August
2, 2006
DAY 1 –
Big Sandy TH
to V Lake
Distance:
2.1
miles
Elevation Change:
+350 ft
Images:
0
Trail -
Big Sandy TH to V Lake
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Camp 1 - V Lake
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Day 1 -
12:00 pm
The trip started on
Wednesday, August 2nd when Scott and I departed from Denver
traveling in my truck, while Jack made his way to the Winds from the
Tetons where he had been backpacking for several days. The drive from
Denver takes about 7 hours, the last hour of which is spent on the dirt
roads leading from Farson, WY to the Big Sandy Trailhead. Getting to the
trailhead is part of the adventure it seems, and there are several
junctions where it’s easy to get off-track. We spent 10 minutes or so
talking to a couple on a motorcycle who were trying to find their way to
Lander; after “helping” them (I think!), we consulted our own maps as we
almost ended up on the wrong road ourselves. Scott has
excellent directions
on his website. There are great views of the Winds from the road,
and timing it so that you’re coming in – or going out – in late afternoon
or early evening can provide dramatic lighting and excellent opportunities
for capturing grand
scenic compositions.
Day 1 - 7:00 pm
We arrived at the TH at 7 pm, eager to start our adventure. We knew that
Jack’s arrival might be somewhat unpredictable since he was hiking out of
the Tetons earlier that morning and also had to stop and restock his
supplies. Scott and I organized our gear, opting to carry our own
essentials rather than sharing a tent, cookware, etc. Sharing had a lot
of appeal, especially since we were both carrying the typical camping
gear, plus 20-30 lbs additional weight in the form of our camera
equipment. Scott’s pack weighed in around 65 lbs and mine at an
embarrassingly heavy 80lbs! Although it meant more weight, carrying our
own essentials turned out to be a very good decision….
Shortly after 8pm,
there was still no sign of Jack so we decided to leave him a note on my
truck letting him know we’d find him on the trail the next day; we put on
our packs and headed off to V Lake for the night.
Day 1 – 8:30 pm
The 2-mile hike from the Big Sandy TH to V Lake is relatively easy,
starting out with a flat 0.75-mile stroll alongside the Big Sandy River,
alternating between grassy, open meadows and short, forested sections.
The sun had set before we departed the TH and the evening’s light was
quickly fading as we approached the turnoff to Meeks and V Lake. As we
headed up the brief, gentle climb to Meeks Lake, what little remained of
the evening light was scattered and lost amongst the trees and we put on
our headlamps for the remainder of the hike. We made our way past Meeks
Lake and soon arrived at V Lake, a little before 10 pm.
We found a nice flat
(and soft!) area to setup camp on the south/southwest shore of the lake,
somewhat open but also protected by surrounding trees. After an
unexpectedly long and somewhat comical effort to hang our food, we turned
in for the evening. It was a beautiful, mostly clear night and I opted to
leave the rain-fly off the tent, providing a celestial ceiling to
compliment the fresh forest air that gently moved through my tent. An
otherwise uneventful night was briefly interrupted by a cacophony of noise
from a nearby pack of coyotes.
Intro
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Day 1
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Day 2
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Day 3
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Day 4
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Day 5
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Day 6
