Friday, October 3, 2014

Summer Road Trip



Summer road trips are one of my favorite things. When October rolls around I can't help but start planning trips for the next year. If you're like me, put a Wyoming road trip on your list for next summer. My two top reasons are: Alpine Canyon and the Wind River Range.

Wind River Range

Alpine Canyon is 8 miles of classic class III whitewater on the Snake River near Jackson, WY. It's awesome for kayaking, rafting, stand up paddle boarding, and surfing waves like Lunch Counter and Big Kahuna.

Surfing Lunch Counter Rapid
The river level in this video is around 9,000 cfs 

Combine that with a backpacking trip to the Cirque of the Towers in the Winds for a perfect summer road trip. The closest access is the Big Sandy Trailhead south of Pinedale, WY. An 8 mile hike to the top of 10,800 ft. Jackass Pass will get you a million dollar view of the Cirque.


If you time it right and it's a good water year, it's possible surf Lunch Counter Rapid and hit the wildflowers at their peak in the Winds in the same week. Mid-July to early August is your best bet. Just be sure to bring your sunscreen and bug spray.

Kate Jacob and I celebrating on Jackass Pass

Camping in the Cirque

Cirque Lake

Our neighbors

V Lake near the Big Sandy Trailhead