As we left Minnesota we stopped off while crossing the Mississippi River. It was starting to seem like we were really moving west crossing the Mississippi. North Dakota was one big rainstorm, so we kept driving to South Dakota to get through it. Holy Pheasants! It seemed like we were seeing dozens per mile as we crossed the plains. Our next big destination was the Badlands National Park.
We awoke to a glorious early sunrise as the sun climbed it's way over the continental divide. It hit the tent nearly 3 hours earlier than the day before. The benefits of being on a ridge instead of in a deep valley on a crisp fall morning. Morning sun on camp. Tent is middle frame. As soon as we arrived it seemed it was already time to leave. You can only carry so much food,…
The day finally came. We were in the Winds. It was time to top off the packs and head up the trail for four days. Luckily it was sunny and we found just a few cars at the trailhead. Both good signs. We headed out of New Fork Lakes trailhead, chosen due to the strong windstorm that blocked a lot of trails with freshly downed trees throughout the Wind River Range on Labor Day. New Fork canyon was reported as one of the few trails without trees blocking the trails. Although we read at least one report that this trail is rarely used due to the dull scenery, and the slog up the canyon to get to good views, we found the view up the canyon pretty enticing.
Maybe when you gauge it against other trails in the range it’s a bit dull, but I’m just going to say here, don’t believe everything you read on the internet.
