August 11, 2014: Road trippin’ checkin’ out the
fishin’ holes.
We’re taking a road trip today and getting off
the beaten path in search of those secluded fishin’ holes Joe at Blue River
Anglers talked about the other day.
There's a lot of water in our day. Here's a sneak peek.
Photo taken at the Horseshoe Campground along the
Williams Fork River. Looks like a great trout stream.
Out of Frisco and onto I-70 toward Silverthorne
just a few minutes east. We take the
Silverthorne exit and head north out of town and drive along the Blue River on SH9.
About 10 minutes
or so north of Silverthorne we turn right (east) onto Ute Pass Road (Forest
Service Road 15) and before long we’re climbing to the summit of Ute Pass. We stop at a turn out and take in the view back
to the west at the dramatic Gore Range across the valley.
Standing
at the summit of the Williams Fork Mountains viewing the Gore Range in the
distant west landscape.
Crossing over Ute Pass we enter Grand County
where FS15 turns into County Road 3.
We wind
our way down the mountain past the Henderson Mill that processes molybdenum ore
excavated at the Henderson Mine 15 miles east in Clear Creek County just over
the Continental Divide. We drop down
into the Williams Fork Valley and turn right on FS138.
The
forest service road follows the Williams Fork River as it meanders northward
toward the Colorado River.
A few
miles south we pass through a huge corrugated metal tunnel under the elevated
conveyor belt that delivers the molybdenum ore from the mine, through the
Henderson Tunnel, and up the mountain to the mill.
Not far
beyond the tunnel we come to two forest service campgrounds a short distance
apart, South Fork and Sugarloaf. At
Sugarloaf a footbridge crosses the river.
Beyond the bridge a boardwalk stretches over the broadening river and
wetlands. This looks like a great place
for moose to hang out among the willows.
Jack
wandering down the boardwalk – looking for moose – and trout, of course. But alas, no moose or trout sightings here today.
Flowers in the shadow of the boardwalk.
Back on the road, we retrace our drive back north
on FS138, turning down every side road we come to checking out those elusive fishing
holes.
We pass by
the intersection that leads back up to the Henderson Mill, and continue north
along the valley floor (CR3). A few
miles up the road we come to Horseshoe Campground sitting at the intersection
of CR3 and FS139 that takes off east toward Fraser. The sound of the river filters through the
trees. We loop through the campground
for a look see. Parked in an empty
campsite (they’re all empty!) we duck through the trees following the sound of
rushing water.
Flowers abound along the stream and throughout the campground.
We leave Horseshoe Campground and continue north
on FS Road 3.
The road
veers away from the river and circles west around Battle Mountain. As we approach Williams Fork Reservoir the
valley opens into lush green fields of grass.
Cattle
graze while their young calves romp in the sunshine.
At the inlet to the reservoir we make another
stop. Looks like a good place to toss
the line in a few times.
As we reach the small community of Parshall at
the confluence of the Williams Fork River with the Colorado River, we turn onto
SH40 and head west toward Kremmling.
At times
the Colorado River is visible from the highway.
Frequently it cuts away out of sight.
A few “Fishing Access” signs pop up along the way which triggers Jack to
take a sharp right turn down a dirt road seeking the river. We end up in a parking lot with no river in
sight. We’re not up for a long walk
through the brush, so we make a U-turn in the parking lot and eating our own
dust as we rumble back down the road to the highway.
Hunger pangs strike!
Arriving
in Kremmling we notice this sign at a restaurant – “Best Mexican Food in
Town”. That sounds good, let’s give it a
try. Best
Mexican food in town? Hmmm? It may be the only Mexican food restaurant it
town. Come to your own conclusion.
Leaving Kremmling behind we drive south on SH9 – again skirting along the Blue River in the
direction of Silverthorne.
Another
side trip around the perimeter of Green Mountain Reservoir. What looks like a short deviation from the
main road becomes one darn long trip. As
we approach McDonald Flats on the far south end of the reservoir we pull into a
large parking area along the Blue River before it flows into the
reservoir. Again,
Jack gathers up all his fishing gear. He
slips and slides down the steep incline to the river. As for me, I stay topside with my camera and
a good book.
Near the parking area a small cemetery is
perched above the river.
Homesteaders
from Kansas arriving in the late 1800s and early 1900s settled in this
valley. Sadly, many met untimely deaths. It took real grit to bring your family west to make a new life.
A few chapters later Jack emerges from the river
gulch.
I call out to him,
“How was the fishing?”
He
responds, “The fishing was good. The
catching? Not so good.”
On the road again! Back onto SH9, we’re on the homestretch.
Ranches
dot the landscape as we drive along the Blue River.
Throughout the valley ranchers are putting up hay.
Probably the last cutting of the season.
Crisp fall air is settling into the mountains.
As we come to the outskirts of Silverthorne, we see an Osprey nest on a platform high above the ground. From a distance we can make out 3 or 4 heads peeking over the top of the nest.
It’s good
to pull into Frisco after what turned out to be quite a long day trip. All of those side trips down dirt roads and
looping through every campground we came to took a lot of time. All in all it was a fun day. Until next time – be safe.
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