Green Mountain Lakes or “I saw it right off”
Back when my daughter was maybe ten, I tried to get back into the Wind River mountain range on horseback. We had paid a horse packer to haul our stuff up the mountain and drop us off. It was a plan, just not a good plan. She was too small and I was too sick at the time. But I had paid cash money for the trip. Thankfully we were less than a day’s walk back to the trailhead when we called it quits. We survived and I have thought about the area ever since. Studied topo maps, road maps, read blogs and talked to people who have been here, sort of. Let me tell you it was worth the wait and after only a week I was sad to move on.
Outside of Pinedale, WY. At the end of about 32 miles of pavement, there is 18 miles of seriously bad gravel road. Combined, this road will get you back into the mountains about 50 miles. The 18 miles of ruts, mud and gravel, that we would call small rocks back in Illinois, will take you about an hour and a half to get to the Green River headwaters. There is a forest service campground at the end of the road that is used regularly but we did not have trouble finding a space. It was maybe half empty the whole time we were there with groups coming and going. The host explained that the road in deters a lot of people. The Forest Service just does not have the funds to maintain infrastructure. Once at the campground, plan to stay awhile. Take what you need and do not plan on checking in at the office, not that I ever did that anyway. Just kidding. There is no office. By luck of the draw, we got the only site with a lake view, #11 and it was only 50 yards to the log outhouse. Plus, there was a pump with fresh spring water so we could shower with drunken abandonment twice a day. What luxury!
It is July. I heard that it is very hot in St Louis, one morning we awoke to 30-degree temps and heavy frost. Most mornings it was 35 when we woke up. I learned something about my Travel Trailer during our first night. The small furnace does not work on battery power. It took a lot of coaxing and two cups of coffee to get the Princess out from under the blankets in the morning since it was the same temperature outside as it was inside our camper. The Princess was amazed that she could see her breath every time she asked me for a refill of coffee.
There are so many trails either starting here or passing through one could spend weeks and explore all of them. One day we hiked the eastern edge of the lower lake. The sky was bright blue and the water reflected the clouds so clearly. We were lucky to be in the area when the wild flowers were blooming. We both agreed that the other should learn flora identification. We passed a few people hiking along the Continental Divide and a troop of boy scouts earning their hiking badge. Although there were lots of signs about keeping food out of the reach of bears, the only wildlife we saw either flew, swam or lived underground such as our neighboring ground picas which looked like miniature, skinny squirrels to the Princess. Flat Rock Mountain was always in our sight due to its distinct shape and picturesque view.
Just above the lake and not too far from our campsite were several abandoned buildings that were built around the turn of the last century by a fellow named Osborne tried to homestead in the area. You can still see the bunkhouse and main house plus a few broken fences that once held livestock. You could still see the cuts from a hand held saw in the logs of the building. The mountain in front of our campsite, Osborne Mountain, was named after this brave homesteader who abandoned his claim and was purchased by the USFS some time before 1970.
There were a number of fishermen along the Green River, did not meet anyone catching many but I met quite a few that did not care. It was just too good being there to complain about the high water. Both the lake and the river were crystal clear. The day I tried my luck, I had a lot of dry fly action but failed to hook a single fish. They were just too fast for me that day. I did however look good trying or so I’m told.
I do not know when it will be, but we are looking forward to the next time.
Dennis and Sherrie
PS: There were numerous warnings about bears, even the campsite numbering system got in the act. But we were not afraid because Lassie was there to protect us from any critter.
