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Please click here for – Part One
An Anniversary Trip Continued
We planned to spend two days exploring the Wyoming Range south of Alpine, Wyoming. The weather forecast was not hopeful. As we drove through Swan Valley along the Snake River, the ugly wall of black clouds ahead confirmed the forecast was correct. We had cell service and pulled over and checked weather radar – some modern conveniences are indeed helpful. Green, yellow, and red was the story it told. Nasty thunderstorms were breaking out everywhere. It was time for a plan B. We were due in Steamboat Springs Thursday afternoon and on to Colorado Springs on Friday for the beginnings of the 60th wedding anniversary celebration. This was Tuesday. As much as we love our camper, setting up in a violent storm is not fun. We made calls to reserve a room for the night in Pinedale. Pinedale is a busy place in the summer. We’ve been visiting Pinedale for well over 30 years and know it well. Last minute reservations are hard to come by, especially if you do not want to stay in one of the big boxes that have gone up on the north end of town. The Rivera Lodge – built in 1952 – had one room available – a cabin with a full kitchen – bingo!
The drive was white knuckle the entire way – lightning, thunder, downpours, wind, hail, torrents of water down hillsides and across the road – the entire way until we reached the north end of Pinedale. The vehicles behind us were more than content to let us break trail.
We checked in quickly and backed the truck up to the cabin’s steps. The storm was on our heels. We were settled just as it hit. “It was meant to be!” the Lady said. “This all worked out!”
The Rivera is located along Pine Creek near town’s center. The storm broke in the late afternoon and we walked down to the Mexican place for dinner. We then wandered about town until the next round of storm sent us scurrying back to our comfortable warm dry cabin.
We were up early. Coffee was made. We took a long walk about the town’s parks. Breakfast was easy with the full kitchen. We decided to take care of laundry since we were in town. We headed out before noon with the plan to visit the overland – California & Oregon – trail crossings of the New Fork and Green rivers and try to find a dispersed camp spot south of there for the night. Wyoming had other plans for us. We did manage to visit two sites along the Green.
The storms were incredible; violent, nasty, unforgiving. We continued south toward the town of Green River. There are dispersed sites in the area of Green River and Rock Springs, all on the rim rock above. Not a good place in a lightning storm. We contemplated the KOA in Rock Springs. From a half mile away, we knew we didn’t want to stay there – a bare parking lot of RVs. I asked the Lady to check weather radar. “Where is it not raining south of here?”
“It’s not raining in Craig, Colorado,” she answered. “At least not yet.” We could reach there before dark. There was a KOA in Craig. We called. They’d put us in a tent site for $37.
We pulled into the KOA a little after 1800. We popped the top. The storm was on our heels and hit just as we climbed inside the camper. “It was meant to be!” the Lady said. “This all worked out!”
We made and ate dinner as the storm raged - thunder, lightning, wind, pounding rain. “It will stop,” the Lady said. “We’ll be able to walk before dark. You’ll see!”
I washed the dishes. The Lady read her book and suddenly cried, “Look outside!”
We walked until dark. The smell of wet earth was amazing. U.S. highway 40 runs along the north side of the KOA. It is a busy road. Don’t expect to get a good night’s sleep here. So, we were ready to get going early in the morning.
We had reservations at the KOA in Steamboat Springs. We stayed there 5 years ago and found it a comfortable place so we booked a site for this anniversary trip.
Craig is less than an hour from Steamboat. The Lady went to work with her smartphone and announced we were going for a hike. She wanted to see lower and upper Fish Creek Falls and maybe hike up to Long Lake too.
Our geezer card worked to cover the use fee at the busy trailhead. We started out in rain gear. One look at the sky told us to. The lower falls is a quarter mile in. It was raining.
We left most people behind as we continued up.
We encountered a woman coming down the trail. She told us she had waited over a half hour for a moose to move off the trail. She’d been told you shouldn’t approach moose. Good information. As we continued up, the moose was about 20’ off the trail, busy with browsing on aspen leaves in the dense grove. It did not pause and pose for a photo as it should have.
The rain abated so we pulled off our rain jackets.
The rain returned as we reached the upper falls.
With the rain, we decided not to continue up to Long Lake, and we turned back down the canyon.
The rain, of course, soon stopped.
The sun was out at the lower falls and the crowd was growing ever larger at the trailhead.
The nice thing about the KOA is there is a free bus into town every 20 minutes. We got settled into our way overpriced campsite – much different than 5 years ago – and hopped onto the bus. We, of course, carried our rain gear with us. Steamboat Springs is a classic mountain town. Yes, it is touristy, but it pulls it off. We like Steamboat Springs. Where should we get dinner? We stepped into The North Face on Main Street. I wanted a local opinion on where to eat.
The young man approached – a young man that looked like he never went outdoors. He asked, “How may I help you?”
I asked about a type of hiking sock. He’d never heard of it. I got to the point.
“Is there a place in town we can get fish & chips? I’m in the mood for fish & chips.”
“What are fish & chips?” he asked back. I was dumbfounded. Not it the mood to draw a picture for him, I changed course. “Where can we get fish tacos?”
“This I can help with,” he replied. “Down the street at Taco Cabo. Great fish tacos and outside seating on the Yampa River.”
Great fish tacos! I forgive the kid for not knowing what fish & chips is.
We made it to Colorado Springs. The 60th wedding anniversary was great. We were so glad we attended the event. Many family members we’ve not seen for years were there. Happy anniversary Tom & Kathie! We’ll be back again in five years for 65!
I have a friend, Scott who lives in the Denver area. I’ve not seen Scott in 11 years and never met his lovely wife, Channie. Julie had not met either of them. Since Scott has ties to Manitou Springs – his grandfather was once mayor of the town and his grandparents ran a motel – Scott offered to show us Manitou on Sunday as a way for all of us to get together. Julie and Channie really hit it off and during lunch I heard that, after our next adventure, we’d be driving to Wheat Ridge to spend 3 nights with them. These two women were making plans. And Channie was able to get Julie into civilization? Wow.
Our next adventure before civilization – the Flat Tops. We’ve made two backpack trips into Colorado’s Flat Tops and love the area. This is why we wanted to return. We arrived at the tiny Cold Springs Campground midafternoon, just in time to get set up before the thunderstorm hit with hard rain and hail. The storm dropped more than an inch of hail on us. But, in usual Colorado style, the skies cleared. Flat Top Mountain, the highpoint, was to the south.
The storm had moved to the east.
We sat out in the night and watched the continuing lightning show.
We woke to bright clear skies the next morning.
We started out early and hiked along the reservoir and reached the Flat Tops Wilderness Boundary.
Our first destination was the pass in the upper center of the photo below.
At the pass we were on top of the magnificent plateau that is the Flat Top. The plateau is surrounded by glacially carved valleys.
We had a highpoint to climb to reach the famed Devils Causeway.
The Devils Causeway is a three foot wide section of rock where glaciers on either side almost touched. It is a dramatic place.
We continued on across the amazing plateau. It’s elevation here is 11,600 feet.
We were doing a 12-mile loop that would take us down off the plateau into the Bear River drainage.
The wetlands in this area are incredible. Beavers are abundant.
We almost made to the reservoir before we needed to get on our raingear.
The last mile and a half was in rain. Upon returning to camp, we took refuge in our camper and waited out the storm. The evening was, again, wonderful.
The next morning, we were off to Trappers Lake.
Our adventure continues in the upcoming Part Three.
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