Van's Loop

Van's Loop is a cross-country ski route in the Laramie Ranger District of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest in Wyoming, managed by the Forest Service. The loop is a short out-and-back, about 1.4 miles long, with a total climb of 371 feet from a low point of 8,688 feet to a high of 8,855 feet. The route is rated hard, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.34 miles in, with a grade of 11 percent. Winter is the natural season for this ski route. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Laramie, which sits about 1,465 feet lower than the loop, show January highs around 33°F with lows near 12°F, while July highs reach about 81°F. Temperatures on the loop run cooler than those figures. Summit Loop, a cross-country ski route, lies just 0.1 mile away, and B Loop is about 0.2 mile off. Climbers can head to Beehive Buttress, roughly half a mile away, and Pole Creek Group Campground is about 1.2 miles from the loop.