Recently my wife and I backpacked in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. Located about a hundred miles southeast of Jackson Hole, the Wind River Range is an area of spectacular scenery, characterized by dramatic jagged peaks, forty-eight of which reach 12,500 feet and higher. Over 2,000 lakes are in the area, many of which are full of beautiful trout. Wyoming’s highest mountain, 13,804-foot Gannett Peak, is in the Wind River Range. It is truly some of the most breathtaking scenery I have ever witnessed. We took six days to backpack about 25 miles total; first to Deep Lake, then to the awe-inspiring Cirque of the Towers, shown above.
Deep Lake lies at the base of several mountains, the most dramatic of which is the shark fin-shaped East Temple.
Next, we hiked to the Cirque of the Towers, hiking over 10,800-foot Jackass Pass. Here’s my wife resting at the pass:
The awe-inspiring drama of Cirque of the Towers is almost indescribable. 360 degrees of jagged peaks surround the small, deep valley.
I feel so fortunate to be able to experience the beauty of this area, and we are already looking forward to our next visit. Though our trip was several days, we only scratched the surface of this incredible place.
Location: Spokane, Washington
Website: www.chipphillipsphotography.com
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Chip Phillips began his relationship with photography in 2006 when his father gave him his old Pentax Spotmatic film SLR camera. Chip was immediately hooked and soon made the transition to digital. Given his lifelong love of the outdoors, he naturally made the progression to focusing on landscape photography. A professionally trained classical musician, Chip also performs as Principal Clarinet with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, and is Adjunct Professor of Clarinet at Gonzaga University. Chip resides in Spokane Washington with his wife and son.