Fremont lake campground

Took one last stroll for the season through Fremont lake upper campground. Wow, the colors!! Not sure if you can see the gold in the aspens in the upper center middle of the picture off in the distance. Sure looked pretty to the eye.

Final day of preperations for launch and watch the weather. Worked on mother in law's plumbing under the house yesterday for 6 hours. Got one pipe sealed and another would start leaking. Finally about 7:00 got them all soldered.

Ready to roll

Got the tires aired up. not something one wants to neglect when towing any distance. these tires take 85 psi. Carries a pretty good load of "stuff". Thursday morning still looks pretty good for departing, we decided to just take it easy the first day and make Provo so we don't have to hook up in the dark and drive the 1st hour in the dark. Had lunch with Bob and Tib Sutherland today, they're headed out for Ogden and St. George area tomorrow morning. We'll see them in St. George soon, not sure what their winter plans are??

Near Dad's lake

One of the photos from the hike in towards Dad and Marm's lakes out of Big Sandy openings.

Helped son Tim get his last load of firewood out of Boiler park today, about this time of year I get tired of the sound of a chainsaw. Kicked back and watched football p.m.

Debi's final preperations

Going south is tough, jeez, we have to enjoy warm weather in the winter time, sandy beaches that get that annoying sand between your toes and of course colorful birds you have to deal with, sigh, life is so complicated

Whiskey creek cabin

Can't remember if I posted this one of Whiskey creek cabin near Silver lake? If I did then here it is again, if not, here it is...

Watching the weather for Oct. 1st launch, questionable...

Chimney butte near Boulder

Normally I'm on top of that butte putting the sneak on an elk this time of year. This year, no hunting. I really don't even miss it either. That butte is "steep as a cow's face".

Ok, here's the video (I think)

That sound is the boat motor (or I have indigestion again?)

Last boat trip for the 09 season

One last run up to New Fork Lake, fishing was not great. Hiked into an old cabin up the trail from the upper lake and ran my metal detector around it. Found some old cans.....little else (this is supposed to be a short video, not sure if it's posting as a video or not?)

"The narrows"

I didn't realize it till this year that the New Fork lake fire even burned out into the narrows. Never did hear if they caught the person(s) responsible for leaving the unattended campfire that started the fire??

Aired the tires up and greased wheel bearings on the fifth wheel this morning. Got lots of little last minute things to do for a safe trip. I'm going to do one more boat (not canoe) trip this week before we launch. Maybe Boulder lake, haven't been there this year yet.

New Fork canyon

Beautiful place that New Fork canyon. Saw a hunting camp up in that area but no other hikers. lots of grasshoppers around, I imagine the fish are eating lots of them.

Getting the 5er ready for travel Oct. 1st. No hunting this year.

Round 2 trying to find Joe's lake

Terrance and I hiked 11.8 miles today and never did find Joe's lake. Must have gone up the wrong draw again. I tried to find it and took the wrong draw about 4 years ago. The trip was worth it though, got some beautiful fall colors in the pictures. I marked the gps before we went up but may have punched in the coordinates wrong?? I marked the spot where we turned around and now can't find that on Google earth.....Oh, life is so complicated at times. Oh and I had a tick on me that just was beginning to have lunch. Saw lots of elk tracks and bear sign.

Mt. Geicke

Yet another shot of Mt. Geicke from one of the upper Silver lakes. My hiking buddy Terry was trying to explain those black stripes in the rocks you can see on the mountain in the middle. Some geological phenomonen I suppose.

New camera

Now that the old camera drowned in Dollar lake it's time for a new beginning. Got this Canon Sure shot at Walmart today. Seems to work ok, lots of megapixels (whatever they are). I'm told you don't need lots of megapixels unless you're going to print huge prints??

Got my shoulder shot up with cortisone today and it should be feeling better in a couple of days. Veterans' clinic is also going to administer me a "shingles" shot. Debi has had shingles and they are "brutal"

One more day trip planned Friday into the "Joes" lake area above New fork lake. Hopefully I'll prevent the dreaded foot blister this time.

Beaver dam

Hadn't seen a beaver dam in some time (up close). This is at the inlet of Boulder lake. Lots of freshly cut down aspens and drag trails. Not sure if people trap beaver like they used to?? Sure green around that area.

Off to Rock Springs in the morning for my annual medical checkup at the veteran's clinic. Hopefully they will shoot my shoulder up with cortisone. Shoulder has been hurting like heck all summer. Had it shot up about 20 years ago and it really helped it. If they don't then it will give me something to whine about.

Tib's gourd

Wow, took a pic of one of Tib Sutherland's art productions the other day. She has more talent in her little finger than I have in my whole body.

Had a super enjoyable dinner and "dominoes" at Bob and Gina's last evening. The warmth and cordiality of old friends can't be replaced with anything!! I, of course, racked up lots of points playing Mexican train so that my friends could win (ummmm hummmm)...

Near Fremont Peak

I know I've posted this before but it's one of my favorite photos from search and rescue operations of the past. This particular day about 12 years ago we were looking for a lost soul in that area. We circled around and around elephant head peak (center) and finally spotted the guy down by Scenica lake. Oh mother nature can be unforgiving at times. This guy had become separated from his hiking partners and had got a bit "panicky". Fortunately he was treated and released at the clinic.....others of that era weren't so fortunate..

Football today and we're going to join Bob and Gina for dinner this evening. Debi and Gina are related somehow through the Pape family. I like to call my status...."step neighbor in law"

Sharing a meal

Saw these two up by elkhart park the other day. Not sure who won?? That was the day before my camera drowned.

Trip over Union pass

Debi, her mom and I headed over Union pass to Dubois and Jackson today. Leaves are beginning to change up in the high country, hadn't been over in that country for a while. Snook's Moore's place hasn't changed much over the years. Was a really good trip.

Elkhart park

Photographed this guy the other day when we went up towards elkhart park. Forgot to bring them some food but someone had dropped a bunch of sunflower seeds and the critter was "scarfing" them up.

Off to Union pass today, Dubois and Jackson for a day trip. Might get some decent photos. A bit early for fall colors...

Snagged this off Tim's face book account

Not sure if you can double click on this and have it show up bigger?? I'm kinda new at posting from a web site. Anyhow it's from Tim and friends trip up to Fremont peak about 3 weeks ago. This is up around Titcom basin (I think)

My life flashed before my eyes this morning on Dollar lake. I was out in my canoe and the wind came up and capsized it. Fortunately (I always do) I had my life jacket on. Harold and Nancy Merritt was fishing in a flat bottom boat up there and came to my rescue. Two other folks from Big Piney helped out too, amazingly I never lost any of my poles or gear, but I sure took a bath...

Anyhow thanks to those folks for getting me back to my truck and helped me load the canoe and gear. NO MORE CANOEING!!

Crystal clear skies

Wow, I was awe struck by the "clearness" of the air this afternoon. Normally on a warm Sept. day the mountains are smoky. Not today..

For my out of state friends and relatives.... on the left 1/3 of the picture the white cap (higest white you see) is Gannet peak. Highest peak in the state of Wyoming Well over 13,000 ft.

Wood haulers

Enjoyed getting another load of wood for Tim and Myndi. Debi and I went with them and helped saw and load. Few things in life I enjoy more than getting out in the "tall timber" and sawing up wood.

Tree in a rock

Trees growing in rocks aren't that unusual in Wyoming but this is kind of a pretty one off the Boulder lake road. We accompanied the Sutherlands to Boulder lake lodge for dinner last evening. Was very good.

Lost horn?

I've come across a lot of stuff in my life but never an antelope horn. I think that antelope's horns are made of hair (protein) and they continue to grow until they die?? This could have been a buck that died and the horn was carried by a predator or?? photographed it about 1 mile south of Gina Pape's place on my morning walk. Sooooo, if you see a one horned antelope tell him his other horn is out on the mesa.

How to punch in your hometown for space station viewing

1. type in www.heavens-above.com
2. Under configuration click on the words "select from database"
3.On first line with the alphabet click on "U"
4.Now click on United States
5. You'll see a box called "search string"
6. Punch in "Pinedale" or wherever you are (just the town not the state)
7.You'll see several Pinedales'- Punch in Pinedale Wyoming (Unless you're in Pinedale Arizona)

You're there... Now click on ISS passes... you'll get time, location date, magnitude etc. to see it go over.... the smaller the number ie: -3.1 is the brightest. -1.1 is "so so" and anything under 1 is kinda hard to see....

enjoy my friends!!

Space shuttle and space station

This is a horrible picture I took of STS 118 and space shuttle early this morning. I've been following the thing for years and recently it's getting much brighter (as they pile on more stuff). It was listed at -3.3 magnitude this morning (that's really bright).

I have www.heavens-above.com on my bookmarks. You can go there and punch in Pinedale and get the scheduled passes in this area. The shuttle always arrives on time and is spectacular to watch streak across the sky. The next good bright sighting is Sept 8th beginning at 8:46 p.m. You'll see it rise in the southwest sky, then rise to 75 degrees (nearly overhead) at 8:49, that will occur in the southeast sky, then it will disappear 10 degrees above the horizon at 8:51 in the east northeast part of the sky. That site has lots of other satellites that are visible in this area, also has comets that you can see with binoculars etc. For those of you who can tear away from the TV screen for a few minutes will be happy you did.

I'll put in another post just after this one on how to get through "heavens above" site and arrive at Pinedale's viewing schedule (or if you're from Texas you can punch in your hometown)