On The Trails Again

Where has the summer gone? I know, it's not Labor Day yet so we still have summer and officially after Labor Day we still have another three weeks until fall. But I can feel it, cooler nights and evening rains sure seems fall like to me.

On another note what a great job the crew at Guernsey State Park did for the eclipse, we were out and about in the park a couple of days before and the day after the eclipse and it looked like a lot of fun was had by all.

Now that it is cooler, somewhat anyway, we have resumed hiking in the park. Did you know that Newell Bay Trail has more than 100 CCC built steps? What a great trail. We were not up to doing a full loop but did half on two different evenings.

This is one of my favorite times in the park, fall colors starting and still some wildflowers. It is also the time of year we see the park's animals starting to move around a bit more. Give it a try.

Silt - Sandpipers & Snipes

My Knowledge of Birds is Limited, but these guys are fun to watch- Maybe Sandpiper or Snipe

The water in Guernsey lake is still low, in places not much more than the river running through.  The good news is that the lake will soon be full again. This is the last week of the silt run, and it will not be long before boats are back on the water. We still have a few weeks of warm weather, even if the kids are starting back to school. Seems like this summer went by quickly, hot, hot, hot and now all of the sudden, cooler nights and at times, sorry, the feeling of fall in the air.

Will Be Nice to See Water Here Instead of Sand and Mud

We spent some time in the park this weekend, including a pleasant walk on the deserted beach. Funny all the interesting things we run across when the water is down.

A Bit of Wood a Touch of Dry Moss and Some New Growth - I like it!

Even the wildlife seems to change with the lowering of the water.

These Little Sand Toads are Unique Creatures

As always another beautiful sunset. After our walk, we drove up on the North Bluff to the Castle and watched the sun disappear in the west.

Leaving the park in the early evening, just after sundown, we would be very disappointed if we did not see a few deer or turkey on our way back to town. We were not disappointed. 

Nice Mule Deer Doe and Fawns

On another note, a fire of many acres burned in the corner turning into the park from the highway. Unfortunately, with the burn the power pole that held a huge Osprey nest the past two years (they raised a little one this year) was burned to the ground. I am sure the birds survived with no trouble, but now without the nest, we probably will not see them again next year. 

Osprey On the Nest

Another great day in Wyoming - oh - and at Guernsey State Park

Sunset From the Castle

Guernsey Lake Silt Run

The silt run is on, and the lake is going down. Still a few smaller boats on the lake Friday and Saturday but I suspect that as I write this, Sunday, that the boats are gone.

Often the Silt Run Brings Out, Even More, Wildlife As Seen Here in 2015

Despite the low water levels, it is still a terrific time to hike in the park. Last evening we hiked with friends, one of our favorites the Red Cliff Trail. The area, once called the enchanted forest always seems out of this world.

Water Running Through The Enchanted Area On Red Cliff Trail

Not often I have I seen water rolling from the Morning Glory Spillway, but during the silt run it happens. The Morning Glory is the spillway that comes from under and behind the Powerplant.

Sun Sets Backlighting the Powerplant and Spillway

 This spillway is 128 feet long and was controlled by two, 64 by 14 1/2 foot drum gates until 2014. The 2013-14 rebuild and work on the dam closed one of the two original south gates after 86 years of service. Now one, newly rebuilt, gate controls the south side spillway.*

Morning Glory Spillway

One last thing about an evening hike in Guernsey State Park, walkers and hikers can always depend on a beautiful sunset to end the day.

From the Boat Launching Area on the East Side

*This information is taken from page 169 of my book on the Park – The Civilian Conservation Corps & the Building of Guernsey State Park – With Folktales and Stories of the Park. If you would like a copy, they are available by clicking here on the link. Books are available from many Wyoming booksellers, including the Park’s CCC Museum, and the visitor centers in Guernsey and Hartville. If you just want to take a look, click the link and read the free sample pages.

Thanks!

By the way, profits from books purchased from the museum go to Friends of the Park and are used for projects throughout the park.

Laramie Peak at Sunset - Photo From the Museum 

A Hike In the Park

The Magical Keyhole Loop on the Echo Cave Trail

One of the great joys of hiking in Guernsey State Park is finding old, but little-used trails built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. If the day is right, it is almost like walking with those long forgotten men of the CCC. Places like this give the careful hiker and unlimited time to dream of things past, and all things future, much like the CCC workers must have as they built the park in the 1930s.

The Trail

 I have looked at this one for many years and my wife, and I decided yesterday, (Sunday), to get some photos. We invited along a few family members and off we went. Actually, I believe they asked us, but the story flows better the other way. It was a bad idea as the temperatures were in the upper 90s when we started and triple digits when we finished. A particularly poor choice of exercise days for seniors like us. The main trail leading to the long lost one we were after, is the spectacular Echo Cave Trial. This is a hike everyone, or most everyone should try. I should temper that statement by saying it is one of the most challenging hikes in the park because of changes in elevation, although not long, only about a mile and a half.  

No One Built Steps Better Than the CCC

How to Find the Trail

From the castle, we followed the very nice North Bluff Trail until it meets up with the steps that switch back and go down to the Echo Cave Trail. Follow the trail and enjoy the view as you walk. Once reaching Echo Cave make sure and try out the famous echo, we did, fun and one of the best comebackers ever. The no longer much used, if used at all, CCC trail loop starts once we reached Echo Cave. After exercising our echo abilities, we followed a trail that continues south from the cave. This portion of the trail starts up a very nice set of rock steps. After only fifty yards the trail appears to end. But with my 68-year-old eagle eyes, I was able to find the loop, and it is terrific. I call this one the, Keyhole Loop, and am sure the keyhole is the reason the original trial went from upper trail to the lower trail, the one we walked in on, at this point. One question? Why when trying out the echo does almost everyone holler, ECHO? Next is often, HELLO.

The Keyhole

Only an arm’s reach from the trail is one of the two great rock keyholes in the park. Unfortunately getting from the upper trail to the lower there are no steps. Instead, a slide of crumbling rock greeted us. The original must have had steps cut into the sandstone and dirt that covers the hillside, but time must have run out on the Corps workers before the loop could be finished with the great stone steps found on trails throughout the park. Time and weather have taken whatever the CCC men built on this part of the trail, but it is only about 10 yards long.

The younger members of our group were able to pick their way down, I used what they coined the Grandpa Slide method. I sat down and slid down, slowly. It is actually quite easy with no danger of falling, that I like. Oh, and there was no cactus or yucca so no posterior injuries.

Other than the heat it was an enjoyable hike. There is much more that I could say at this point about heat, hydration and senior citizens trying to do things they should not, but I will leave that for my Google + Fitness and Exercise For Seniors, blog.

Knight Mountain

The Photo at the top of this site is the park’s other, and more famous keyhole, Knight Mountain Keyhole. Thanks to friends Billy and Brandi, we were up there to take this photo on top of Knight Mountain one year ago today – July 11, 2015. 

Our Leader and Impossible to Keep Up With

Guernsey State Park - Picnic

The weatherman says, “hot,” this weekend. Might be a good time to stay in with the AC. This evening we will take a trip to a few of our favorite, cool spots, in the park. We are hoping to find one of our favorite areas, unoccupied, and if we do picnic time.

Black Canyon Cove - Great Place, but Normally Occupied on Weekends

The North "Stoney Gate," on the Dam

The annual silt run from the lake has been set back to late July and the first two weeks of August this year. I am still not sure how they will pull this off as the river through Guernsey and downstream is bank full. I have not driven past Glendo in the past few days, but it appeared a couple of weeks ago like they were full or overfull also. The good news is the silt run will be a bit shorter, three weeks this time.

Water Pouring Down Spillway When the Huge Stony Gate is Open

View From the CCC Museum

Visit the Museum on a Hot Summer Day

When the lake goes down with the silt run is the perfect time to enjoy trails, picnic shelters, and the Museum. The lake may be down, but the park is still great.

The Keyhole - High Atop Knight Mountain on the Knight Mountain Trail

A Book About Guernsey State Park

Must be getting close to park time again.

The Lake is Ready

Why do I think that?

View From the Castle

Because my book about the building of Guernsey State Park is starting to sell again. 

Click the book to take a look

 Me too, except when the snow came this week.

Wednesday Morning

If you have not purchased your copy yet, they are available by hitting the link to Amazon here, or you can go to Barnes and Noble online and find a copy. If you make it out to the park, and I sure hope you do, this summer, they are available in the museum. Books can also be purchased at the Guernsey and Hartville visitor centers and in many bookstores around the state.

A Hiden Historical Treasure left by CCC Camp BR-9

They look great on the coffee table at home or in the office. Not only a great read but a good conversation piece.

C-130 from the Wyoming Air Guard over Roundtop Mountain in the Park

Interested in fiction, a good historical tale? Here is the link to my two historical mysteries. Fun stories and set mostly in Wyoming. Give them a click and read the free sample.

Coming Soon

Snow and We are Out and About

We have always enjoyed a drive in the snow. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like it when we have to go someplace and are forced to drive in the snow.

 Today we went for a leisure drive as the snow came down.

We started with a drive along the Wendover Road that runs along the Oregon Trail on the lake's west side. On bright clear days there is a beautiful view of the lake from this road, not so much, in the snow, today.

Things look different when flocked with a bit of snow, even sagebrush takes on an all new look.

Trees also take on an appealing look.

Animals don’t seem to mind the snow, looks like they are out and about, at least, these turkeys.

This Blue Heron looks like it is sunning but pretty tough with the snow falling, guess he was waiting for dinner to swim past.

Even with the snow, there is still much to do in the park. Even on a lazy day like today, drive around and look at nature.

Cost to Build the Dam

The Dam as seen from the top of Spotted-Tail Mountain

Planning the dam at Guernsey took the Bureau of Reclamation several years, and when it was ready, the project stayed a blueprint for nearly ten years. At long last the sixty-eighth Congress of the United States allocated $800,000 for the construction. The bill was passed December 5, 1924, and the works were in place for construction.

Guernsey Lake - Photo from near the boat trailer parking area for the main boat dock

 Utah Construction from Salt Lake City was the only bidder.  Their bid of $1,200,000 was accepted and signed in early May of 1925. By late May, the company was at work. The work was started and the additional $400,000 needed was picked up by the Bureau until Congress appropriated more money for the completion of the dam later on in the session. By the time the dam was complete, the cost had run to $2,344,000.

Power Plant - Dam - and Gatehouse Spillway, below the dam

Read more about the park in my book  - See it here.