Due to the unexpected late night Ho-Down we got out a little later than I’d like. There are a lot of unknowns on the road ahead and only four campsites at the trailhead. If we miss out on a campsite then we will be fighting for one of the limited parking spots at the trailhead to spend the night. This day, dedicated solely to this road, will give us time in case anything unexpected pops up or hopefully just time at camp to relax and prepare for our three days in the Wind River Range. 

The drive up still has me a bit nervous, it’s not a dangerous cliff side terrifying drive but rather a long slow road that has suffered the effects of one of the harshest winters in The United States. 

The dirt road to get up to the range alternates between endless washboard vibrating and big rocks next to deep potholes. We will be on this road for nearly two hours without any service. The constant shaking has the potential to exacerbate any hidden issue the bus may be hiding since 1997. The chance of a popped tire is high and the chance of a tow would likely require us to spend several nights camping wherever it breaks down. Our high clearance and six wheel drive give us an advantage, our size and age offset that. 

We take it slow and voila, they don’t call me Lucky for nothing. We pull in to the last available campsite and take a few minutes to relax and stop vibrating. Enough worrying about that. The review mirrors are facing in new directions, every piece of food fell out of the kitchen when I opened the doors, the storage area is blanketed in dust, and my knitted hanging plant has fallen. The road is a bitch but not dangerous. That’s why I was never really nervous at all…

I couldn’t really appreciate the beauty until now, the peaks that have been in the distance for two days are now right beneath my feet. The kids are running around, happy as I am to be back in the forest. 

About a mile back down the road we saw a sign for a small lodge that rents a few national forest cabins out to a few lucky fisherman or hikers. They also run a horse packing service and for the right price will pack all your gear up into the mountains to resupply long distance hikers or so that you may experience a less challenging hike up. The sign says Burgers and Beer, so suddenly preparing for tomorrow is no longer the priority. 

We take a walk back down the road and find a quaint two room cottage-like lodge. We did what the sign said and enjoyed for the last time what could be considered a real meal for the next few days. See the image of Amy distributing our calories for the trip for proof.

The kids run around and climb on the rocks while I set out all the gear and organized the food, still amazed this is actually happening. Amy pauses for a rest, still recovering after last night and the drive. The other campsites and the trailhead are filled with people laying out gear exactly as I have. We are surrounded by our people, and I enjoy that feeling. These people are all out here enjoying what we enjoy. The cirque of Towers is the premier rock climbing location in the Rockies and many climbers are coiling rope and counting gear hoping to summit some of the towers we merely hope to stand beneath. 

I’m in a great mood, relieved to be here. A random machine braking down can’t stop me now and I no longer wonder if my kids will embrace the challenge and want to backpack, they are excited.

Tonight I’ll reread the guidebook and study the map. We will watch a movie and tomorrow, finally, after all the prep and anticipation, now the real challenge can begin.