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Cirque of the Sun
Wyoming
> Wind River Range
Description
This small cirque is just to the south of the Monolith Cirque. A wonderful clean wall that gets afternoon sun can be seen as you walk down the NF trail.This is a very pleasant environment to spend some time and in some ways it is the opposite of the Cirque of the Moon.
Getting There
The best approach is on the North Fork trail from Dickinson Park outside of Lander. You will need to obtain a permit to cross the reservation. The approach into the cirque is steep but short. Once into the cirque access to the walls is simple.
[Hide Comment] Kelsey mentions three cirques on the south side of the trail, with the furthest west containing the Monolith. Is this the middle cirque if approaching from Dickinson? Or is this within the westerly cirque containing the Monolith (Papoose Lake lying at the mouth of the cirque) ? Thanks.
Aug 22, 2018
[Hide Comment] With Icarus and Thunder Child in Cirque of the Sun, Space Ghost in Cirque of the Moon, and other routes in Monolith Cirque, these three cirques are becoming a rad destination for 5.11ish alpine rock!
Sep 25, 2018
[Hide Comment] Alternate approach - if weather is good, we've found it's fastest to come in from Big Sandy via Black Joe Lake and camp in the highlands above the Cirque of the Sun. 6-7 hours in our first time, 5-6 hours once we knew the way.
Details: hike to Black Joe Lake. Cross the outlet, make your way around the cliffs near the outlet (routefinding crux), drop back to the lakeshore, and hike along Black Joe lake until you reach the draw just W of Pt 11,593. Climb this draw (1,200 ft), and from it's top walk East and down to a nice camp on the highlands. This puts you near the top of the routes. See beta photo for more details.
Sep 25, 2018
If you plan to be there for a few days, the base of Thunder Child is a way better place to camp than the Scottish Highlands. The Highlands are very exposed if it's windy or stormy.
As for the approach, there are a few different hills you can go up from Black Joe lake, and they are all equally heinous. With heavy packs, it took us three hours to go one mile uphill. I'm sure it is less if you are not as soft as me. We also tried going the long way around the lake to avoid the section that cliffs out, but it's not any easier because you end up in a lot of boulder fields. Then the Lander approach costs $50 each way to go through the reservation. From Kevin who also did the long but flatter approach from the Cirque, plus all the Highlands variations: "It's like a break-up, it's gonna suck no matter how it goes down"
Sep 2, 2022
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Boulder, CO
Flagstaff
Boulder, CO
New Haven, CT
New Haven, CT
Details: hike to Black Joe Lake. Cross the outlet, make your way around the cliffs near the outlet (routefinding crux), drop back to the lakeshore, and hike along Black Joe lake until you reach the draw just W of Pt 11,593. Climb this draw (1,200 ft), and from it's top walk East and down to a nice camp on the highlands. This puts you near the top of the routes. See beta photo for more details. Sep 25, 2018
Seattle, WA
If you plan to be there for a few days, the base of Thunder Child is a way better place to camp than the Scottish Highlands. The Highlands are very exposed if it's windy or stormy.
As for the approach, there are a few different hills you can go up from Black Joe lake, and they are all equally heinous. With heavy packs, it took us three hours to go one mile uphill. I'm sure it is less if you are not as soft as me.
We also tried going the long way around the lake to avoid the section that cliffs out, but it's not any easier because you end up in a lot of boulder fields.
Then the Lander approach costs $50 each way to go through the reservation.
From Kevin who also did the long but flatter approach from the Cirque, plus all the Highlands variations:
"It's like a break-up, it's gonna suck no matter how it goes down" Sep 2, 2022