Guernsey State Park - The Water is High

This time of the year when the snow is melting up high and we are not in the midst of a drought, it is fun to watch the water roar down the North Spillway through the original Bureau of Reclamation gate.

The gate was recently re-done and looks to be good to go for another few decades.

When the night air starts to cool the area, the rushing water creates numerous rainbows. The full lake once again has the small waterfall north of the spillway going again.

At my age, it seems like summers are as much looked forward to as when I was a kid growing up.

Let the fun begin – it’s summer – again.

The Lake Has Water - Again

It's back - no not some creature in a B movie. The lake is back, and it sure looks nice.

The view from Brimmer Point

From Sandy Beach

We took our Easter drive this evening along Skyline Drive and enjoyed seeing the signs indicating that summer is coming.

Leave it to nature to make a perfect bouquet of daisies and grow them from solid rock on Brimmer Trail

These guys are back and circling just waiting for me to drop on a hike

Not sure when the road over the dam will be open again but it doesn't look like it will be long.

Looks like the gate work is done, or close to it.
 Took this photo as we hiked Red Cliff Trail Friday

Guernsey State Park - Davis Bay Trail

We thought today would be a great day for a hike in the park, and we were right.

Taking a look as we started our walk

The temperature was holding steady at 71 degrees when we started with no wind at all.

Blue Wyoming Skies along the trail

With a winter of too much laying around, we are starting our early spring walking with some of the less challenging trails.  Today the Davis Bay Trail starting at the Brimmer Point Trail Bridge.

This trail has many wonderful CCC steps, and the trial is still as fun as when the CCC built it more than 80 years ago.

Terrific rock outcroppings and some of the best views in the park make this a must walk trail. 

Looks like all next week will be a perfect for a walk in the park.

Follow the trail

Guernsey State Park - North Bluff Trail

It was a bit on the cool side when we hiked in the park early this afternoon. Our choice of a trail today started at the Castle as we hiked the North Bluff Trail. With the temperature around 30, we moved pretty fast, for us, the first part of the trail. This hike took just under an hour and a half with the temperature rising to 37, but the wind was coming up by the time we finished.

The Castle looking from the west

This trail has a nice turnaround allowing hikers to go away from the Castle on the lower trail along the river/lake and return through the bluffs on the upper trail. 

Nice view of Laramie Peak along the trail

It could be hiked in less than half the time we do it, but we often spend time looking around, resting and taking photos along the way. I use my camera as an excuse to rest, “Wait a minute, I want to take a few shots of the peak, or deer, turkey, rocks, trees, anything to catch my breath.”  

Less than a quarter of a mile along the trail

This trail follows the high ridge above the lake going west then turns south with the lake about a half mile into the hike. Like most trails in the park, this one offers spectacular views and normally some wildlife along the way. We watched a pair of Bald Eagles and scared up four deer along the way.

Dress warm and give it a try, fresh air and exercise are good for everyone.  

Great Christmas Gift - Read all about the Civilian Conservation Corps

 and the building of Guernsey State Park. Click the link and look at a free sample. 

Work on the Dam

Spend a nice evening, last night with the Platte County Historical Society;
 As always talking about the building of Guernsey State Park and the CCC

We are getting ready to head out on our annual fall vacation, leaving bright and early in the morning - for me this means around 10. Thought I might share a few photos of work being done on the dam. I took these pictures from Red Cliff Trail last weekend.

 

The road is still closed crossing the dam so the trail and everything on the east side must be accessed from the Hartville side. The entire west side of the park can be reached from the Guernsey side, but not from the Hartville side. 

Good Time of the Year to See Turkey's In the Park

Brimmer Point Upper Loop Trail

At our age, any hike is a good hike, but this is one of our favorites. Yesterday we hiked the Brimmer Point Trail Upper Loup. The views are some of the best in the park, and the trail is not long, only a mile or so. 

Park at Brimmer Point and follow the trail where it branches stay on the upper trail, the lower goes to the trail leading to the burned CCC bridge in the valley below. Both of these trails are terrific but I was tired and settled for the upper loop, it was worth it.

In the first quarter mile of the hike, the trail passes between two massive stone outcroppings, one of the great photo opps on the park trails. 

Newell Bay Loop Trail

We were joined in the park today by this little guy - a Praying Mantis

With temperatures in the 70s and 80s, it’s an excellent time to be in the park. We have seen some enjoying the weather with a picnic and others walking and driving in the park.

The fall colors this year are the best in several years

Sunday we enjoyed a terrific hike taking the Newell Bay trail loop. It is a little longer than our usual hikes, but the great fall weather gives us a bit more energy.

Along the trail

This trail is not often used, especially since the 2012 fire. We feel like it is still one of the great hikes in the park and it is one of our favorites on the west side.

The trail has many beautiful CCC steps

We park at the burned Brimmer Point Trail footbridge; the trail starts about 50 yards west with a long flight of very nice Civilian Conservation Corps steps. The trail goes south to just above the road to the Newell Bay cabin area.

Brimmer Point Trail Footbridge burned in 2012 fire

After reaching the south end, the trail winds west around Holdring Mountain and then goes back north against some fantastic rock cliffs. The trail ends about a half mile west to where we started and is an easy walk along the road back to the starting point.

Many terrific rock formations line the trail - we call this one
 Crocodile Rock

Meanwhile, on the east side lots of construction as work on the gates continue.

To take the photos we had to circle in from the Hartville side drive through the park on Lakeshore Drive then park in the area used for the main boat dock. 

We then hiked the Red Cliff Trail affording a nice hike and great view of the construction going on with the gates.

And always lots of wildlive to watch.

"Here's Looking at You"

Fall In The Park

Looks Like We Found Bambi During Our Walk

Lots of activity in the park. No, not many visitors but the work on the dam gates looks to be in full force.

Don’t believe I have ever seen the bottom of the gate, pretty neat really.

Lakeshore Drive is closed at the park headquarters but can be accessed from the Hartville entrance, the road is open to the parking lot east of the main boat dock.

Road closure coming from Hartville on Lakeshore near the main boat dock. 

Skyline Drive on the west side is open as usual.

With the nice fall weather, we decided to resume our three or four times a week, hike in the park. We walked Red Cliff Trail this time parking in the area near the boat ramp and looped around the trail and back. Nice hike plus it allowed me a chance to take a few photos of the work.

Enjoy the wonders of fall and get out and enjoy the park.