Last Day at Lodgepole, Flaming Gorge

Wednesday August 12, 2015     Day 15     Lodgepole Campground 4^rd day

The nights are cool here, but not like that 39^o one we had two nights ago.  It gets into the low 50s but that’s great for sleeping.  It’s nice for a morning fire, too.  Had a long one this morning with our spiked coffee.  We made sandwiches for breakfast because we doddled so long by the fire that it felt like lunch time.  We were in no real hurry today.  Broke out the solar panel because it looked like a nice sunny day.  More on that later.

Paid up for another unplanned night, two bundles of firewood, and a dump fee for when we leave.  This campground costs us only $9/night with my old people pass.

I left at 11:00 to go fish the Green River at Little Hole.  It is a boat launch and trail head 7 or 9 miles (can’t remember which) downstream from the dam spillway.  Stopped at the dam visitor center parking lot first to pay some bills.  Had 3G data there.  Also got delayed about 15 minutes because of road construction.  Finally got there about 12:30, suited up and fished.  Fished for about 2 hours with no luck.  No one else fishing down there did either.  About 6 drift boats floated by while I was fishing.  Didn’t see any fish caught there either, but they fish for miles, so they may have caught fish behind my back.  Fishing from a drift boat is usually very productive.  I’ve done it before.  It about $400/day but you split it with your buddy.  There were quite a number of rafters going by, too.  You can rent rafts, too.  Saw families drifting by with the kids and the dog, all wearing beat up looking life jackets that say "Flaming Gorge Lodge" on them.

I could see rain coming over the mountain across the way and hear thunder so decided to quit about 2:30.  By the time I got to the truck, it was raining while I changed out of my waders.  On the way back to the campsite, I stopped at the Flaming Gorge Dam overlook and got some pictures (for you Andrew).

 

 

Upper reservoir of Flaming Gorge Dam.  It goes on for 90 miles.

 

The lower gorge of Flaming Gorge Dam.  It is bigger

than it appears in this picture taken from the

overlook.  It is curved, like Hoover Dam.

 

After that, the sky opened up and has been raining hard the rest of the afternoon.  It is still raining and we had to pack up in the rain to be ready to leave early tomorrow.  We will head for some national forest campgrounds in the Bridger-Teton National Forest tomorrow.  Found some campgrounds on Grey's River near Alpine, WY.