Wind River Range Restoration: Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming
Trip #01331A
Departs: August 7, 1999
Returns: August 16, 1999
Capacity: 15
Leader: Frank Leslie
Reservation and Cancellation Policy. All trip sign-ups are on a first-come, first-served basis. Questions about reservations or payments should be addressed to the Outing Department. Questions about the trip's itinerary, difficulty, transportation, accommodations, etc., should be addressed to the trip leader.Check out some photos and a map of the area, courtesy of trip leader Frank Leslie.
The Area
The dramatic Wind River Range in west central Wyoming boasts spectacular mountain vistas along the eastern slopes of the Continental Divide. It contains the Indian-named Popo Agie (rhymes with ambrosia) Wilderness of the Shoshone National forest. Covering more than 100,000 acres, this area of streams, lakes, glaciers, steep valleys, and abundant wildflowers offers spectacular mountain views. Wind River Peak (13,192 feet.), is spectacular and usually still snow-tinged in August. This rugged wilderness is located just north of historic South Pass, the "Gateway to the West" for the famous Oregon Trail. Wagon ruts can still be plainly seen.
Wildlife sightings may include eagles, deer, moose, elk, black bear, bighorn sheep, marmots, pikas, and badgers. Fishing is excellent in these remote rivers and lakes, and our anglers have provided several delicious meals for the group! We’re never far from glacier-fed streams. A Wyoming fishing license is required.
The Work Project
Severe winters in Popo Agie are especially hard on trails. After the early July snow melt and swift river runoff, US Forest Service rangers ride horses in to assess the trail priorities for that summer’s work. We won’t know until July exactly where or what the work will be, which adds to our sense of adventure. Typical tasks are trail repair and rerouting, building waterbars and rock walls, brushing, and revegetation. Occasionally, a log bridge is built. We’ll briefly stop work for the 10-20 or so other hikers and riders we’ll see during our isolated stay!
Starting Point And Itinerary
The trip will start from Lander’s Washakie Ranger Station. Meet the ranger station receptionist, sign in on our trip arrival sheet, and get the latest information. An abbreviated sign-in and message list will be on the outside bulletin board for after-hours use. Please arrive the day before the trip to check in and attend the 4:30 PM potluck supper and important trip briefing. You must be at the US Forest Service Washakie Ranger Station (located on the SE corner of US 287 & WY 789 in Lander) by 7:00 AM on the first listed trip day. This day is for US Forest Service van transport to the trailhead at 9,500 feet.
Do not plan to fly home on the last day of the trip; we cannot be certain just when we’ll arrive back in Lander. The closest commercial airports are at Riverton Wyoming (24 miles NE; 30 min.) United/Mesa; Denver (300 miles SE; 6 hr); and Salt Lake City, Utah (275 miles SW; 5 hr). Van shuttle service is available from Riverton and Salt Lake City. I will collect and distribute travel plan information as available to facilitate participant carpooling.
Free camping is available at City Park at the south end of Third St. in Lander. You can hike to the ranger station from there. It is about six blocks north to downtown, then about six blocks east.
Lander (pop. 7200) is home of the famed National Outdoor Leadership School, which offers dorm rooms and showers. Many motels and several bed and breakfasts are available. Also of interest are the Sinks Canyon State Park, where the Middle Popo Agie River disappears underground to emerge half a mile away at The Rise, and a beautiful two-hour practice hike in Sinks Canyon from Bruce’s Bridge (where Jerry and I were married in 1997) to Little Popo Agie Falls, both west on Rte. 131. The Shoshone and Arapahoe Indian Nation powwows at Ethete are also nearby.
The Forest Service will provide four-wheel drive van transportation (about 1.5 hours) to the trailhead, and will also meet us for pickup on the hike-out day. The first provided meal is trail lunch fixings on the first day of the hike (Tuesday). The USFS will horse-pack all our food and cook equipment (with cook tent). We will work four or five days, with alternate free days available to fish, hike, and climb. Excursions to prime fishing lakes are featured for great dinner-time appetites. The last meal provided is the hike-out lunch on the last trip day. There will be a Lander Dutch-treat, good-bye dinner on hike-out evening.
A few weeks before the trip, the leader will send all trip members the departure bulletin with last-minute details. Further information will be available periodically on the Internet at: http://www.oocities.org/Yosemite/1270/update01.
Trip Difficulty
You may want to come a few days early to acclimate at Lander’s 5,400 foot altitude. Weather ranges from 45F to 80F in the mountains, but varies from clear and sunny to occasional storms. We’ve experienced rain, hail, and snow here. We will hike from the trailhead to the camp area, perhaps six to eight moderate to strenuous miles at about 9,000 to 11,000 feet. Children (under 18) must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Conditioning requires three to four months of vigorous aerobic exercise such as bicycling, running, or swimming, along with moderate (30-40 lb.) weight lifting. Hike with your pack to practice with a 35 lb. load. The hardest part is hiking in; you’ll be in much better shape hiking out! This trip is moderate to strenuous, and is recommended for hikers in good physical condition. Be especially diligent if you live near sea level.
Equipment
On Sierra Club Outings, participants furnish their own personal equipment, including items such as boots, backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, a "basics" first-aid kit, toiletries, and eating utensils. Where applicable, participants also furnish their own specialized equipment like bicycles, fishing tackle, snorkeling gear, or photographic equipment. The Sierra Club furnishes all shared group gear, including stoves, cookware and cooking utensils, a group first-aid kit, and food, unless otherwise noted in the trip brochure.
An Equipment Checklist, drafted by the Outing Committee that oversees the Sierra Club’s Outings Program, is sent to all registered trip participants in their reservation confirmation packet after they have applied for the trip. The checklist is a basic list of necessary personal equipment specific to each trip type. In addition to the standard Equipment Checklist, your trip leader may supply details about equipment needs that are unique to this Outing in further correspondence with registered participants. Any questions about the suitability of equipment should be addressed to the leader.
In addition to your regular camping gear, bring two pairs of sturdy leather work gloves. Also, long pants and boots are required for protection during trail work. Your rain gear should be tested at home. You do not need to bring a helmet or eye protection; they will be provided by USFS if needed. We will bring a means to purify all the water used in the commissary, but you should bring some means (such as iodine tablets or a good 0.5- to 2-micron filter) to purify water for yourself at the work project and on days off. Don’t risk giardia!
Some other items you must have are a compass and map, two one-quart water containers, and a day pack. A comprehensive list will be provided with the departure bulletin.
Expectations
Please consider that you are going into the wilderness as a team of people, not on your own. There is a fair amount of flexibility on our trips, and we endeavor to allow time to enjoy the solitude of the wilderness to each trip participant who wants it. We expect trip members to be reasonably tolerant of the human frailties of fellow trip members and to be prepared to make some allowances for the good of the group. Mutual help and encouragement are important to a rewarding trip. Club policy is that day-hiking and scrambling on free days must be done in groups of three or more for safety. This rule will not be waived or neglected.
There are obvious limitations on meals in a wilderness setting; however, we try to surprise trip members pleasantly. Our cuisine sometimes tends towards the vegetarian end of the spectrum, but with some meat as well. If you have special dietary concerns or preferences, call, email, or write the cook. We’ll try to accommodate you if you tell us.
Each of you will be viewed by people you meet as a representative of the Service Trips organization and of the Club as a whole. We are proud of our reputation, not only for getting good work done, but also for being considerate in the wilderness. We trust that you will help us uphold and extend that reputation.
Additional Information
Contact the San Francisco office about reservations and payments. Specific trip information is best obtained by calling or writing to the leader. About two weeks before the trip, you will receive last minute information, including detailed directions to the meeting place, a list of trip members and their transportation plans, etc. Current USFS information is available at (307) 332-5460 in Lander.
References
The folding USFS forest map ("Shoshone National Forest, Southern Half") will do for most purposes; it provides travel info and has a guide map for topo selection. The ranger station and local outdoor stores stock most local maps. Topographic maps (about $4.00) cover specific 7.5 arc minute square areas. Areas might be "Lizard Head Peak" and "Dickinson Park." "Sweetwater Gap" and "Cony Mountain" maps are in this area, but I suggest you get only the USFS map for planning now due to the location uncertainty. Order topos from USGS, PO Box 25286, Denver CO 80225, or buy them in Lander.
Some excellent books on the area are:
Mitchell, Finis. Wind River Trails. Wasatch Publishers, 4460 Ashford Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84124, 144 pp., $5.00. Kelsey, Joe. Climbing and Hiking in the Wind River Mountains. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, 400 pp., $10.95. Wyoming’s Wind River Range. American & World Geographic Publishing, P.O. Box 5630, Helena MT 59604, $15.95. Hebard, Grace Raymond. Washakie: Chief of the Shoshones. Univ. of Nebraska Press, Lincoln NB. Additional Activities
Service trips have a reputation for camaraderie and all around fun. An optional final after-dinner show is a tradition. Some wear improvised costumes, and share stories, songs, skits, and other dramatic talents. We’re open to suggestions.
Conservation Focus
We reduce soil erosion into streams by spreading trail water before it can reach them. We also improve the best trail path and block shortcuts that would increase erosion.
Emergency Contact
USFS Washakie Ranger District, Attn.: Ms. Vicki Gullang or Mr. Skip Shoutis, 333 S. Main St., Lander WY, (307) 332-5460.
Trip Cost
The price of this outing is ~ $360. This outing requires a $50 per-person deposit. Click here for information about applying for an outing.
Trip deposits are subject to our published
Staff
Your trip will be facilitated by experienced staff members who enjoy the unique combination of wilderness, new friends, good food, and satisfying work that rewards service trip participants. Feel free to call us.
Leader : Frank R. Leslie (hiker, camper, webmaster, ex-EMT, and electrical engineer)
Cook: Jerry Leslie (consummate environmentalist, med lab scientist, cyclist, and superb cook)
[mirror.y/Standard_Text.html]Subcommittee Chairman's Message
The trip described in this brochure is organized by the Service Subcommittee of the Sierra Club’s Outings Program. As Chair of the Service Subcommittee, I am interested in your comments and suggestions regarding our trips and our leaders.
Sierra Club Outings are staffed by volunteers. If you have been on one or more Outings and wish to become more involved with trip leadership or other staffing opportunities, please contact the Subcommittee Chair. Members from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to participate.
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