06/17/05:
This is my first canoe trip in 7 years and the first overnighter in even longer. Tried to start yesterday but thunderstorms and howling winds kept me off the water. Spent a couple of hours instead, going over my new checklist and sorting out equipment.
Flaming Gorge Reservoir extends 91 miles from the dam in northeast Utah up to I-80 at Green River, Wyoming. I put in at Firehole, off US191 in Wyoming. No real float plan, just paddle when and how I want and stay out for as long as I want. Well... I have food for 6 days so that might put a limit on things. Actually I don't think I'll stay out more than 2 or 3 days on my first trip. If nothing else, I'm sure I forgot something important on the checklist. I also think it's important to have a couple of extra days supplies in case of adverse weather or wind on the way back.
Anyway... I launched about 9am and turned north (right) towards Green River and I80, about 15 miles away. This section of the Green River is all buttes and mesas and cliffs. Chimneys and nipples rise 50-75 feet above many of the 300-500 foot hills or mountainettes.
Lots of grassy strips between the buttes and the river. This must be the 'Home, home on the range' they sing about. Cows range this area while the deer and the antelope play. Saw lots of each. Grebes(?), white pelicans and assorted ducks all over the place too.
It wasn't long before my long unused back muscles began protesting about this new workload being inflicted on them. I ignored them and kept paddling along at about 1mph under clear skies and almost no wind.
There are some large rainbow trout and small mouth bass in these waters. All I saw was 20-30 carp in the 20-24 inch range cruising or resting near the surface. Off on the small plains I saw a couple of antelope chasing around. I don't know if they were trying to have fun or trying to have sex. Kinda like humans in that respect <g>.
Around noon the wind freshened and some dark clouds moved in so I headed for shore looking for a camping spot. No sense setting up camp for the first time in I don't know how long with an approaching storm.
06/18/05:
Forgot a few things and since it was calm I headed back towards the van. Paddled about an hour and then the winds came. Strong enough to push me in to shore. I stood around patiently for a while and when the winds didn't let up I pitched camp. The winds howled all day and all of the night too.
06/19/05:
I was up at 5am this next morning and on the water while it was still calm. Got my stuff from the van and took off again in the other direction. If the winds kept coming from the south I wanted to be heading north if I needed to get back.
Fooled around walking around a mesa for a while and then hit the water again. An hour later the winds came from the south again and again blew me into shore. Got the hang of setting up camp in strong winds pretty quickly. Had to camp all day.
06/20/05:
Took yesterday off and went to Wal-Mart in Rock Springs. Today I went on past Firehole and found a nice cove and a nice campsite on a nice hill with a nice view of some nice buttes and bluffs. Did I say this was a nice spot?
06/21/05:
Up at 5am and on the water by 6am. Paddled a few miles along lots of bluffs. Quite a few antelope along the other shore. Nothing but a small breeze from the north pushing me along. I turned back after 1.5 hours. Guess I'm a little paranoid about the wind.
Went for a walk and climbed up some hills to a small bluff. Then packed up and went looking for a new spot. Found several roads which I now believe head down to the river or to a bluff overlooking the river. I turned down one which led to a campsite overlooking what would have to be part of the reservoir.
It was really hot but the ever present wind kept things from being too bad. Then the clouds came in. I saw a bolt of lightning followed immediately by the thunder. Being camped on a rim overlooking water did not seem like a good place to be in a thunderstorm so I got my sorry butt out of there.