I have hiked a lot of places around the US, Canada, Europe and New Zealand, and my trip to Wyoming's majestic Wind River Range certainly rated in the top 3 I have ever completed. After a 10 mile hike the first day, and stopping for the night at Seneca Lake (10,350 ft), I had breakfast and coffee and looked around to find another campsite about 100 yards away - a family of four camped in a nearby meadow; they had come in after I arrived, and were the only people in sight for miles around.
By 0830 I had struck camp and headed up the trail deeper into "The Winds". I was carrying 32 lbs of gear, food and water, making 2 mph, a decent speed for An Old Guy at this elevation. When I saw this pack train of llamas headed back out to the trailhead, I had to ask the outfitter a few questions. Llamas' average speed is about 2 mph as well, but since these folks are only carrying light daypacks with water, snacks and camera, they can hike longer days than a typical backpacker. Llamas can carry as much as 75-100 lbs, meaning that I could have taken this easy way in and brought a camp chair, wine, Cheetos, steaks, Oreos, books and maybe even a telescope. What was I thinking???
A couple of hours later, I took a snack break on a ledge above Island Lake. There were good campsites here, but I was hoping to spend the night up higher, so I pressed on...
There are hundreds of beautiful, but unnamed, small glacial lakes called tarns up in these mountains. They are formed in cirques or in depressions bordered by moraines, and are filled by snowmelt or rainwater, rather than by springs.
After a few miles, the lowest of the Titcomb Lakes came into view. I am right at the edge of treeline here, and the few trees visible are getting progressively smaller as I climb. The low shrubs are called krumholtz, German for crooked, bent or twisted wood. High winds and heavy snowfall makes for unusual shapes, and they are dense near ground level. A common variety here is Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii).
There weren't many people here, but I caught up to one couple crossing this boulder field; the trail became indistinct here, and we helped each other find the best way across. This would not be a good place to fall...
Then, after crossing a saddle, the full panorama of Titcomb Basin came into view. I sat for a half hour just to take it all in, but I wanted to stay for a week. Some of the tallest peaks here are Fremont Peak (13,745 ft), Mount Sacajawea (13,569), Spearhead Pinnacle (13,200 ft), and Mt. Woodrow Wilson (13,258 ft), all with popular mountaineering and rock climbing routes. I am past the days of peak-bagging (climbing to the summits), and being alone, that would be a really stupid thing to do, so now I simply enjoy their beauty from 2-3 thousand feet below the summits.
Of course, I had to have proof for My Lovely Bride that I had not simply camped out in the back yard of the local Hooters or Twin Peaks, so I asked another backpacker to take my picture. No Photoshop allowed here; it's really me! (As it turned out, Suzanne knew exactly where I was... read on!)
There were no sheltered campsites up in Titcomb Basin, and cold winds in the 20s were forecast for that night, so I decided to hike back to Island Lake to camp. I found a nice spot near the lakeside, with a great view and decent-sized pines and krumholtz to break the wind. The only trouble arose when a nearby group of hikers (two couples from Princeton, New Jersey) who had their gear packed in by horses set up their camp chairs upwind of me - its not that they smelled bad, but at sunset, all four proceeded to light up and smoke cigars! I was just a bit put out (that's putting it very mildly) and searched my pack, muttering, "Now where did I put that hand grenade???" I should have thought about the bear spray I was carrying...
I enjoyed watching the sunset (the rosy light is called alpenglow in the mountains) on Elephant Head (Cairn Peak, 12,172 ft) with a cup of coffee and some M&Ms. It could only have been better with Suzanne, Rudy and Gretchen to share it with, but they were miles and days away.
The trip had gone well until the third morning - this was the scene by the dawn's early light - when I woke up and started making coffee. When I leaned over to light my stove, I felt a spasm in my lower back muscles like I haven't felt in years. The result of a boating injury back in 1980, the pain can often put me flat on my back for a day or two, but that wasn't an option with 15 miles back to the trailhead. I took a muscle relaxer and packed up for the two-day trip out. I cinched up my backpack and waistbelt tightly and started hiking; it was okay as long as I didn't slip on any rocks. Thankfully, I had two aluminum trekking poles to help keep my balance on tricky parts of the trail. I hiked carefully, not wanting to be incapacitated and have to be carried out.
At one point a pack train with a couple of unladen mules passed me; I almost thought about hiring one for a ride back, but I could almost hear my Marine daughter Susan whispering from the other side, "Dad... Suck it up! Mules are for sissies!"
My last night in The Winds was spent at Eklund Lake, but the only decent spot I could find was in a thick stand of pines with no view. I did get some sleep, in between spells of lower back discomfort and occasional sliding off my inflatable mattress due to the downhill slope. The next morning was overcast, as evidenced by this photo from Photographers Point.
It was also downright cold... that's kind of a pun, as proven by this dashing young backpacker dressed in his goose down jacket. (Maybe I should send this photo to GQ or Outside magazine... and then again, maybe not.)
One of the funniest moments of the trip came when a trail running family from Colorado Springs ran by. The husband was a professional ultra-marathoner, and flashed by in an instant. He was followed a half hour later by his wife and two kids (all running), and their Yorkie Daisy! This little dog often runs 10 miles with the husband, often out in front of him urging him on!
The terrain and forest changed a lot as I dropped in elevation below 10,000 ft.; more big trees and lush, bright green foliage predominate here.
There must have been a serious windstorm since I started my trip, because these two big Ponderosa pines had fallen across the trail in the four days I was out. Another backpacker ahead of me trying to squeeze under the trees actually got stuck for a few minutes. I learned from her predicament and took my pack off before crawling carefully under the obstacle - with my back issue, I decided that doing a limbo routine to get through wasn't in the cards.
When I approached the trailhead, I figured I would have to wait an hour or so for Suzanne to pick me up at the agreed-upon time. Imagine my surprise when as I walked out of the woods, she was driving up with a big grin on her face! I had forgotten that Gina Feltner had loaned me a SPOT emergency locator beacon, "just in case", and that Suzanne would be tracking me the whole time I was up in the mountains... at least if I had gotten into any trouble, they would have known where to look for me. All in all, this was one of the best backpacking trips I've ever taken, even with my back pain. The scenery was spectacular, and there were far fewer people out in the mountains than I had expected. I am already looking forward to returning to Pinedale and Wyoming's rugged and beautiful Wind River Range. (But it was sure great to see Suzanne's big smile welcoming me home! She was also very gracious in not asking me to open the car window on the drive back to the coach, since I hadn't had a shower in four days...)
The next leg of our summer tour took us to Pinedale, Wyoming, where we found a campground with a great view of the Wind River Range. "The Winds" are a backpacker's and rock climber's paradise, although the season is relatively short: mid-June to mid-September, and even that is optimistic. It can snow any day of the year here. Pinedale sits at 7,182 feet elevation, and has a population of 2,030 of the nicest folks you would ever want to meet. Its motto, "All the civilization you need", is perfect for this cowboy and cattle town that also caters to visitors from around the world who want to experience Wyoming hospitality and the unmatched beauty of the Wind River Range. We originally scheduled a stop here to visit one of Suzanne's mom Ruthie's very best friends, Gina Feltner, but I had a selfish motive: I had never backpacked The Winds, and this might be my best opportunity.
We arrived at our campground, contacted Gina, and met her and Bob at their house just outside town. Gina was born and raised here on a cattle ranch, and knows horses like most of us know our closest relatives. Bob is a real cowboy who transplanted to Pinedale after his Army service. He then spent over 20 years punching cattle and guiding elk hunts in The Winds. He also had his own farrier (blacksmith) business and knows the mountains here like the back of his hand. For years he spent summers in cow camps in the high country, taking care of cattle, guarding them against marauding wolves and bears, and moving them from winter to summer grazing grounds in "drifts". Bob and Gina took us to lunch at a mountain lodge run by some friends. You can see the transition of sagebrush to pines and spruce in the background of this photo.
I knew the weather on my backpacking trip might be a bit chilly, so I got a new, 29 ounce, 19 degree F sleeping bag (my old one was rated to 32F, totally inadequate for this trip above 10,000 feet in Wyoming, even in mid-August). Food wouldn't be a problem, since My Lovely Bride had given me a big box of freeze-dried meals as an anniversary gift (yes, I have ribbed her about her romantic gift since then). By the way, I had mentioned my new sleeping bag to Bob, and he showed us his cowboy sleeping bag, which he still uses, that must weigh at least 29 POUNDS! But then he has a pack horse to carry it.
In researching The Winds, I was drawn to an area called Titcomb Basin, described by Backpacker Magazine as "a perfect 10" and "North America's most beautiful alpine ridge". One writer stated that he had hiked trails from Tibet to Timbuktu and found nothing more gorgeous. Suzanne dropped me off at the trailhead near Fremont Lake, and I started my four day adventure into the Bridger Wilderness, named for the 1820s mountain man Jim Bridger. The trail started off in a mixed forest of lodgepole pine and spruce trees, and because of the possibility of encounters with bears (both grizzly and black), I carried an industrial-sized can of aerosol bear spray.
Fortunately, the most dangerous mammal I encountered was this Wyoming ground squirrel (Urocitellus elegans) who was trying to mooch a meal. I decided not to use the bear spray on him since I was able to successfully fend off his vicious attempts to take my lunch...
After a few miles, meadows and small glacial lakes (tarns) appear, with the rugged peaks in the background providing many scenic vistas.
After a few more miles, larger lakes followed, providing primitive campsites (no showers, toilets, running water, or even hot coffee) and fishing opportunities for those who can spare the weight; since my pack was already at 32 lbs., I decided not to decimate the local golden and rainbow trout population and left my gear at home. (No smart-aleck remarks, Bob).
The trail followed an up-and-down traverse of hills, valleys and small mountains leading into the heart of the Wind River Range. The higher I climbed, the more sparse the forest became. Treeline was about 10,400 feet, above which there would be no big trees.
I did run across a few other day-hikers and backpackers. This guy/gal was just far out in front of me that I never caught up; more folks were headed back home because I left on a Monday; mid-weeks are my favorite time in the backcountry because there are fewer people to share it with.
The trail was often very rocky, making for slow going, since loose rocks can be a hazard - a twisted ankle or fall out here would be troublesome.
After 6 hours and 10 miles of hiking, I turned a corner and this vista opened up - Seneca Lake, my first night's destination. I had been told that it would be crowded, but at first glance, I didn't see another soul.
There weren't a lot of choices for campsites that offered a flat place to pitch my tent and some shelter from the wind, but I was able to find this primo spot with a great view of the lake and some small, stunted pines for a windbreak. My one-man tent weighs just 3 lbs, including a ground cloth to protect the very thin nylon fabric from the rocky terrain. After walking down to the lake for 4 quarts of water, purifying same with chlorine tablets, and then adding another chemical to neutralize the chlorine taste, I brewed up coffee and my freeze-dried dinner, a "nominal" double serving of fettuccine Alfredo with chicken (total 540 cals, 12 g fat, 36 g protein, 72 g carbs). Lest you think I was being a piglet, I could have eaten more, since I brought no dessert or wine... what a mistake!
That night I fell asleep with the sound of wind in the willows, so to speak, but it finally died down around midnight. I got up to take a biological break, and looked up into the moonless sky (it had not yet risen) to see the Milky Way in all its glory. It was about 30 degrees F back in Pinedale (7,100 ft), and while I didn't have a thermometer with me to check the temp up on Seneca Lake at 10,272 ft, I was as snug as a bug in a rug in my new sleeping bag. More about this fantastic trip in my next post...
Boise is now one of our favorite places in the USA! Not only are the people very friendly, and the bike trails perfect for us "mature riders", but we had a great rafting trip on the Boise River. We discovered this opportunity while riding on the Greenbelt Trail, when we stopped at a city park that happened to offer raft rentals. We arrived the next morning 30 minutes prior to the concession opening, and were the very first rafters on the river.
In fact, there were no other rafts, canoes or kayaks on the river the entire two hours of our float. We did see some fishermen, and some neat cairns on a gravel bar.
The river was running at a moderate pace, tumbling over minor riffles and a couple of low diversion dams. The white water was fun but safe, and the water temperature only a trifle chilly. We saw kingfishers, hummingbirds, ducks, great blue herons and hawks. My Lovely Bride did a great job of paddling...
... while I relaxed and observed the many birds and a few trout jumping. My only complaint was that MLB had forgotten the wine and grapes; in spite of that, we continued to enjoy our time in Boise.
After our rafting trip, we went into Boise. While enjoying an al fresco dinner, we were intrigued by the sign on this bus, "Vandals Work"; the takeaway line is that 90% of University of Idaho students have jobs or plans for graduate education upon graduation, an amazing and admirable achievement. And yes, their mascots are the Vandals, a name given their basketball team almost 100 years ago by a sports writer after Idaho gave an opposing team a drubbing.
Boise did surprise us with this business: a local convenience store chain named Stinker Stores, with a skunk logo. Their logo reminds me of road-kill, but obviously the brand is doing well here in Idaho. "Think Stinker", indeed!
The weather out in Idaho has been a bit warm, in the 90s in Boise, and one of our three roof air conditioners went out. I ordered and installed two new capacitors, but that didn't fix the problem of the compressor drawing excessive amperage on start-up. Calling around to local RV repair places didn't help, because the unit would have to be ordered and shipped, and the timing wouldn't work out until we get to Denver in 3 weeks. Here I am on the roof - MLB had hoped that this photo would be a Victory Shot when the unit ran flawlessly, but alas, it was not to be...
Firefighters are like Marines. You don't know how much you need them until the poop hits the fan, and then you call for help. While returning to our Gowen Field campground one day, we met Boise Fire Department Safety Captain Jeremy Kircher and a dozen of the BFD firefighters training in 95 degree heat and full firefighting suits. Captain Kircher took the time to tell me about his firefighters and their training, which is similar to Navy firefighting training - very realistic, and conducted in whatever environmental conditions you have on that day - extreme heat, snow and ice, or rain. Also, our good Forest Service friend Brad Bernardi, mentioned in the previous post, has been coordinating the efforts of 12 helicopters and 6 fixed wing aircraft fighting the Pioneer fire in Idaho, which covers 137 square miles north of Idaho City. The smoke from that fire occasionally drifted south over Boise during our four day stay. We too often take our firefighters, police, EMTs and military service members for granted, until we really, really need them...
As we prepared to depart Boise, we decided to eat breakfast at the base galley (a Navy term for a dining facility, what the Army calls a mess hall). There is a Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center on Gowen Field, and I suspect that in the division of responsibilities, the Navy was assigned the dining facility. This makes sense, because Marines and Army soldiers would be getting much better food than the normal Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs) that they are used to, and if the Air Force was assigned the task, the costs of steak and lobsters every night would be prohibitive. On the subject of food prep, as I was fixing breakfast the next day, I asked Suzanne, "Sweetheart, do you know what the Indians in South Dakota call the person who prepares their meals? A Sioux chef... Har, har, har..." For some reason, she looked at me a little funny and didn't laugh.
While on the subject of food, I have to recount an incident that occurred at our next stop, in Layton, Utah, between Ogden and Salt Lake City. We had set up camp at Hill Air Force Base and were driving around town when I spied a red sign that indicated that the local Krispy Kreme's donuts were hot off the production line. I made a U-turn without telling Suzanne what I was doing, pulled into the parking lot and jumped out of the car without a word. I heard her say, "Oh, no..." On entering the donut shop, a nice young lady grabbed a donut off the conveyor belt and handed it to me with a smile.
I ate it on the spot, and got another couple along with a coffee and a neat hat. Unfortunately, I had to eat them all myself, Suzanne being on a healthy nutrition crusade. Darn the bad luck!
As we returned to Hill Air Force Base, there was almost no traffic at the gate, so we stopped to chat for a moment with the young gate guard, whose name tag read "Lanros". I asked her if it was a Greek name. With a wry smile, she said, "No, sir. Our family lives in Minnesota, and our grandfather's name was actually Larson, but he was so tired of getting other people's mail that he changed the name to Lanros." Yup, that would sure solve that excess mail problem... those Minnesnowtans are sure different!
On the drive to Pinedale, Wyoming, our next destination, we stopped for 80 gallons of diesel fuel, and I had to go into the truck stop to pay the bill. I was taken aback by the display of chocolate bars at the register. I asked the friendly cashier, Beverly, if she would hold one up for the camera. She said that they were popular among truckers, but that I might be sitting out in the parking lot alone at the end of the day if I brought one back to the coach for My Lovely Bride. (I wisely decided not to find out if she was right... the label reads "PMS Chocolate for Women".)
Finally, I was doing the washing up after dinner the other night, and as I was about to scrub the plates, MLB says to me, in a tone of voice I rarely hear... "Ty... Stop! What are you doing with that yucky scrubbie? Where has it been?" "Um, well, I think, I mean, oh, I remember, I used it on the windshield, you know, to scrub the bugs and road dirt off, but I surely wasn't going to use it on the dishes. Heavens, I know better than that! I was going to use this fresh, new, sweet-smelling scrubbie on the dishes, and throw this dirty, stinking scrubbie in the trash." "Ty, if I didn't know better, I might think you were tap dancing right now..."
Homeward Bound! It hardly seems possible that we are 143 days and 7,887 miles into our summer tour, with 53 days and about 3,335 miles to go before returning to The Villages. Future major stops include Ogden/Salt Lake City, Utah; Pinedale, Wyoming; Denver and Estes Park, Colorado; St. Louis, Missouri, and Asheville, North Carolina.
I received some well-appreciated support on my "Beer Blues" comment in the last blog post (mostly from men) and also took some unnecessary grief from My Formerly Supportive Friend Brenda, upon whom I will exact retribution at some date in the future. As an aside, we stopped for lunch today at an Argentine fast-food establishment (and those are pretty rare, even in Argentina) and ordered a Cerveza Quilmes beer that came out of the cooler ice-cold and refreshing. That pizza joint back in Whitefish could take some lessons from the Argentine immigrant proprietor/chef who knows what service means.
After departing Spokane, we dropped down into the Salmon River Valley in Idaho, where the river has cut over 7,000 ft deep into the earth's crust, deeper than the Grand Canyon. And oh, by the way, the Snake River Canyon, 25 miles to the west, is even deeper, but we didn't have time to visit the Snake. Our campsite for one night in Riggins, Idaho, was on the Salmon River, maybe the most beautiful campsite we've ever been assigned, and for only $31/night! Here is My Lovely Bride on an evening stroll before dinner, enjoying the river noise and solitude along the banks of the Salmon.
Ponderosa State Park in McCall, Idaho, was our next stop. On scenic Payette Lake, it was a busy (and full) campground, but we got away from the crowds for several hikes. Boulder Lake was our first destination, and the scenery was lovely, with lots of Ponderosa pines, some of which soared to over 200 feet (the tallest is 268 feet, but it's in Oregon).
Boulder Lake itself was beautiful, and because it is located in a National Forest and not a National Park, hikers can bring their dogs. Rudy and Gretchen were disappointed that their legs were too short for a long 3 hour hike, but this black Lab was enjoying himself.
This small spring had free, ice-cold water available. As you can see by MLB's fleece jacket, the weather in central Idaho in mid-August is slightly cooler than back in central Florida. We never used air conditioning and kept the heaters ready for the 57-59F evenings and early mornings. Fortunately, Rudy and Gretchen make great little bed warmers!
On another hike, we found this this heart-shaped rock, reminiscent of those given away by Wolf in Suzanne's book Wolf's Message, seen atop a cairn - it was the subject of one of Suzanne's Good Vibe Videos; you can find it at http://www.suzannegiesemann.com/good-vibe-video-14-find-your-way-home/.
This was a typical trail scene: lots of pine trees, steep hillsides and no other hikers in sight. Fortunately, we didn't run across any bears, either.
For those harvesters in our readership, you might have been pleased by this specimen of mushroom on the forest floor that Suzanne measued with her hand. We left it there, of course, but I have heard that others collect various flora for dinner... I am not so adventurous.
We finished our last hike and returned to the coach to prepare for a 1300 (1:00 PM) checkout from Ponderosa State Park. Imagine our surprise to find a car parked right behind ours, blocking us in, and a tent set up in our campsite, just behind the coach. Evidently the two millenials were too anxious to wait for us to leave, and decided to set up their camp almost two hours before we left. This is akin to walking into someone's hotel room and unpacking your bags before they've checked out. We were shocked, amazed and almost a bit upset, as this type of behavior is unheard of among campers... finally we had to laugh at the "clueless" twenty-somethings who had obviously not been raised well.
After departing McCall, we drove down the Payette River valley to Boise. This is an exciting river drive, with 7-8% grades and tight turns. At one of the very few pull-outs that we could fit in, we walked down to the river for a few moments of contemplation. The river was roaring past us at only moderate volume; it's hard to imagine what it would be like during Spring snowmelt.
As we drove south, we knew that our good friend Brad Bernardy was on the fire lines of the Pioneer Fire only 30 miles or so to the east. Brad is a Forest Service senior firefighter, and is right now helping manage the efforts of over 1,000 firefighters to get this dangerous 67,000 acre fire under control. We wish Brad and his teams all the best luck in their 24/7 efforts near Lowman and Idaho City. (Photo from KIVITV)
Upon arriving in Boise, we arrived at Gowen Field National Guard Base. After passing through security, we noticed this M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank with the business end of its 120 mm gun pointed right at the gate entrance. Very Impressive! We then checked in at our campsite (1 of only 6) in the small military campground located alongside a running track.
One morning found 30 or so Army soldiers doing their quarterly PT test. The soldier seen in cammies is seen providing spiritual guidance to his compatriot in gym gear trying to qualify in the 3 mile run. It always helps to have a senior leader giving you encouragement when you are struggling...
While visiting Idaho's capital, we learned that it's pronounced "BOY-see", not "boy-ZEE". It helps to be linguistically correct when visiting new places. Boise is a neat, friendly city, and as soon as we could, we went for two delightful bike rides on one of the best urban bike trails we've yet ridden, the Boise River Greenbelt Trail. We passed a group of people and stands set up in a park, and Suzanne said, "Ty, I would like to stop at this craft fair..." We stopped and walked our bikes for a minute, and then MLB said, "Ty, There's a distinct hippie feel here." I looked at the scruffy-looking college kids and then noticed a small sign with a green leaf logo, and said, "Suzanne, this isn't a craft fair; it's called Hempfest!" Whoops... Exit stage right...
I have hiked a lot of places around the US, Canada, Europe and New Zealand, and my trip to Wyoming's majestic Wind River Range certainly rated in the top 3 I have ever completed. After a 10 mile hike the first day, and stopping for the night at Seneca Lake (10,350 ft), I had breakfast and coffee and looked around to find another campsite about 100 yards away - a family of four camped in a nearby meadow; they had come in after I arrived, and were the only people in sight for miles around.
A couple of hours later, I took a snack break on a ledge above Island Lake. There were good campsites here, but I was hoping to spend the night up higher, so I pressed on...
There are hundreds of beautiful, but unnamed, small glacial lakes called tarns up in these mountains. They are formed in cirques or in depressions bordered by moraines, and are filled by snowmelt or rainwater, rather than by springs. 
After a few miles, the lowest of the Titcomb Lakes came into view. I am right at the edge of treeline here, and the few trees visible are getting progressively smaller as I climb. The low shrubs are called krumholtz, German for crooked, bent or twisted wood. High winds and heavy snowfall makes for unusual shapes, and they are dense near ground level. A common variety here is Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii). 
There weren't many people here, but I caught up to one couple crossing this boulder field; the trail became indistinct here, and we helped each other find the best way across. This would not be a good place to fall...
Then, after crossing a saddle, the full panorama of Titcomb Basin came into view. I sat for a half hour just to take it all in, but I wanted to stay for a week. Some of the tallest peaks here are Fremont Peak (13,745 ft), Mount Sacajawea (13,569), Spearhead Pinnacle (13,200 ft), and Mt. Woodrow Wilson (13,258 ft), all with popular mountaineering and rock climbing routes. I am past the days of peak-bagging (climbing to the summits), and being alone, that would be a really stupid thing to do, so now I simply enjoy their beauty from 2-3 thousand feet below the summits.
There were no sheltered campsites up in Titcomb Basin, and cold winds in the 20s were forecast for that night, so I decided to hike back to Island Lake to camp. I found a nice spot near the lakeside, with a great view and decent-sized pines and krumholtz to break the wind. The only trouble arose when a nearby group of hikers (two couples from Princeton, New Jersey) who had their gear packed in by horses set up their camp chairs upwind of me - its not that they smelled bad, but at sunset, all four proceeded to light up and smoke cigars! I was just a bit put out (that's putting it very mildly) and searched my pack, muttering, "Now where did I put that hand grenade???" I should have thought about the bear spray I was carrying...
The trip had gone well until the third morning - this was the scene by the dawn's early light - when I woke up and started making coffee. When I leaned over to light my stove, I felt a spasm in my lower back muscles like I haven't felt in years. The result of a boating injury back in 1980, the pain can often put me flat on my back for a day or two, but that wasn't an option with 15 miles back to the trailhead. I took a muscle relaxer and packed up for the two-day trip out. I cinched up my backpack and waistbelt tightly and started hiking; it was okay as long as I didn't slip on any rocks. Thankfully, I had two aluminum trekking poles to help keep my balance on tricky parts of the trail. I hiked carefully, not wanting to be incapacitated and have to be carried out.
At one point a pack train with a couple of unladen mules passed me; I almost thought about hiring one for a ride back, but I could almost hear my Marine daughter Susan whispering from the other side, "Dad... Suck it up! Mules are for sissies!" 
My last night in The Winds was spent at Eklund Lake, but the only decent spot I could find was in a thick stand of pines with no view. I did get some sleep, in between spells of lower back discomfort and occasional sliding off my inflatable mattress due to the downhill slope. The next morning was overcast, as evidenced by this photo from Photographers Point.
It was also downright cold... that's kind of a pun, as proven by this dashing young backpacker dressed in his goose down jacket. (Maybe I should send this photo to GQ or Outside magazine... and then again, maybe not.)
One of the funniest moments of the trip came when a trail running family from Colorado Springs ran by. The husband was a professional ultra-marathoner, and flashed by in an instant. He was followed a half hour later by his wife and two kids (all running), and their Yorkie Daisy! This little dog often runs 10 miles with the husband, often out in front of him urging him on!
The terrain and forest changed a lot as I dropped in elevation below 10,000 ft.; more big trees and lush, bright green foliage predominate here.
There must have been a serious windstorm since I started my trip, because these two big Ponderosa pines had fallen across the trail in the four days I was out. Another backpacker ahead of me trying to squeeze under the trees actually got stuck for a few minutes. I learned from her predicament and took my pack off before crawling carefully under the obstacle - with my back issue, I decided that doing a limbo routine to get through wasn't in the cards.
When I approached the trailhead, I figured I would have to wait an hour or so for Suzanne to pick me up at the agreed-upon time. Imagine my surprise when as I walked out of the woods, she was driving up with a big grin on her face! I had forgotten that Gina Feltner had loaned me a SPOT emergency locator beacon, "just in case", and that Suzanne would be tracking me the whole time I was up in the mountains... at least if I had gotten into any trouble, they would have known where to look for me. All in all, this was one of the best backpacking trips I've ever taken, even with my back pain. The scenery was spectacular, and there were far fewer people out in the mountains than I had expected. I am already looking forward to returning to Pinedale and Wyoming's rugged and beautiful Wind River Range. (But it was sure great to see Suzanne's big smile welcoming me home! She was also very gracious in not asking me to open the car window on the drive back to the coach, since I hadn't had a shower in four days...)
