Backpacking The Wind River Range - Wyoming's Best & Highest Wilderness

Isolated deep in western Wyoming is a 90 mile stretch of mountains known by many as, "The Winds". This section of the Rockies is home to 19 of 20 of Wyoming's tallest peaks. Ask anyone about The Winds and you're likely to be hit with a superlative or two. It's a magnificent mountain range that makes your neck hurt from looking up all the time. Here, hiking at elevations above 9,000 ft is all too common. This area also has an outrageous amount of alpine lakes. Several hundreds in just this mountain range alone. The Wind River Range should be in everyone's to-do/bucket list because the truth is, your first time here will make you want to go back again and again.
00:00 Drone Intro
01:21 Day 1
02:29 Day 1 Recap
11:27 Day 2
13:58 Day 2 Recap
20:04 Day 3
23:32 Day 3 Recap
31:53 Day 4
32:34 Day 4 Recap
38:41 Day 5
42:50 Day 5 Recap

[@SouEuIAm]

This is the best Wind River video that I've seen. Your cinematography is outstanding and blows everyone else away. Can you post a map of your route? I'm kind of interested on where you went. I'd like to hike the Winds one day.

[@tweedytreks]

Thank you very very much. As you can tell, it takes an immense amount of effort and energy during AND after. You'll appreciate my sawtooths video as well and in a week or two I'll have a Canada video up - that should be great as well. The product should only get better in 2024. I really appreciate your feedback though. I'll post my map details tonight.

[@tweedytreks]

Okay, below are the daily tracks from my phone. I'm not sure if you're able to see all the routes from just one of these links or not so I supplied them all. www.gaiagps.com/public/FkNBWlk6KA2lQzZonTuCRlyl/ www.gaiagps.com/public/ZIvuHgfeDOab2TAfQCKnYjDn/ - keep in mind, day 2, I took a very dangerous alternative route at the very end of the day along Fremont Creek. It was a primative trail that was good for about 50% of it until I basically got cliffed out and was doing some rather sketchy ledge walking for a couple different sections. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS FOR ANYONE. If you do take this route, make sure to stick to the highlands the moment the trail gets iffy along the creek side. www.gaiagps.com/public/dzQSd2aSeUdCi5WNcEEZIoMe/ www.gaiagps.com/public/vsW3Lb6TJD1DjE7NAo3SjxDw/ www.gaiagps.com/public/PLCrSwnaxuHYstp1VYWZ5oJH/ Let me know if you can't access all the tracks in one view and I'll send over the mapped out Cal Topo route.

[@SouEuIAm]

@@tweedytreks thanks. I'm going to re-watch the video and follow along on the map. That first part with the jagged peaks is pretty stunning.

[@tweedytreks]

@@SouEuIAm hell ya. Man, the peaks here are some of the best in the country.

[@naturearoundtheworld2425]

Thank you for sharing the beauty of your country through your lens! Beautiful!

[@tweedytreks]

Of course. Appreciate the feedback!

[@jenb.6440]

This is a great video with excellent beta; thank you! We're happy we found your work!

[@tweedytreks]

Thanks a ton Jen for the feedback. Glad I could help. A lot more to come!

[@vinnyandrocky]

So beautiful, wish I can do the same. Thanks for taking me along.👍

[@tweedytreks]

Of course my friend. That’s my intention. I’m glad you enjoyed!

[@fritzwjrwitte9846]

Fantastic video . Awe, inspiring adventure. I have to put this on top of my to-do list. Thanks

[@tweedytreks]

Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate it. This place was mesmerizing. Get out there this year my friend!

[@MediocreOriginals]

some great footage, and the scenery very nice

[@tweedytreks]

Thanks! This place is incredible and beautiful. I’ll be back for sure.

[@MediocreOriginals]

its a good video and i know how much work goes into it i used to have a channel out of Idaho a few years ago that was alot like yours it was semi susccesfull i had a good following. i pulled it down this mining channel i started a couple years ago just to give it another go but im not making anymore i havent in a year but i am still an outdoorsman hiker and backpacker here in north west Montana my wife and i are out all summer@@tweedytreks

[@tweedytreks]

Yeah, making these films are tough, but I enjoy alllllll of it…so here I am. That said - just do you. Whatever you enjoy, keep doing more of that. Having a partner to enjoy it with too - you got it made my friend.

[@michaelturner6358]

Shane, thank you for this. I’m no longer physically able to go and do this anymore and I appreciate you sharing this with us all. The scenery is truly stunning! Just down the road from ya in CDA. Keep up the fabulous work.

[@tweedytreks]

My pleasure Michael. I appreciate your comment. My intention is to do it for as long as I can. I've got a huge bucket list that always seems to grow, not shrink lol. Much more material to come.

[@lonroyd]

this is a great video, and now a new place added to my bucket list. Also I was holding my 8 month old granddaughter and trying to put her to sleep. I decided to watch this and she calmed right down and watched it too until she fell asleep. Thanks for sharing.

[@tweedytreks]

Yeah, the winds is absolutely a bucket list location. So much beauty to explore out there. Captivating the lil ones while they’re young.

[@Jstolenn]

Another great video

[@tweedytreks]

Thank you my friend. I appreciate you and your feedback. Cheers.

[@waterfallmadman]

Beautiful place to backpack. Incredible scenery, mountains, and lakes. Very nice. I have subbed.

[@tweedytreks]

Appreciate you friend. Yeah, this area is a love at first sight place for me.

[@SoloSchmitty]

Awesome hike! Its hard to beat the Winds! I did a hike somewhat similar in 2021 but in reverse. Started at Elkhart TH to Island Lake, Titcomb, over Knapsack Col to Peak Lake then Shannon Pass to Elbow Lake, summit lake. I had the same thought about Borum Lake, stunning! Then past trapper, tons of blowdown between there and Glimpse lake, was really struggling to find the trail down to the minimum maintenance sign you showed in the video. Passed Long Lake and a brutal uphill back to Elkhart to end the trip. Really enjoying your videos!

[@tweedytreks]

Thanks again brotha. Appreciate the feedback. You’re not kidding though. That’s very very similar in reverse. Man, that section from Glimpse up to long, is a total headache and not enjoyable lol. I had it in greatttt condition too I’m sure of it. I can only imagine July and Aug in there. Those are the kind of miles where you’re really in your head a lot. Fortunately, those two sections were split up for me but still. They sucked! I’m with ya though. The winds are a fascinating place and I have it up there with the best of the best.

[@Olympic_TryAthlete]

About 24 minutes in. Going to have to finish later, but man that is some awesome footage. Sound track is perfect again. Not sure if work and life in general will give me the time, but there is a 73 mile open loop close to me in the Olympics. Up the Enchanted, down the West Fork Dosewallips to Dose Forks, up the main Dose to Dose Meadows and over Hayden Pass, down to the Elwha, up over Low Divide, and out the N. Fork Quinalt. One could vary it a bit to include the Duckabush and Lacrosse Pass (which you have done), or Finish with the Skyline Trail above the N. Fork Quinalt. At any rate, not sure if I’ll ever get to do that one, but if you are looking for ideas…

[@tweedytreks]

Thanks again brother. I had such a good time filming this one. Hard not to in an area like this. That route sounds pretty appealing and at minimum another one to consider. Last year, on the way home from the winds the ranger at ONP called me to tell me that they were cancelling my permit. I was supposed to do the Skyline Loop but there was apparently a nearby fire. Hoping it didn’t cause too much damage because I really want to do it. There’s supposed to be a ton of bears in that section.

[@SouEuIAm]

Have you thought of hiking the Uinta Highline Trail in Utah? It's 108 miles and you're over 10,000ft for about 80% of the time. It's a little different environment than most of the Rockies. It's a young mountain range, mostly red quartz, instead of gray granite peaks. It's a little variety compared to what you are probably used to. It is also very remote and not as trafficked. Sometimes you can go several days without seeing another person.

[@tweedytreks]

I absolutely have considered it and it's on the never ending bucket list. It's likely to happen at some point in the next few years. It's the first place I'd go in Utah.

[@OneEyeHikes]

The winds win every time!

[@tweedytreks]

Yeah, pretty hard to be cooler than the winds.

[@alex.fastov]

Nice work 👍🏼

[@tweedytreks]

Thanks man! Hope you enjoyed.

[@alex.fastov]

Great vlog! I'm sure you will be in recommendations! Maybe more pictures from trail. This is amazing!@@tweedytreks

[@tweedytreks]

@@alex.fastov we’ll see what shakes up. But yeah, for next year I got lots of tricks of my sleeve to keep getting better and incorporating pictures is one of those elements.

[@kelkellys674]

nice video, been to wind river range, between the winds versus sawtooths which would you choose do do?

[@tweedytreks]

Such a difficult choice. They’re quite comparable and in my opinion, I don’t think you’re really picking one over the other for something obvious like: better lakes, views, summits, fishing etc. They’re both sooo similar in all those ways/attributes - they’re nearly perfect. For me though, I’d let weather and time of year decide for me. Assuming great weather in both areas, July 15-Aug 15, sawtooths. Aug. 15-Sept 15, winds. Weather and smoke being completely vital to both. Sawtooths commonly can get heavily smoked out. Winds can commonly have terrible weather windows. If I face either, I’m going to the other or even a 3rd different option. For me personally, how I wind up going to X place is in this order: 1. How badly do I want to go to X place? 2. Is the weather window good or better than good and predominantly smoke free? If both check out, then it’s on. If not, then I pivot. Of course, not everyone can do that and I feel very fortunate for where I live to be able to have that flexibility. Cheers and thanks for your support and feedback.