Porter help in the Wind Rivers summer of 2014

My wife and I are planning on a week of camping and climbing in the Cirque of the Towers next summer. We did a similar thing a couple of years ago and had horse packers carry our gear into the area below Lonesome Lake. This required a lot of wasted time with the logistics of cars etc (we hiked via Big Sandy), and we rode the horses out the Lander side at the end of the trip, which wasn't really a feature, more of a bug. It also left us camping about an hour below the Cirque, requiring earlier starts and longer overall days, except for Mitchell Peak.

Does anyone have experience hiring a porter to carry a pack into the Winds for them? We want to go in and out of the Cirque via Big Sandy and Jackass Pass, and have the gear and food for a week of fun. We have done the "carry a 60 lb pack ten miles" thing many times in the past, but are kind of over that at this stage of our lives.

Thoughts, advice, beta?

goatpacking.com/

not sure what the details are just remembered something about it being done around those parts

I've heard good reviews of the goat packer for backpacking, don't know about climbing.

I think there are also llama packers in the area, which might be better able to handle the load.

From what I've seen, you're not allowed to leave the goats/llamas alone. OK maybe if you have a large enough group that someone can llamasit.

Google it… I have seen many horse packers going into the Cirque area fromm Big Sandy.
I just don't know the names of the outfits available there.

They will take your stuff in (by horse) to a bit past Big Sandy Lake, and then you have to hump it the last 2 ? miles aprox

As far as Lamas go. You can leave them for the day. They are tied up.
Then you have to move them for fresh grass and water as necessary.
If one gets loose, it usually doesn't go too far as they are pack animals.
They like to be able to see each other. When they can't see one another they
start to cry, or something there of to sound out the location!

The website goatpacking.com lists an itinerary from 2010, so that isn't looking to good. I will do some googling for other outfitters.

Llama packers is what I started with, but they don't want to go over Jackass Pass with their animals for safety reasons. Or just don't do pack hauling only (they want to do the whole guided trip thing, or rent out the llamas. We are not interested in babysitting the llamas. Especially with the goal of many full climbing days)

Horse packers into just Big Sandy is a thought, but reversed from what I am hoping for. Getting to Big Sandy lake is the easy part of the approach, up and over Jackass Pass the harder part.

No comments on just hiring a porter? Seems like there should be some young, hungry climbers in Pinedale or Lander that are willing to carry a 60 lb pack into & out of the Cirque in order to earn a couple hundred bucks. Easy money for a training hike, right?

Or we just pack as light as possible and tough it out. Bummer though; it is so nice to show up at a climbing destination not feeling beat up right at the start of the trip. At the end of the trip its what I hope for!

"young hungry climber"

When will you be climbing? Potentially might work with a similar trip with a few other hungry climbers in the Winds.

Call up NOLS, their HQ in Lander might be able to help. Instructors stay at a hostel called the Noble and pretty sure you'd be able to find someone there to hump packs.

John, don't go over jackass… It is a waste. Go on the climbers trail from near Arrowhead lake, and up towards Warbonnet. It is listed in the newer Cirque/Deeplake book.
I can give you more info if you need. It does save lots of time & mileage.

Also, I bet you could hire some young Exum guys. The senior guides do the guiding for clients, and the young newer guys do the hauling for them…Just a thought!

I dont know if this is possible, but have you condsidered flying in? Not sure if there are helicopter pilots available in the area, but if so its a great way to go. Standard practice if your climbing in the Alaska range or other Alaska areas. I've been wanting to check this out my self.

If I'm in
the area next summer Im your man

Dave Lynch wrote:I dont know if this is possible, but have you condsidered flying in? Not sure if there are helicopter pilots available in the area, but if so its a great way to go. Standard practice if your climbing in the Alaska range or other Alaska areas. I've been wanting to check this out my self.

Pretty sure it's federally designated wilderness in that area and you wouldn't be able to fly a vehicle in legally.

Yes, it is wilderness. No motorized anything. Unless you can sneak that mechanical lama in.

A helicopter fly in approach would be incredibly obnoxious and I would expect and deserve a whole bunch of crap from everyone else in the Cirque. That being said, it would also be a very beautiful flight.

Mechanical llama (taps chin thoughtfully), I think you're on to something there. At a minimum a good name for a climb!

Medic741, we are planning for the first full week of August, Saturday to following Sunday.

Cor, thanks for beta on the approach hike. I remember that now, and am using "Jackass Pass" as a general term for that area/approach, but upon fine tuning things, we will definitely be using the climbers trail.

I would suggest just hiring some dirtbags from Lander to do it for you. It's probably cheaper and you can help the poor climbers who need the money.

Sent you a PM about the Winds. Did you receive it?
Dallen

Yeah, I don't know what the rules are in Wyoming. Just moved down here from Alaska in January. Every fly in trip I took in Alaska was into federally designated areas also - that doesn't mean its illegal. Just thought I'd throw that idea out there. As I said, I'm not sure what the rules are. As far as being obnoxious, that must be the local ethics. Areas we flew into in Alaska - that was the norm. It was fly in or spend a month backcountry hiking, biking or skiing, just to get to your climbing destination. Most people don't have that kind of time to commit - plus its difficult to carry enough gear on your back to sustain yourself for a couple months trip. Myself, I'd put up with the harrassment from other climbers if it meant a couple weeks in the Cirque area climbing and camping. I'm getting a little old - those long hikes in are getting harder.

Yeah, I would also go with trying to get young climbers to do it. I'd totally be interested if I'm in road-trip mode next summer (which I'm planning to be). Plus, I've always really wanted to see the Winds.

If you are following the rules, you HAVE to hire guides, etc from an outfitter that has a valid USFS permit.

IF that doesn't matter to you, whatever. There are plenty of underpaid NOLS types in Lander who will break the rules for you.

If you can't pack in a weeks worth of stuff via Big Sandy (freeway), just hire a spot pack as far as they can go from Big Sandy towards Jackass and shuttle the stuff in the rest of the way to camp in the Cirque.

If you plan right you should be able to carry the remains out yourself or just as far as where horses can go.

Why you ever went out of two trailheads is beyond me, sounds like a pain.

You might also consider Clear Lake/Deep Lake, tons of good climbing and 100% horse coverage. But then you can't talk about "the Winds" AND "the Cirque".

Good luck John G. Hey I hope you post up a trip report after your trip. I'm hoping to get into that area and try Wolfs Head in the next couple years.

Thanks for the suggestions and offers. I think I have a good idea of our options.

Coldfinger: agreed on the two trailhead thing, it was a pain. We know better now. I would like to check out the Clear Lake/Deep Lake area as well, it does look very nice, maybe the next trip.

Dave L. Thanks! I should post a TR and photos from the first trip we did a couple of years ago when we had the horse pack us in. We had a good time doing routes on Mitchell, Pingora a couple of ways, and then on Wolfs Head, the East Ridge of blew our minds.

Cor wrote:Also, I bet you could hire some young Exum guys. The senior guides do the guiding for clients, and the young newer guys do the hauling for them…Just a thought!

I'm not at all sure Exum or Jackson Hole Mt Guides would have regular guides looking for portering, but it wdn't hurt to ask: they certainly hire non-guide porters in high season for Tetons and Winds alike. Asking at the Climbers' Ranch might also bring a good result.

In 2012 we found a young porter who did a fine job for us into Titcomb Basin; not knowing what to pay we went lower than the horse-packing would have cost and got helped in to a good site on No. Titcomb Lake, far better than getting stuck at the limit the horses go.