The Snowy Range is a sub range of the Medicine Bow mountains in southern Wyoming. This unique area consists of a high elevation platue like country dotted with Alpine lakes with the snowy range rising up out. This route starts at the North Fork Campground and connects several trails to make a figure eight like loop touring all the majors features the range has to offer. From the trailhead, you travel northwest on the north fork trail to the junction of the brooklyn lakes road. a short run on the road takes you to the campground where you pick up the lost lake trail that takes you along the southern slope of browns peak and the associated Ridgeline. At the intersection of the gap lakes trail, turn south twoards the parking lot and pick up the Medicine Bow peak trail and begin the ascent of Medicine Bow peak. this is the highpoint of the route and also the most challenging climb. once on top of the peak continue heading west on the trail to reach the lake Marie parking area. once you reach the parking lot there is a paved footpath that takes you to the mirror lake parking area. once you reach the parking area you will take the lakes trail back to the Gap Lakes trail and begin the Alpine lakes loop back to Brooklyn lakes campground, and subsequently back to the north fork trail to get back to your car. This route is amazing because of the high elevation nature (you'll never be below 9300 feet) and the amazing scenery of the high elevation platue with countless lakes and the amazing Quartzite rock that characterize the snowy range. The peaks and associated ridgeline looks like something from the European Alps with steep gullys carved out of solid rock and near vertical rock faces with Clear blue lakes at the base. The terrain is very runnable except for the tallus and boulder fields up on the ridge once you summit medicine bow peak and run along the ridgeline. other that that its flowy and mostly flat with punchy ups and downs with few sustained climbs. The biggest challenge here is the high elevation and quickly chaniging weather. I also lost count of how many lakes I ran by because there are so many. This route was awesome and give it 4 stars!
