One idea and one idea only: Wyoming is a gem. Nobody really hypes it up and that’s exactly why it works. Wyoming is a 100% real experience when you’re not expecting too much. Wyoming slaps.
Reaching Wyoming
Up until Wyoming we were basically not taking any days off. One day off in the whole of Montana. The intensity was there and it showed. But Wyoming forced us to do some planning. After Yellowstone National Park the CDT gives you options and we decided to diverge from the original route and jump into Grand Teton National Park.
The boyz planning the future routes
We haven’t talked about water sources in a while. Entering Wyoming meant some questionable looking water sources. But as long as you can filter it it’s fine. Water standards drop in some sections of Wyoming and you’ll see that.
Filling up on water while getting bitten by mosquitoes <#
Yellowstone National Park
Entering Yellowstone was something else. Geysers, hot springs and a crazy amount of people. The funny thing is people driving through see bisons and all sorts of wildlife. We didn’t see any of that. We started joking that the animals are fake and just placed there for tourists to keep them happy and coming back. That was not the case for us apparently.
But hike a couple of hours out of the main area and you’re back in the wilderness. That’s where I had my best hot springs experience of the entire trip. It’s called Mr. Bubbles and I highly recommend it. The idea is simple. The further you get from the source the colder it gets and there’s a river running into the same pool. So depending on where you position yourself you can get any temperature you want and stay as long as you want.
Hiking 40 km a day in the wilderness gives you confidence. I’ll show you what real confidence looks like.
Or maybe I was too confident. Here’s my buddy G-Money-Cancun crossing this log over a river. In the video it doesn’t look that bad but it was pretty deep. You did not want to fall in. And of course I stepped on a branch that was too weak and went in. Bent my trekking pole and still have the scars today.
That’s me being stuck
Yellowstone is relatively flat but still pretty challenging. Wet sections everywhere, constant river crossings and some spots where you really had to think about the safest way across. Other spots you just had to go for it and hope the water wasn’t too deep.
Grand Teton National Park
One of the biggest routing problems with the CDT is that it doesn’t go through Grand Teton National Park. You need extra permits or have to hike through it in a day but that can be sorted out. Going through Dubois instead is lame. Grand Teton is one of the best national parks I’ve ever been to and I think I had my favorite single day of hiking in there. Let me show you why. Also look up why it’s called Grand Teton National Park. I think you’re going to love the story. I’ll leave that one to you.
We were a bit weak on the maps going through Grand Teton. We wanted to get the route sorted but ended up taking the longer harder way around and hiked from morning to sunset. That week, the end of Montana into the beginning of Wyoming, was probably the most intense single week of hiking on the whole trip.
Basically no route existed but it was beautiful
We did some route planning to get into Grand Teton and the views were spectacular, weather was amazing. But at some point three miles took us two to three hours. That tells you everything about the complexity of the terrain.
Not much to add here. Just enjoy the views and the happy faces of people who made it into Grand Teton. What we didn’t know yet was that we’d have to descend to Lake Solitude which was probably the craziest descent I’ve ever done hiking.
Note: unfortunately, we did not get sponsored by Zyn :///
Gnarly descent
If this is not happiness, I do not know what happiness is
I know I am dehydrated but is this the best peeing spot or what!!!!!
Yellowstone and Grand Teton in the same stretch. I told you Wyoming slaps. Let’s keep going.
Wind River Range
I had never heard of Wind River Range before. People always talk about Utah, Grand Canyon, Yosemite. Nobody talks about Wind River. It’s spectacular. And what I loved about it is that to get to the views you actually have to hike. There is no easy way in. You earn it and then you see it. That’s the best kind.
So while this was the hardest week of hiking I also had pericoronitis. My gums were inflaming and I had to drink hot salt water to reduce the swelling. Had a temperature too. The views were amazing but I was working double for them.
So what is the hype about Wind River Range? Take a look and you will see.
That’s one way to warm up your feet
This was our camping spot, at around 10,000 feet, how cool is that? Take your hotel and shove it up your ass, this is way better and if you disagree, that’s cool, you probably shouldn’t be reading this anyway
Not much, just chilling with amigos on top of the Knapsack Col, what about you?
That’s Cirque of the Towers, another one of those small detours on the CDT, and it’s really good. It’s really really good. Again these are the highlights, that’s why Wyoming is so amazing.
Having fun out there. We just passed Texas Pass so naturally we had to sing All My Exes Live in Texas. Great song, check it out. Little did we know that an hour later a massive storm rolled in. We managed to get down and bunker in for the night. At that same camping spot we ran into a guy who had given us a hitch to the Canadian border on day 1. The trail is long but narrow.
It wouldn’t be a thru hike without some nudity
The Great Basin
So far Wyoming had been spectacular mountain views. That was about to change. The Great Basin is a flat 200 km stretch and it just drives you nuts. Our plan was to hike a bit out of town, do a long day and finish with basically a 100 km day. That’s what we did. Take a look at the Great Basin.
Far from the mountains and fresh water the water situation changed fast. We were drinking from algae filled streams and sometimes straight from cow ponds. Cows actively taking a dump in the water and we’re filtering it and drinking it. Sometimes that’s just the reality.
It was the first time I saw wild horses
We ended up doing around 100 km that day. Some did 90, some did 100, some did 120. Phenomenal experience but I was so exhausted I just passed out on a dirt road maybe 400 meters from the highway. Couldn’t hear anything. Just slept there.
You can see the drooling on the pillow, it was a great 2 hour nap, of course, had to replenish my calories with some Pringles
Quick detour to Minnesota
G-Money-Cancun had to renew his visa so he flew to Cancun for a few days. At the same time I got invited to a wedding in Minnesota from some other hikers. So yeah, a bunch of hiker trash flew to Minnesota for a wedding. It was amazing. Got to drive a Tesla Cybertruck too. The best part was that a lot of people there were former hikers so they just got it. The simplicity, being outside, camping, chilling at the lake. Good people.
Finishing Wyoming
Back from the wedding we knocked out the remaining 30 or 40 miles of Wyoming and headed into Colorado.
Some questionable water one more time
Stats (4 wedding days excluded)
Wyoming Totals: Distance: 488 miles (785 km) Time: 19 days Elevation Gain: 74,012 ft (22,559 m)
Wyoming Daily Averages: Distance: 25.68 miles (41.32 km) Elevation Gain: 3,895 ft (1,187 m)
Wyoming Daily Averages (Active Days Only): Distance: 27.11 miles (43.63 km) Elevation Gain: 4,112 ft (1,253 m)