Fishin’ hole day trip.

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.

We emerge at the river’s edge.  It’s just beautiful and the scent of pine trees is in the air.  As a side note, this is the location of the first picture of this post.  It’s so pretty here. 

Flowers abound along the stream and throughout the campground.

The sun glistens off the water as it tumbles over the rocks.  Looking across the river I can imagine a mountain lion, or bear, or moose watching us.  Probably not, but it still gives me a bit of an eerie feeling and I look frequently over my shoulder as we duck under tree branches and step over rocks and exposed tree roots as we make our way back to our vehicle.  

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.

We chat with a young man along the inlet.  He’s here with his family for a short getaway from Denver.  The kids are barefoot and splashing in the water with Mom.  He’s doing a little fishing.  He and Jack partake in a little angler chat.  Then he gathers his family and they move on.

Jack wades into the lake – fly rod in hand.  Is it any surprise that he snags his line – repeatedly?  I mean, look at the shoreline!  He’s persistent.  I’ll give him that.  An hour later he finally calls it quits.  He packs it in and we hit the road again.

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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