Monday Aug.
27
We
are closing up the 5er this AM and heading off from Rawlins to Rock
Springs, WY. More later today.
We pulled into Rock Springs
and went right to the Super Walmart. I bought a XM satellite radio and
boom box to go with it. I just got tired of being out in the boonies with
NO radio AT ALL. I seem to wake up at 3 AM and just lay there. Now I can
be informed with world news or music. Terry went off to the food section
and stocked up. We next went to Flying J. What a mess (seems they all are
that way. One hard turn for fuel and then had to back around to get to
the dump station. I didn't know I could back that well. We left Rock Springs
all gassed up and ready to stay out in the wild for many a day. So off
we headed to Pindale to the north. We have gone here many times in years
past for that OH so short vacation. But now we have weeks to do anything
we want.
We stopped at the Chamber
of Commerce in Pindale to ask about the road to Green River Lakes and they
said it was as bad as ever. We just didn't think we wanted to pull our
home over that washboard nightmare. So we headed west on HW 191 and stopped
to camp at Warren Bridge: The Green River has long sustained
the communities of western Wyoming. Here the river offers habitat for raptors
and songbirds, deer, trout, and salmon. The recreationist can flyfish,
hunt for big game or game birds, canoe and kayak in the river, or sit by
the banks and watch the water flow. In June, this area is the site of a
roundup of thousands of cattle- a real taste of the "Old West." The
campsite fee is $10, not free but still not bad.
Campsite
at Warren Bridge BLM
Terry
took the pics, gave me the camera to download them, and off he went to
fish this nice stretch of river. Hope he has great luck. Update: He got
a nice one for his first attempt here.
We
have been moving much faster than planned but I do have that wanderlust
in me, and that combined with finding that perfect campsite. We just seem
to keep on the move. May be in Oregon before we know it. We know one thing
we are going to have to land by Wed. or Thursday and get settled for the
long holiday weekend when the locals will be out in force.
Tomorrow
we will take the washboard drive to Green River lakes and also the Upper
Green River Rec. just across the road from us we have never been to.
It's
going to be a fantastic sunset with clear skies and I see on the web there
is a lunar eclipse at about 4 AM. Might miss that. We shall see.
XM
radio sounding in the background with it set right now on 60s music. Later,
think it is time to get away from the maching and sit outside for awhile.
Tuesday Aug. 28
Another
shot of our campground at Warren Bridge. See a real bridge.
.
Just on the near side of
the bridge a Forest Service Road goes back up the river and you can get
to several wonderful campsites Free for 14 days. Sorry the ruff road down
to the river is vay to steep to pull a trailer over.
Next we took off to visit
Green River Lakes which we have camped at many times in the past. The road
is just as bad as ever, as they do not grade it at an angle but leave the
grader blade at a right angle to the road and it hops up and down and creates
a washboard effect. We think they just don't like people getting back into
the area.
But not to worry we won't
be going back. It would just be too hard to bare again, the distruction
we found, in the used to be wonderland. The pine beatle has done
its thing and devisated much of the area. The main campground looks
like a war zone as they have tried to cut out some of the dead pine. See
the bottom picture. It is just not a fun place to be, our look at anymore.
But the river still flows
and people can take the tails high up above the tree line and still enjoy
the area.
Such a sad sight. And sorry
to say, much of the west is looking just like this. In a few years, will
it be worth even coming back. Or will there be anything left. One lighting
strike and this will all burn. If fire can kill the beatle, maybe the forest
could start over.
We think we are going to
head out in the morning on over to Riverside campground north of Ashton,
Idaho.
HW 32 at Tetonia goes on
over to Jackson, WY. Which is about 60 miles from where we are at now.
Wednesday Aug. 29
We
have made it to Buffalo campground (see above graphic) and are all
set up in a prefect campsite right on the river. 1 PM $12 a night.
And in this area hardly any campers. All the reservable site are booked
but none of the first come first served ones, have people in them. So hop
in the old RV and get on out here, for a great Labor Day weekend.
(Pics
later) We came over into Idaho from Jackson. No one told us about the HIGH
pass on WY State WY 22. WOW over 10% grades and we got behind a dump
truck pulling a small caterpillar. He could only go 10 mph and slowed us
down so much we couldn't keep up momentum. We had to stop and rest on the
summit to let our trusty Duramax cool down. It didn't overheat but was
right up there. Breaks worked just fine. I had Terry
kiss the dash when we got down the mountain. Much more later... right now
we are going into Island Park so terry can get a Idaho fishing lic. and
for lunch.
Here
Terry is knee deep in the Buffalo river. None of the
8 fish he caught that night had any size to them. Will have to look
for the bigger fish.
The
view from inside the Trailer looking out the dining area window overloking
the Buffalo river.
.Here
are a Couple of Osprey fledglings, the mother osprey took off
when we drove up with the pick up and the chicks kept callling to her,
wanting more fish. Looks like this is Terry's compitition.
The
view of our campsite overlookng the Buffalo river. A very rare picture
of Ron.
Thursdsay Aug. 30
We
went for a drive to the headwaters of Henrys Fork River.
Big
Springs & Johnny Sack Cabin
One
hundred and twenty million gallons of pure water a day — enough to meet
the water needs of a large city — surge out of the ground here. Walk the
short distance from the parking lot to the bridge. Toss fish food available
at the vending machine into the water, and watch the monster fish rise
to eat it. You'll see the spring’s constant flow, at a year-round temperature
of 52 degrees, and the clean gravel bottom —perfect trout habitat. Big
Springs trout get BIG. Leave your fishing pole in the car: No fishing is
allowed until below the outlet to Henry's Lake, several miles away.
Take
the short walking trail around the pond to reach Johnny Sack's cabin, an
historic building and museum that is on the National Register of Historic
Places Johnny was a German immigrant who built his cozy cabin and its furnishings
by hand out of local trees. He also built a water wheel turned by spring
water tumbling out of the hillside. The wheel provided electricity and
brought water uphill to the cabin. Johnny's old place is now a visitor
center and an attraction in its own right.
We
also drove into some other campgrounds to see if we might want to move
after the Labor Day weekend. We found Flat Rock and Upper Coffee
Pot campgrounds very nice with sites right on the Henrys Fork river.
Saturday Sept.
1
.Friday
kind of was a rany day and Terry went and did three weeks of laundery.
Then later watched as the crowds moved into the campgrounds.
My post
to the RV.NET forum yesterday....
We rushed
over to the West Yellowstone area in Idaho on Wed. (Buffalo campground
in Targhee NF) from the Pinedale WY area, to get ahead of the holiday campers.
We found MANY great spots open in the Island Park area. (see our blog below)
The reserved spots were all tagged. Now on Friday evening the campers are
pouring in. Glad we landed early. Glad they can get out for the holiday
camping event. The people watching will be fun, knowing next week they
will all be back at work and we will have all this bounty to ourselves.
We are having a few showers when many were setting up by now at 7 PM the
sun is breaking out and it might be a fun camping night for all concerned.
Have a great Labor Day. We all deserve it. Americans take less time off
then most of the rest of the industrialized world.
Today
Sat broke clear and looking good. We went for a drive down State HW 47
on the Mesa Falls Secnic ByWay to the Upper and lowere falls. and then
on into Afton for supplies. Came back via some remote Forest Service roads
in the high country.
The forest in this part
of Idaho is green and healthy as far as we can see. Nice after Wyoming.
There is allot of fairly new growth (last 10 to 20 years) due to harvesting
or fire, so the growth is young.
We took this late evening
picture out of our 5er between showers. This as good as it gets.
A shot of the lower falls
from the overlook off HW 47 ByWay. The upper falls are privately owned
and they wanted big bucks to enter. The sign that told of a viewing
fees was not on the main road but after you pulled off on the long drive
down to the falls. So we said no thanks and just drove back out to the
main road.
We are not in the pic as
I'm taking it and Terry is off fishing.
Another shot of our campsite.
The more we look around the more we like it right here in our little piece
of heaven. It is at the end of the last loop and that means not much traffic.
Three units pulled in about dark last night in the light rain and first
thing this AM they all left.
It is Sat. at we are listening
to Garrison Keilor and his "Prairie Home Companion" NPR radio show. It
is his first live new show of the season and he is broadcasting form the
Minnesota State Fair.
So I'm streaming it, posting
this blog, and now will go through the forums to see what is going on in
the RVing world.
Terry is tying flies, since
he doesn't think he can fish with all the float trips going down the river.
Have a great Holiday!
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