Planning a trip to the Winds late August early September and curious if any of you have any experience there. More of a guys trip first and photography second but I'll be the official documentarian and plan to do some sunrise and sunsets while I'm there.
1) Titcomb Basin or Cirque de Spire's - I'm leaning Titcomb
2) Was thinking early September would be better due to less bugs and less people but a little colder at night
3) The gear. We potentially hiking 12+ miles a day over 4 to 5 days, so I'm tying to be frugal on my weight. I'm thinking I'd take one body (Z7ii) and then 14-30 and the Tamron 50-300 (FE mount) in the pack and then on the camera (on PD clip or chest pack) I'm thinking Sony 24 1.4 or the Sony 35 1.4. Initial inclination was the something small like the 40 f2 or 26 2.8 but I'd probably want to play with some Milky Way or a lucky northern lights night. Back up would probably just be an iPhone (although I do have z5ii). Or just say 24 -120 and an ultra wide prime?
Last time I back packed was 2015 and hauled a D800 and three lenses which promptly led me to mirrorless! Here's one from that trip so I don't show up to a presentation board empty handed.
I did a quick backpacking trip there after Covid -- just beautiful. I'd be inclined to go after Labor Day, which should reduce your exposure to pests of various kinds.
I would be inclined to go lighter on the gear -- it gets heavy fast when you're covering 10-12 miles a day (especially at altitude). Z7ii, 14-30, and a 40/2 would probably cover it for me. Maybe toss in the DX 50-250 for lightweight reach. The hardest question is whether to take a fast wide prime for night skies, because they will be impressive.
Of course the answer depends on your fitness and acclimatization. That is an ambitious plan, even for fit young folks, esp. if it includes side trips up some peaks. I see you are from Denver, so you have a leg up on altitude over low landers. I live at 350 ft. near Seattle and went on a similar hike in the San Juans a couple years ago - crossing a 13,000 ft. pass the first day kicked everyone's ass (every day was tough for me, but I was 68 and not in top shape). I was very glad I went lighter on photo gear - only a Sony A7cr + 20-70mm. I had brought my 70-200mm f4 and left it behind as I was doing my final packing.
The weight of your other overnight gear is also very important. If you are the only one with a "real" camera, who is going to document and share with the group, your buddies might be willing to carry your part of the group weight.
The 24-120 would be the obvious choice for most but way to big for me on a hike that long.
If you have some dollars in your wallet, have you thought about the Voigtlander 28 APO? That would be ideal for your use case. Small, light, best optics on the market right now, good for astro etc-
I go to the Winds every summer, 2x last year & hopefully at least that this this year. Early September will definitely be past mosquito season, but you'll also be coming in to hunting season (the start week depends on the exact district -- you'll have to research that). It's much shorter (& more crowded, if that's possible) going to the Cirque of the Towers than Titcomb, but both are extremely popular. Loast Lake (in the Cirque) has horrible e coli levels (don't get in the water, let alone drink it, even filtered-- go further up the cirque to get water). "Everyone" either does "the loop" Texas & Jackass Passes (through the Cirque) or Seneca Lake, day hike to Titcomb & out. Trails will be busy, but not as bad as July or August.
As far as gear, I take a 35mm equivalent lens. Period. I took a 75mm equivalent once & never needed it (I took 1 shot with it just because I'd carried it in), but wider was much better-- you're in close enough to the mountains. I took a 22mm equivalent in once, but like the 35mm better, even stitching panos. The only time I really used a 70-200mm was when my husband & I got packed in & my husband wanted pictures of him climbing rope solo. In non-photography gear, I use Ursacks as they're more comfortable than bear cannisters, but generally camp above treeline, so less likelihood of bear encounters after the 1st day.
For Titcomb, I usually hike to Island Lake on day 1 (11 miles or so) as Seneca is very crowded & other places I've camped are now closed to camping. For the Cirque over Jackass, I go all the way in. Cirque via Jackass, I camp at Shadow Lake, (11 or 13 miles, I don't remember) then do Texas in the morning.
Bring wagbags, especially for the Cirque (the poop factor there is very high, thus the e coli levels in Lonesome Lake) or at least a Pact kit.
My pack for 8 days is @40#, but I go solo (my dog carries her own food but is no help with cooking gear or tent).
Feel free to ask me more. I live by Ward, so could even meet with you. I've posted a couple of my trips there, so you could take a look at those if you're interested.
Haven't been since film, probably took 21/3.5, 28/3.5, 50 macro and 75-150 /80-210 Tamron etc on film OM-1 like I took everywhere. The new stuff seems so heavy although Z7II, 14-30 & 50-300 probably about the same maybe a bit lighter than my film gear. 300 a bit short unless you crop to 450mm equivalent so should be good
Green River lakes area is great. 8000' Froze half to death in mid September one time though, so i'd go earlier unless youre set up for it. I think we had frost around july 4 one time.
I took rebel SL2 + 55-250 on big vert hikes in CO, basically a sub 1lb 100-400 equivalent lens for any goats, sheep etc. People say DSLRS are heavy but thats not really the case depends on the lenses, mostly. My 11-16 kinda heavy not too bad, 18-55 not so much opticallimits test quite good on the 18-55 believe it or not
