As I drove to the trailhead the mountains were hidden in the clouds. The highway allowed me to drive 80 mph through vast open spaces with few signs of human activity. The rain fell heavily. Although a Michigander at heart, a few weeks earlier I had set out on temporary work that would allow the opportunity for adventures out West. While I had enjoyed many backpacking adventures in the West, this short overnighter would be my first near my new home.

Into the Bighorn Mountains

The Bighorn Mountains in north central Wyoming aren’t as famous as other mountain ranges in Wyoming, but are the first major mountains that will be seen when road-tripping westbound across the northern plains. Peaks soar to over 13,000 feet. Beautiful alpine lakes reflect peacefully. Meadows are carpeted with wildflowers. Dramatic cliffs tower thousands of feet overhead. Wildlife sightings are frequent. The Cloud Peak Wilderness is the main backpacking attraction of the Bighorns and my planned route would show me a small corner of this beautiful wilderness.

I arrived at the Circle Park Trailhead in the mid-afternoon. It was the weekend, but there were only about five other cars at the trailhead on the final day of June. The temperature was in the high 40s. The sky was cloudy. The rain had ceased. Within a short distance, I crossed a meadow overfilled with purple lupine wildflowers. I entered the forest. The trail was wide but nearly every step needed careful foot placement as the trail was filled with rocks.

I was hiking at an elevation slightly higher than 8000 feet. This was about 3000 feet higher than my new home on the plains of Wyoming, but acclimatizing wasn’t challenging. The climb was gradual and I anticipated the highest elevation of the hike would be about 10,000 feet. The snowpack at higher elevations was likely still substantial with it being just the end of June.

Soon I crossed the wilderness boundary and while the trail felt nearly the same, the knowledge of being in officially designated wilderness brought joy to my soul. While my native state of Michigan has lots of beautiful hiking and backpacking, the Cloud Peak Wilderness by itself at nearly 200,000 acres has more than five times the amount of federally designated wilderness than Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

Still in the forest, I passed several scenic ponds and soon arrived at a trail junction for the beginning of my planned loop. There was a tranquil reflection of a nearby lake surrounded by trees. Cloud cover was still low, and I wondered if I would normally be able to see mountains on a clear day. Starting a loop going clockwise, brief views between the trees and clouds revealed small patches of snow on nearby mountains. The trail passed scenic ponds with beaver lodges, but I didn’t see any other indication of their presence.

The terrain began to change, and near the trail large boulder fields appeared. The sun began to shine occasionally through the clouds. I crossed a fast flowing early season lake outlet on two small logs. My map indicated that I was going to pass another lake, but the trail went a different direction and I decided there would be other lakes to see on my route. Soon I reached another stream crossing and searched upstream until finding a safer place to cross.

The snow-covered mountains began to appear out of the clouds. I arrived at a perfectly still lake and enjoyed a stunning reflection of the clouds and mountains. I could see a couple tents at a campsite across the lake. I left the loop portion of my route, going off-trail and hoping to find a nearby lake. Navigation was manageable as my route mainly followed a creek. I was at the edge of treeline and my route was through soggy vegetation. As I approached the lake, there was a large boulder field to cross.

Snow remained around the lake, and it took some searching to find a flat and dry spot to camp. While I had hoped to find a campsite with a great view, my location was sheltered in the trees. The lake was beautiful and reflected the steep cliffs of Bighorn Peak. The clouds above it were first enlightened by the sun and then began to move until the sky was nearly completely blue. The sun set into the only cloud that remained. I feasted on a no-cook backpacking meal and enjoyed a peaceful night’s rest.

The next morning I decided to continue further off-trail to the Chill Lakes Basin. The hiking was tedious with lots of rock hopping, but the views were spectacular. Realizing that I was entirely content where I was, I simply stopped and enjoyed the scenery. After eating some snacks, I began my return journey. As I descended, I took a misstep and tripped and was pleased with a cushioned landing on my backpack. Happy to be uninjured, I continued back to the trail.

I journeyed past a swampy lake and another picturesque lake, meeting a few other backpackers. Next was another short side trip to another lake. I scrambled down to its eastern end and hopped along the lakeside boulders until I was pleased with the view including snow-covered Darton Peak. Back on the trail, it was an easy hike around the rest of the loop returning to the trailhead, but I was left wanting more of what the Bighorns had to offer.

A Second Trip to the Summit

Soon I discovered that my time in Wyoming would be even more temporary than I anticipated. I only had a few weeks left and wanted to experience more of the state. Pleased with my previous adventure, a couple weeks later I returned for one of the best hikes in the Bighorns and the Cloud Peak Wilderness: to Cloud Peak, the highest peak in the Bighorns at 13,167 feet.

Again I only had time for an overnighter, so I planned to hike most of the way to the peak on day one and camp, summit early the next morning and return later that day back to where I started. I began from the popular West Tensleep Trailhead, and the trail followed the eastern shore of West Tensleep Lake at about 9000 feet. I was only six or seven miles from where I had hiked from Circle Park, but I felt much farther away. I passed through the forest and scenic meadows with a rushing stream as people fished nearby. The trail climbed gradually, and the mountains came into view. Soon I had one of my first views of Cloud Peak. As I passed by the lake I could see other hikers enjoying the day on the opposite side.

I continued the journey toward Cloud Peak with the perspective of it changing around nearly every corner. I could see a snowy ridge and tried to determine where my route would go. The trees began to thin as I climbed. Rocky cliffs and boulders appeared in the scenic meadows. There were colorful flowers and glassy ponds. I passed by a pair of lakes – one tranquil with another mirror-like reflection, followed the second that was nearly entirely above treeline. Next I arrived at the junction with the Solitude Loop Trail TR 038, offering a spectacular 55+ mile loop in the Bighorns. My goal was to camp close by. There were several campsites, but they were occupied and I still had time left to hike a little more before sunset.

I continued north on the trail up a small pass. My topo map showed a flat spot off the trail to the east and I explored for a short distance. I discovered a small rocky hill with a flat spot at the top with just enough space to fit my tent. There were small bushes to provide shelter as well. After setting up camp. I enjoyed an outstanding show of evening light glowing on the mountains including Cloud Peak. I went to get water at a small nearby unnamed lake that had a fantastic view reflecting the mountains. Back at camp, the view to the west included a sky with clouds seemingly on fire from the sunset.

I went to sleep with anticipation for the summit attempt the next day. In the morning, I awoke to see a cloud fittingly covering the summit of Cloud Peak. Returning to the trail, I could see a moose using the trail in the distance down in the valley below. After the trail turned west, I veered off the official trail onto a small user trail toward Paint Rock Creek. There was a small waterfall as I began what would be a nearly 3000 foot climb. There isn’t an official route up Cloud Peak, but there are many cairns to mark the way. It was still a challenge to find the best route. Initially I followed Paint Rock Creek and at times I needed to cross over it to find the easiest route.

I was hiking into the bright early morning sun, and it was difficult to see the rocks right in front of me. Soon I was entirely on rock and boulders. While the climb wasn’t technical, it was slow-going. Navigation wasn’t difficult as I generally kept going up and up. I began to see some snow but nothing significant that I would be required to walk on. After making it to the main summit ridge, I turned and enjoyed the distant view to the south. I still had climbing to do but the views were worth it. I could look down on mountain lakes far below. There was a larger snowfield that I was able to navigate around, as well as dramatic mountains which didn’t appear to be named on my map.

The first view of Cloud Peak’s summit appeared with a steep cliff visible, but I knew its other side had an even more impressive cliff. The final section of the climb was narrow but still quite walkable with views off each side. I traversed below another snowfield and arrived at a high point with a great view. I could see the summit a short distance to my left. There was a glacier and lake on Cloud Peak’s eastern side 1500 feet down below. I made my way over to the last cairn and discovered I had the summit all to myself. The summit was a level boulder field. The view from the top was one of the best summit views I have experienced: certainly one of the views that is best captured in the images of the mind, and the sensation of being in such a wild and inspiring place can’t be reflected in a photograph. It was one of the moments that a simple photo or words are unable to express.

The weather at the summit was excellent. There were some clouds blocking the view to the north but as I consumed a snack, they began to move and an expansive scene of endless mountains was revealed. I scrambled around to get a different perspective of Cloud Peak’s eastern face. Soon it was time to begin the descent. On the way down, determining the correct direction was more challenging. I couldn’t simply just descend. I needed to reach Paint Rock Creek. Occasionally veering from my route, I unknowingly went off track briefly but with careful attention was able to avoid any significant cliffs or other obstacles on the way down.

Back to the Trailhead

It was a relief to be back on trail and it would be a pleasant hike along familiar scenery back to the trailhead. On the way back, there were a pair of moose in a swampy area a short distance off the trail. They didn’t acknowledge my presence and simply continued to eat their favorite green vegetation. The sky had changed from the previous day’s mostly grey cloud-covered skies to a vibrant blue sky with puffy cumulus clouds. I ambled through wildflower meadows, still taking my time to look back to the top of Cloud Peak. It was hard to believe I had only been there a few hours earlier.

While I only lived and worked in Wyoming for about one month and my time in the Bighorns was even shorter at slightly more than 48 hours, I’m thankful to have experienced a small glimpse of what Wyoming and the Bighorns have to offer and look forward to returning in the future.

Need to Know

Information

The Bighorn Mountains are located in north central Wyoming and stretch into Montana. The Cloud Peak Wilderness is the primary backpacking destination in the Bighorns. The wilderness includes over 100 miles of trails and many opportunities for off-trail adventures. Free wilderness permits are available at trailheads. Black bears inhabit the area, so proper food storage and precautions are needed.

Best Time to Go

Mid-July to early September are generally the best times to plan a hike in the Bighorns, dependent on elevation, weather, and snowpack. Early season trips may involve more snow travel, while trips later in the fall have a higher chance of encountering an early season snow event.

Getting There

There are several trailheads located near Buffalo and Sheridan, Wyoming. Some require 4WD and high clearance. It is best to check with the Bighorn National Forest for current conditions and advice.

Maps and Books

National Geographic Trails Illustrated Cloud Peak Wilderness Map 720. Books to check out include Backpacking Wyoming by Douglas Lorain, as well as Hiking Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains by Ken Keffer.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 49 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos and content.