WY, Training hikes in May (third week)

[silpisayz]

Hi Everyone,

I need to be in Bozeman in the third week of May and was hoping to turn it into a week long affair and add some hikes. I will be traveling by myself (if anyone is interested, you are welcome to join) and i'm looking for training hikes(either single/multi-day round trip) where I can gain a min of 4k' of elevation a day. I live on the east coast and at most I am looking at 1-1.5k elevation and i need to up that.

I tried searching for hikes in WY but most of the top results talk about the hikes being technical. I'm not looking to summit (though would be nice if it is non-technical). Would you please point me in the right direction. Which hikes/range should i be looking at?

Also, do you think it would be possible to get to a TH without renting a car? My ideal situation would be to get to a TH through public transit/hitch a ride and just do a 5-6 day hike and use public transit/hitch a ride back to Bozeman. Realistically speaking, i know that's a long shot/wishful thinking. (just hoping to avoid renting a car and leaving it to basically sit all week)

All comments/suggestions are welcome.

[WyomingSummits]

Public transit to a trailhead? Wyoming has the lowest population in the US...and the 2nd lowest in density behind only Alaska. We're not a public transit hub. Third week of May is not a guarantee for a taxi to reach a trailhead, unless you're talking about Yellowstone or the Tetons. That being said, a rental may be cheaper than a taxi. Not sure what bus schedules will be like in May.....depends on snowfall which can vary greatly. By greatly....I mean GREATLY. Public transit won't go down alot of the access roads. You have to understand that you can have a main road turn into a rutted dirt access road. You are then on that access road in some ranges/trailheads....for up to 40 miles! This isn't the east coast where you have a 1/2 mile of gravel or pavement to the trailhead.

[silpisayz]

Thanks, That is what i expected. But i thought i'll throw the question out to see if by a miracle something was possible I did mentally accept that i will end up renting.

Would you have any pointers towards hiking? Which ranges to look for?

[Morlow]

I would say the Teton have the most easily accessible elevation gain (many hikes can head straight up after only about a mile from the trailhead) but there will be way too much snow to easily (or sometimes safely) do any major elevation gain there that time of year. The Tetons get loads of snow.

[seano]

Bring snowshoes and patience. Emigrant Peak (north of Yellowstone) is fairly doable and non-avalanche-y, and that valley is very scenic. Jackson Peak would be another option. Albright and Static Peaks in the Tetons can both be straightforward snow climbs. I'm not familiar with the Bozeman-area peaks, but there are probably enough local options to keep busy if you don't want to rent a car.

[silpisayz]

Thanks for both the suggestions. I will look them up. I have both snowshoes and crampons and will make sure to pack them. If needed throw in an ice-pick as well.

I was looking at Sportsman Lake Trail. Is that doable late may?

[b.]

Sportsman lake would be a difficult ski that time of year. You can get up the Bridger Ridge from town pretty easily, it's pretty much a town hike anyway. To Baldy gets you about 3k. Probably still some snow but passable. Lots of access roads will still be gated that time of year. Emigrant is a good one. You could probably be up Blackmore with some snowshoes by then. It'll be a mix of mud, nice trail, chest deep unconsolidated snow and hard packed snow depending on the time of day.

[silpisayz]

Thanks for the input b. Reading your suggestions is getting me excited for the trip.

[silpisayz]

Hello again Everyone!

So, i did further searching based on your input and found the following hikes. Please let me know if these are doable or not.

1. Emigrant Peak
2. Black Mountain
3. Arrow Peak
4. Electric Peak
5. Sepulcher Peak

*Edit - I should also add Mt. Blackmore to the list.

I picked these because of the close proximity to each other. Electric & Sepulcher are close by and the other three are in similar areas.

I'm really hoping Black Mountain is doable as it provides the most elevation gain.

Also, will I need backcountry camping permits around these peaks? I plan on carrying bear spray and a bear canister for food. Anything else i need to be mindful off?

Lastly, are water purification drops enough for the streams there? i also plan on taking liquid fuel, so should have enough to boil water.

Thanks for all your helps folks. I'm getting excited for this trip.

Oh!, just thought of one more question...will i need a 4x4 for any of these? i tried to pick those that are most approachable. But, since you have more info, i'd be best if you can advise.

[b.]

How'd it go?

[WyomingSummits]

Alot of the access roads in the Bighorns need a 4wd right now if you want to go to the actual trailhead. If not, some are drivable for a bit. Above 9500 is crappy snow conditions with 3-8ft of snow still. Im with B. How'd it go?

[silpisayz]

Hi All,

Sorry, I just got back home. I was quite anxious going into it as even in Bozeman, it was hard to get specific information.

After considering the options, I decided to try Black Mountain. The camping options were pretty good and i was able to camp close to the trail head so i could leave my food in the car and not worry about tying them up in the trees every night.

Black Mountain had to two options. 1. Pine Creek Lake (~9100ft), 2. The Summit (~10,910ft).

The trail upto about 8000ft is very good. The creek is flowing high and the crossings were a little challenging as i forgot my gaiters, but i got around by crossing barefoot. By Wednesday, the levels were more manageable and I was able to cross just fine.

At 8000ft, snow started to appear and by 8200-8300 ft, snow was covering quite a bit of ground, which made it difficult to find the trail. Luckily, I packed my snowshoes and it was much easier to traverse the snow covered ground. But, i wasted a lot of time trying to find the trail.

I never managed to get to the lake as by 8500ft, snow was everywhere and i was eating up time trying to find the trail, so i turned back around 8700ft. But, i was able to hike Mon-Thu and get some good elevation. Which i was quite content with. I think i kept good time even with a heavier pack on.

It did rain all day on Monday and Off and on on Tue and Wed. Which meant snowing on the top of the mountain (past 7500ft), but luckily there were no thunderstorms.

There was a paved forest road leading upto the campground and a short dirt road to the trail head. So, having a 4x4 was not necessary.

I did run into a ranger and asked him about the bear canisters. They are recommended, but not really required (no law necessitating them). As long as you followed the tree rules, you were fine. Luckily, no bears. But, did some dear closer to the trail head and i think some marmots(?)

In my 4 days there, i ran into very few people (~5) who attempted to hike to the lake, many were first timers who all turned around at the snowline. Only 1 couple on Thursday were attempting the summit and they seemed like they have done it before. There were quite a few people who would hike to the waterfall (2mile RT) in the evening.

I'll try to put up some pictures and share the link.

Thank you again to everyone who helped me make this a successful trip.