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Hot take: I was wrong about the Wind River High Route being too hard for a 5 day trip
I was talking to a guide in Pinedale, Wyoming, who told me they've been taking fit beginners on a modified version for years. They said, 'Most people get hung up on the 7 day plan, but you can skip the Knapsack Col section and still see 80% of the best stuff.' That hit different because I've always treated that route like a sacred text you can't change. I did their version last August, camping at Shadow Lake and Texas Pass, and it was perfect. Has anyone else cut down a classic route and been happy with the result?
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cora6287mo ago
Totally agree, sometimes the best trips are the edited ones. That guide knows what's up.
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emma_mitchell6mo ago
That's a good point about editing trips, but I wouldn't call it "skipping" a tough part. The guide is picking a different, safer route that's still complete. It's not leaving something out, it's choosing the right path for the group. That's real guiding skill, not just cutting corners.
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sandra9167mo ago
I always figured you had to do the whole Wind River route or it didn't count. Hearing a local guide say they cut the Knapsack part for beginners made me reconsider. It sounds like skipping that tough section lets you still get the big views without the same risk. My own trips have been better when I stopped trying to follow a plan exactly. Sometimes the shorter way is just smarter.
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