Titcomb Basin in Wind River Range, Wyoming

Just got back from a 7 day hike in the Wind River Range, to the Titcomb Basin.  Almost the whole trip was over 10,000' elevation.  Our itinerary: Eklund Lake, Island Lake, Upper Titcomb Basin, layover day and day hike to top of Knapsack Pass, Island Pass, Upper Sweeney Lake, and to Elkhart trailhead.

Before we got to Island, it clouded up and started raining.  We hiked in the rain for about 30 minutes, and set up our tents in the rain, then it cleared up about an hour later.  Tomio, Kevin, and Gary are shown as the wind picks up and the weather darkens before we hit Island Lake.

Island Lake is above in the evening of the second day, after a brief but poorly timed rain.

The third day we camped on the point of land below the upper Titcomb Lake, shown below.  This area seemed to be continually windy, but so scenic.

The fourth day we day hiked to Mistake lake, a surprisingly large lake on a bench above Upper Titcomb Lake.  Then we hiked to the top of Knapsack Pass.  This a tough scramble up loose boulders and ice of the glacier, till we got to a vertical cornice of snow at the top of the pass.  We got around the cornice by a 4th class scramble to the right of the snow.  Below are me and two of the boys: Jim and Malcolm.  This is looking from the Pass toward Peak Lake, which is visible, to the right of Malcolm's ear.

We didn't stay on top of the pass long, as it was already 2 PM and clouds were building. There was a 20 foot hairy section, which Jim is shown descending.

We descended the glacier, and the loose talus and boulders of the terminal moraine, and headed back to camp.  Below is a view of two of our guys between the two big glacial eratics, with the upper and lower Titcomb lakes in the background.

Gary heads up the hill out of Island lake, and we head for the nights camp at Upper Sweeney Lake.  This is our last look at Island lake.