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Wind River Range- Bonneville Basin and Gunnison Colorado hiking and fishing


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Home Forums Campfire Member Trip Reports Wind River Range- Bonneville Basin and Gunnison Colorado hiking and fishing

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  • #3420132
    Michael K
    BPL Member

    @chinookhead

    In July, I went backpacking and fishing in the Wind River Range of Wyoming. I started at the Scab Creek Trailhead and I hiked around 15 miles into Bonneville Basin.   I had a great time in Wyoming and Colorado despite some silly mishaps.
    Unfortunately, I took a fall on my 2nd day of the trip, so I had to cancel my original plan for 2 more week long backpacking trips in the Wind River Range. My back and shoulder were really sore after the fall, but I am fine now (it just need time to heal and it was probably just a pulled muscle). Therefore, I took the opportunity to drive through the Utah’s High Uintas that I always wanted to see and then I spent a week in Gunnison Colorado, taking it easy by whitewater kayaking and flyfishing the Taylor River for great Brown and rainbow trout fishing. Poor me :)   I had a great time fishing in Gunnison, but I was a bit bummed about not doing two more backpacking trips that I originally planned to do.

    As I wrote earlier, on the 2nd day of the hike, I tripped on a rock (fell forward and torqued by back), on a perfectly fine groomed piece of trail.  I was a little sore immediately afterwards.  However, when I woke up, the next morning my lower back hurt badly and I was a bit worried that I was having a pins and needles feel in my right foot and it kept on falling asleep.  My original plan was to go from Bonneville Basin to Lee Lake and then to Middle Fork Lake for a loop.  However, since I was injured, I took it easy for the next 3 days in Bonneville Basin.
    Here is a video of the whole trip.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6OIuJs4Ur4

    #3420137
    Michael K
    BPL Member

    @chinookhead

    I am posting the pictures separately because every time I put them in the narrative, I got an error message and the post did not appear on the forum.

    Here are some pictures from within Bonneville Basin:

     

    #3420138
    Michael K
    BPL Member

    @chinookhead

    Another Picture from Bonneville Basin:

    The Following is my favorite picture from the whole trip.  It is of an abandoned cabin near the shortcut from the Scab Creek Trail to Raid Lake.


    <p style=”line-height: 18.9pt; margin: 0in 0in .2in 0in;”><span style=”font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: ‘Arial’,sans-serif; color: #333333;”>Here is a short video clip of where I flip on my kayak on the Taylor River. It’s also in the earlier video, but here, you can hear the audio without the music.</span></p>
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5-BCDV1LUk

    I found it ironic that I flipped when I was on a guided tour in order to “play it safe” this year. It’s ironic since I ran a much larger stretch of the river (including this one), 4 years ago without a guide and I did not flip. 4 year ago, I choose to forgo the 70 dollar guided tour in order to save money. Instead, I rented a 20 dollar leaking kayak from a gas station and a guy drew me a “map” on a piece of paper, He told me: “you’ll have no problem finding the take-out”. However, I missed the take-out and I ended up paddling through miles of private river (accidentally) until I reached a point where the forest service put up a sign saying: “Do not paddle beyond this point. Dangerous water and low bridge” and the land owner put up signs on both sides of the river saying: “No portaging. Private Property…..violators will be prosecuted”. Initially, I was going to try it……but last minute I saw the waterfall, which was immediately followed by a low bridge. Therefore, I got out at the last minute and I ran for the road. The land owner say me and he had his dogs chase me as I dragged a 55 pound kayak, gear, and a pump the gas station owner gave me b/c he knew the kayak had a little leak. A guy passing by saw me being chased by the dogs and he says: “Hey kid……jump in” and I jump in the bed of his pick-up truck with the kayak. He said: “Normally, I’m the one who calls the cops on people like you. My job is to watch the properties of a number of absentee land owners in the area for the hunters and fisherman who sometimes trespass…….but I just felt so bad for you….seeing you drag all of that stuff while being chased by dogs”. It’s one of those moments that are not fun in the moment, but you laugh about it years later when you think about it !

     

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