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Great Salt Lake; Antelope Island

After we all enjoyed a great Sunday lunch prepared by Eva (she is spoiling us with great meals), we toured Antelope Island today with Eva, Barney and Della (Eva's son and his wife),and Parker and his wife Danielle (Parker is the son of Barney and Della). The state of Utah has created a State Park on this island in the Great Salt Lake, which is a major habitat for birds, native and migratory. It is also home to large bison and antelope herds. According to the crew, the water levels of the lake are the lowest they've ever seen. It was unusual to see bison and antelope on the beach. As the afternoon got later, the bison started moving to higher ground, so we had to stop and let them cross the road. I have included a video of one big, bad bison that was off by himself making use of a boulder to scratch an itch - wish I could put it to music - it was pretty hilarious.

Saturday in Ogden

Eva took us on a tour up Ogden Canyon, where we stopped at The Oaks and had lunch beside the Ogden River - a great place to enjoy a meal outside on the cool deck. Visited the Trappist Monastery and some of the small communities outside of Ogden. Finished the day in the shade of Eva's porch, watching the hummingbirds. Hummingbirds have been regular visitors at every stop on our trip from New Mexico to Utah.

Flaming Gorge to Ogden

We took another designated Scenic Byway (state highway 191) up through a remote section of Wyoming to hit Interstate 80/84 to Ogden, UT. Along the Interstate, we could see many of the trains that are prevalent out here – Charlcie couldn’t resist snapping a picture out the window, since it is not a good idea to stop in the highway. Also had to get a picture of the windmill farm, which is similar to the ones we’ve seen in West Texas and East Kansas. A bonus on the road was a stop at an ice cream shop in Green River to share a fresh huckleberry shake – we look forward to more huckleberries as we move northward. Our purpose for traveling to Ogden is to visit my cousin Eva. She has been a favorite of mine since I was an early teenager and she used to visit us in Ft. Smith when she had breaks from college in Springfield, MO, and didn’t have the time to return to home in Wyoming. She, as much as anyone, unknowingly had an influence on my decision to attend college. Our families have always been very close and so we always look forward to any opportunities we have to get together.

Green River

The author of one of my fly-fishing reference books refers to the Green River as the best fly-fishing river in the country (well, actually tied with the White River in Arkansas). I would be hard-pressed to argue the point at this juncture in the trip. This is a fishery that I have to return to. It is obvious why John Wesley Powell named this river the “Green” when discovered on his western expedition. At the dam, unless you can have someone drop you off at the boat launch, access involves a steep descent down a well-maintained trail (the ascent at the end of the day would be the issue). But, there is a great trail that follows the river and provides uncrowded access for seven miles down to the next access area at Little Hole. Outstanding fishable water at the base of a 1,000 foot canyon and packed with many wild fish. Rainbows dominate the upper section, while browns are prevalent in the lower section. And I have to say, I restored my fly-fishing confidence on this river. From nymph fishing the areas below the dam, to terrestrial fishing on the edges at Little Hole, the fishing was successful and enjoyable. It is obvious what runs the economic engine in Dutch John, the very small community near the dam – two café/convenience/fishing/gas stores are the only commercial interests. As evidenced by the row of over a dozen mobile homes, with a drift boat outside each one, the guide business in the summer is huge – in fact, we have been advised that we need to do a float trip on the river to fully appreciate its bounty – hopefully next time!

Flaming Gorge Reservoir

Flaming Gorge Reservoir Another oasis in the high desert. This 91-mile long reservoir is created by a beautiful arch dam in a curved red-walled canyon and stretches up into Wyoming. In fact, the larger part of this body of water is in Wyoming. We camped three nights at the Mustang Ridge campground. We’ve seen chipmunks everywhere out here, but this place must hold the record, and they are very active – we had to make sure our tent and truck were secured around the clock to keep these seemingly caffeine-crazed rodents out of things. We know at least one was in the tent the first night. A few bunnies and deer circulated around the sites. And we had to stop on the highway to spare a young coyote from becoming road-kill. One sad note is that in 2002, a fire destroyed 19,000 acres of trees in this area, leaving large swaths of tree skeletons. Regeneration will take years due to the slow growth rate. It still remains a spectacular recreation area.

Why we like sleeping in the truck