Chose the High Route over the Valley Route in the Winds last August, and my knees still have thoughts

Sam Walker · 2026-09-16T10:25:04.958373+00:00

Last August me and two buddies did a 5 day loop in the Wind River Range out of the Elkhart Park trailhead, and we had to pick between the high route over Knapsack Col or the valley route down past the Titcomb Lakes. Everyone online said take the valley and save your legs, but one guy at the outfitter in Pinedale told us the high route was the whole point and the valley was just a green tunnel with no views. We went high. The climb up to the col was maybe 1,800 feet of loose rock and my buddy Ryan twisted his ankle about halfway, so we ended up moving at half speed and got caught in a hail storm at 12,000 feet wearing shorts like idiots. The views off the far side of the col were honestly on another level though, I've never seen water that color before, and we had the whole basin to ourselves for two nights. The tradeoff was my left knee was wrecked for a solid 3 weeks after we got home, and Ryan still brings up the ankle every time we plan a trip. If I ran that loop again I think I'd take the valley in, high route out, so you get the views without the worst of the climb on tired legs. Curious if anyone here has done Knapsack and gone the other way, does the descent eat you alive or was it not that bad?

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Chose the High Route over the Valley Route in the Winds last August, and my knees still have thoughts | Backpacking Routes - Babble Community