By: Becky Switzer
Fall has descended upon the mountain West and it’s been about a month after returning from Mount Hooker. I’ve had time to sit with my reflections and reminisce about what a wonderfully beautiful and difficult landscape the Wind Rivers offer.
The hike into the mountain itself was as advertised,11 miles of undulating terrain, dotted with alpine lakes. The final 3 miles were up and over Hailey Pass, which could be considered the price of admission as it demanded more physical effort than the entire first part of the day. Upon making it to the base of Mount Hooker, however, our work was rewarded by yet more alpine lakes, flat meadows, and million-dollar views.
Any fears about climbing such an imposing face were diminished by the sheer beauty of the rock, as it just begged to be climbed. And so, after a couple days of recon and relaxing, my partner and I headed up Jaded Lady. What we found on the climb was pitch after pitch of gorgeous granite with varied movement that demanded a full toolbox of skills from any party with aspirations to climb it free. While our movement on the wall was steady, climbing 1,800 feet in one push is no small task and we soon found ourselves needing more and more psyche to push upwards. At the same time, there was nowhere else to go but up, so our decisions were fairly unidirectional due to this fact.
Finally, standing on the summit of Mount Hooker, I was in awe. Obviously, the beauty of the landscape that was laid out in front of us was spectacular. Looking northeast out into the Wind River range revealed endless craggy peaks and spires, most rarely climbed and many hard to access. I was also impressed by the human spirit, both my own and of my partner, that we could work together through our individual challenges to complete the goal of climbing such a rock face. But more so I was in awe of the late Inge Perkins and Hayden Kennedy’s 2016 trip to this same mountain (read about it here: “Mt. Hooker-An Unforgettable Ascent”).
Hayden and Inge had not only climbed Mount Hooker via Jaded Lady, but they had also climbed another route known as Hook, Line, and Sinker which is a step up in difficultly compared to Jaded Lady. That’s roughly 3,500 feet of climbing in two 10 hour pushes. Additionally, they had scrambled up another nearby peak, soloing 1,000 feet without ropes because they felt it was within their comfort range to climb in this manner.
The sheer amount of athletic performance these two could generate was humbling, and this became glaringly obvious as I stood on top of Mount Hooker. I didn’t know Inge for very long and I had only met Hayden a handful of times, but I could feel their presence in that wild Wyoming landscape.
After a day of rest, my partner and I packed up our camp and trudged out the same 14 miles that seemed so easy at the beginning of the trip. My body was tired but happy, my mind was clear and my soul refreshed. Throughout all the decision-making, planning, and risk management that takes place for trips like this, the simplicity of the backcountry climbing lifestyle is addictive. While I’m not sure when my next trip to the Winds will be, I’ll look forward to being inspired by the essence of wild places and the memory of Inge and Hayden.