Every year a group of women and I go on a backpacking adventure together, and it’s been such an incredible tradition. This year we went to the remote Wind River Range of Wyoming. Here’s how it came to be, gear, food, the play by play, and way more than ever wanted to know about it all…
Background
A few years ago one of my closest friends, Mardi, and I decided we needed to plan a yearly outdoors trip with just women. You can hear more about how it started at the beginning of this Maine canoeing post (which was our first trip). In a nutshell, I was feeling like much of the outdoors experience I had was with and directed by Jared, who has a lot more experience than I. I love our trips with him, but I found myself letting him lead in terms of planning and execution. I wanted something that was all my own. It continues to be one of the highlights of my year in so many ways. In travel and adventure, in physical strength and confidence, in my relationship with other women, and emotionally in the metal game of physical challenge, mindfulness, and introspection.
Our group
Our group has grown pretty organically but we’ve been trying to keep it between 5 and 8 people for logistic and safety reasons. The first year, Mardi and I each invited a couple friends that we thought would be a good fit for a trip like this. Friends that had backpacked before and were down for adventurous trips. The second year some of our original group couldn’t come, so we invited a couple new friends. Group dynamics are challenging, for sure. There’s an intensity that happens when you combine the amount of time spent together with the challenges of survival in the wilderness. It’s something we’re continually fine tuning but I feel so lucky to adventure with such strong women that I count as some of my closest friends.
This year our group was (from left to right above): Jen from Vermont, Devon from D.C., Rebecca from Cincinnati, Mardi from Boston, Evadne from Boston, myself, and Diana from Portland.
Trip Overview
This year we headed in the Wind River Range of Wyoming. More specifically we headed to Titcomb basin which is on the Northern side of this range. This is one of two very popular destinations in the Wind River Range, but it’s still one of the more remote parts of the US with very little trail support, and completely primitive, dispersed camping. This means that there are no designated camping spots. There are rules though and you do need a permit. You can’t camp too close to the trail or a water source, but besides that it’s up to you where you want to pitch your tent. It also means you need to dig a hole at least 6 inches deep when using the bathroom and carrying out used toilet paper. We had a system for this I’ll describe when talking about gear coming up. In some areas of very high elevation or incredibly sensitive landscape you have to pack out human waste, luckily we didn’t have to do that!
Our plan was to spend 2 days getting in, and then setting up base camp right outside Titcomb and spend two days doing day hikes into the basin, with one long day to head back. Because we were bringing llamas with us (more of that in a bit), we couldn’t actually camp in the basin.
You can see the approximate spots we camped on this map. Each night has a label: 1, 2, 3, and 4.
The Pack Llamas
Because of the amount of mileage we would need to cover and a couple of us had some physical limitations on carrying too much weight, we decided to rent pack llamas. Mardi has a friend who works for NOLS in Wyoming, and has led many trips into the Winds and suggested it. We rented llamas through a company called Lander Llama. There was 3 hours of llama training involved to learn how to properly care for and saddle them up with gear and load the panniers (the bags they carry). Each of the llamas can carry up to 75 lbs, which meant each of our pack weight was cut down from 40+ lbs to under 20. This made a HUGE difference. Essentially it was like carrying around a day pack. The panniers did need to be equally weighted each time they were loaded up in the morning, which did take time. Other than that, maintenance is pretty low for them. They graze at camp and drink at river crossings. You don’t need to pack any food for them besides a small grain bag for a treat.
Because we were bringing livestock with us, we had additional restrictions on where we could and couldn’t camp. We had to be even further from water sources and couldn’t camp in the more populated spots. Mardi worked closely with the ranger over the phone before the trip to figure that out and create the best possible route to take for us and the llamas.
Altitude Acclimation
One of our major concerns was altitude acclimation since we were all coming from sea level. Because of that, we tried to get there at least a day or two ahead of the departure day. Altitude sickness can be really debilitating, and most of us had issues with it on the trip regardless of our acclimation attempts. I was one of the lucky ones who didn’t, and I think it may have had something to do with this herb called ginkgo biloba I took. I heard it could be helpful in preventing altitude sickness by improving circulation. It might have been a coincidence but I had zero problems with the elevation, where most others did ranging in severity. One member of our group had to come straight from sea level the day before and didn’t have the opportunity to acclimate. She ended having the most severe response to the altitude, feeling very nauseous and lethargic for the first 2-3 days of the trip unfortunately.
For cooking, we used Jetboils stoves. These are by far the smallest, quickest way to boil water. You can’t fly with fuel, so we had to pick that up in Wyoming. Another important piece of gear is the small shovel for digging holes to use the bathroom. A couple of us brought shovels but this Sea to Summit Pocket Trowel one is by far the best and easiest to dig with.
Speaking of the bathroom, all of us had a different plan for this situation. Like I mentioned before, we had to dig holes for human waste and we had to pack out any used toilet paper. Most of us packed several small ziplock bags filled with a bit of baking soda for the used toilet paper. Also, we packed about a roll of toilet paper each. This seemed to work well.
Other things I packed were: my travel camera, an external charger for my phone, baseball hat, sunglasses, beanie, hiking poles, small waterproof sacks called zpacks, a book, a journal, 2 headlamps, and a sleeping pad. For bug repellant many of us used Permethrin which you spray on your clothes beforehand and then a small OFF spray for exposed skin. There’s been a lot of research about the use of permethrin and although it’s a harsh chemical, as long as it’s not on your skin and just your clothes it seems to be very effective. Picaridin is another great new option as well many people love. Mosquitos were often a bit annoying at camp but didn’t bug us much at all during our hikes. Clothing and sleeping bags were in compression dry sacks in case of rain.
For water we brought three water filters. One that was a Katadyn Base Camp bag and could filter and hang on a tree (great for a group), and two hand pumps. The better the water source, the less trouble you’ll have with the filters and the easier the water will flow, but for the most part they worked great.
If you have other questions about gear, please let me know!
For dinner, everyone used freeze dried backpacking meals, Mountain House being the most popular. There are also brands like Backpackers Pantry and Good to Go that try hard at making things more interesting but I’ve never loved them. I’m all about the basics. My favorites are MH spaghetti with meat sauce, pasta primavera, mac and cheese, chicken and rice, and beef stroganoff. I’m not too adventurous, it feels too much of a risk. If you’ve never had freeze dried meals before, you’d be surprised how much you’ll enjoy them! You simply boil water in the Jetboil and then add it into the pack, seal it up, and let it cook for about 15 minutes. Then, you simply eat straight out of the bag. No mess or clean up involved.
Day 1
We started at Elkhart trailhead with the goal to head to Pole Creek lakes to camp which was around 11 or 12 miles in. We started in the forest and headed through beautiful fields of flowers, stopping at Photographer’s Point for lunch (image below) where we had a nice view. After Photographer’s Point the landscape changed quite a bit to be more exposed, passing lake after lake. The first day was the only day we didn’t swim (er skinny dip), but every other day we did! There wasn’t much elevation gain on this first day. At about 10 miles we stopped to talk to some rangers and one of our llamas, America, sat down on the trail and refused to get up! It took us a while to convince him, maybe 20+ minutes? It was stressful, and not something that we were prepared for. Another challenge on our first day was coming up to a very large river crossing (pictured here) that we also weren’t expecting. It took us a while to decide that this was, in fact, the way we need to go and that we didn’t have a choice but to attempt the crossing.
Day 2
It surprised ourselves our long it took to pack out in the morning with the additional chores of the llamas! Most times when we backpack we can wake up, eat, and pack up in about an hour and a half, but with the llamas it took more like 2 hours. This was the day we had the most elevation gain to cross Lester Pass which would bring us to the base of Titcomb Basin. The issue we had the day before with the llama was top of mind. We began to prepare for the fact that A. America might be sick and it might be worse and B. We might need to adjust our plan.
After lunch, we headed up towards Lester Pass. At this point Diana and I had walked a bit ahead with the llamas (we were nervous about stopping too much with them right before the highest elevation pass). The rest of our group was quite a bit behind and we came across the most challenging part, which was a large and steep snow patch right at the peak (maybe 200 yards of snow). The llamas resisted, and then reluctantly starting to head up, but quicker than we were comfortable with. Leading the fast llamas was terrifying, I have to say. The footing was slippery, and steep. We were quickly trying to dig our feet in the snow, knowing that if we fell, we could slide into the llama behind us, knocking them over and probably sustaining some major injuries in the process (sorry, mom!). These llamas are by no means small animals. All I remember was Diana telling me from behind, “GO GO GO!”
Honestly, it wasn’t a safe situation but in the moment when they started moving we just had to move, and went as smart and fast as we could. I’m not sure what else we could have done. If the rest of the group was there, it’s possible we would have come up with a different solution, but there didn’t seem to be any way around that giant snow field. There are unknowns and risks inevitable in these trips. Mardi had spent so much time with the ranger figuring out our plan, but the area is remote enough and this particular route we took the first 2 days was not the most travelled. The river crossings and snow pass wasn’t something we, or even the rangers I think were fully aware of. Again, in a few weeks they wouldn’t have been there.
Day 3
We were hoping to give the llamas a nice break this day, so we continued down and set up camp in the same spot we had been planning to camp the day before. Instead of spending day 4 also in the basin, we were going to head back and break up the last day of mileage, which was originally going to be around 15 miles out. We knew this would be a problem with the llamas. Actually, to clarify, it was just one llama, America. Tommy was excellent and he could have handled the mileage. Our concern was that there weren’t any permitted spots for us to camp with the llamas on that 15 mile route back, that was why we had originally planned on having a long day out. But, that seemed to be the best plan we could come up with.
Day 4
We broke camp and headed out, taking our last views of the beautiful basin. We knew there weren’t any spot we were permitted to camp, but hoped it wouldn’t be an issue. We ended up stopping at Hobbs Lake, about 7 miles in. We found some great spots that looked far enough away from Hobbs lake and the trail. Later that afternoon, some rangers came by and we were given a bit of a scolding for being in an non permitted camping area with livestock. They were pretty nice about it and didn’t make us move, especially after learning about our situation with the llamas. So, all was well. We skinny dipped once again, we made dinner, we hiked up to a high rock and watched the sunset. This was our last night and we wanted to soak it all up.
While we were waiting for the llama company to arrive, Mardi and I went into town and came back with popsicles, soda, chips and sandwiches. It was SO nice to eat real food after 5 days in the wilderness. We then spent the next two days at Lakeside Lodge, a quaint little retreat with cabins and a great restaurant right on the lake only a few minutes from Pinedale and the trailhead. So nice to have time to decompress after an intense few days.
These trips are always incredibly challenging but I consistently feel like I come home a changed person for the better. More connected to my body, more connected to myself, other women, and the beautiful world around us. This tradition has been one of the most life altering thing I’ve done for myself. I highly recommend it and can’t wait for another year and another amazing all-women adventure.
I love reading about each of these adventures. I was raised by a single mom who took us on wilderness adventures fostering my love for the outdoors. I, too, have let my husband take the reins on a lot of our family outings so your desire to do this on your own really resonates with me (and I love our adventures together of course). Have you ever thought of taking your children out on your own? Not an adventure this epic I’m sure. I only ask because that’s one of my goals – I want them to see me as I see my mom, who is so strong and capable of anything. Your kids also have this amazing record and these stories of your trips. Very inspired and think you and these ladies are amazing!
I really love hearing about this trip every year. Such a great idea!
Thank you so much for sharing this. I loved reading it!
I went on my first backpacking trip 2 weeks ago with girlfriends. It was 2 nights in the enchantments near Leavenworth, WA and it was awesome! I can’t wait for my next trip!
These kind of trips are so good for the soul! Loved the trip report!
This entire trip looks like so much fun! We totally need to explore Wyoming more! I feel like its totally underrated!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
This is such a helpful post. I appreciate that it wasn’t just inspiring – but also super informative. Thank you for sharing. I’m sure it was hard work to write this all up!
Thanks so much for sharing all the details. These pictures are incredible and your trip is such an inspiration. I can’t wait to hear the location for next year.
What an amazing trip. It sounds like nothing I’ve ever done before. The photos are incredible!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
So inspiring!!!
Yes! I loved this post! Thanks so much for sharing the behind the scenes planning side of your trip – as well as the adventures! I mostly do shorter day hikes and car camping trips, but have been wanting to plan a backpacking trip so all of the packing + gear tips are so helpful. Thanks! And same as Linda K. – can’t wait to read next year’s edition.
if you’re a regular hiker, you can definitely do a backpacking trip. really it’s about the gear, but you can rent stuff as well from your local REI
Fabulous post – thanks for the generous sharing of “all the things.” I really wanted to know what prompted the trips and you addressed that right off the top. Wild women unite. And while these trips are rightfully all about you, the example you’re setting for your girls is super. Look forward to next year’s edition.
Ahh, thanks! We’re still thinking of where to go, it’s fun to brainstorm!