I finally figured out a way to plan a perfect 4-day loop in the Wind River Range

I kept getting stuck trying to link trails without a huge car shuttle. Last summer, I mapped a route starting at Big Sandy, going over Texas Pass, and circling back via Shadow Lake. The key was using a free app called CalTopo to check the elevation gain between campsites. I set a hard rule of no more than 2,500 feet of climbing in a single day. It made the trip way more fun and kept my group from getting too tired. Has anyone else tried planning loops there with a similar mileage limit?

3 comments

3 Comments

brian_ramirez1mo ago

Oh man, my buddy learned that lesson the hard way last year. He planned a loop without checking the climbs and his group was totally beat by day two.

jennyp191mo ago

Your 2,500 foot rule is exactly what a guidebook I read said to stick to for those high passes.

elizabeth9001mo ago

That Texas Pass to Shadow Lake loop is a classic. I spent way too long last year trying to connect trails from Elkhart Park without a brutal shuttle. Your 2,500 foot daily climb rule is smart, I learned the hard way that 3,000 feet with a full pack just wrecks you. CalTopo is a game changer for spotting those sneaky elevation bumps between lakes.