I’m planning to attempt the route as described by Andrew Skurka with two friends in August 2026. We’re planning to carry enough food to be out for up to 9 days.

https://andrewskurka.com/adventures/wind-river-high-route/

Will I complete it in one continuous trip this summer?

All three of us have considerable experience with hiking, rock climbing, mountaineering, and route-finding.

The same two friends and I attempted Steve Roper’s Sierra High Route together in 2020 and got humbled. We were unable to complete route as planned and had to pivot.

Comparable trips I’ve previously completed include the Escalante Overland Route as described by Steve Allen (split across 2 separate trips in 2022 and 2025) and Alan Dixon’s Southern Sierra High Route (2021, completed alone).

Potential obstacles include injury, illness, weather, wildfire/smoke, lack of my own or part members’ fitness, etc.

This type of objective is said to be closer to mountaineering than traditional backpacking on developed trails, since so many external factors outside of our control can disproportionately disrupt the trip.