@eliseott]

ooooh! maybe! we were debating between cat and wolf (figured not cat because of the claws), coyote seemed too small. Probably have to add wolverine as a possibility as well!

[@rockytopwrangler2069]

.. def. Mountain lion .. claw imprints are separate from pad on Wolf and defined X pattern crossing large pad .. .. Cats don't walk with claws out .. but do form this rounded pattern ..

[@malencid]

How many days and month and day of start

[@eliseott]

it took us about 7 days!

[@fannypack96]

What did u use for navigation? Maps? etc ?

[@eliseott]

We used Andrew Skurka's WRHR guide which has written descriptions as well as maps. We had paper maps with us as well as digital maps with waypoints! We primarily used the digital waypoints because it's much quicker than the paper maps, but we could have used those if needed!

[@watch-Dominion-2018]

Have you watched the movie Wind River?

[@eliseott]

yes, it's devastating but definitley some important issues.

[@Andrew_Briscoe]

You two are hardcore. Note to self: Take the non-Skurka route.

[@watch-Dominion-2018]

20:59 😳

[@JamieEcker]

What we’re the dates of your trip

[@eliseott]

July 28-August 4!

[@BucolicAholic]

Drop those F bombs in the narration, I don't understand why we go all Attenborough narrator but then Carlin on scene. Unite these worlds! "Feeling enervated, we sauntered up the fkin arduous trail"

[@celiareed1402]

Not very articulate but WOW!

[@PaulEgges]

Thanks!

[@eliseott]

thank you so much!