Round Top Mountain Hike

A Hike In The Park

Vitamin C In the Wild

Yesterday was cloudy, cool and at times, a bit of mist dampened the air. We missed too many hiking days this summer, with all the too hot days, and were not about to pass up a day in the high 40s.

Seems These Guys Are Always Watching When We Are Hiking - Maybe They Know Something We Don't

Round Top Mountain Trail

We stopped in at the Museum, always a great stop then headed up Round Top Mountain which is behind, directly east of the Museum.

CCC Worker Statue and Flags at the Museum

There was a CCC trail up to the top at one time but it has disappeared over the years. We first visited the park in 1983, and the trail was mostly gone then, now it is quite difficult to find.

The First of Two Sets of CCC Steps on the Trail

Hiking Can Be All About The View

I have often wondered why people use some trails and ignore others. Most hikers get to the top of Round Top Mountain now by walking the old road up. It is a pretty easy walk and offers some terrific views of the dam, powerhouse, and river.

Powerhouse and Glory Hole Spillway View From the Top

We hiked up to the top using the old trail, guessing where we couldn’t find it then followed the old road down, looped around to Evergreen Glade Trail and followed it back to the Museum. The entire hike can be finished in about an hour and is a nice, first hike of the year trail.

Foggy View of the RR Bridge on the North Platte River

Hey, You !  Take A Hike

We love Fall it is the best time to hike the great Guernsey State Park Trails. 

It Was a Perfect Day for Wildlife Viewing

The Oregon Trail Ruts & Register Cliff

With several days on or above 100 degrees the last week we have not done any hiking in the park. We have gone on a few drives, and stopped to take in the view or dip our feet in the water, but, for now, that’s about it.

I see lots of tourists, this time of year, visiting the Oregon Trail Ruts and Register Cliff, both south of Guernsey. The staff of Guernsey State Park not only keeps up the park but is also in charge of the grounds, parking area, restrooms and walking paths, at the Cliff and Ruts both state historical sites.

For those that have never visited these two sites, it is well worth the time and effort to stop. Although many books and blogs talk about all the names that are no longer on Register Cliff, I like to look at, and wonder about, all the names that are still there, and there must be hundreds, maybe thousands. 

The ruts are beautiful, deep, rustic and easily assessable. Great place to take photos and also a chance to view wildlife and wildflowers.

 Next time you visit the park take a couple of hours and drive out to Register Cliff and Deep Ruts Hill on the Oregon Trail.

 Unforgettable experience.

Sitting Bull Shelter & Lakeshore Drive

It is possible the Civilian Conservation Corps built shelters in Guernsey State Park may be some of the most photographed picnic shelters in America. Sitting Bull shelter is the most elaborate of the east side picnic shelters, built with a   huge fireplace, stone benches and great views it is the highlight of Lakeshore Drive shelters. 

The Wonderful Sitting Bull Shelter

 Sitting Bull has long been one of the most popular day-use picnic areas in the park.  This description is from my book, The Civilian Conservation Corps & the Building of Guernsey State Park – With Folktales and Stories of the Park.

Picnic with the CCC

With picnic time at hand, this is a most peaceful place to spend an hour of two. It is a day use area (no camping) and weekdays there is not much competition to use the shelter. Weekends it would be a good idea to get there early, well before lunch time. I cannot think of a better place, anywhere, to roast a hot dog and a few marshmallows.

Now That's a Roasting Place

Once Again

One last comment and I have made it here, on this blog, before. It is Lakeshore Drive. The houses on the drive after leaving the park are addressed as Lake Side Drive or Road. Too bad, as this was most likely a mistake made, that has stuck. That means that Lakeshore Drive turns into Lake Side Drive after leaving the park and the lake. Oh well, that does make for an interesting story, even some of the state materials about the park list it as Lake Side. Google Maps also call it Lake Side, they should have called me first. (just kidding)

It's All About the View

All early CCC maps and documents list the east side road as Lakeshore, one word. I like it, like Chicago, we have our very own Lakeshore Drive, only ours, has mountains and animals, and a few great picnic, and camp sites. 

Oh, and What About the Sunsets? Looking South-West from the Shelter

The CCC and a Snowy Day

Snow Trees and Summer Too

With too much snow to get around, I thought that I would take a look at another excerpt from my book, The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Building of Guernsey State Park. I also decided to throw in a few summer photos from the park, make us all dream of warm weather.

Planting of Trees by the CCC

In his notes, J. H. Coffman, Camp BR-9 Superintendent, accounts for the planting of more than 500 trees in the park.[i] (It is likely Coffman was referring to trees planted only on his side, the east side of the park)

This area was a bare hill before the CCC built the Museum and planted the trees in the photo

Other camp diaries mention planting trees and shrubs near the Museum. Early photos of the Museum show the steps going from the lower parking area to the Museum with no trees in sight. If any natural vegetation was present workers removed it to build the great rock steps leading to the Museum. Today it is hard to tell which trees were planted around the park and what trees are old growth products of Mother Nature.

Much of the park has nice stands of natural old growth trees

Trees are difficult to grow in Wyoming and the tree planters of the Civilian Conservation Corps left a legacy of new trees in the park and all across America. Although now lost from old age, one of the most interesting tree plantings in the park was the placing of several apple trees at the low point of Red Cliff Trail near the end of a long flight of rustic rock steps.

Wildflowers last May

They Called it Parkitecture

Like all the buildings in the park, trees were planted in harmony with nature, to blend in and not stand out. Only on the old CCC-built golf course can one readily see trees in a straight line, obviously planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Unlike some CCC projects, trees and shrubs at Guernsey were not brought in. They were dug up along the lake and river then moved around the park.

May is only a few weeks - about 12, away

Although there was no actual count of trees planted in the park, reports vary from 500 to as high as 5,000. If it was the latter number, it likely included shrubs planted around park structures.

Resting on  Camp BR-9s , incredible Red Cliff Trail

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[i] J. H. Coffman, Record of Work and Accomplishments of CCC enrollees in Camp BR-9, Wyoming (Wyoming State Parks & Historic Sites Digital Collections – Guernsey Museum Digitization Project) Tabulations of Main Developments, 1

It's Cold Out There

At one time I loved winter, the older I get, the more I stay inside when it is cold. I enjoyed skiing for many years, did some Ice fishing and loved making snowmen and forts when our kids were growing up. Now if the temperature is below 20, I mostly stay inside.

We are looking forward to the next two weeks as the weather is supposed to warm, maybe to 50 degrees. That means we will be back hiking and walking in the park.

When it is cold, we still spend time in the park, but, for the most part, we stay in the vehicle. I do get out to take a few photos from time to time, but, usually, it is inside with the heater cranked up.

One thing I miss about not being out in the cool air are the winter views and watching wildlife in the cold weather. Everything is so different this time of year. Winter does have a beauty, all its own, but guess I will observe it from inside.

The photos are from last Friday, a cold, stay in the pickup day, for me.

Our Chariot awaits - after a bit of dusting off