Bogley

Sombeech · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 12204 Location: The Rubbish Bin

Sorry to post so much, but Shan, can you tell me more about the canoes?

Are you saying you paddle through the lakes, and then pull the canoe up river? How long would you be pulling the canoe on average? That would sound like a hassle, unless you had a pretty good system.

Shan · Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 794 Location: Cache Valley

No prob, Sombeech.

You paddle up the first long lake.
Then you come to where the stream inputs, you can paddle up this in low water, but you'll just waste energy. So we just tie a rope on a drag it. it's all a constant elevations, through wildflower meadows, hardly any trees around it to manuever around either. The stream is always crossable, never too, too deep, so you can walk IN the stream pulling it, but it's ice cold. Upon entering the second lake you can hop back in the boat and start paddling. At the end of the second lake it's like a maze of streams, the all meet up in the end. This is very paddle-able too until it merges back to one stream.

Camping up here makes for a shorter hike to Square Top also.

The pulling is not hard or a pain or cumbersome. Leave everything in the canoe tied down. No portages either unless a tree has fallen since then. You don't pull long either, maybe an 1+ hours total? I can't remember. You can actually paddle/pull up to the campsite I've marked (roughly) and turn around and go back to the put in in 8 hours, with breaks. Going out is fun. Twisty little river with big lakes. Hubby hangs the line off the back of the canoe as we paddle along and has caught fish.

Sombeech · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 12204 Location: The Rubbish Bin

Wow, thanks for the info. That would be very fun to canoe back down, and fish off the back!

I think I'm in! Thanks.

Oh, one more thing. Do you need any permits?

Shan · Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 794 Location: Cache Valley

Other than a WY fishing license, I didn't find anything that said I needed a canoe permit.

Shan · Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 794 Location: Cache Valley

Backpack Route: Trailhead Elkhart Park (Pole Creek Trail) to Titcomb Basin. 15 miles one way.

This was our destination, we were allowing 2 days to get to Titcomb Basin. On the first day we made it to Seneca Lake. I think it's about 8-9 miles in. Photographer's Point is at 5 miles in. Due to storms we didn't make it to Titcomb Basin the next day, only make it to Island Lake. We were so close and could see the Continental Divide. It took 1/2 day to hike to Seneca Lake. I'm slow.

From the internet:

"The trail begins climbing through pine forest, but after only about three miles reaches high alpine country at about the 10,000 foot elevation level, where it stays for the next twelve miles. Absolutely gorgeous country with expansive views extending to the continental divide and many alpine lakes. We passed among others, the very large Seneca Lake, then Island Lake (a popular camping site), eventually reaching the first of the two large Titcomb lakes."

Really good photos of that trip by someone else:
http://www.tezaur.net/photo/wyoming2002/windrivers/

Bridger Wilderness Trailheadsm, Pinedale, Wy
How to get to Elkhart Park
http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/btnf/offices/pinedale-trail.shtml

Sombeech · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 12204 Location: The Rubbish Bin

Wow, that's amazing. I love that photographer's point. The Wind Rivers are definitely different from the Uintas.
I'm going to start talking the boys into it.

Shan · Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 794 Location: Cache Valley

Canoeing Route: Green River Lakes, with hike to Square Top

On my first map it shows where you start and where we camped (roughly). You can make it to the campsite and all the way back to the put in in one day. So it can be a leisurely paddle to the campsite above both lakes.

Square Top can be done in one day. Finis Mithchell wrote a little book on Wind River trails. He said families can do this from the TH in a day. The route is not on the map, so the trail isn't as defined. I outlined it roughly on this topomap. The backside is very sloping.

Unfortunately I can't find all my photos from that trip (the campsite, the glacial river swimming, top of hike).

Sombeech · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 12204 Location: The Rubbish Bin

Quote: Sombeech, how'd you get in my photo?! J/K, that's my husband

Good one :haha:

Those pictures are awesome.

accadacca · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 7697 Location: On Your Screen

Thanks a bunch for your info. :five: You could be our tour guide! :lol8: Sounds like the hiking isn't tough. Sombeech should be able to sell that easily. You mentioned the bears. Did you have to hang your food in the trees? I am not sure if you mentioned this? But what month did you go? Thanks again! :2thumbs:

Shan · Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 794 Location: Cache Valley

Yeah, bears, as in grizzlies! I wore a bell when I hiked. They say stay in your group, don't yo-yo all over the place, make noises when turning corners. The FS office can probably tell you where they have been sighted. At the Green River lakes CG the hosts will greet you right off the bat and tell you about the bears.

So yes, you hang your food, they don't provide bear boxes either. Actually at Seneca Lake there weren't any trees, so we had to hang our food over a CLIFF to the lake. I swore it was going to fall in the water, but it didn't.

Backpacking was in July, canoeing has been in July and August.

Next time I camp in the mountains I was thinking of buying those new 15'x15' bug repellent do-hickies. The mosquitos are bad, but they weren't on the water.

accadacca · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 7697 Location: On Your Screen

Shan wrote: I wore a bell when I hiked.
I read a funny joke about that yesterday. Let me find it and I will put it in the jokes section. :lol8: Here: http://uutah.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=571

accadacca · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 7697 Location: On Your Screen

Shan wrote: They say stay in your group, don't yo-yo all over the place, make noises when turning corners.
That's funny! :roll_lol: :roll_lol: :roll_lol: Yo-Yo!!! :lol8: That might be a real challenge for some of our crew. :toofunny:

Shan wrote: Next time I camp in the mountains I was thinking of buying those new 15'x15' bug repellent do-hickies. The mosquitos are bad, but they weren't on the water.
Yeah I usually get the 100 deet stuff and it seems to work. I can imagine the bugs this year are going to be insane. :scared: That might be a top concern over the bears for me.

shlingdawg · Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 680 Location: Western Washington

Sounds like a bunch of fun to me.

Date's anyone? :ne_nau:

Sombeech · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 12204 Location: The Rubbish Bin

shlingdawg wrote: Date's anyone? :ne_nau:

I've got to find out when school's out, between semesters.

shlingdawg · Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 680 Location: Western Washington

Sombeech wrote: shlingdawg wrote: Date's anyone? :ne_nau:

I've got to find out when school's out, between semesters.

No problem. I just graduated from the U this spring. Whadda relief! :rockon: