Gannett Peak Trip Report (Part 1)

Steve Romeo, Chris and Tim Weydeveld, and I have returned from our week-long ski trip to Gannett Peak in the Northern Wind River Mountain Range of Wyoming. The trip was a success in that we climbed and skied from the summit via Gooseneck glacier, skied most of the northern mountain, and played on three different glaciers.

We hired a Native American guide to drive us to the Cold Springs trail head cutting out around twenty miles of an already thirty eight mile round trip to ensure much skiing was had. Driving to the trail head felt like an African safari with elk, bighorn sheep, and antelope roaming the foothills. It was a beautiful and wild drive to the trail head, and I was stoked to see some new country that many will never experience due to the fees and access. After a twenty mile drive, we were dropped off and all alone. What a great feeling!

Chris and Steve sorting out packs before the sixteen mile approach:

We were planning on hiking and skinning fourteen miles the first day, but our first obstacle would be a five mile and 2000 foot climb over Scenic Pass and down to Ink Wells. Then we would try to skin another nine miles to our base camp. We did not know how the snow conditions would be, so we crossed our fingers and hoped for good skinning.

Scenic Pass in the background:

Tim skinning up Scenic Pass before dropping into Ink Wells and Dinwoody drainage:

We skinned up the majority of Scenic Pass and soon had some great views of Dinwoody drainage and the north side of Gannett Peak after nearly five miles.

Once we made it down to the Dinwoody drainage our hopes of skinning all the way to base camp were squashed by marginal snow in the valley and we ended up camping four miles short. The next day we made it to the confluence of Dinwoody and Gannett creeks where we called home for the next four nights.
Tim, Steve, and Chris preparing for summit day:

The next morning we decided to wake up at 2:30 am for an attempt at our main objective, Gannett Peak. The weather and clouds were rolling in when we turned in for good night's rest, but we hoped for the best in the morning...stay tuned for Gannett Peak Part 2.

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