The mountains are finally fully open! Backpackers and trekkers are making their way throughout the entire range snow-free, although those that have been here before may notice that its a bit early for the snow to be gone. We’ve been seeing a heat wave wash over the Mountain West since early June and our area is no exception; Pinedale and the surrounding area is dry. We are lucky to have so many lakes and water sources around the range.
A couple of things to note before we dive in to today’s trail report. Please know that there is a fire ban active in the ENTIRE Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF). That notice can be found here. A TL;DR version of that is that there are no open fires allowed in the BTNF except for in Forest Service approved rings or liquid fuel stoves. This means that there are NO OPEN FIRES ALLOWED, AT ALL in the Wind River Range and surrounding area.
Many reports have come in over the last few days regarding Gannett and the consensus is that the snow-bridge is OUT; it’s possible to climb a short section of rock to the right of the Gooseneck Couloir to bypass the bergshrund. If you have questions about the Gooseneck Route or about alternative routes, feel free to give us a call.
As the summer progresses, the Forest Service and other non-profit trail organizations have been hard at work clearing trails in the Winds. Everything is generally open; at least major throughways are open to get people into the highcountry. At this point, all major trailheads are open and have been cleared enough for backpackers to get through to their destinations. Larger loops may be affected, as well more obscure trails. Again, give us a call if you have questions about specific locations.
You will also notice a bit of smoke lingering in the air. Most of the smoke that were seeing is coming from Oregon and Central Idaho where there are some larger fires currently burning. Check out this link that shows where fires are currently burning and the percentage containment. There was a small fire started between Pinedale and Jackson that is being tended to. Please be cognizant of anything that could potentially get hot enough to start a fire or that produces a spark. It doesn’t take much to start a large, uncontrollable fire.
Other than that, not much to update. If you have up to date conditions on certain trails or areas, please let us know. Your contributions help greatly in getting this information out to a larger audience. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any gear or itinerary questions regarding the Wind River Range or surrounding area. We’re open seven days a week, from 8AM to 9PM. You can reach us by phone (307) 367-2440. Because of the large volume of itinerary questions we’ve been receiving lately, we prefer that you call so that we can get to the questions that arise.