Before departing Cooke City on Saturday we had to get breakfast at the Bearclaw Bakery (delicious food at cheap prices - perfect!). Last year we almost saw a fight break out over the last cinnamon roll - their food is that good!

After saying farewell to Mom and Dad, we were ready for the second part of our vacation - a backpacking trip in the Wind River Range. We had a long drive ahead of us, which was eased by the beautiful scenery in Yellowstone and the Tetons. We drove a lot of miles in Yellowstone passing through Tower Junction, the Canyon area, Fishing Bridge, and West Thumb Basin. We made one stop to do the short walk around the Mud Volcano area (see the Yellowstone gallery) and of course several stops for bison on the road.

There was still a lot of smoke in the air and we were dismayed that as we approached the Tetons the visibility continued to decrease. We stopped at Jackson Lake, but could hardly see the mountains. When we drove by the Grand Teton on Highway 191/89 just outside the park, the Grand Teton was completely obscured! We were worried what kind of smoke and visibility we would find in the Wind River Range (luckily it would turn out to be fine in the Wind River Range, phew!).

We stopped for lunch in Jackson (sandwiches at Backcountry Provisions) and picked up a few provisions in Pinedale. From Pinedale it was about an hour and fifteen minute drive to Big Sandy Lodge. The Big Sandy Trailhead is the most remote in the Wind River Range and to allow an early start the next day, we stayed at the nearby Big Sandy Lodge. Wonderful spot and a nice place to stay before embarking on our backpacking trip.

From the Big Sandy Lodge website:

Big Sandy Lodge is 44 miles from the nearest town of Boulder, Wyoming. We're at 9,100 feet elevation and bordering the Bridger Wilderness at the southern end of the spectacular 90-mile long Wind River Mountain Range. There are no public phones or electricity here at the Lodge, so leave the rest of the world behind and enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery, fantastic fishing, horseback riding on wilderness trails, the smell of evergreen trees, and incredible star-filled night skies.