A Walk In The Park, Guernsey State Park

Did you know that the Museum parking lot was a tennis court in the 1930s? The CCC built the court and today’s lower lot was used for all museum visitors. Not sure when the courts were abandoned and made into a parking lot. Below see a photo of the parking lot and the tennis court taken from roughly the same place.

Photo Courtesy of Wyoming State Park and Cultural Resources

We caught this deer nibbling on a green ash tree near the park headquarters as we drove into the park this evening. 

The Mountain Mahogany in the park is spectacular, as are many wild flowers now in bloom. Good time of the year to take a walk in the park.

Mountain Mahogany

For anyone interested there will be a meeting of the, Friends of Guernsey State Park, in the Museum, this Sunday, June 1, at 1:30.

If you would like to learn more about the park, or help out with ideas for park activities, come join us Sunday, all are welcome. Yearly dues are very reasonable and we are looking to grow the membership numbers. Come join us Sunday.

Mark Twain once said, "Golf is a good walk spoiled." I love to play golf but, if you would like a great walk, with a chance to see nature and the park at its best, there is no time like now.

Great View of Guernsey RR Bridge from Red Cliff Trail

 

The park offers wonderful camping and boating, both terrific park activities, but hiking and picnicking, this time of the year, priceless.

Now This is What I Am Talking About  -  Guernsey State Park (5/29/14)

Come and take a few photos, send them to your friends, and make them wish they were walking in the park with you.

North Across the Spillway  -  Photo taken 5/29/14




 

 

Wyoming Top 10

Some of my followers here may be interested in my all about Wyoming blog, Wyoming Fact and Fiction. http://wyoming-fact-and-fiction.blogspot.com/2014/05/wyoming-top-10_26.html Here is my newest post, thought you might like it.
Last week I posted numbers 1-5 of my famous Wyoming people top ten, today numbers 6-10 will complete my list. Like my five of a week ago these are in no particular order, only random.

Edgar Wilson (Bill) Nye (1850-1896) - Founded a Wyoming newspaper with one of the most unusual paper names in all of America, the, Laramie Boomerang. Nye was also a, worldwide know, humorist who traveled widely with both James Whitcomb Riley and Mark Twain. His column was so widely read that the Boomerang was sent to every state in the union and to several foreign countries. Nye wrote several political or historical humor books that sold very well. I have read all that I could of him and his writings over the years and posted quite a few times about him. Mostly forgotten now, too bad.

Chief Washakie (1804/1808-1900) - Shoshone chief who was convinced that peace with the whites would be the only sensible thing to do. So well respected by the American government that he was the last Indian leader to be able to pick the land for his people’s reservation. Famous for keeping peace among the Wyoming tribes by fighting and killing Crow Chief Big Robber at Crowheart Butte Wyoming. The two chiefs fought over tribal hunting grounds instead of letting the tribes fight it out.

Curt Gowdy (1919-2006) – Famous sports announcer and personality, possible best known in later years as the voice of the Boston Red Sox. Gowdy spend decades announcing, football, baseball and several Olympics. But what I remember was his job of host of the long running, American Sportsman. Being an avid outdoorsman I loved this fishing and hunting themed show.

Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917) – His life and time spanned the end of the old west but his promotion of the old west let it live on for several more decades. His life story has been well documented, from Pony Express rider, to scout and Indian fighter and Medal of Honor winner and Wild West show promoter. A remarkable man in real-life and in fiction. The wonderful Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyoming is a must see for everyone that yearns for the good old days.

Chris LeDoux (1948-2005) – Some might wonder about this cowboy singer and his place on my list, but none should. He was a world champion bareback rider and wrote songs about life and cowboys and rodeo. Garth Brooks describes his music as a combination of western soul, sagebrush blues, cowboy folk and rock ‘n’ roll. LeDoux sold over five million records and was also an accomplished artist working mostly in bronze.

 “Sleeping on the ground and takin’ a bath in the creek. That’s the stuff that really made it worthwhile, anybody can stay in a motel.” (Chris LeDoux)

 Can’t be any more Wyoming-like than that.

James (Jim) Bridger (1804-1881) - The legendary mountain man spent much of his adult life in Wyoming, and some of it not far from where I sit writing at this moment. Here is a man who never learned to read or write but quoted widely from the Bible and Shakespeare. Couldn’t read a real map but drew maps that helped build the Oregon Trail, find South Pass and the lay-out the Trans-Continental Railroad. Wyoming has a fort, a mountain, mountain range, river, plains, buildings and many more things named after this mountain man, affectionately known as old Gabe.

I know what you are thinking, this is six not five. Never was good at math and it was too difficult to list only ten – this may be the only top eleven ever written.

If only I would have written a top 12, I could have listed myself. Neil Waring - “He wrote the most well-known top-11 in Wyoming history, I could have been famous!

 

 

OPEN - Yep, the Dam Road is Open!

Lakeshore Drive over Guernsey Dam is OPEN!  

Heading into the park over the dam

Driving back to town - leaving the park
After nearly 15 months it is nice to drive the road again. Still not sure about the, no view of the water, wall on the west side of the dam as you cross, but that decision was made by the bureau and they built the dam. After the big wash out rain of last evening in  and around the town of Guernsey it might be a very good idea.

 

The, new view, as you cross the dam - the view to the tail waters (on the other side) has not changed

Saying goodbye to us as we left the park at 7:30 Thursday evening 

 

  

A Hooded Merganser ?

 

 

Relaxed Doe

 

Below is the big wash out from last night on Guernsey's very nice river walk.

 

You should be looking at a very nice walk way, now washed into the river. Looked to us like about 100 yards of the trail is gone.

 

 

Guernsey Storm



Spring in Wyoming can mean storms, storms with lots of lightning and thunder. Last night we had the added flood and tornado watches. Looks like more of the same coming the next few evenings. My rain gauge showed just under three inches, and that was, mostly, in about a two hour period.




Storm coming from the south



Another backyard shot of the storm coming in

Then the siren went off- time to take cover, possible tornado.

But only much thunder and lightning, no funnels.

 

 

So we went to the state park and took this shot, Guernsey is in the left hand corner

 

 

We did go home and stay safe a few minutes later

 

 

 

That Dam Road

Looks like Lakeshore Drive, over the dam, could be open this week, Memorial Day Weekend. Afraid that I, and no one who reads this blog post will be the first one across- this guy already beat us. We watched him slide his bicycle under the barrier and ride across. Very cool - he wins! First over.

See the rider and the much higher dam wall?

Water up to the gates and a spillway dumping water into the North Platte.

 

 

 

And the lake is still full- very full. Take a look at the east side boat ramp.

 

 

The Dam Road Opens on May 29th

 Its official, the road over Guernsey Dam will open on Thursday May 29^th.

Everyone is Jumping for Joy!

This information comes from a park employee manning the, now open, fee booths for the park. We will be there that morning to drive across, not sure why, just been more than a year, so we will do it, and want to be one of the first, non-employees, to travel Lakeshore Drive over the dam.



Highest ever water level - photo from Brimmer Point

The reservoir is full to historic levels. The high water mark, the water has now reached, makes it officially the highest it has ever been. This is good news to water sports enthusiasts and to see the water, six inches below the gate top, is most impressive.

Another Dam Update

 
Maybe, just maybe this will be the last of my dam road updates. No, it is not open, not yet, but looks like the work crew is in clean up, and finish up stages.

 

I took these photos Sunday evening, possibly by the fifteenth we will be able to drive Lakeshore across the dam.

The lake is full, a few of the newer picnic spots are in the lake but most are fine.

Duck Picnic?

 I have said this before but it is really nice to see a lake full to capacity, or maybe a bit more.

With a full lake the springs are back- Waterfall along Red Cliff Trail

The Lake is Full - Really Full

The Lake is about as full as I have ever seen it. Bring on the warm weather.

Sandy Beach is only a few feet to the water

Sandy Beach

 

and no need to back much to unload a boat.

Long Canyon Boat Ramp - all the concrete is under water

 

Several sites, in the park, you could picnic in the water.



Davis Bay

This CCC culvert was built to drain runoff into the lake but looks like it is about to be reversed.