A Fathers Day Drive and Picnic at Togwotee Pass

A grizzly bear had been spotted near Togwotee Pass and so we decided to take a drive to the pass for a Father’s Day picnic. Besides the bear we also, ever the optimists took along our fly rods, cameras, and sacks for morel mushrooms.

The weather was great, as we left Thayne and it stayed sunny till we neared the pass. It started to rain and about the time we reached the pass we were in a downpour, Fog moved in and even though we would stop and glass the meadows we never saw a bear.

Heading east we reached the spot where we had gathered mushrooms. The Wind River was bank full and was projected to reach flood stage, so it was with a little trepidation as we drove over the old bridge. The road was still gravel and so we drove to our mushroom picking spot.

Renita stayed in, as the downpour grew worse, but I put on my rain suit and headed out. I made two passes one north and south of the road but never found any mushrooms. I did find out that my boot repair didn’t work and that my right foot quickly became soaked. Trying to salvage something I looked for Wind river iris agates but again had no luck.

Renita meanwhile had ventured from the truck and took some photos of the spring flowers and even took several images as I walked away from the vehicle. I did find some old bones with chew marks and picked up one. I figured if I ran into a bear at last I would have something besides my pocket knife and walking stick to temporally distract it, (I haven’t bought any bear spray yet and refuse to carry a gun. Two people have already killed different sows, thereby by condemning their cubs to certain death).

It rained harder and so we left the area heading back up the pass. The river was muddy and high so fly fishing was out of the question. Stopping at the Tie Hack Monument, we walked up the trail and first passing a flume, we read about the tie hack lumbering and how the logs were floated down the Wing River, (tie hacks were used for railroad ties).

It was a nice monument but of course some idiot had used the sculpture for target practice. You can tell you are in Wyoming when you notice that traffic signs, and other stationary objects are riddled with bullet holes.

As Renita drove back to Star Valley, the deluge continued and so we gave up any hope of any fishing. It still had been a pleasant time as we viewed the cloud covered mountains, (at least it didn't snow). We are fortunate here to be surrounded by Mountain Ranges and this day we had driven though/past the Salt, Caribou, Tetons, Wind River, Gros Ventre, and Wyoming Mountain Ranges. It’s a far cry from our winter spot on the flat Coastal Bend of Texas.  Clear skies