Wind River Range Wy.

  Wind River Range is located a couple hours north of Rock Springs Wy. or ten hours north of Denver my home town. It's a huge area that covers 2.25 million acres and 2,900 lakes dot this landscape. Even though it's located not that far from populated cities not many people know about the area or visit it. 700 miles of hiking trail cross over 3 wilderness areas that offer many views and experiences. I have to put myself the same boat as the uninformed hikers when it comes to Wind River. I had purchased the two map set many years ago and only recently bothered to look at them. There are so many lakes shown on the maps that a fisherman slash hiker doesn't know where to start in planning his trip.

  Like most hikers I was interested in a trail that would make a circle and expose myself to as many lakes as possible in a 4 day period. I left Denver on July 17th with my objective of camping in the Boulder lake campgrounds on the southwest entrance to Wind River. After a ten hour drive I was ready to settle down and look at some mountains instead of 18 wheeler trucks along I 80, so the campground was a welcome sight. A couple from Salt Lake City occupied the site next to me so I walked over to find out some information about the area, mostly about the fishing. The couple had walked up towards Lake Ethel yesterday but got caught in sudden thunder storm, so they high tailed back to their tent, which they discovered leaked like a sieve. The fella had been to the lake in the past and told me that it was a fishing mecca for local fisherman,so don't expect many fish, since it was the first lake hikers came to.

  This Mormon couple had meet when the woman's car broke down and he was able to fix it along side the road many years and children ago. He was brought up Mormon but didn't practice as much as his wife until they got married in the church and the rest is history. He worked at the lumber yard but was a pretty fair hand at fixing cars and had collected a few through the years. Their one son was ready to go on his missionary duty to Fort Lauderdale Florida so this fella had to sell one of his cars to pay for the trip. If I had to go on a mission the east coast of Florida this place wouldn't be bad I thought to myself.  I would try and convert girls to Mormanism as I applied sun tan lotion to them. The longer we talked the clouds got darker and with rain starting to come down each one of us headed for shelter.

  The next morning the skies had cleared and I started on the Boulder Creek trail towards Lake Ethel. The trail followed the creek for the whole distance to the lake. A past forest fire really did a number on the landscape.This area is a major example of what a glacier can do when it's got a granite mountain in the way. The left side of the trail was solid rock that was decorated with large round granite boulder. The glaciers had tumbled these rocks ahead of them and had turned them into giant marbles. Within 3 hours the trail took a hard left turn and began to climb and climb. Then in the distance I could see my lake. A large waterfall was dumping water from the lake above. I expected a few back packers since there where a several trucks in the parking lot at the trail head. I almost ran to a great level spot over looking the lake. I set up camp and was down in the water fishing before I knew it. I found out that a fire ban had been lifted so maybe I could have trout for lunch.

  The weather couldn't have been milder and I was up to my knees in the lake as I walked the shore line casting out my lure. On the second cast I hooked a nice Cut Throat Trout. With the help of a willow branch I was able to secure my lunch at shore line. I must have caught 6 more before heading back to my camp for lunch of trout. Since I forgot to bring anything to cook Mr. fish in I made a rack out of green willow branches. What a grand view looking over my own personal waterfall as I devoured my vitals.

  After a short siesta I was right back in the waters casting and catching with some success. Then came the thought of my pathways for tomorrow which would lead me to my next campsite and more fish. the trail according to my map was on the south end of the lake and I must of walked right by this morning. walking back towards the end of the lake I noticed a bridge leading over the stream that was coming from my lake. the stream might not been hard to cross if it was on the same plan as the path but the power of the water had carved a deep recession out of the rock. The water was about 20 feet below the bottom of the bridge and was moving so fast it was making a whistling noise.

  The next morning I was up and on the trail by 7:00 am. This trail didn't follow any creek it just seem to have a mind of it's own. the trail twisted and turned as it made it's way among giant rock formations. The past forest fire also made the rocky mountain look like the back of a giant porcupine, with blackened trees as quills. The trail was also climbing which gave me a chance to look back down the Boulder Creek drainage which I had hiked yesterday.

  Within a few hours I came to a lone horse standing inside a homemade corral of small pine logs. I walked all around looking for this critters owner but he must have been out counting chipmunks. Then I came to beautiful lake that almost made me want to stop and break out the fishing pole. Like the past lakes this lake was set down in a large bowl of rock that must have been carved out from the many glaciers a zillion years ago.

  A lunch time I came to North Fork Lake which must have been 4 times bigger then Ethel lake. The views, let me try and describe the views. For one thing the lake backs up to the Continental Divide on it's eastern side. Large mountains capped with snow made for a mirror image on the still water surface, these are the mountains that divide the America's in half. It's a image that has to be experienced and with the changing light the images changes every hour. On the north and south side of the lake the fires had done their damage here.

  I set up my camp and wanted to see if i could repeat my luck with trout for lunch. This lake din't let me down and I was eating trout by 1:00 pm, with all views as my back drop. As I ate my food I heard a group of Boy Scouts come marching down the trail from Lake Victor. I noticed when I had signed into the trail head log that is where this group was headed. I thought they where going to stop and camp but by the time I got my fish cooked and eaten they had vanished.

  I walked back down to the lake and decided to walked the shallow shore line casting and wading as I worked my way along the lake. Within a hour 2 fellow fisherman came walking along the trail and I stopped to chat. Their packs looked like they where ready for base camp on Mt Everest. Wide, tall and heavy is what it looked like to me and they where in a mean mood, with carrying all that gear in the blazing sun can do. Every positive point I brought about the Wind River was answered with a negative point. "The trails are sure marked well!" said. "We have been lost several times!" they yelled. "The fishing has been rewarding at Ethel Lake!" I explained. "We have had a few bites, but not a s good as expected!" said the cranky back packer. I was sure glad they where walking down the path carrying all the bad vibes with them.

  Within a few hours and countless caught a released I made it to a rocky point, which I couldn't go any farther without swimming. From my past experiences trying to catch the trout rocky points sometimes have all the fish hanging out. This point also had a rocky ledge about 20 feet out in the lake where the water depth dropped off very fast. Now it's time for a fish story with in a few hours time I caught and released 130 trout. What can be the down side of this story, I knew it would spoil me for any other fishing if I didn't have a fish on my line at every cast.

  I walked back to my camp with a sore arm from casting and catching but what a day. Then at dinner time I heard some horses walking by and saw three rider with their cowboy hats bobbing above the trees. After eating I walked back down the trail and I could hear them and their horses. I walked out to the tree line and watched as these cowboys where trying to shoot the trout out of the water with their guns. Maybe somebody got kicked in the head one times too many!

  The next morning I headed on the trail towards Lake Christina, which I had heard was steep and rough. I found the trail to be fairly easy and was making great time. I walked a number of small lakes but kept on walking towards my next campsite. I started to descend into the lake basin when I noticed a Bull Moose standing at the end of the lake knee deep in water. It turned into a starring contest between Mr. Moose and myself, until the moose took off running. I stopped along the lank shore and tried fishing but only caught few small fish, I knew the last lake bounty would spoil me. After spending a hour casting I decided to walk back down to Lake Ethel.

  The trail dropped fast going into this lake drainage and I was at the lake within a few hours. I set up camp and tried fishing but this lake was holding onto it's reward in the way of fish. By lunch I decided to walk back to the truck and set up camp at the campground where I had started 3 days ago.

  By this time it was getting warm and I ran into a few back packer with their tongues hanging out as they climbed the trail. By 5:00 pm I made it back to my truck but being Saturday all the campsites where full. So I drove back to Denver and was in my little bed by 2:00 am.