Wind Rivers Backpacking

I just returned from a 5 day backpacking trip to the Wind River Mountains, one of my favorite places on Earth.  My family and I did a 50-odd mile loop that encompassed the Cirque de Towers, Lizard Head Plateau, and Washakie Pass.  It was one of the most challenging trips I've taken, but also one of the most rewarding.  The entire range is littered with sheer drops and pristine lakes, leftovers from the glaciers which carved the valleys.  

As always, backpacking involved its share of unpleasantries, most of them the result of being denied the conveniences of everyday life.  This was most apparent in the early morning, when I would huddle down in my sleeping bag, dreading the various chores required before we could hit the trail, or even eat breakfast.  Of course a nice hot shower was simply out of the question.  But once the sun finally rose things began to look a little brighter, and I could realize anew what a  wonderful place I was in.  

Going to the Wind Rivers also reminded me of how great it is to live in Wyoming.  On the trail I met people from every corner of the nation: Florida, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Washington, etc.  For them just getting to the Wind Rivers must have been an adventure and challenge of its own.  On the other hand, all that was required of me was to spend a weekend preparing for the trip, and then drive 4 hours to the trailhead.  Of course every state offers sites that people travel thousands of miles to see, but it was nice to feel a special connection with such splendours, and think of them as part of one's own homeland.  

Backpacking also puts me in a state of mind that is difficult to produce in my everyday life.  Perhaps it is the lack of communication with the outside world, or the greater attention that is demanded to obtain food and shelter, or the fact that one is exercising most of the time.  Whatever it is, on backpacking trips the problems that usually seem troublesome to me become quite trivial.  Even problems that normally assume huge proportions (such as finding a career that is enjoyable, contributes something to the world, and allows for some financial stability and free time) shrink into the background.  On the trail I am better at realizing that there is very little I can do about those things at the moment, and I should trust that I will be able to survive any future crises when they come.