August 31, 2015, Day 23 of Lupe’s great Summer of 2015 Dingo Vacation, was spent getting repositioned from Green River Lakes at the NW end of the Wind River Range down to the Big Sandy Trailhead at the SE end. Early in the morning, Lupe and SPHP went down to take a look at Lower Green River Lake and Squaretop Mountain one last time. There were three moose down there! One was just a youngster.
All three moose were soon out of sight in the forest. Lupe has now seen 5 moose. One in Canada during her 2014 Dingo Vacation, and four on her 2015 Dingo Vacation.
After a last fond look at Green River Lake and Squaretop Mountain (11,695 ft.), Lupe and SPHP made the long drive along the dusty and very washboardy road following the Green River back to pavement. Lupe and SPHP stopped for a while in Pinedale, WY, and then continued on to the Big Sandy trailhead and campground. This ultimately involved another long drive along another dusty and very washboardy road.
Starting in June, 1930, Finis Mitchell and his wife, Emma, ran a fishing camp at Mud Lake near the Big Sandy opening. As a 4 year old child, Finis had arrived with his parents at the Wind River Range in April, 1906. He spent much of his life in the Winds. Lupe and SPHP went to check out the Big Sandy Lodge near Mud Lake.
The Big Sandy Lodge is not related in any way to Finis Mitchell’s old fishing camp, except that it is in the same location. There is no electricity, and the lodge does not accept credit cards. Meals are served in the main building for lodge guests only. The lodge complex features very nice individual cabins. The entire complex is located just S of Mud Lake.
After visiting Big Sandy Lodge and Mud Lake, Lupe and SPHP spent the rest of the day near the Big Sandy campground. There were lots of cars at the very popular trailhead. SPHP spent some time getting ready for Lupe’s big trip up to Jackass Pass and the Cirque of the Towers the next day.
On the first day of Lupe’s 2013 Dingo Vacation, she had spent a night out under the stars on top of Bald Mountain in the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming. Lupe had also been tenting on the Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone and other places during her Dingo Vacations. But Lupe had never before done what she was going to do the next morning. She had never been on a backpacking trip. This was going to be a very short one, just 3 days and 2 nights, but SPHP was pretty certain she would love it.
September 1, 2015 (Day 24 of Lupe’s 2015 Dingo Vacation) was bright and beautiful. After breakfast at a picnic table, Lupe and SPHP set out on the trail to Big Sandy Lake, about 5 miles to the NE. The first part of the trail was near Big Sandy Creek. Nearly all of the trail goes through forest. Most of it gains elevation at a slow to moderate pace. Lupe had fun exploring the forest, and occasionally barking at squirrels along the way.
Although some big mountains could be seen now and then, it didn’t really feel like Lupe was among them until she reached Big Sandy Lake. At Big Sandy Lake there were towering mountains in every direction, except back the way Lupe had come from. Lupe and SPHP stopped for a little break at Big Sandy Lake.
After the break, Lupe and SPHP continued along the trail on the NW side of Big Sandy Lake. Several trails branch out from Big Sandy Lake. Lupe and SPHP were looking for the trail to Jackass Pass, which leaves the area from the NW corner of the lake. The trail to Jackass Pass had no signage at the intersection, but Lupe and SPHP found it without any trouble.
Although Lupe had gained some elevation in the 5 miles getting to Big Sandy Lake, the real climb began when she started heading N on the trail up toward Jackass Pass. The trail went through forest at first, but the trees became progressively more stunted and scraggly, and the way became rockier as Lupe gained elevation.
The trail to Jackass Pass went past two lakes. In both cases, the trail gained a couple hundred feet of elevation to go around the E side of the lake, only to drop clear back down to lake level before continuing on to regain the lost elevation and more. In some places it was possible to lose the trail among the rocks, but it wasn’t too hard to find it again. Usually a Carolina Dog appeared on it before the search was even begun.
The first lake the trail came to was unnamed on SPHP’s maps, but a backpacker said it was North Lake. This made sense, since the map did show North Creek heading down to Big Sandy Lake from it. The second lake Lupe came to was Arrowhead Lake.
SPHP isn’t exactly sure where Jackass Pass is officially located. Lupe got her first view of the Cirque of the Towers from the high point on the trail as it passed to the E of Arrowhead Lake. Not too far ahead was another ridge of about the same elevation, which is probably technically Jackass Pass.
SPHP believes the 2nd ridge is really Jackass Pass. To get to it, the trail dropped clear down almost to the level of Arrowhead Lake and then went back up again. From the second ridge, there was a huge panoramic view encompassing the Cirque of the Towers, Pingora Peak (11,884 ft.), Lonesome Lake, Texas Pass and Lizard Head Peak (12,842 ft.). Lupe and SPHP headed for the highest part of the ridge at Jackass Pass to take in the amazing scene.
The views were tremendous, but it was really windy up at Jackass Pass. Lupe tolerated SPHP hanging around up there looking at the scenery only so long. She was ready to get out of the wind. It was time to go pitch Lupe’s “tiny house” (the tent). Lupe and SPHP crossed over the pass, and headed down into the glorious Cirque of the Towers.
Down in the Cirque of the Towers there was a little breeze, but nothing like the wind up at Jackass Pass. Lupe and SPHP traversed much of the Cirque of the Towers to get to a grassy area close to the side valley up to Cirque Lake. There SPHP pitched Lupe’s tiny house.
Years ago, SPHP had been to the Cirque of the Towers once before. On that previous trip, which had been in early August, SPHP would have traded all of the food in the pack for a single can of bug spray. The mosquitoes had been horrendous. On this first day of September, though, there were none at all. It was going to be a spectacular evening without any bugs.
Once the tiny house was up, Lupe and SPHP poked around exploring here and there near by, surrounded by magnificence in every direction. Lupe was having a blast! The evening couldn’t have been better or more fun, or could it?
When the light faded and the stars came out, SPHP went into the tiny house. Lupe came into the tiny house, too, and laid down on her sleeping bag. It had been a long day’s journey up to the Cirque of the Towers, and she was tired. As she rested, though, it began to dawn on her – there wasn’t going to be any long trek back to the G6 this evening. SPHP intended for her to stay right here in the Cirque of the Towers all night.
The American Dingo lifted her head up. There was a sparkle in her eyes. Lupe was gone. The Wild Dingo of the Night was here. It was going to be a long night!
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