2024 #8 Colorado to Encampment WY to Rawlins WY to Pinedale WY

“TRANSITION: movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another.”

This trail is a story of transition. We are always leaving one landscape behind while moving on to the next. This section transitioned us from the last of the Colorado mountains northward into the desert of southern Wyoming. For 3 days the landscape looked like this.

Just before the woods begin to appear only in small clusters, the trail took us through Medicine Bow National  Forest.  This is a forest that you are glad to happen upon. Its deep shade on a hot summer day brings back memories of Mexico and canoe tripping in Temagami. Clear cool creeks and a soft duff path made for a joyful journey! But in an abrupt transition the forest lead us to dry desert grasslands.

Sagebrush, or peachfuzz as I call it, covered the land. We were on dirt roads which progressed into all season roads then black topped surface. Back in the land of coyote yips and yowls at sunset. Water sources are drying up and so is my mouth, nose, eyes, skin.

At a spring we hunkered in the shade of a shrub as best we could in the midday heat. When I looked up to the ridge above 3 amazing male elk with huge antlers were trotting down to drink and find shade as well.

One afternoon while walking on the road, I spotted a coyote amongst the sagebrush. On closer inspection I noticed it just sitting there with its ears flattened out like airplane wings. I have seen cats do this just before they yawn. I suppose it was waking up from a nap. It wasn’t phased by my staring at all.

We camped near a spring fed pond that had been all mucked up by the random free wandering cows. There was space and quiet all around at sunset. On glancing up to the ridge above, the silhouette of another majestic elk with huge antlers was set off clearly by the pinking sky behind him. An image that is sticking in my mind.
We haven’t seen elk in a few weeks and in that time their racks have grown quickly.

From Rawlins we hired a driver to take us past the Great Basin of Wyoming so we could set out towards the Wind River Mountains. A dirt track led us always on an incline to a trail of alternating dry sagebrush slopes with clusters of trees. Clumps of rock the size of elephants were jumbled about.

The next morning this was our first view of the “Winds”.

The trail that morning was a mess of blowdowns  and rock chunks that made you focus carefully.

As we ascended the pass, in good ole Colorado style, a storm arose with rain and blowing wind. We thought “Really, not this again!”

But it dissipated as we descended towards Temple Lake. What a gorgeous environment! The closer we approached, the sunnier and more turquoise the water became.

The ultimate swim hole!! Jobie was in heaven as he had been talking about summertime swimming for weeks now. These seem like soul cleansing waters to me!!

We set up exactly where you ought not to, in the middle of exposed rockface, with views of both ends of the valley! Magical!

Headed into the Cirque of the Towers area of the Wind River Mountains.

The swimming continued to be incredible with just the right temperature, sandy bottoms, clarity and rich colours!

This is a dream world for hikers with easy trailheads on all sides, every few miles a different view of granite rockfaces and lakes that aren’t reservoirs. There were numerous hikers coming in on the a variety of loop trails. By the end of the day I had felt like I had been to a festival. We would like to return here with family. So gorgeous and easy and free.

Rainclouds show up at the end of the day. Impeccable timing!

The wildfire smoke rolled in the next morning. Again timing was impeccable! We are enjoying a rest day in Pinedale WY. Food and coffee here tastes good and the Jackalope Motel serves the needs of hikers. We are watching the Olympics as we rest our legs. Tomorrow we hike on.