Wind River High Route

Sustained winds 25-30+ mph with gusts to 32 mph are the primary concern through your entire trip window. Areas of blowing snow today and Friday will reduce visibility on exposed ridges and make route-finding difficult above treeline. The Wind River High Route has extensive exposed terrain where these conditions will be punishing — plan shorter days and have bail-out options identified. Saturday brings an 80% chance of snow showers with the coldest night dropping to 4°F, so get your miles in early before the weather deteriorates.

Stream crossings are in excellent shape with all five monitored gauges running 41-87% of median flow. The San Antonio River near Lockwood is at just 41% of normal at 71 cfs, and even larger drainages like the Salinas River are running well below average at 339 cfs (76% median). With temperatures staying below freezing and minimal snowmelt contribution, flows will remain stable and manageable throughout your trip.

Snowpack data shows significant variability by elevation — Annie Springs at 6,021 feet has 35 inches with a falling trend suggesting some settlement, while Long Lake shows 98 inches and stable conditions. The 48-inch average depth across monitoring stations indicates good snow coverage for route-finding but not problematic depths for travel.

Plan your daily schedule around wind exposure. Start early each day (sunrise at 7:35 AM) to maximize progress before afternoon wind peaks. Have your camp set up and secured before the coldest night Saturday when temperatures drop to 4°F with continued strong winds. The 11 hours 45 minutes of daylight gives you reasonable working time, but factor in slower travel speeds in windy conditions.