Medicine Bow National Forest - Snowy Range
Wyoming
Ahh, summertime in Minnesota. The perfect time to get into the wilderness of the Boundary Waters to paddle, fish, and portage to your heart’s content. We had been planning a trip with our friends Liz and Ryan since January, and couldn’t be more excited to get back out there. Well, what’s that old saying? If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans? Wildfires rage through the BWCAW all summer, and we held our breath hoping that the closures wouldn’t affect our route. Until one day, when they did. Disappointed as we were, we decided that even if our route did open up in time for our trip, it just wouldn’t be safe to be out there. So, sadly Plan A was off the table - luckily, the alphabet has 25 more letters…
We knew we wanted to drive somewhere (rather than flying) so that the dogs could come. AND we knew it had to be somewhere really cool, that would make us just as happy as a BWCAW trip. So we pulled up Google Maps and looked for green “splotches” that appeared to be within driving distance of Minneapolis, and just happened to stumble upon Medicine Bow National Forest in southeastern Wyoming. We scoured through any and all pictures we could find, and the more we saw, the more exhilarated we became. Gorgeous mountains and alpine lakes? Check. Dispersed backpacking, so no reservation needed? Check. Drivable distance? Check! Liz and Ryan were on board, and suddenly we had a “Plan B” that we were all thrilled about!
Our hiking route would take us through the Snowy Range (The “Snowies”) of Medicine Bow National Forest. This gem is home to dramatic mountain landscapes and over 100 alpine lakes carved by glaciers nearly 70 million years ago. Located roughly 35 miles west of Laramie, WY, these mountains were accessible yet gave us the feeling of solitude and wildness that we were after. We backpacked about 30 miles around a figure-eight loop consisting of a combination of several different trails, and featuring many beautiful lakes and a 12,018 foot peak!
Day 1: Lewis Lake TH to Shelf Lakes
We hit the road Wednesday night, all six of us (and our obnoxious amount of stuff) packed tight into Liz’s truck, Hank. We alternated turns driving through the night, and though it was rough, it went by faster than we thought. Before we knew it, we were in Laramie, the gateway to the Snowies. We stopped for gas and the guys checked out a local fishing shop, then up into the mountains we went! Gorgeous stone mountaintops blanketed in pines rose high above the road, giving us continuous views on our twisty-turny journey to the trailhead. Finally we made it to Lewis Lake Trailhead, found a parking spot, and started assembling our packs. After some giddy “oohs and “ahhs” from the humans and excited yelping from the pups, we were ready to set out on the trail.
We started hiking north on the Gap Lakes Trail. The trailhead and first couple miles of trail were very busy with day hikers (lots of families), which we were expecting - it didn’t bother us much, we were too busy taking in all the incredible views! We all felt the effects of the altitude right away - even on the flat, leisurely trail around the beautiful Lewis Lake. We started our hike at a whopping 10,794 feet, and we knew we’d be heading up from there. Lewis Lake and the views along the trail were beautiful - we tried not to trip on the rocky trail while we took in the bright blue water of the lake, lush green meadows, and tall, rocky mountains surrounding us. We hiked up to an overlook of Lewis and many smaller, unnamed lakes, then arrived at South Lake.
South Lake was stunning. The narrow dirt trail led us straight up to a tall front of mountains with rocks tumbling sharply down to crystal clear water. We took a short rest here, then pressed on, motivated to reach our camp for the day so we could all relax! Next came the gap between South and North Lakes - we’d read reviews that it was pretty rocky, challenging terrain, and were given some unsolicited, condescending advice from other hikers about what we could expect from the trail ahead (gotta love it when that happens…not). This section started with a gentle incline over medium-sized rocks which were fairly easy to navigate, however, ended with a scramble through a large boulder field along the lakeshore. With no real trail, we did our best to find the easiest way to go! Tino scampered ahead, unphased, with Joe and Ryan shortly behind him. Crimson, a little timid at first, needed some help jumping between rocks but eventually found her stride, and Ashley and Liz brought up the rear. It was a tough section, and we were grateful to be doing a loop so we didn’t have to cross it again on our way back!
After the gap section, we found ourselves on a short but steep ascent up to the Shelf Lakes spur, our home for the night. There are four Shelf Lakes, and we hiked along the trail until we found a nice, secluded campsite on a hill above the second lake. We had gorgeous views of mountains all around us, and no other campers in sight! Our first try at dispersed camping, successful! There were some nice options for tent pads, a firepit (which we did not use due to the fire ban, but still, nice), and trees for hammocks. We relaxed, napped, set up camp, and then checked out the lake. Ryan and Joe fished, the dogs ran around exploring, and Liz and I enjoyed our comfortable camp chairs. After a while, we took a hike down to the third lake through a peaceful meadow, Crimson hunted picas and weasels, and we hung out at the lake for a while while the guys fished. It felt so good to finally BE on the vacation we had been planning, relaxing in nature, and spending time together. Even though it wasn’t the vacation we originally planned, we couldn’t imagine being anywhere else but there. Joe caught the first fish of the trip, a teenie-tiny trout! We hiked back to camp and made dinner, then enjoyed a pretty pink sunset over a silhouette of pines and mountains. We were all exhausted from the overnight drive plus our hike into camp, so we called it an early night! About 2.5 miles and 500 feet of elevation gain, not too shabby for our first day.
Day 2: Shelf Lakes to Sheep Lake
We all slept like the dead Thursday night - some sprinkles and wind overnight, and chilly, but we were treated to a beautiful morning with a nice sunrise against the mountains. We had some breakfast and packed up camp, then set back on the trail. The spur trail followed right along the lakeshore, and we took in all the views we could of the Shelf Lakes before saying goodbye. We hiked past North Gap Lake, then through a series of alpine meadows packed with pines, lots of boulders, and mountains peeking up over the trees. Since we were making great time, we decided to take a spur to Reservoir Lake for lunch. The trail took us through a huge meadow, and since we hadn’t seen another person since Wednesday night, we let the dogs off leash and they had an absolute blast chasing each other through the fields. Reservoir Lake was a perfect rest spot - sitting at about 10,800 feet it looked like there was nothing beyond the horizon!
The guys fished, the gals relaxed (you’re noticing a trend here, right?) and the dogs ran around to their hearts’ content. Joe caught another trout, which was dying from the hook, so we fried it up for lunch - delicious! Our lunch break lasted about an hour, then we got back on the trail and continued on toward our destination. The trail crossed a few creeks, weaved through more alpine meadows, and gained a little elevation, then we made it to Sheep Lake. A nice little lake surrounded by clusters of pines and wide meadows, sitting below some rolling mountains - we found a nice area to camp nestled in the trees. The wind had really picked up by this point, and we struggled to set up our tents in the gusting breeze. Suffice to say we used a lot of extra paracord and tent stakes! Feeling ravenous, we ate lunch, and relaxed for a little while before dark storm clouds chased us into our tents.
The wind picked up even more, and brought with it a moderate rainstorm. We all took the opportunity to take a nice, long nap, and about two hours later we came out of our tents feeling refreshed! The rain had gone, and we took some time to explore our camp. Overall it was a nice campsite, with a neat little kitchen area including logs, a fire ring (which we used as a wind blocker when boiling water), and easy access to the lake. We wouldn’t camp there again though, the water in the lake was pretty murky, and we had to use both of our water filters together to get the water clean (yuck). The weather alternated between sun and cold sprinkles with wind, and we stuck it out the best we could while we made dinner and played a round of Phase-10 (this trip could have easily been sponsored by this game!) Eventually a strong wind came rolling in again, along with more dark clouds, and we decided to take the hint and call it a night. Overall and excellent second day! We hiked 4.15 miles, about 500 feet elevation gain, and had a really nice lunch break at Reservoir Lake. We really hadn’t seen many other hikers since leaving the busy Lewis/Gap Lake area - only two other groups, and just in passing. We loved the feeling of solitude!
Day 3: Sheep Lake to Lost Lake
The wind and rain continued through the night in waves, and we heard coyotes yipping in the distance in the middle of the night. It was a VERY cold Saturday morning - we ate our breakfast (miserably), put all of our layers on, and got to hiking as fast as we could in an effort to warm up! The sky was overcast, unclear if this was due to smoke from distant fires, cloud cover, or a combination of both. The trail continued through wide, open meadows riddled with boulders and pines, and we could see misty mountains off in the distance, becoming gradually more clear as we approached them. We crossed over lots of creeks, and took a snack break at North Twin Lake. We had warmed up some from the exertion of hiking, but it was still a cold, windy day - luckily no rain. The dogs didn’t seem to mind!
Next came a fun section through a little valley, filled with snow patches, pines, and rocks sloping down from the mountains on either side of us. Then the trail dove into a forest - the first actual forest we’d hiked so far. It felt a little bit like home, with tall, skinny pines towering over us as we hiked over the soft, dirt path. We passed through Brooklyn Lake Trailhead, bustling on a Saturday morning, and continued through the forest on a much steeper trail. Finally we made it to Glacier Lakes, our next rest stop! We found a nice spot to ourselves and enjoyed the view of the crystal clear lake water with rocky mountain slopes tumbling down to shore. It was still windy and cold, and before long we got moving again to warm up.
One last push to our goal for the night, Lost Lake. It was a tough, rugged section with lots of ascents, rocky outcrops, and cliffs, and all of us were tired and ready to call it a day. Finally we arrived at Lost Lake! It was quite busy, evidently a popular day hike destination (and it was Saturday after all). We strayed off the trail into the woods beyond the lake and found a nice camping area with decent tent pads and no other people in sight. Falling into a routine, we set up camp, snacked, and relaxed - napping, fishing, more snacking! By around 4pm the lake had really quieted down, and we appeared to be mostly alone. We saw one other tent on the other side of the lake, but we never saw or heard any other people and had the whole lakeshore to ourselves. The guys fished, and the gals and pups hiked around the lake exploring. Lost Lake had a rugged, rocky shoreline, framed by tall, flat mountains on all sides - a very pretty sight to take in. We had dinner, played some more Phase-10, and then it got cold…real cold. We didn’t fight the urge to crawl into our warm, comfy sleeping bags. Disappointed at the realization that our trip was half over, we reflected on all we had seen so far, and looked forward to all the wilderness we had yet to explore, trying to savor every minute!
Day 4: Lost Lake to Heart Lake
We got up early the next morning and skipped breakfast with the goal of making it back to the trailhead to restock early. Sunday’s route would complete the first part of our figure-eight loop, taking us back through Lewis Lake Trailhead before pushing on toward Medicine Bow Peak. The sky was bright and clear, and though it was still pretty windy we were grateful for the sunshine. We took in beautiful views as we hiked through meadows, boulder fields, and several overlooks. The most striking view was an unnamed lake with a stunning backdrop of Browns peak. We made it back to the trailhead, had some breakfast, and restocked our packs for the next few days - this meant fresh clothes and more food (woohoo!).
We finished up at the trailhead and got back on the trail, hiking past Lewis Lake and staring up at our next target. Standing tall at 12,018 feet, Medicine Bow Peak is the tallest point in the Snowy Range and the highest peak in southern Wyoming. Our leisurely stroll around the lake quickly started to gain elevation, and endless switchbacks brought views that just kept getting better the higher we climbed. To the east, we saw South and North Gap Lakes, Shelf Lakes, Lewis Lake, and Klondike Lake, as well as Brown’s Peak and other mountains. To the west, we saw the gorgeous Lookout Lakes and sheer cliffs that surrounded them.
The switchbacks got rockier and steeper the higher we climbed, and what would have been a tough hike on its own was made even more challenging by the altitude. This meant feeling a little lightheaded and very short of breath, and taking lots of rest breaks. Ryan led the charge and motivated everyone to keep moving, and the dogs did their part in pulling us up the mountainside. Then came the scramble up and over boulders and smaller rocks, and the humans were so proud of how brave the dogs were! They leaped rock to rock like it was nothing. Finally we reached the summit!
We found a nice spot to sit and take a break, pleased that it wasn’t too windy. The views on all sides were amazing, a dreamlike picture of endless lakes and mountains, and we relaxed up there for a while taking everything in. Eventually the wind and the haze moved in, and we said goodbye to Medicine Bow Peak. We hiked down the saddle, then descended through a bunch of rocky switchbacks - tough footing and tired legs made this difficult. We took a spur toward Heart Lake, and hiked an additional 1.5 miles to camp. It was warm, and we hiked through wide open meadows during our long descent to our destination. We passed by Long Lake and several other smaller lakes, got off trail somehow (big surprise), and finally made it to Heart Lake, our home for the next two nights.
Heart Lake had beautiful, blue-green water with mountains surrounding one side, and a sea of pines and rocks sloping to shore on the other side. A stream flowed from a lake up the mountainside, creating a nice ambiance and ample opportunity for fishing. There was one other group set up on the other side of the lake, but from our camp and shoreline we couldn’t see or hear them. Tino swam in the water, Crimson hunted innocent rodents, and we relaxed for a while, then made dinner and played a few rounds of cards. It was warm and calm at camp for once, and we stayed up late reminiscing on the trip and playing round after round of games. The night was clear and the sky full of stars, we even saw the big dipper! The perfect end to the perfect day.
Day 5: Base Camp at Heart Lake
Monday we had a base camp day at Heart Lake, our reward for such hard work so far on the trip.It was a nice, slow-paced morning with a good breakfast, lots of fishing for the guys, and relaxing down at the water reading and writing for the girls. It was a mild, sunny day with a light breeze, and it felt SO good to NOT be hiking! The other group that camped across the lake had gone, and the six of us were completely alone. We hiked around Heart Lake and followed the stream to a second lake up above our camp, where the guys struck gold trout fishing. As we hiked around the lake, we packed out three gallon-sized bags of garbage left behind by other groups, which was extremely disappointing. Overall it was a laid-back, relaxing day, filled with fishing, lounging, and more cards resulting in a 1-1 tie in 45’s between the girls and guys. We decided to have a fish fry for dinner, and the on-off rain showers turned into a mild hail storm while the guys fileted the fish and the girls tried to set up a sheltered kitchen area. Luckily the rain and hail stopped after a while, and we fried up the fish (delicious!) and relaxed around camp before heading off to bed. We drifted off to sleep trying to make the time slow down, but we all know how well that works. We weren’t looking forward to the trip ending, but we were looking forward to a real bed, a shower, and a toilet (haha!). Silver linings, I guess.
Day 6: Heart Lake to Lewis Lake TH
For our final day on the trail we retraced our steps on the spur back to Medicine Bow Peak Trail, and completed the second loop of our figure-eight route. This meant a long, hard ascent to the main trail - it always seems so much steeper on the way back! Unfortunately, we tacked on an extra mile round trip because someone (cough cough Ashley) was not paying attention to the GPS…Whoops. Finally we made it back to the main trail, and took a long rest before pressing on. Somehow we continued to ascend, and the trail became really rugged and rocky which was tough for our tired legs. We passed by a gorgeous overlook of Lake Marie, and we hiked through a wide open alpine meadow with views as far as the eyes could see as the trail descended all the way down to the lake.
We took a break at the picnic area beside Lake Marie, filtered some more water, and mustered up the energy to hike another 3.4 miles back to the trailhead. The trail followed a paved path for a while, a nice change from the rugged trail, and passed by Mirror Lake. Just as we started to relax, the trail became really rugged and steep. The last few miles of trail were almost more mentally exhausting than they were physically - well that’s not quite right it was really hard! The incline seemed like it would never stop, and we started to lose our minds a bit. Liz and Ashley *may* have muttered the words “Just kill me now, leave me to die”…but we definitely weren’t being dramatic or anything!
We hiked past the beautiful Lookout Lakes, and finally descended the spur back to Lewis Lake Trailhead. That old truck, “Hank” was a gorgeous sight, and we took one last look at the Snowies before saying goodbye. We drove into Centennial, WY, about 20 minutes outside of the mountains, stopped at the Friendly Store for food and beer, then checked into our AirBnB. It was a tiny little place but had everything we needed - beds, a kitchen, and a shower! We made dinner and relaxed, then hit the hay early to get some rest before getting back on the road. We were all packed up by 3am and started our long journey home, sad to be leaving but grateful for the memories.
Overall it was an excellent week with an excellent crew! The Snowies are a magical place, and we feel so lucky to have experienced them the way we did - miserable ascents, hail storms, and all! We would encourage anyone looking to get acquainted with Wyoming’s backcountry to check out the Snowy Range - just remember, please pack out all your garbage and leave no trace that you were ever there! Let’s make sure these incredible places stay wild and pristine for generations to come.
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