Weather, Weather Everywhere! “Jello” Plans! Part II

May 19, 2017

The next day took us into the Wasatch Range east of Salt Lake City. We planned a scenic, twisting route across the mountains and then over to Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area on the Utah/Wyoming border. Partway up we found a sign that said, “Road Closed in 17 Miles.” The road was still closed for the winter. We backtracked and found the somewhat less scenic I-80 which we took into Wyoming and then cut down southeast towards Flaming Gorge. On the way we passed the site of the first Mountain Man Rendezvous in 1825. We had been watching the DVD of “Centennial” from the late 1970's, based on James Michener's book of the same name. The actual site looked very different from the movie site!

The actual site down by the river

We picked a campground at random out of the many around the lake and hoped to get in. Turning into the Lucerne Campground we had to stop for pronghorn antelope! I never expected to see even one up close. They are usually off in the distance on the range. We were offered a spot in the newly opened loop and were the only ones there. With a view of the lake in front of us, a beautiful sunset and two dozen pronghorns wandering through morning and evening, it was delightful, except for the high winds. We tried to sit outside before sundown, but it was too wild. Greg lasted longer than I did. We decided to try another campground the next night.

Camp on Green River just south of the Utah - Wyoming line

We never expected tame Pronghorns

Even the bunny wanted to get out of the wind

The next day Greg was ready for some serious geology so as we drove south along the western side of the Gorge, we took a detour onto a dirt road into the Sheep Mountain Geological Area. We spent a good deal of time observing a prominent thrust fault, had lunch at a memorial picnic area commemorating campers killed by a flash flood on that spot, (there is no longer a campground there), and then worked our way south around the Gorge to the Red Canyon visitor center. The center was not open yet, but the ranger let us come in for a quick look and the view through the huge glass windows of the gorge. She was from Maryland originally and went to Severna Park High School. After moving west to go to college, she never moved back.

Sheep Mountain Geological Area

Horizontal sediments of the Uinta plate turned vertical by collision with the continental plate to the north.

View from the Flaming Gorge Visitor Center to the Green River 1,700 feet below

After our conversation we walked along a small portion of the rim and then found a site for the night in nearby Red Canyon campground at 7,400'. We settled in and walked on the trail along the canyon's rim overlooking the gorge and the Green River far below. Then we had a quiet night among the Ponderosa pines.

Camped in the Ponderosas

A boat far below us in the gorge