My Journey

[Foy]

In early August 1976 a group of Appalachian State University geology students road-tripped with our department chairman to Dubois, WY intent on climbing Gannet Peak. After smoking the highway nonstop at 55 mph straight through, we undertook at least 6 hours of acclimatization at the trailhead and headed up for 7 or more days. Several "hit the wall" on the way up to the first pass near Goat Flat and we decided to have a couple of days of R&R at the lakes just past the Flats. A group of 6 then headed over another divide to Dinwoody Cr to do the ascent, but 3 days of heavy weather closed us out without starting the ascent. Probably for the best--despite lots of planning and prep, we weren't ready, and at ages 19-21 we weren't about to admit it.
Foy

 

[Ace Brown]

Wow all that dead calm water and no paddling. I love moving my boat(s) through calm water, watching and hearing the rippling as my boat parts the calm. But maybe not easy in your case with small kayaks and two big dogs.


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[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

JD.....just checked out the Oliver website.....I'd never heard of that brand before. It looks like a solid trailer constructed much like a BigFoot or a Northern Lite.....good luck with your purchase.....you should share trip reports sometime.....

Foy.....that's a great story & I'm sure it's a treasure in your memory bank.....I can almost see it all playing out in my mind. The story reminds me of my climb of Mt. Ranier years ago.....a friend & I flew from the east coast (elevation +/- 200') to climb the mountain within a few days of our arrival. I would trade all my possessions & wealth to be young again.....

Ace.....yea I know what you mean believe me.....there may be another day when I actually use one of those kayaks but with two dogs and just me it's unlikely. I recently left the dogs alone in the camper for 45 minutes (the longest period yet) while I was in a cave.....I'm taking it slowly with Trapper since admittedly she's not well trained.....



We headed south down Highway 191 but not too far south.....there was yet one more mountain lake that I wanted to check out before we left the Wind River Mountain Range behind.....in Boulder, Wyoming we hung a left and hit the back roads.....



Passed through beautiful ranches.....



And then into BLM lands.....





Beautiful skies added to the beautiful scenery.....





Much like Freemont Lake, this place also was filled with roaming deer.....I'd guess during my stay at these lakes that I spotted several hundred deer.....three of which had fantastic (trophy) racks.....





We first stopped at the boat launch.....from tracks that I saw it appeared to be more of a deer hangout than a boat launch.....



We checked out the map and came up with a plan.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Next we of course drove to the upper end of the lake to see what we could see.....



We hiked along the shoreline and I could easily see huge trout in the crystal clear ice cold water.....they were so beautiful their red bellies shining in the sunlight.....



Canadian Geese headed south I assumed.....



We hiked along a trail where the pack horses traveled as well.....



We wasted away a day doing nothing in particular and then decided to stay for the night.....



We camped up high above the lake hoping for a spectacular sunset & then a spectacular sunrise as well.....



The sunset not so spectacular.....the sunrise was pretty darn good.....





Places such as these speak to my heart.....I literally can feel my heart rate slow as I take it all in (and the Fitbit confirms that it actually happens).....



The sun rose.....I had two mugs of steaming hot coffee.....there was a hot tub and a hot shower waiting for me in Rock Springs, Wyoming.....we drove south.....

 

[stevo_pct]

If you have the time, Cirque of the Towers is amazing. You access it through Big Sandy at the southern end of the range.

 

[Ace Brown]

Jerry, if you really like your donuts I will drive to Moab and buy you and your 4-legged pals a box, if you do continue south on 191. Of course it’s really just an excuse to finally meet you. But I did agree to the donuts and I do keep my promises.


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[BigDawwg]

Jerry, Dam nice Photo's,,,, can I say Dam nice Photos again,,,,,,, Dam nice Photos, and your going to have to do a Book, with a LARGE, LARGE PHOTO Montage....
Keep-on, Keeping-on Jerry.... as Curtis would say, or Sing......
BD in Alaska...

 

[halseyt]

Ace.. I'll be happy to chip in on those donuts...

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Stevo_pct.....I actually had given thought to that very idea but for a variety of reasons I did not. I've been there before, colder weather & light snow was in the forecast, the thoughts of the hot tub & hot shower in Rock Springs were overwhelming (I actually hadn't had a real shower since mid April, 2021.....it had been months under a garden hose), and I had tired of camping in the cold, damp weather (my batteries had already gone dead once).....thanks for recommending.....

Ace.....I am headed that way although I am not certain of the dates that I'll be there quiet yet. I'm currently in northwest Colorado, passing through Canyon Pintado. Once I connect with Interstate 70 I'll figure out my route to Moab. I prefer coffee over donuts.....

Halseyt.....thanks & thanks for following along, liking my posts, and posting comments from time
to time.....always appreciated.....

BigDawwg.....thanks.....don't forget that it's Mother Nature that paints the picture.....all I do is point and shoot.....



The following morning we continued south.....we made several stops along the way.....





It's difficult to believe that the remains of the Oregon Trail can still be seen after all these years.....





We stopped in Rock Springs, Wyoming as planned.....the hot tub & hot shower were magnificent.....6 months without.....kind of hard to believe. We camped somewhere just south of Rock Springs, Wyoming.....and continued south the following day.....



Now a whole new landscape.....





A dam and a man made lake.....I don't know.....





I just seemed to want to get on down the road.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

The following day the highway took us further south & up into the forested mountains of Ashley National Forest in northeast Utah.....here I had made plans to check out the Little Brushy Creek Cave.....unfortunately for the dogs, I was unwilling to take them along.....



I hiked up a forest service road and then down the mostly dry Little Brushy Creek.....



There were actually quite a few cave entrances here.....







.....but it was the one with the open gate that gave access to the Little Brushy Creek Cave.....



So yea, probably not the best idea to enter a cave alone with my two best friends locked up in a truck camper.....I took two headlamps along plus there was the flashlight in my phone.....but a fall or even worse, a rockfall.....it would not have ended well.....



I went anyway.....



The Little Brushy Creek Cave is the longest cave in Utah.....5.93 miles.....658 feet deep.....37th deepest cave in the United States.....



.....but I didn't go very far.....once it got to the belly crawl.....well, better judgement prevailed.....and I lived to tell my short story of Little Brushy Creek Cave.....

 

[Foy]

Looks like Little Brush Creek cave/cavern system is within the Madison limestone in the Uintas as we thought. Keep on keeping on Jerry!

Foy

 

[ITTOG]

A little risk never hurt anyone. Good for you for tempting fate!


Edit: Actually, now that I think about it... It has and does.

 

[Arjan]

Be safe - caves are not the best place for dogs...

Love the pictures !!

 

[tgil]

Jerry, you commented on being surprised there are still signs of the Oregon trail being visible today. That made me think about a spot close to home. Round Rock, TX. has a "historical marker" which the town got its namesake from. That marker tells of how the "round rock" was a visible marker for wagon trains and cattle drives, as a safe spot to cross what is now known as Brushy Creek. It goes on to mention how the wagon tracks are "still visible today". When I first saw this with my own eyes, I wondered how in the world that could be possible? This is limestone, I believe, under water? There are definitely ruts visible. Maybe Foy can answer this one? Maybe I don't know enough about wagon wheels? Then again, one of the signs in your pics mentioned 300 or so wagons per day using that trail. I guess that kind of traffic is going to either wear on the wagon or the land, even if it is rock?
On another note, does Tanner hire out, say as a consultant, if a guy was wanting to start a cabin build?

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Foy.....I've been racking my brain trying to remember when I thought that the Liitle Brush Creek Cave is within the Madison limestone ? I could only wish that I knew such things.....

ITTOG.....the truth is that I would have gone much further if it were not for the persistent groin pull pains. It's really slowing me down on this trip. I continually have to remind myself of the number of people that would trade their health issues for mine without a second thought.....and yea.....

Arjan.....thanks.....15,000 pictures saved since I bought this phone.....dogs and landscapes mostly.....

tgil.....where I go so goes Tanner.....sorry.....



Access to the Little Brush Creek Cave was simple.....it was located just a short distance off Highway 191 and just a stone's throw from the edge of the Forest Service road. But Big Brush Creek Cave was another story as we took a paved road a good distance off Highway 191 and then turned onto a somewhat muddy, frozen in parts, Forest Service road. Eventually I threw her into four wheel drive & dumped the Jeep.....I was spinning a bit and then saw the warning sign.....



The informal trail was steep as well and towards the end I came across ropes as it was nearly a straight drop off but not really a rappel down to the creek bottom.....



Funny how the pictures make it look flat.....



As I headed down the rope the entrance to Big Brush Creek Cave came into my view.....



First impression.....Big Brush Creek Cave was looking much better than Little Brush Creek Cave.....



So in I go.....



Second impression.....yep, this place was pretty damn cool.....





The entrance to this cave reminded me so much of the Ice Caves of the Big Snowy Mountains in central Montana.....