Wind River Range: Boulder Canyon - Cook Lakes Loop

[@ricklarry4212]

Thanks for sharing the road less traveled Bryan. Breathtaking scenery and a wonderful inspiring route. Looks like you picked the right time of year for this one, lots of sunshine and blue skies, a few showers but overall great weather.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thank you very much Rick! This was a great backpacking trip and I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@CatherineGregoryAdventures]

Nice video Bryan! Another great trip in The Winds. Glad you go to enjoy it mosquito free for a bit. :) Can't wait to get back there.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thank you so much Catherine! Never had a bad trip in the Winds:). Yes, next year!

[@waterfallmadman]

very beautiful lakes, and a couple nice little waterfalls. terrific trip and video. I saw in a certain someone else’s video that you saw a wolverine. That must have been very awesome I bet.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks waterfallmandman! Yes, we were at Snake Indian Pass in Jasper NP in Canada when we saw the wolverine ... pretty cool.

[@CarlMonin]

Really enjoyed the video, Bryan. So much to see in the Winds. I’ll be doing more hikes there in the future. Your video helps justify them.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Carl! Yes you need to spend more time in the Winds!

[@jeffreyvasquez3911]

Most excellent, thanks for the journey.👍

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Jeffrey! Glad you liked the video.

[@10emac27]

Hey Bryan, a friend and I are doing a trip along this trail in a few weeks! Backpacking and flyfishing! My first backpacking trip since a very bad mtn bike crash a 1.5 years ago! I'm so excited! If there is any way I could get you to send me where that first night site was it would be much appreciated! would be a perfect first day for us.

[@BryanDeLay]

Glad to hear you going to do a backpack after your accident. Actually, there not much more I can add other than it's on the right side of the trail in some trees between the trail and the creek just before you start the steep climb out of the gorge.

[@chrislonsberry4571]

What a great video Bryan! The scenery is spectacular!

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Chris! The Wind River Range is absolutely spectacular.

[@BeCCaWhere2GoNext]

now i know why its called 'wind river', very windy❣ wow! views are amazing! thanks for taking us along your solo backpacking trip! really enjoyed watching!❣

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks BeCCa! Glad you enjoyed the video.Yes it can be very windy. The trip I did after this one, which I did not video, the wind was gusting up to 70 MPH near Jackass Pass. While I was sitting on a rock and eating lunch a gust of wind picked me up about 3 inches off the rock.

[@BeCCaWhere2GoNext]

@@BryanDeLay !sounds scary! Always,,,stay safe❣️

[@kitjohnson479]

Thoroughly enjoy the video Bryan. I must get to the Winds one day!

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Kit! Hope you make to the Winds.

[@rtucker51]

Always enjoy your vids! Thanks.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks BlueLine Trout! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@cribbsprojects]

Nice light hiking work there! (arrived here via Joey's channel and subscribed...) Nice filming!

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks for watching and subscribing cribbsprojects! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@jasonwatterson6185]

Great video! Just found and subbed your channel. I did the Boulder trailhead with my twin sons in August of 2019, and you definitely got better weather than we did. I have never seen the Winds as hot and dry as that trip. Only benefit was the mosquitoes wings were all burned off! You should definitely carry a fly rod on your trips. No place like the Winds!

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Jason for watching and subbing. Yes, the Winds were very hot last summer, in fact the hottest in the last six years that I've spent the entire month of August backpacking there. My first trip to Titcomb basin was hotter than this trip and my last trip to Cirque of Towers, which I did not film, was very hot too. In years past I've carried a fly rod to the Winds and the fishing is great, but the last couple of years I've been more focused on taking videos.

[@daphnesears8097]

Nice video. Thanks for sharing.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thank you Daphne!

[@mountainwanderer]

Another great video! Lots of good stuff in here. I already wanted to get into the Wind Rivers, but now I might know where I want to go!

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Mountain Wanderer! Glad you enjoyed the video. Yea, the Winds are a great place to backpack and you need to go check it out.

[@cdog2348]

Quality content dude! So much information that helps me plan for college club trips. Can't wait to go to this area!

[@BryanDeLay]

Thank you Cdog234! Hope you can put together a trip in the Winds soon.

[@FOLLOWINGWALKERSWORLD]

Wow! What a great video Bryan. Really love to do that trail myself next year. Looked like Great Lakes & streams to fish along the way.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Tom! The Winds are great with many beautiful trails.

[@Nasgareth]

Thanks for another great video! Really enjoyed the editing in this one.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Crooked Roads! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@DrJohn493]

The hits keep on coming...hope you got a few more in the production room.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks John! One more from my trip this summer: an 11 day, 100 mile trip in Canada with Joey, but it well be the end of October before I get it posted. Next week I'm doing a 7 day trip in the GSMNP. Also I received an email from Will and will check out your videos tonight and tomorrow. Seems like all I've all I've had time to do is edit videos since I've been back home.

[@DrJohn493]

@@BryanDeLay Hope you have some cooler weather in the Smokies next week and will look forward to that report too. Learning to use PowerDirector has been so labor intensive for me that my wife thought I was upstairs looking at porn in the evenings. Had to show her the videos to prove I was innocent.

[@BryanDeLay]

The learning curve on the editing soft ware was long for me and the editing can be time consuming.

[@DrJohn493]

@@BryanDeLay Just caught your guest appearance in a FikeandsHish video of their fishing expedition in that area. That was an impressive hike.

[@BryanDeLay]

They were very nice people John!

[@wyomingadventures]

Great video Bryan! Hope to do that hike some day. Since it's in my state I should get over there and do it. Looks beautiful! You do an amazing job with your videos. I think Wyoming could do a better job with signs in the forest. 💙⛺🌲

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks 307 Wyoming 4E! As Nike says "Just Do It." The trail crew that I ran into mentioned to me that they had bought a router and were making new signs and as you saw in the video there were several new signs on this route. I missed the trail because I hiking fast with my head down while wearing a full brim hat and was not even looking for an intersection at that point. Actually it was the map that was wrong, which happens more often than you would think.

[@wyomingadventures]

It's good they made new signs in the Winds. Being it's part of the CDT. Other parts of Wyoming not so much. Hopefully they get the whole state done. Mainly for people who come to Wyoming to hike and have fun. Wyoming depends on tourism. Know what you mean about maps. Enjoy your next hike. Canada?

[@evaneisentager7142]

Bryan, I love your videos. I backpack in the Winds every summer. I have not been to the Boulder Canyon trailhead yet. How is the road getting to the trailhead? I have a low clearance, 2 wheel drive car. I haven't had any trouble getting to most of the trailheads in the Winds so far. Thanks for all the great videos. Evan

[@BryanDeLay]

It's a gravel road, but in good shape. The Boulder Canyon trail head is next to the Boulder Lake Campground, so RV's and camper trailers can handle it.

[@garyinfante3904]

Enjoyed your videos - just wonder if you wouldn't mind sharing your age - and how long you have been doing backpacks in the Winds. Thanks

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Gary! Glad you enjoyed the video. I just turned 67 and this was my 6th year to spend the entire month of August backpacking in the Winds. In the last 30 years I've backpacked over 11,500 miles in 23 different states and since 2011, I've averaged backpacking 75 to 100 nights a year.

[@ericratzlaff5843]

Very nice video Bryan, looks like it was a wonderful trip. Do you recall the name of the lake at the 11:41 mark?

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Eric! That is North Fork Lake.

[@grahamevans-prosser6045]

I found your channel whilst in pandemic lockdown in the UK - the next best thing to actually being able to get out myself - thanks Bryan great work! One question - how does your new DCF Trailstar compare to your old Silnylon? Thanks Graham

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Graham! Fortunately I've been able to backpack during all this. Hope you're able to get out soon. I like the DCF better, not just because it is lighter, but the fabric does not absorb water like the Silnylon so it dries faster. Also DCF does not stretch so it stays taunt. However because DCF does not stretch you have to erect the tarp flatter than Silnylon to get taunt.

[@grahamevans-prosser6045]

@@BryanDeLay Thanks Bryan. I'm doing a bit of garden camping at the moment and pretending I'm in The Wind River Range!

[@ChrisfromFL]

Enjoyed another scenic video. Just wondering is that area consided Grizzly Bear territory?

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Chris! There are a few grizzlies, but most are in the northern areas of the Winds which is closer to the Yellowstone area. This loop is more south so not too many in this area.

[@bwr3rd]

Another great trip/video, Bryan. Question: what brand name tarp do you use? Thanks and happy trails!

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Buddy! Glad you enjoyed the video. The tarp is a Mountain Laurel Desigs Trail Star.

[@catg0124]

love it !!! do you have a map of the route ?

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Carlos! The maps I use are Wind River Range by Beartooth Publishing. They have the entire range, north district and south district. I did not GPS or prepare a map of this specific route. However the route is easy to figure out with the maps.

[@bendinthetrail3797]

I always enjoys your videos DeLay! Thanks for posting. Besides a tiny bit shorter path, what made you change your route on the trail?

[@BryanDeLay]

Thank you Bend! I didn't plan on taking the primitive trail initially because I've been on some that were basically no trail, but when I got to the junction the trail looked well used and the sign pointed that way to Cook Lakes. So on the spur of the moment I just decided to take it.

[@bendinthetrail3797]

Bryan DeLay - thanks for your response!

[@allenstocks6074]

Awesome video as always Bryan!! You walk so fast you make tired 😁. May I ask what you did before you became a full time trail man?? 🤔🤔

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Allen! Glad you enjoyed the video. I've always had a fast pace and it's more of an effort to walk slow:). For work I was involved in developing commercial real estate. Also for about 17 years I cycled somewhat competitively riding 5,000 to 6,000 miles a year doing lots of 100 mile bike rides.

[@allenstocks4943]

WOW! Sounds like you’ve always been on the go. Good for you! When you get old one day, you’ll already be in great shape! 😁👌🏻

[@donyerwin4587]

Hey Bryan! Another great video! I’ve got to get to the Winds some day, and at 62, it needs to be soon! I’ve been doing a Indian Peaks Wilderness loop the last three summers but I’ve had my eye on the Winds. Are you still wearing the Altras and are you crossing streams and just letting them drain as you hike, then changing into dry socks at camp? Also curious about the tarp. Thanks for the great footage of a beautiful area! Dony

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Dony! Glad you enjoyed the video. The Winds is my favorite place to backpack in the west and hope you are able to get there soon. For this trip I was wearing Topo's, which I like better than the Altra's. My tarp is a Mountain Laurel Design Trail Star made out of DCF (formally Cuben Fiber). I have a video explaining a silnylon version of the tarp I used for a long time.

[@whshome]

Another good one Bryan, love the Winds. And a couple of questions. You don't seem to carry a tripod (?) so how do you get the videos of you walking toward/away from the camera? And the wind was obviously blowing a lot, how do you get your voice not to be obscured by the wind?

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Will! Yes the Winds is my favorite place to backpack in the west. I carry an adjustable length selfie stick (7" to 28") and a Manfroto table top tripod that screws on to the bottom of the selfie stick. If it's windy I put rocks on the tripod feet to keep it from being blown over or if it's really windy I have three cords and three stacks that I can fasten to the selfie stick to secure it. Today I just received a new selfie stick from Amazon that extends up to 43" with an attached tripod and it only weighs 5.96 oz, so I'll see how it works out. Since last fall I've been using a GoPro Hero 7 Black and it has a really good microphone with a mode for windy conditions.

[@whshome]

Bryan, what's the name/model of the tripod you mentioned, 43" tripod that is incredibly light, might be interested in getting one. Thanks.

[@BryanDeLay]

@@whshome Just sent you and email with all the details.