3. The Glacier Trail to Gannett Peak

Trailhead start: Trail Lake Trailhead

Trail Type: Out and back

Distance: 50 miles

Suggested Time: 5-6 days

Difficulty: Very hard, mountaineering skills required

You might assume that Wyoming’s most famous mountain, 13,775-foot Grand Teton, is the highest point in the state, but the Wind’s Gannett Peak reaches slightly higher to 13,804 feet. Very few people ever lay eyes on Gannett, let alone climb it; Gannett is considered one of the most challenging of the 50 state high points, on par with Alaska’s Denali, as it requires a 25-mile approach and real mountaineering skills to tag the summit.

You can approach Gannett from the south via Titcomb Basin or from the north via the Glacier Trail. This route begins at the Trail Lake Trailhead, near Dubois, Wyoming. From there you’ll make your way 22 miles into the Winds to set up your basecamp at Tarn’s Lake, at the base of Dinwoody Glacier.

From here it’s about 3 miles and 3,000 feet of elevation gain up the Dinwoody Glacier/Gooseneck Glacier route to the summit. Don’t take this climb lightly; you’ll need crampons and an ice ax and many people prefer to rope up for parts of the route, due to crevasses and the risks of glacier travel.

On the summit, you’ll be able to look down all the peaks and lakes of the Wind River Range, including Titcomb Basin, with its twin giant lakes to the south. You’ll be sitting atop one of the highest points on the Continental Divide of the Rocky Mountains, where all the rivers to the east drain to the Gulf of Mexico and those to the west drain to the Pacific Ocean.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5625633&forum_id=2#48286342)