We awoke to clear skies, and after breakfast we began packing our personal gear, and packing the llama panniers with our shared gear and food for the trip. For the next 5 days we were going to be in the Popo Agie (pronounced “po-PO-zha”, rhymes with ambrosia) Wilderness, part of the larger Shoshone National Forest, and part of the larger Wind River Mountain range. Certain destinations were labeled “parks”, but weren’t any different than any other wilderness area. These areas tended to have good campsites and access to good water. Our destination on this day was Tayo Park, but there were possibilities of stopping along the way if the 9 miles became to great. We were already at 9,200 feet, and we would be doing major elevation gains (up to 10,700 in the first 4 miles!) and losses, so the trek would not be easy.
We packed up and drove to the other end of the lake where we were to meet the llamas at the trailhead. Max was there with our 3 llamas when we arrived, so he verified our pannier weights, supervised our saddling and packing the llamas, said his farewell, and we stepped off by 10:30 am. The day was sunny, and the trail was very wooded and pleasant. However, we did have a pretty intense climb ahead of us. The scouts did very well, and one in particular (Nora) was in outstanding shape from bike-a-thons and running cross country. I was the designated videographer of the trip, and I struggled to hike ahead of her and the others to capture them leading the llamas up the trail. At one point I had to tell Nora (who was leading all 3 llamas tethered together), "If you see me hiking on the trail ahead, you HAVE to stop and rest." Man, I busted my butt to get ahead of that girl. The others weren’t far off the pace the whole trip. Chuck and I brought up the rear a great deal of the time. Chuck is nearing 60, I’m 50, and Gary is 53, so the altitude and elevation gains did a number on us old folk. I would easily get winded, but I was pleased with how quickly I could recover and feel strong again. My jogging continues to pay off.
After 4 miles, we exited the wooded trail into an open pass with a magnificent vista of the Wind River Mountain and other peaks in the distance. It made for a wonderful lunch spot. After lunch, we continued on, descending into more wooded wilderness, then on to Tayo Park. We arrived later in the afternoon, but Gary was asked to look in on a medical emergency. After Gary advised the other hiking group, another person offered Gary a location of a good campsite for our group and llamas. It was an excellent spot, having been frequented by horse campers it seemed. It was on the other side of an open meadow with a meandering creek – very secluded. We would never have found that spot on our own since we would have tended to stay relatively near the trail.
By the time Chuck and I got to the site (OK, yes, we missed all the action), the scouts had removed all the llama packs and saddles and were clearing locations for their tents. We set up camp, and Michael prepared us a campfire. Today was his 17th birthday, so he got first dibs on dinner, and a special desert, and constant reminders it was his birthday. Most every declaration by a scout or adult was prefaced with "In honor of Michael's birthday..." which yielded the expected groan from Michael! Kayla had brought along some songs, and we had a campfire complete with singing sans guitar. Our group was just as masterful acappella! It was a beautiful sunny day, and a nice evening, with no threat of rain.
So, we had made it the entire way to Tayo Park (9,500 ft) - and everyone was doing well! However, Sheep seemed to have issues with open sores where his saddle was strapped. Gary treated him best he could, and we vowed to strap him in tight tomorrow (which is the advice we got from Max), but we also thought we might lighten his load a bit and each of us carry more. We were faced with a shorter day the next day, so it shouldn’t be too hard on us (or so we thought!) We had 2 destinations in mind for the next day: Ice Lakes 3 miles away, or better yet, Deep Creek Lakes, another 1.5 miles farther up the trail, which would give us a better approach to Wind River Peak (our destination in 2 days).
Llama Trek to Tayo Park photos - click for more
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A journal of my Wind River backpacking trip from August 6-16, 2009 with members of Venture Crew 93.
Hi all, welcome to my blog of my trip to the Wind River mountain range with Venture Crew 93! Being that this is a blog, posts read from bottom to top with the most recent posting at the top. So, start at the bottom.Better yet, click here to read each day's blog starting with the first, then selecting the "Newer Post" at the bottom of each day to read the next day.