52 Miles in the Winds

It was our third backpacking trip in the Wind River Mountains. When we started out from the trailhead, with breakfast in our stomachs and the trip ahead on our minds, we were full of energy. At the end of the trip, though, we had hiked more than 50 miles with over 10,000 feet of elevation gain in five days. Our goal? A 12,250’ pass high in the mountains called the Knapsack Col.

We didn’t know if we could do it. It would be an exhausting trek, and the steep talus/scree slope up to the col looked sketchy on the map.

The first two days were difficult, but we eventually made it to our base camp for attempting the Knapsack Col. Our campsite was beautiful, hidden among the rocks and spires of the range. On the third day, it was time to make our assault on the col. We went through a small pass, down by the beautiful turquoise Peak Lake, and up into the basin below the col.

Peak Lake

We climbed up to the col through this basin.

The steep boulders and talus loomed before us. The loose rock was a bit sketchy in spots, but it was altogether pretty easy to make it up to the col, where stunning views of the surrounding glaciers and mountains greeted us.

"The steep boulders and talus loomed before us. "

Stroud Glacier and Arrowhead Peak

View from the col.

On the way down from the col, there were even more fun things to do. The turquoise stream flowing into the sparkling Peak Lake looked perfect for wading, so we took our shoes off and stepped into the icy cool water. We waded downstream for quite a while, and then it was time for dinner, so we hurried back to the tents.

A refreshing spot for a wade.

The next day, it was time for the return trek. This took us two more days . . .

The last day was one of the most difficult parts of the trip. We had 13.3 miles to hike with our big, heavy backpacks. We eventually made it back, exhausted but happy that we had done it.

On the return trek, we couldn't resist diving into this freezing pool.

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