Elevation & Weather The trails of the Winds are at higher elevation than other mountain ranges in the West, … Tom wrote: “We had had an interesting wolf experience this past weekend. The bear was in a dense stand of lodgepole pine in the vicinity of Sinks Canyon. Obviously not so much in the southern end, but the lower elevation, ample food sources and vast wooded spaces could cause them to take up more residence in the very southern end of the range as well. The next day they were still there and remained there the entire three days I was camped there. That is where most of Wyoming’s wolves live. There are a few campsites located at the trailhead via Trails We canoed across lower Green River Lake with my 7 year old daughter and her friend, camped on the nice beach on the southern shore. Because this loop is in such a popular area, it’s highly unlikely that you will encounter any bears along your trip. They had a hunting party of wolves from the Hoodoo Pack come into camp early in the morning. [16] Other incidents include a seriously injured backpacker being airlifted near SquareTop Mountain[2] in 2005,[17] and a fatal hiker incident (from an apparent accidental fall) in 2006 that involved state search and rescue. The range runs roughly NW–SE for approximately 100 mi (160 km). The Wind River Range is home to thousands of lakes and ponds that host an appealing mix of golden, brook, rainbow, and cutthroat trout. This rugged piece of the Rocky Mountains, extending for approximately 80 miles along the western slope of the Continental Divide, contains a unique combination of jagged granite rock, alpine forest, and open alpine meadows. The streams and lakes are home to Yellowstone cutthroat, rainbow, brook, brown, lake, and golden trout—about 2.5 million of which were stocked by a local explorer named Finis Mitchell and his wife during the Great Depression. Every so often, a wolf would dart into the water in an attempt to spook the moose back onto the beach where they could be attacked. ‎"At some point we must draw a line across the ground of our home and our being, drive a spear into the land and say to the bulldozers, earthmovers, government and corporations, “thus far and no further.” If we do not, we shall later feel, instead of pride, the regret of Thoreau, that good but overly-bookish man, who wrote, near the end of his life, “If I repent of anything it is likely to be my good behaviour. As most of you already know there has been a push to reintroduce wolves into the state for over a year and it looks as though the groups clamouring for this disaster to happen did indeed end up with enough signatures on their petition to get the issue put on the ballot for 2020. The TripThe Wind River mountain range affords a wilderness experience to make your vacation trip truly memorable. Villages as high as 10,000 ft (3,000 m) in elevation, dating from 700 to 2000 BC, have recently been studied by archaeologists. Like the rest of the northern Wind Rivers, the Fitzpatrick has numerous peaks over 13,000 feet, the highest being Gannett Peak at 13,804 ft. (4207m), the highest mountain in Wyoming. Lots of plants in the beginning with nasty sticky thorns, they covered our pant legs. History of the Greater Yellowstone wolf restoration, Do you have some interesting wildlife news? If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it! Glaciers There are 167 unnamed glaciers and 16 named glaciers in the Wind River Range, the largest being Gannett Glacier which rests on the north slope of Gannett Peak in the Fitzpatrick Wilderness. Saw a few moose that evening: a large male and then a mother and calf. It’s not. The Wind River Range encompasses an area of 2.25 million acres and forms a triple divide for three major western watersheds: the Columbia River, the Colorado River, and the Missouri. The range extends for 100 miles (160 km) northwest-southeast to the Sweetwater River and is part of the Continental Divide. The Wind River’s Gannett Peak at 13,804 feet takes the title. Early climbers to come purely for recreation began arriving in the 1920s. The number of grizzlies continues to grow, although the concentration area is just north of the Bridger Wilderness. Bald eagles, falcons and hawks are just a few of the 300 species of birds known to inhabit the region. There are many passes between tall peaks across the continental divide, which runs through the entire range. The Winds are known to have a small grizzly bear population, primarily in the northernmost areas. One, dubbed "High Rise", has 60 lodges over a space of 26 acres and was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Wind River’s Gannett Peak at 13,804 feet takes the title. Red wolves were originally distributed throughout the southeastern and south-central United States from the Atlantic Ocean to central Texas, southeastern Oklahoma and southwestern Illinois in the west, and in the north from the Ohio River Valley, northern Pennsylvania and southern New York south to … Take advantage of a clear, cool fall weekend to get deep into the wilderness with our recommendations for great backpacking trips in the Wind River Range. Importantly, there have been notable incidents, including accidental deaths, due to falls from steep cliffs (a misstep could be fatal in this class 4/5 terrain) and due to falling rocks, over the years, including 1993,[13] 2007 (involving an experienced NOLS leader),[14] 2015[15] and 2018. 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