Beaver Creek Reservoir Again

After wading the stream yesterday and catching my best group of Brown trout this year, it was nearly impossible to resist the desire to return to Beaver Creek Reservoir today.  So, I did head up there a little earlier than yesterday in hopes of maybe catching some of the Kokanee Salmon (since my freezer already has too many Brown trout and some to cook tonight with 2 Rainbows).

I took a slightly different route across the stream -- closer to the exposed end of the boat ramp and I parked at the last turn-out before the turn to the boat ramp and parking.  Way more deep mud and silt than I had wanted to encounter but, I took my shoes and socks off since I had brought a towel to dry my feet on after crossing the stream.  Not as comfortable as I had hoped with the little rocks and dirt on the other side so, abandoned that routine on the way back to the Jeep (kept my tennis shoes and socks on).

Today, I caught and released three Browns which were around 14 inches (decided beforehand that I wouldn't keep any Browns that weren't bigger than the largest one caught yesterday).  As I headed toward the creek feeding the lake and back to the Jeep to leave, I again fished the rather murky waters near the mud flats where I had caught the first fish yesterday.  After a few casts toward the far point of the mud flat, I thought I had a little bump and on the next cast a real beauty of a Brown trout hit the lure just some 6 feet in front of me and it started splashing, thrashing and turning over and over.  I tried to pull it up onto the bank but, the treble hook broke and the fish disappeared back into the water.

Yesterday's find.

If I had brought along that long handled net I found yesterday, I might have been able to pound the shallows for that beauty.  I did manage to dig out a new pole and reel from the silty mud at the water's edge today and now have a good Shimano 2000 reel and two-piece pole.  Already cleaned it up and put new line on it.  Works great!

Today's catch (a keeper).

I also pulled a boat's anchor with rope from the silt near the same place I found the Shimano pole and reel.  Tomorrow, maybe the boat will appear from the bottom of the lake.

Return to Beaver Creek Reservoir

Yesterday, I went back to Big Meadows Reservoir after the dissappointing results of the day before at Regan Lake.  I hoped to restore my faith in the Panther Martin lures (or something) by catching some fish from the clear waters off the boulders on the south side of the reservoir.  I went through four different Panther Martins before finally getting a strike -- and a small fish.  My confidence in the Panther Marin lures returned after catching 7 trout (including one figerling Brown that must have been only 3 or 4 times the length of my lure).  I released all but two of the Rainbows and would have released the smaller one if he had survived the catch.  I also lost a couple nice ones in the boulders as they unhooked themselves and disappeared back in the lake.

This morning, I returned to Beaver Creek Reservoir and in memory of Mike, Kim, Aden and Kristen, I decided to wade through the creek feeding the extremely low lake to fish the side opposite the boat ramp (where Mike had caught his 18-1/2 inch Rainbow).  After my first cast resulted in a tangled mess from kinky line (new 8 pound line I had put on for the trip to Regan Lake), I worked some 5 or 10 minutes getting the mess cleared and retrieved the lure from the shallows just in front of me (with moss still on the lure).  I decided to just cast the lure out as far as I could (with the moss still on the treble hook) and just after the lure started to sink, I hooked the nicest Brown I've caught at this lake and managed to get him in after a little tussle -- thankful I had the new line on and it didn't break and the improved clinch knot held fast as well.  Not bad for the second cast of the day.

I worked my way along the shoreline toward the area opposite the picnic area and before long I had another beauty of some 17 inches.  I missed a couple more as I neared the point opposite the cliffs I had so often fished before -- since I was already on that side, I decided I should fish all the areas I had longingly looked at from the road side of the lake.  When I reached the point, I could see an angler leaving the cliff area and stopping to watch me with interest.  Then, I hooked into another really big Brown and could tell it had to be over 18 inches and he rolled and fought until he spit out the lure.  The angler said he had tried everything including a fly and didn't have a single strike so, I told him of the Panther Martin (yellow body with red spots) and he headed to the picnic area to fish with his buddy there.  A little later, I crossed back past the picnic area and he had switched to a silver and red spinner and he started to catch a couple fish.

About that time, I caught another Brown of about 14 inches which spit the lure as I got him beached but, I managed to scramble after him and got my hands on him before he hit the water again.  Luckily, I had gotten him up the bank some 4 or 5 feet before he spit the lure.  Since my stringer with the first two Browns was a ways back upstream, I had to keep the 14 incher in my hand net with its handle under one foot as I worked my way back toward the stringer.  I lost a couple more on my way back to the stringer and was in need of a good drink of water too.  I also had found a telescoping fishing net embedded on the shoreline too and had to manage getting it back upstream as well -- it's about a $75 net so, another good catch.

After getting that 14-incher on the stringer and getting that much needed drink of water, I decided to head farther in the direction from where I started and moved everything with me as I did so.  Then, I hooked the biggest and fourth fish of the day (my limit) -- another Brown of some 17-1/2 inches.  Talk about being thankful.  By the time I lugged the stringer full of beauties, two fishing poles, my hand net and the found net to the car, it was just before one o'clock and it sure seemed like a great day -- and was.  Too bad Mike, Kim and Aden weren't here to see the catch.  I'm sure Aden would have been at the fish cleaning station with me to see the heads come off and he probably would have wanted to hold each one of them (or at least the biggest one).

Harry and the Half Pints

Harry at Regan Lake (getting ready)

No!  It's not Guinness that I'm talking about but, it would have been nice to have more than a few of those after fishing Regan Lake yesterday and not getting a single strike.  It's not a new musical group or their new song either.  Harry is one of the returning summer folks (from Phoenix) and he is an avid angler and one of the best cooks in the camp (as attested by numerous of the returning women in the park).

He also is an advocate of this little sinker device called a "Half Pint" which he says is only available around here at a small store on the approaches to Wolf Creek Pass.  It is a hefty little, weighted device that looks like a mini-buoy made of plastic (cylindrical at the bottom and conical at the top) -- with lead presumably buried in the bottom.  It has an eye at the top for attaching a swivel from the end of your fishing line and then a two foot leader with your small treble hooks with "Power Bait" (red, pink or green or whatever color you prefer).  This shape does not snag on the moss or plants when reeling it back in and allows for "booming" your casts beyond most of the thick vegetation in the water -- and at Regan there were massive islands of the stuff floating around the lake (not good for us lure fishermen).

Regan Lake road.

I had invited Harry to join me last week but, that particular day (Thursday) was a "wash-out" because of the 80% chance of rain.  Yesterday, he and I went up past Creede in my Jeep to wind our way back through the woods on 6 miles of 4-wheeler roads.  Really, the last 4 miles were all that required 4-wheel drive (and not all of that).

It's about an hour's drive to the turn-off to Roads Canyon Reservoir and then a couple more miles to the turn-off for Regan Lake.  Harry knew the way as his son has a place beyond Creede and had been there before with him (he also knew the turn or road to avoid driving through Creede -- maybe Deep Creek Road).  We left around 7:00 a.m. and were the first to arrive at the lake so, we had first pick of the spots near the road.

Regan Lake - First View

While Harry sat in his chair and proceeded to catch 5 or 6 decent Brown's, I worked my way along the shoreline and boulders to his left -- all the way to the first pull-out or parking area (which we passed).  We fished until after 1:00 p.m. and decided to bail-out before the afternoon rains hit.  I tried 4 different Panther Martin lures and even floated a fly at various times but, had no action at all.  The biggest fish caught was about 13 inches but, I did see one in the water (as I stepped on a boulder) that could have been 16 inches -- I threw my lure after him but, nothing.  So much for the hope of catching those 18 or 19 inchers I saw previous anglers cleaning after their earlier trip to Regan Lake.

Roads Canyon Reservoir.

On the way back, we turned onto the road to Roads Canyon Reservoir so that I could at least see the spot that "The Grandview Fishing Team" has made its weekly pilgrimage to on Thursdays -- with their first stop at Cottonwood for the breakfast buffet and then at Freeman's on the way back for burgers and shakes.  Roads Canyon Reservoir looked less appealling to me as the water seemed to be a less than translucent pea green color (like green Gatorade) -- great for bait fishermen and those with the "Half Pints" but, not me.

Boulder Hopping - Wolf Creek Pass

After fishing for a couple hours this morning at Pass Creek Lake (and catching a nice 14 inch keeper to supplement yesterday's catch of two Browns at Beaver Creek Reservoir), I decided to finally stop on the way back down the canyon to try floating a fly in a few of the beautiful pools along the road (Rt. 160) that have attracted my attention on numerous return trips down the pass.  After catching 3 trout and releasing 2, I decided that if no one had already pulled off at a spot just below the Lake Fork Trailhead then, I would.  Upon passing mile marker 176, I could see the spot was empty and no one approaching me from behind (as I had let two cars pass me when I was at the Lake Fork Trailhead pull-off) so, if nothing else I would at least get some close-up views of the scenic spots that had so many times distracted and drawn me to them.

The hope of catching a Brookie or two was in the back of my mind as I readied an Elk Hair Caddis on my lighter line -- maybe 4 pound test -- and I pulled a couple floats out of my vest pockets to attach when I got close to the stream.  I really didn't have the slightest hope of catching anything but, treated this as an exploratory, boulder hopping, photo-op search of the beautiful spots I have passed so many times since this past spring and two months of July and August.

Since I didn't have my soft hiking shoes on and instead had on my sandals, I had some doubt about negotiating some of the tricky areas -- no problem though as most of the boulders and rocks seemed fairly well lodged if not cemented in place (at most paths I chose).

When I eased down from the side of the road where I parked the Jeep, I noticed that the gigantic boulders that supported the pull-out area also, created some large caves beneath -- maybe home for a wild creature or two but, I wasn't about to climb in there and check it out.  Instead I headed for the nearest pool and snapped on a float above the fly and hoped for some action (which never came).

Then, I headed over the other side of the pull-out and downstream to check the other pools and white water-falls that I could see and hopped from boulder to boulder and shimmied between some larger ones to get close to the water where I tried numerous casts and just enjoyed the sounds of the rushing water and the beautiful scenery.  Some places were just narrow openings by the larger boulders and trees near the roadway above which I squeezed through with side-glances at other small caves or recesses that again could have provided shelter for some small creatures.

After some 45 minutes or more of dodging and weaving my way down and through the boulders, I decided to go back and get the camera since the fishing had produced no results.  All in all, a worthwhile stop to get close to the abundance of beauty that fills this area -- fills my eyes and mind completely.  I love this area.

Can't get enough of this and never could.  Can you blame me?

Now to get those fish ready for the grille and some scalloped potatoes and salad too.  Mother nature provides the best.

Aden's Lake

Normally referred to as Pass Creek Lake, where Aden caught his first trout and a bunch of silver minnows (with the help of my long handled purple minnow net).  I made a return trip there this afternoon and arrived a little after 1:00 p.m. in hopes of having some more fun catching some of the "stocker trout" and maybe something a little bigger (perhaps one of those few Rainbows that got away on previous trips).

I parked along the road (route 160) and hiked down the little path to arrive near the place I last fished when Mike and Aden were there catching their limit of four trout each (on Wednesday).  As I walked the shoreline and tried numerous casts to the middle of the lake, I noticed hundreds (if not thousands) of the silver minnows working their way through the shallow waters at my feet as they headed toward the south end of the lake (where Aden caught his first trout while fishing at the side of Kim).  This made me decide to work the lake in that direction and the narrow stone dam at the south end where I caught a couple of the small trout and released them both.

Catch of the Day

I continued to work my way back to the spot where I started and caught another three of the smaller trout and released them as well before catching my sixth trout which nearly swallowed the lure (causing me to keep him since he was bleeding so much).  After catching and releasing a few more of the small trout, I hooked another and again kept him because he had been bleeding so much.  Then, I worked my way back past the path I had taken from the road and soon had a few small nibbles on my lure and set the hook into a 15 incher that doubled my fishing rod over -- made me immediately aware that this was a nice fish and I hoped only that I could land him (which I thankfully managed to do).  Turned out to be a "her" when I cleaned the fish.

With clouds coming over the nearby mountain and raindrops starting to fall, I felt content with the three trout on my stringer and decided to leave after just a couple hours of fun.  I gathered another hand net full of cans, bottles and trash as I headed for the Jeep -- looking forward to a couple cold beers (prior to the "Grandview Review" later in the evening).

Bernhagen's Leave South Fork

Bernhagen's RV (left)

Yesterday morning, my closest neighbors here at Grandview departed to head back to Corsicana, Texas after an extended delay caused by a troublesome door awning (which we ultimately had to wire-tie closed for their return to Texas).  Earlier in the morning, they and Kim's mother Marilyn joined me for a breakfast at my RV before doing their final packing and getting their 42 ft. bus ready for the road -- sorry that my peanut butter muffins were a bit drier than I would have liked for them (and me too).


Aden with limit of four.

Their 6 week stay here breezed by too quickly and I will miss them and the fun times we had together -- the joy of having Aden here to liven things up (in the campground and along the shores of the lakes we fished together).  It was a delight to see little Aden catch his first trout there at Pass Creek Lake one day and then, his limit of 4 on Wednesday -- with numerous little minnows too for the camp pond (next years catch perhaps).

I will look forward to next year and sharing some more Martinis and dinners with them at site 72 and I will remember the trip to Wheeler Geologic Area with thanks to them for letting me join them in their ATVs -- thankfully we had better weather that day than they had on two other trips (one that turned so nasty that they had to turn around and abort the attempted trip to the area with their daughters and Marilyn).  Hope Marilyn will make it there next year (even if it means taking the 7 mile hike instead of the 14 mile ATV trail).

Bernhagen's Trailer of Toys.

Their caravan pulled out around 9:30 (or just before), about an hour and a half later than hoped so, hope the trip went smoothly from that point on -- am thinking they will now be in the warmer (if not hot) temps they avoided while being here.

A little later in the morning, I headed back up to Beaver Creek Reservoir to see if I could hook that nice Brown trout that had gotten away two too many times.  After 3 hours of fishing and only one strike, I at least had one for dinner -- to share with Tiger and Molly (mostly Tiger, of course).

One strike - One 15 incher.

I picked up another two nets full of trash left by the slobs of this world (including another hubcap -- Toyota) and saw a pile someone had gathered but, left behind on the mud banks of the reservoir (below the picnic area).  Maybe on another day and with an empty black trash bag in hand, I will pick up most of the empty bottles or cans -- none with dirt inside though.

Later this afternoon, I will head back up to Pass Creek Lake and try to catch my limit while thinking of those Texans and the fun we had this year in the South Fork area.

Morning of Fishing - Noon Departure

Kay and Hannah

After a pound of bacon, scrambled eggs with cheese, toast and orange juice, the morning meal was consumed prior to our heading back to Big Meadows Reservoir for a morning of fishing -- hopefully, with better results than the morning before at Pass Creek Lake.  We were even a little early in making our departure for the lake and its allowance of a few hours of fishing (before the Burches headed back to Denver -- with Hannah too).

The morning seemed mild and pleasant as we exited the RV and prepped for the ride back up Wolf Creek Pass to the turn just before the tunnel.  The ride up was sunny and pleasant with the beauty of the canyon always a joy to behold and always so inviting as to encourage stops along the way --not just for the use of a bathroom.  Upon arrival at Big Meadows, the wind from the west seemed more daunting as it blew right toward the dam and the area we decided might provide better fishing than the day before -- earlier advice to me by others, had indicated the place I fished alone on Sunday as being the really prime location.  Numerous anglers, were already present along the near shores and on both sides of the little foot bridge over the spillway but, we decided to go just beyond them onto the rocky, bouldered dam in search of some flat spots near the water where we could cast our lures.

After nearly 45 minutes of fighting to cast into the wind, we worked our way closer to the foot bridge as other fishermen left the windy shores.  While Billy and Hannah hiked down the banks of the creek and falls, Rick, Kay and I decided we should head back out that path on the west or north side of the lake where the wind might not be so bad -- a decision we determined later to have been the right one to make.  First, we gathered Billy and Hannah's things to carry with us as we headed across the foot bridge toward the Jeep and the restrooms on the way to the path along the lake.

One quick stop at the Jeep and restrooms (while awaiting Billy and Hannah's return) and then we were on our way back toward the deeper and hopefully more leeward side of the lake to finish our morning of fishing.  After hearing too from some anglers (four of them just departing) that they had each caught their limit in the windier area near the boat ramp, it was encouraging to think we might do the same -- though I felt certain, they were bait fishermen and had used huge chunks of lead to cast into the wind.

As we arrived near the rocky shoreline after emerging from the steep section of the path through the woods, the winds were appreciably reduced to something more manageable -- quite tolerable with some big pines at the end of the cove offering some protection from the winds.  Rick and Kay took the closest spots at the bottom of the steep path and I headed farther on toward the pines and the shallow cove in front of them.  Soon I had a couple hits and Billy and Hannah passed behind me to a spot farther up the shoreline.  Not long after that, Billy got the first fish of the day and thankfully, Hannah netted it among the rocks as it had managed to unhook itself as it got on the shore.  Great teamwork.

Before long, (after I had moved beyond Billy and closer to the shallow waters of the cove) I also hooked another trout, got it to shore (where it unhooked itself like Billy's fish) and I scrambled among the rocks to get my hands on it and secured it to the same stringer with Billy's.  We beckoned to Rick and Kay to come our way but, Rick also managed to catch a nice one before making the move with Kay in our direction.  I gave my spot to Rick and Kay in hopes they would catch something more and Rick did catch another.  I went back to the other side of Billy and had thought how nice it would be if Hannah could catch a fish too -- about 5 minutes later, she did just that.

Most of the action started around 11:00 a.m. and we decided to leave about a half hour or 45 minutes later so they could get on the road back to Denver and hopefully, home by 5:30 or thereabouts -- Hannah had to be at work by 7:00 that evenng, I think.  Billy and I cleaned the 5 fish and they took them back to enjoy one evening soon -- perhaps before Billy starts teaching school on Monday the 13th.  Hopefully the good taste and memory will bring them back again sometime between mid May and mid August next year -- when I will be here again to enjoy all this area has to offer.

Denver Burches - Second Visit

Rick, Kay and me.

My brother Rick, his wife Kay, their son Billy and his girlfriend Hannah left here yesterday a little past noon to head back to Denver after spending Tuesday night and Wednesday night here with me and the twins.  Their second visit here went quicker than the first since they arrived around 8:30 p.m. after the 4-1/2 hour drive down 285 and through the San Luis Valley - said they saw a beautiful sunset as they made their way here to visit and fish.  We enjoyed some of my deviled eggs and some brews outside in the cooler air (much to their delight) and listened to CDs while catching up on latest happenings.

Pass Creek Lake

Prior to their planned arrival on Tuesday, I had spent most of the day Sunday exploring other options for fishing and possible things to see during their full day here Wednesday by driving up Wolf Creek Pass to test the fishing at Pass Creek Lake followed by a trip over the summit of the pass; a stop at the scenic overlook of the San Juan Valley; a hike to Treasure Falls; and then a drive up the West Fork Access Road (of the San Juan River).

I hiked completely around Pass Creek Lake and along the way managed to catch more than a dozen Rainbow trout -- releasing all but, four of the fiesty little stockers.  I determined the best spot to be the far southern end where there were hundreds of little silver minnows swimming the shallows -- food for the hungry larger trout.  The path along the western shores provided easy, fairly level walking to the far end while the other side was more difficult to hike because of the numerous fallen, dead trees along the steeper banks.

Treasure Falls

After putting the days catch in my cooler with some iced-down water, I headed to the summit and over to the overlook before stopping at the parking area for Treasure Falls near the bottom of the western approaches of the pass.  The quarter-mile hike to the falls was not too difficult and the trail only climbed a couple hundred feet in elevation to reach the bridge over the head waters of the San Juan river (just a small trickle of a creek there). 

Then, I headed to the West Fork Access Road farther down the approaches of the pass and took the dirt road past a couple small campgrounds with trailers, RVs and tents -- even saw a big rig in the smallest campground (West Fork Campground) before reaching the end of the dirt road (which almost required 4-wheel drive).  I hiked through the woods there and followed the sounds of the stream to reach the edges of the small stream that numerous fishermen were seeking as well (besides me) -- I only took my camera this time.

West Fork San Juan river.

Finding my way back to my Jeep required some faith on my 1/8th indian blood to help me -- luckily, it worked and I reappeared on the small broken trail leading right to the front of my parked car.

Next, I headed back up the pass and over the summit to make a stop at Big Meadows Reservoir to see what I could find there and discovered a much larger lake than Beaver Creek Reservoir (with waters much clearer and seemingly more inviting to trout).  I fished off the rocky dam beyond the foot bridge which ran over the spillway and the beautiful little falls beneath it.  After nearly an hour of fishing and only one good strike (with a fish nearly on), I yielded the rocky, boulder strewn dam to a number of young anglers casting about and over each others lines -- content that I had found another option for us Burches to fish (and we could enjoy the beautiful surroundings too).

Our full day of fishing together (Wednesday) took us to three of the four of five spots I had visited on Sunday with slightly less fishing success than I had.  We didn't catch anything to keep at Pass Creek Lake but, Kay caught and released the first fish out of the group and Billy had a nice one on that got away just at his feet, as we were making our exit and fishing along the path/shores toward the Jeep.

Billy and Hannah at the overlook.

On the other side of the summit, we stopped at that scenic overlook and enjoyed the impressive view of the San Juan Valley -- the dirt road I had taken Sunday clearly visible far below winding its way up the valley to the north."

After we all had our inspirational looks over the precipitous edges of the the overlook and stood in awe of the beauty surrounding us, we headed back up the pass; passed the Wolf Creek Ski Area on the other side; through the "Snow Shed" and the short tunnel before taking the turn to Big Meadows.

We made quick use of the facilities there after gathering all our fishing gear from the Jeep and headed out the path on the north shores -- following the directions of some local who told us (in the parking lot) of the best spot to fish just beyond the point on the distant shore, past the small creek with big fish waiting just some 15 feet off the shore in a steep drop-off there.  The path wound through the woods and provided beautiful views with little shady spots along the way -- only slightly steeper as we climbed down to walk along the shores of the lake (and cast occasionally into the inviting waters).

Big Meadows Reservoir

We crossed the little foot bridge over the creek and found the area around the point already occupied by other fishermen and some people wading/swimming (later in the afternoon).  We continued on the path and around the next cove to an area of rocks that I thought might offer some drop-off with hopes of hooking one of those "big ones" mentioned by the guy in the parking lot.  After a few casts, I did hook a nice one but, lost him while turning to talk some to my brother.  Soon, though I did catch two trout and had them on the stringer.

Billy did an exploratory hike farther on toward the grassy meadows where an angler in full waders fished off-shore -- seemingly, he walked on water as he got farther out and climbed into knee-deep water after being in above waist-deep water (when we arrived earlier).  Since no other Burches were having any luck and Billy determined no better fishing spots were ahead, we retraced our path back toward the parking lot and stopped occasionally to try some of the deeper spots along the rocky shores -- resulting in my catching one more small trout before we headed back to the RV.  Those three fish added to the one in my fridge, combined with some bacon-wrapped steaks, provided us an early evening dinner with some fresh cut fruit and 5 ears of fresh corn.

Of course,we enjoyed some cold beers and snacks (Cheetos) while the dinner preparations were underway -- and we discussed where to fish the next morning (before they headed back to Denver).  Small glasses of chilled Sambuca, followed by glasses of Wild Turkey for the women and Johnnie Walker Black Label for the men capped the evening.  All Burches were ready for some rest.

More Wheeler - More South Fork

Well, I'm booked for another month here in South Fork and will be staying until the end of August -- visitors are welcome.  More fishing and more sights to see in the weeks ahead -- hiking should be a good part of both (as it has been in the past month).


Mike, Aden and Kim at the Gulch

 Wanted to pass along a few more pictures from Wheeler before heading out to fish at the reservoir a little later this morning (and while the WiFi connection allows it).  From the sign you saw in the previous post, you could either go left to hike the 7 miles through the "Gulch" or go right on the four wheeler road around the "Gulch" (some 13 miles).

The broken rock around the gulch must have been too unstable to allow the road to go in a more direct line to the geologic area which is off in the distance in the upper left of the picture with Mike, Aden and Kim (we had to go way off to the right on the road to get around the expansive, steep, rocky area).



Better part of the 4-wheel road.

The better parts of the road weren't too bad (as the pictures show) but, the more heavily rutted and winding sections were demanding the constant attention of the drivers (Mike and Kim) while I just tried to hold on and stay inside the ATV.



Kim and Aden

Hiking around at over 10,000 feet is a little harder and the lack of oxygen can make a person a bit tipsy so, when at the overlook, we took advantage of the bench and sucked in more air and rested before heading back down to the base of the formations.

Kim and I took the fork to the Shelter at the base of the formations while Mike continued back to the start of the trail with Aden.


Me at Wheeler Area

 The view from the base of the formations seemed less open for pictures but, some narrow openings were the best we could manage (without continuing another 2-1/2 miles on the trail).

Shelter, ca. 1915

View at base





Wheeler Geologic Area

Yesterday, thanks to Mike and Kim and the use of two of their ATVs, I made it with them (and Aden) to the remote area of other wordly formations -- unlike anything else I have seen.  We left the RV park around 8:00 a.m. expecting a long day and hoping the weather would hold out long enough for us to make the 13 mile trip up the four-wheel section of the rough road.  From that starting point, the other option would be to take the 7 mile hike down and through the large bouldered, rocky gulch that the four-wheeler road runs around and through the beautiful wooded mountainsides (much of the area has been ravaged by the Pine-bark Beetles as evidenced by the downed trees surrounding the only manmade restroom facilities in the Wilderness Area).

The drive up Pool Table Road seemed to be erroneous in nomenclature as the dirt road climbed steadily like a washboard to the point where 4-wheelers are required.  When we arrived at the start of the dirt road in Mike and Kim's truck with the trailer and ATVs, there already was a caravan of Jeeps lined up and starting to make the run up the mountain -- thankfully, we weren't switching to the ATVs at this point as we would have had to eat their dust all the way up the dusty 8 or 10 mile stretch of road.

Kim and Aden on the Gator

Mike had tried to make this same trip last week with his daughters Kim and Kendra, Aden and Marilyn (his mother-in-law) but, they had to turn back halfway up the 4-wheeler section of road because they were hit with heavy rain, sleet/hail and quickly dropping temperatures (40 degrees when they turned around).  We had mostly nice weather for the trip up to the end of the bumpy, rutted, rocky road and I made good use of the handles of the ATV that I road in with Mike.

Me and Mike in the 4-seater

The caravan of Jeeps let us pass them in the first couple of miles and we continued around and up and down the mountainsides and through the woods and tight sections of the rough road -- not one I would want to take my Jeep on.  We had hoped to see at least a few deer, Elk or Moose along the way but, were left to only think we had seen glimpses of something moving through the woods and the occasional footprints near the road.  There were lots of cows, steers and hefers along the way as we drove through the grassy pastures and small valleys.

Kim and Aden lead the way.

When we finally arrived at the end of the road near the wayside signage, it was shortly after noon and we all drank some water or Gatorade and had some snacks before starting the hike around the area.  Just before we started the hike, a young couple with backpacks came off the trail and passed by us on their way back onto the trail through the gulch -- they gave us some helpful hints about which forks in the trail to take (soon they were joined by the third member of their party a 76 year old man for the other half of their 14 mile day hike and they headed off -- as did we).

Our approach to the area could be sensed from some distance and the surrounding flat-topped mountains gave some feeling of a large crater having existed at one time (an aerial shot would have been nice to confirm the formations).



Approaching Wheeler Area

Using the directions given by the young couple with backpacks, we started the half-mile or more hike around the area to discover what we could see -- and find the stream we could hear nearby too.  The stream actually made more noise than its real-size would show -- perhaps the echoing sound of the area magnified it to a higher level.



Start of the hike into the area.

Poor Mike and Kim were sharing duties to carry young Aden along the trail and I could only think what a tiring task that was at the altitude we were presently at (some 10,840 feet).  We eventually made it to the "Overlook" and the welcome sight of the bench nearby -- a breather well deserved for Mike and Kim (I got their first at about 12:45 p.m.).

View from the Overlook Area