Lucy and I both have had many humbling yet amazing hikes, but this one really takes the cake. Wyoming’s Wind River Range is known for its granite monoliths and alpine lakes, so it was one of my most anticipated destinations on our cross-country road trip. This was Lucy’s first backpacking trip ever, and in retrospect it may have been beneficial to pick something a little bit easier, but I was confident that with our vast hiking experience things would go relatively smoothly.

Before any backpacking trip there’s quite of preparation necessary to make sure it will be successful. I first planned the route splitting it up into manageable days covering about eight miles for three successive days. Day one and three didn’t have too much elevation gain, but day two was sure to be challenging covering two high elevation passes and over 2,000 feet of vertical. This normally wouldn’t be such a difficult task, but at over 11,000 feet the air is thin with less oxygen and the terrain is extremely exposed.

Another concern in the Wind River Range is food storage. The Bridger-Teton National Forest is bear country with both the tricky black bear and rumors of their more daunting cousin the grizzly in the region. This meant that I would have to carry my BearVault 500, weighing in at over 2 pounds, to store both mine and Lucy’s food. Normally I would have considered it a drag to carry the extra weight of the canister, but I thought that this would be good practice for the John Muir Trail which I will embark on in mid-August.

My last planning obstacle was Lucy’s gear. I was hoping for Lucy to wear her backpack with a few lightweight things in it such as her first aid kit, booties in case her feet became sore, and her water bowl, but I was a bit nervous about this seeing as Lucy hadn’t worn her backpack on our last few outings. She always does well with it though, so I was hoping with the light weight in her pack it wouldn’t be too taxing on her. I was also nervous about Lucy’s stamina after our debacle on Quandary Peak a few weeks ago.

Day 1: Big Sandy Trailhead to North Lake

After organizing our gear and sleeping at the Big Sandy Campground at the trailhead the night before the hike, we started the morning with breakfast burritos in an attempt to clear out the cooler before our three-day absence. A few weeks before the trip commenced, my good friend Robby told me that he would be doing the same backpacking route the same week that I was planning to, so we decided to hike together. Knowing that I wouldn’t be alone in this remote wilderness was comforting for both my family and me.

As we hiked to Big Sandy Lake the sun peeked through the lodgepole pines shining down on the soft padded dirt trail. My pack sat heavily on my hips with the weight of my bear canister pulling the whole thing backwards putting pressure on my shoulders. This was my first big trip with my new Osprey Eja 58, and although I liked that it’s over two pounds lighter than my previous pack, I found that the small hip belt lacked the support that my old Osprey Aura AG 50 provided. I’ve found that with most packs structural support and weight have quite the inverse relationship. I had hoped that this new pack would be less taxing, but I didn’t consider that with the weight of my equipment it may not be as comfortable as the heavier pack built for big loads.

As we trotted along the gentle path I was off balance, stumbling across the small creeks and having a hard time without my trekking poles. I wanted to keep Lucy on leash for most of the hike to conserve her energy, but that meant it was necessary to have hands free at any point to maneuver her bounding energy up the trail. It was quite peaceful on the trail but busier than expected on a Tuesday morning. Just before we reached the lake, we found a gorgeous meadow with a shallow stream running through it, wildflowers blooming everywhere. I let Lucy off the leash for a short break but instead of resting she frolicked through the open pasture playing in the stream.

When we reached Big Sandy Lake it was midday, and the sun was high in the sky beating down on us in the heat of the day. I immediately ripped off my hiking shoes and strode in the icy cold water. Lucy joined me for a quick cool down as we had some snacks. The goal for the day was to get as close to Jackass Pass as possible to minimize the next day’s task as much as possible. The closest lake to the pass was Arrowhead Lake, but after hearing about the mosquito situation there from other hikers we decided North Lake could be a better option.

As we stumbled through the rocky field around North Lake, Robby looked across and saw a grassy flat spot above the lake perfect for camping with a gorgeous view of the surrounding peaks. We set up a cooking spot a ways away from the campsite, so after setting up tents I put Lucy inside for a nap and cooked supper. Robby and I split a bag of rehydrated mashed potatoes and I had some beef jerky to top it off. After feeding Lucy a whole package of tuna in addition to her normal kibble allowance, she was again put to bed in the tent while I stayed outside to filter water and write in my journal.

After a minute or two Lucy came running towards me, a proud grin across her face. My heart dropped as she bounded into my lap to give me sloppy kisses. I knew that when I walked back up to my tent the mesh would be shredded. I was right, finding a hole the size of a tennis racket gaping under the rain fly rippling in the wind. Frustrated, I dug through my bag to find my duct tape. It was infuriating but also expected. Lucy had pulled stunts like this in the past, most recently ripping through a mesh travel crate. After repairing the hole I figured we could both use some sleep so I turned in early for the night falling asleep well as the sunset lit up the sky.

Day 2: North Lake to Shadow Lake

Waking up in the cool morning air under the jagged peaks of the Wind River Range I felt elated even despite my aching back. Lucy slept nicely on her cutout foam sleeping pad wrapped in her thermal long underwear that we frequently use in the winter but came in handy as pajamas in the chilly night air. After a quick breakfast of oatmeal and a cup of morning coffee we were back on the trail early to beat the afternoon heat. The weather was perfect, about 60° and sunny, and the sun had not yet breached the towering monoliths so we were still standing in their shadows. As we walked along towards Arrowhead Lake I was astonished by the icebergs floating in the clear alpine lake. It’s wasn’t all that cold and the temperature probably didn’t get lower than 40° overnight yet in late June there were still remnants of the frigid winter they experienced high mountains. We traversed along across large car size boulders and I saw the uphill battle that we would face for the next few hours.

Jackass Pass lay just before us and all I could see was up. There were small snow fields lining the switchbacked pass and I hoped that we wouldn’t have to go through them. They were bound to be slushy and unstable, allowing our legs to posthole feet through the soft spring snow. As we climbed in the shade of the surrounding peaks, I was relieved that the temperatures were still cool. As we rounded the top of the gentle pass, I was hit with the most expansive panoramic view I’ve ever seen in my life. Before me lay needles of granite poking up into the universe. There were narrow traverses connecting them and snow cascading down their steep edges. A brook snaked low in the valley taking the cool snowmelt to Shadow Lake. The clear water tumbled over rocks into small cascades and one larger waterfall.

Sitting there I was overcome with emotion. This was the most beautiful place I had ever seen in my life. Robby and I took a few minutes to take in the gorgeous surroundings. I could hardly believe my eyes, awestruck, with silent tears slipping down my cheeks. Lucy and I sat on a far-reaching rock above the valley the bowl as we stared awestruck with the view in front of us. It seemed as if Lucy understood the magnitude of this scene. Although I was thousands of miles from home, I felt the closest to home that I had ever felt in my entire life. I knew there was no reason for me to have a vast connection with this land, but in that moment I knew that was exactly where I was supposed to be.

After a long while sitting looking over the amazing landscape, we descended silently into the bowl appreciating every second. Lonesome lake was blue and beautiful. It was also intimidating to look over towards Texas Pass in the distance, its long finger-like snow field beckoning us. Climbing it was sure to be a daunting challenge. It was the most elevation gain we would see during this backpacking trip and most and almost all of it was above tree line and exposed. The goal was to get through the pass before afternoon thunderstorms threatened us high on the mountain. We wanted to be down to the lake below as soon as possible.

Climbing was grueling but thankfully Robbie took charge of Lucy to allow me to focus on putting one foot in front of the other beneath my heavy pack. My shoulders ached with the weight of my bear canister, and I was feeling out of breath and unmotivated. I felt terribly guilty that I was holding Robbie back, but at the same time I knew that all I could do was keep putting one foot in front of the other. I have a way of getting down on myself when challenges like this arrive arise. It’s not anything Robbie said or did just my own internal struggle. As we climbed and climbed I felt like the pass would never end. I couldn’t see the top and there was no reprieve from the sun’s powerful rays shining down on us.

When we arrived at the edge of the snow field I put on my microspikest, but they honestly didn’t help that much in the granular spring snow. Lucy loved the snow field bouncing around and chomping snowballs I threw for her to catch. After the snowfield we could finally see that we were almost at the top. When we got there, I was overwhelmed with relief looking back at the way we had come. The down climb from Texas Pass was almost more nerve-racking than the ascent. We had to descend a large screw field with loose rocks the size of baseballs threatening to release at any moment.

I was super clumsy with the extra thirty-five pounds on my back threatening to tip me over. It was daunting to look down at the lakes so far below. Lucy was good at maneuvering down the slope, and I think I was more anxious than her. Every time she got to a stable patch of dirt, she sat looking up at me waiting for me to follow. I felt a little embarrassed that my dog was better at hiking than me, but at the same time I was so proud of her confidence in these challenging mountains.

When we finally made it to Texas Lake, I was relieved and looking back amazed that we had successfully descended such a treacherous route. We stopped here for a long time eating a mysterious self-heating pizza that Robby had brought to try. Lucy and I perched under an overhanging boulder enjoying the shade and the cool breeze coming off of the icy lake in front of us. After filtering more water, we traversed just above Texas Lake and Barren Lake.

As we rounded the corner towards Billys Lake I was again blown away by the view. This crystal lake had a sandy beach dropping off into the icy blue depths. The mid-afternoon heat was now upon us, so Lucy and I plunged into the refreshing water without hesitation. We splashed around playing in the freezing depths until the icy pins and needles turned my toes numb. I could see snow dipping into the water as it melted on the other edge of the lake. As I stepped out of the water clean and refreshed I felt like a new woman. This, this was my heaven.

I could have stayed here for days or weeks, but I knew we had to continue hiking. There were still miles to our chosen campsite, leaving us with seven miles to cover the next day. So, I put on my sun warmed clothes, and we continued walking. As we reached Shadow Lake the famed mosquitoes of the Wind River Range assaulted us from every ankle. They were ruthless, biting us through our clothes as we kept up at almost a jog to stay away from them. We couldn’t stop even for a second or hundreds of them dive bombed us. It was so unbearable that at 4:00pm, two miles before our chosen campsite, we had to stop and pitch shelter. I failed and flapped trying to erect my tent as quickly as possible throwing all of my gear haphazardly inside before diving in myself.

I had been bitten hundreds of times as had Lucy, the small welts covering both of our. I felt terrible to have subjected her to this kind of misery. We were in a large open meadow with a stream running next to us no doubt a breeding ground for the little devils. I looked at the map and saw that we would follow the stream nearly back to the car, so I knew there would be no reprieve from them. After a very quick mac and cheese dinner we went to bed early just to get away from the bugs.

Day 3: Shadow Lake to Big Sandy Trailhead

The hike out the next day was relatively flat meandering through the rolling hills. We had nine and a half miles, more than we had bargained for, but manageable with the relatively easy terrain. We met a large group of hikers who had been backpacking for the past six and warned us that the blowdowns on the last part of the trail were not navigable. Instead of trying to navigate our way around the downed trees, we went off trail to the east following an open meadow to bypass the challenging terrain. We were never more than a quarter mile from the trail, but it was much easier going in the grassy expanse than in the dense forest. We rejoined the trail and continued on until we got back to the trailhead.

I’d say Lucy’s first backpacking trip was a smashing success, but I wish I had picked something a little bit easier to ease both of us into backpacking with a canine companion. The good part was that she was so tired by the end of each day that sleep was a non-issue. I’m glad Robby was with us because if he hadn’t been I think I would have been very uncomfortable on the passes, and it would have been a big challenge to manage Lucy by myself. I learned a lot about Lucy’s limitations and my own, realizing that I’m not in shape like I used to be. This loop held some of the best scenery I’ve ever had in my life, and I highly recommend it to any backpackers looking for a loop in the area.