Weekend Outdoor Experiences
Having completed the Freshman Orientation Program in August and January, aquiring the various skills necessary for participating safely in wilderness activities, WCC students are now able to engage in outdoor adventures—hiking, fishing, back-packing, skiing, sledding, horseback riding—on their own or with their peers. In fact, to encourage student participation in such activities, the College makes available all proper outdoor and safety equipment, and charges nothing extra for its use.
In addition to the grand and scenic areas on College-owned land, there are other excellent camping and hiking areas a short distance from the Lander campus:
Popo Agie Wilderness Area
The Popo Agie Wilderness was established as a permanent primitive area 1932. The Wyoming Wilderness Act of 1984 classified the area of 101,991 acres as wilderness. The Wind River Indian Reservation bounds it on the north, and the Bridger Wilderness (of the Bridger-Teton National Forest) is to the west.
The Wilderness lies within the boundaries of the Shoshone National Forest. immediately east of the Continental Divide, 18 miles west of Lander, 135 miles west of Casper, and 80 miles north of Rock Springs, Wyoming. It is accessible via trailheads that may be reached by US Highway 287, Wyoming Highway 131 and secondary roads.
The topography of the Popo Agie is very rough, consisting of high jagged peaks separating many beautiful streams in deep, narrow valleys and canyons along a 25-mile stretch of the southern Wind River Range.
Sheer granite walls are prevalent. There are several permanent snowfields along the Continental Divide.
Over twenty summits above 12,000 feet in elevation are present within the Popo Agie Wilderness. The lowest elevation, 8,400 feet, is at the point where the eastern boundary crosses the Middle Fork Popo Agie River. Wind River Peak (elev. 13,255 feet) is the highest peak of the area situated on the western boundary. Over 300 lakes and ponds lie scattered throughout the area. Headwaters of the Middle Fork Popo Agie, North Fork Popo Agie, and South Fork Little Wind Rivers originate here. All are tributaries of the Wind River. The montane, subalpine, and alpine vegetative life zones are represented within the wilderness.
The maximum summer temperatures in June, July, and August rarely exceed 80 degrees. Winter minimums may reach 40 degrees below zero. There is no frost-free period and snow can be expected during any month. Average annual precipitation is between 25 and 30 inches and occurs chiefly in the form of snow. Occasional heavy rains occur during the summer and light thunderstorms are common during the afternoons.
Sinks Canyon State Park
Sinks Canyon State park is located 6 miles south of Lander on Highway 131. Sinks Canyon is so named because the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie, a rushing mountain river, created a deep channel. Halfway down the canyon the river abruptly turns into a large limestone cavern, and the crashing water "sinks" into fissures and cracks at the back of the cave.
The river runs underground for 1/4 mile and then emerges in a large calm pool called the Rise from whence it continues its course into the valley below. The water course while underground is unknown. The sinks narrow to small, unexplorable log-and-rock jammed fissures.
The Sinks and Rise occur in the thick, easily-eroded off-white Madison Limestone formation. The amount of water flowing into the Sinks varies with the season. During spring run-off over 500 cubic feet of water per second roar down the rocky Popo Agie River channel.
For many years it was unproven that the water flowing into the Sinks was the same water flowing out at the Rise. Dye tests have proven it is the same water and have revealed that it takes the water over two hours to flow that ¼ mile. Geologists speculate that while underground the water circulates through many narrow, winding passages and pools. Oddly enough, it was also discovered that more water flows out at the Rise than goes in at the Sinks, so there may be underground springs or other sinks in that area.
Huge Rainbow Trout flourish in the Rise as do some Browns. It is a protected area with no fishing allowed, but visitors enjoy throwing fish food to the trout from the observation platform.
Accommodations and Camping
Sinks Canyon State Park has 30 camping sites. Many of these are located along the river amid jumbled granite boulders, lodgepole pine, and aspens. Hiking trails are nearby -- a one-mile loop and a four-mile one starting at the upper end of the campground. Sawmill Campground at the mouth of the canyon includes five sites and a fishing pier by the Popo Agie River.
Both campgrounds have drinking water and latrine-type toilets. No hookups are available at either campground. All sites are available on a first-come first serve basis. Camping costs $4.00 per night.
The Shoshone National Forest
The Shoshone National Forest encompasses the area from the Montana state line south to Lander, Wyoming and includes portions of the Absaroka, Wind River, and Beartooth Ranges. The Shoshone
covers nearly 2.5 million acres, with more than 1.5 million acres of wilderness. It contains some of the most rugged, remote, and scenic areas in the country. Elevations on the Shoshone range from 4,600 feet at the mouth of the spectacular Clarks Fork Canyon to 13,804 feet on Gannett Peak, Wyoming's highest point.
The Shoshone National Forest was first established as the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve and later renamed for the Shoshoni Indians who lived there. (The Arapahoe, Blackfeet, Comanche, Crow, Nez Perce, Northern Cheyenne, and Sioux tribes also hunted, traveled, traded and fought in the area.) Such mountain men as John Colter and Jim Bridger were among the first white men to inhabit the area. The ghost town of Kirwin, an early-day mining town, is a veritable window to the past, recalling a colorful eras of the wild West. The remains of tie hack flumes and cabins on the southern end of the forest commemorate another era during which millions of railroad ties were produced.
Three mountain ranges, hundreds of alpine lakes, rushing streams, backcountry trails, scenic roads and a plethora of wildlife provide diverse recreation opportunities. Hunting, fishing, camping, backpacking, mountain climbing, ice climbing, horseback riding, rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, motor touring, photography, wildlife viewing, skiing, and snowmobiling can all be enjoyed on the Shoshone.