Albany County High Point Trip Report
Medicine Bow Peak (12,013 ft)
Date: September 4, 1999
Author: Walt O'Neil
Chris Roaché, Donn Hofmeister and I embarked for Medicine Bow Peak,
the HP of Albany County, Wyoming. The closer we got to the trailhead,
the cloudier it got and we found half an inch of snow there.
We donned cold weather gear and proceeded up the trail and the
snow got deeper and the visibility poorer. Fortunately, the trail
has monster cairns with poles sticking up on top as well
as being in excellent condition. we made it up snow covered rocks
to the summit where there was 6-8 inches of snow.
The HP of Carbon County is just down the ridge to the west.
However we didn't attempt it because one of the others didn't have gloves
and we couldn't see landmarks down below.
The way down was slick, but easy to find because of our tracks.
The snow was really a pleasant surprise and made it an invigorating hike
and we were all warm except for Chris's hands.
The rocky parts of the trail were cushioned by the snow
which made for easier walking. I couldn't get photos until
we were two-thirds the way down when it started to clear and we
could appreciate the beautiful scenery.
All in all, it was a surprisingly good hike with super scenery at the low level.
Ascent: 10:12-12:12
Descent: 12:22-1:33
Distance: 7.2 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 1,518 ft