2015 Wyoming, Colorado & Utah – Page 2 – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

Green River Lakes, Squaretop Mountain & The Highline Trail to Beaver Park, Wind River Range, WY (8-30-15)

Near the end of Lupe’s great Summer of 2015 Dingo Vacation, SPHP had to cut out of the plan some really terrific adventures. There just wasn’t time enough left for Lupe to do them all. The last of Lupe’s adventures she would actually get to complete would be in the fabulous Wind River Range of Wyoming. The first of these adventures was for Lupe to travel the Highline Trail from Green River Lakes to Beaver Park near Squaretop Mountain.

After arriving at Lower Green River Lake the previous evening, Lupe started Day 22 of her 2015 Dingo Vacation ready to hit the Highline Trail. She set out at 7:41 AM (52°F) under partly cloudy skies. Lupe reached the Highline Trail by crossing a bridge over the Green River just downstream of where it leaves the lake.

Lupe on her way to the Highline Trail via this bridge over the Green River.

Once Lupe was across the bridge, the Highline Trail took her SSE paralleling the NE shore of Lower Green River Lake. The trail stays well above the lakeshore for the entire 2 miles or so it takes to get to the far end of Lower Green River Lake. The area along the trail is only sparsely forested, so there is a splendid view of Lower Green River Lake with Squaretop Mountain (11,695 ft.) looming in the distance almost the entire way. The scene is one of SPHP’s very favorite mountain scenes anywhere.

Lupe near Lower Green River Lake. Squaretop Mountain is in the distance.

When Lupe got near the S end of Lower Green River Lake, the trail began to head down closer to lake level. The bushes at the S end of the lake were already showing some fall colors. Lupe crossed a bridge over Clear Creek coming down from Clear Lake to the E. A couple of miles up the Clear Creek Trail there is a natural bridge where Clear Creek flows through a big hole in a mountain. Lupe didn’t get to go there. She continued on the Highline Trail on the way to Upper Green River Lake.

Approaching the S shore of Lower Green River Lake. The lower lake is the larger of the two Green River Lakes. There is really little elevation difference between the upper and lower lakes. The upper lake is at 7,968 feet, while the lower lake is at 7,961 feet.

Bushes beyond the S shore of Lower Green River Lake were already starting to exhibit some fall colors.

Clear Creek flows down from the E to join the Green River between the Green River Lakes.

The two Green River Lakes are less than a mile apart. The area in between is flat. Quite a bit of it is covered with bushes and tall grass. A bridge crosses the Green River between the lakes. Beyond the bridge on the W side of the valley are two trails. One heads around the W shore of Lower Green River Lake, so that it is possible to make a complete loop around the lake. The other heads SSW along the Porcupine Trail up to Porcupine Pass.

Lupe stayed on the E side of the river following the Highline Trail to Upper Green River Lake. If anything, the view of Squaretop Mountain beyond the upper Green River Lake was even better than the one from the lower lake. Lupe agreed not to look so stiff or scowl at the Upper Green River Lake.

Lupe strikes an odd pose along the Green River between the upper and lower Green River Lakes.

Squaretop Mountain and Upper Green River Lake.

Lupe goes wading in Upper Green River Lake.

Squaretop Mountain from Upper Green River Lake. The upper lake is only about 1 mile long and 0.25 mile wide, half the dimensions of the lower lake. The surface area is only 1/4 of the size of the lower lake.

The Highline Trail passes to the E of Upper Green River Lake. It goes up and down well above the lake through a much denser forest than exists along the NE side of the lower lake. There were fewer viewpoints along the way, but there were a few.

Lupe E of Upper Green River Lake. Photo looks SW.

Squaretop Mountain and a view toward the S shore of the Upper Green River Lake from the Highline Trail.

Squaretop Mountain lies 3 or 4 miles beyond the S shore of Upper Green River Lake. The Highline Trail follows the Green River valley upstream passing to the E of Squaretop Mountain. Sometimes the trail is close to the river, other times it is away from it up in the forest. Although the trail goes up and down, there is little net elevation gain. The views of Squaretop were more and more impressive as Lupe got closer.

Approaching Squaretop Mountain from the N. The Green River is shown here upstream of both Green River Lakes.

SPHP has an old book called Wind River Trails. It is the 3rd edition printed in 1979. The book was written by Finis Mitchell, who moved with his parents in a mule-drawn wagon from Missouri to Wyoming in 1906, arriving at the Wind River Range on April 26th. Finis Mitchell spent much of his life in the Winds. Eventually he ran a fishing camp with his wife. Although only 5 lakes in the Wind River Range had fish naturally, Finis Mitchell used milk cans and horses to pack in 2.5 million little trout and stock 314 lakes.

In Wind River Trails, Finis Mitchell describes a route up Squaretop Mountain from the E. The route is supposed to be relatively easy. Finis talks about taking a child as young as 4 years old up Squaretop (the child had to be handed up over a lot of ledges), and Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops making the trip. The route up leaves the Highline Trail at Beaver Park, about 5 miles S of Upper Green River Lakes.

Looking at Squaretop Mountain, SPHP got the feeling maybe a guy who spent his entire life in these mountains might have a different view of what was easy. Maybe things would look different from Beaver Park. If children could do it, certainly an American Dingo could. There wouldn’t be time for it, though. For Lupe and SPHP this was just a scouting trip.

Looking at some of the mountains W of the Green River before reaching Squaretop Mountain.

On a section of the Highline Trail passing through the forest, SPHP saw some rapids on the Green River down below. There were some nice rocks and rock ledges along the bank of the river, so Lupe and SPHP went down to investigate. The river had the beautiful color of rivers carrying glacial silt. The rapids were very pretty. There was a particularly handsome boulder out in the stream.

The handsome boulder at the rapids in the Green River near Squaretop Mountain.

When Lupe ran down to the rapids, she waded in the stream to get a drink of water. She climbed right out again just fine, but SPHP saw that her right rear paw was all bloody! It took some persuading to get Lupe to lay down and let SPHP take a look. It must have hurt, because Lupe didn’t want SPHP touching that paw. SPHP had to be very gentle.

Her right rear dewclaw must have gotten caught on something. Part of it had snapped off, and SPHP could see that it had been bleeding. Nothing else looked injured, and the dewclaw did not look torn from the rest of her paw. SPHP washed the blood off Lupe’s paw. She licked it for a while. After about 10 minutes she seemed to feel better about it. She was ready to get up.

Lupe posed for some pictures along the beautiful Green River. She waded a little bit in the cold water, which probably made her dewclaw feel better. By the time Lupe left the rapids to return to the Highline Trail, she seemed to have already forgotten all about the injured dewclaw.

The American Dingo with a broken dewclaw bravely poses for pictures along the gorgeous Green River.

Beyond the rapids, the Highline Trail continued S passing to the E of Squaretop Mountain. Lupe was starting to get close to Beaver Park. She was looking for a footbridge across the Green River. At the footbridge she would cross over to reach the upper end of Beaver Park.

Squaretop Mountain looms more than 3,000 feet above the Highline Trail.

A look at mountains to the SW upstream past Squaretop Mountain.

A look back to the NW at **Granite Peak (9,892 ft.)**. Granite Peak is just E of Squaretop Mountain, which was to the L of this photo.

Lupe reaches the footbridge across the Green River to the upper end of Beaver Park.

Looking upstream (S) along the Green River from the bridge to Beaver Park.When Lupe reached Beaver Park, she went out into the big field to take a look around. It was certainly a beautiful spot. SPHP saw no easy way up Squaretop Mountain from down in Beaver Park. The first part of Finis Mitchell’s route required a climb of 1,000 feet from Beaver Park up to Granite Lake just SW of Granite Peak.

Lupe reaches Beaver Park in the Wind River Range. Granite Peak is on the left. Photo looks N.

It would probably have been possible to get a much better look at the route up the ledges to Squaretop Mountain that Finis Mitchell talked about in Wind River Trails from Granite Lake. Earlier in the day going to Granite Lake had seemed like a great idea, but by now the 1,000 foot climb seemed like too much work.

Besides, the American Dingo had an injured dewclaw! It was probably best not to overdo it. Never mind that the Dingo seemed to have forgotten all about it. The trek to Beaver Park along the Highline Trail had been a pleasant one, with lots of fabulous scenery and without a ton of elevation gain or loss. Why not just enjoy the day? Lupe still had to go all the way back to the G6.

Lupe and SPHP went over to the Green River again and took a break. Lupe had Taste of the Wild and water. She relaxed on the bank above the river and grew a bit sleepy. SPHP looked at maps. There were dramatic high cliffs on the mountain on the other side of the river. After a little while, the sky seemed to cloud up more. The day grew darker.

Lupe kind of dozes along the bank of the Green River near the upper end of Beaver Park.

High cliffs E of Beaver Park and the Green River.

Green River near Beaver Park. The sky started clouding up.

Lupe had explored only a short segment of the Highline Trail coming to Beaver Park from Green River Lakes. Backpackers doing the most popular through hike from Green River Lakes to Big Sandy reported estimated trip lengths of 7 to 9 days. The entire trail is over 100 miles long, although portions beyond Green River Lakes and Big Sandy at either end are seldom used.

Lupe was only here for a day hike, though. Beaver Park was about as far as Lupe and SPHP could go and still return in a day. When it started to rain with tiny hailstones, Lupe and SPHP took refuge under tall pines near the Highline Trail. It was time to think about heading back. About the time the rain stopped, a forest ranger came along the trail from farther upstream. This was an amazing thing in itself!

In all her many explorations and adventures, Lupe had never seen a forest ranger away from the pavement before. This forest ranger was actually out in the forest, and doing what one thinks of as forest ranging. SPHP talked to him. His name was Chad. Chad was quite friendly and full of information about the Wind River Range. This was his 3rd year working in the Winds.

Chad said the Finis Mitchell route up Squaretop was rather hard to find, since some of the landmarks (like burnt areas in the forest) which Finis Mitchell used to describe the route had changed since Wind River Trails was written. SPHP had been wondering if there wasn’t another easier route via the Porcupine Trail. Chad confirmed that there was. It was longer, though. Chad had been up on Squaretop Mountain and knew what he was talking about.

After a fun chat with Chad, he needed to be moving along. He was on his way up into high country near the Golden Lakes, and from there clear up to the glaciers beyond, to check on wildlife, hunters and climbers. He would remain on the Highline Trail for a little while longer before looking for a place where he could leave the trail and climb up to Golden Lakes.

Lupe and SPHP followed Chad along the Highline Trail. Despite carrying a huge, heavy pack, Chad was faster than SPHP. Lupe and SPHP did catch up to him again several times when he stopped to chat to people along the trail. The last time Lupe and SPHP reached him, he had stopped to have a sandwich before leaving the trail. Chad very kindly gave Lupe some of his cheese sandwich. (Dingoes love cheese!)

Lupe starts back across the bridge over the Green River leaving Beaver Park.

Looking back at Squaretop Mountain. Granite Peak is the comparatively small hill on the L. — Looking back at Squaretop Mountain. Granite Peak is the comparatively small forested hill in the sunlight on the L.

Lupe gets a bite of Chad's cheese sandwich at their last meeting. Chad was a real forest ranger - he actually spends his time in the mountains instead of at a desk. — Lupe gets a bite of Chad’s cheese sandwich at their last meeting. Chad was a real forest ranger – he actually spends his time patrolling in the mountains instead of sitting at a desk. Chad was the first forest ranger Lupe ever saw actually patrolling in a forest. He was a terrific, knowledgeable guy and in great shape, too.

On the way back, Lupe stayed on the Highline Trail until she was between the two Green River Lakes. There she crossed the bridge over to the W side of the Green River. Lupe headed for the intersection of the Porcupine Trail and Lakeside Trail. To complete a loop around Lower Green River Lake, Lupe took the Lakeside Trail heading NNW near the W shore.

The Lakeside Trail was in forest much of the way. There were only a few spots with open views from the trail on this side of the lake. Most of the time, the Lakeside Trail stayed well above the shore.

An early evening view of Squaretop Mountain from Upper Green River Lake.

The mountain NE of Lower Green River Lake from the Lakeside Trail. Photo looks NE.

Flat Top Mountain from the Lakeside Trail along Lower Green River Lake. Photo looks E. — **Flat Top Mountain (11,823 ft.)** from the Lakeside Trail along Lower Green River Lake. Photo looks E.

White Rock from the Lakeside Trail along Lower Green River Lake. White Rock is the mountain just E of Upper Green River Lake. Photo looks SSE. — White Rock from the Lakeside Trail along Lower Green River Lake. White Rock is the mountain just E of Upper Green River Lake. Photo looks SE.

It was 7:52 PM (66°F) when Lupe reached the G6 again. After a glorious day along the Highline Trail to Beaver Park and back, she was ready for a whole can of Alpo before curling up with her blankie. Maybe someday she will return to explore further along the Highline Trail, or take the Porcupine Trail and find the way up Squaretop Mountain.

What was for certain was that her final big adventure of her great Summer of 2015 Dingo Vacation would start the next day. It would also take place in the Wind River Range of Wyoming.

Related Links:

Next Adventure Prior Adventure

Striving for Squaretop Mountain, Wind River Range, WY – Part 1: Green River Lakes to Porcupine Pass (7-13-17 & 7-14-17)

Striving for Squaretop Mountain, Wind River Range, WY – Part 2: New Benchmark – Victory & Defeat! (7-15-17)

Striving for Squaretop Mountain, Wind River Range, WY – Part 3: The Dome Peak Salvage Operation (7-16-17)

Squaretop Mountain, Wind River Range, Wyoming – Part 1: On the Highline Trail from Green River Lakes to Beaver Park (7-20-18)

Squaretop Mountain, Wind River Range, Wyoming – Part 2: Beaver Park to the Summit (7-21-18)

Want more Lupe adventures? Choose from Lupe’s 2015 Wyoming, Colorado & Utah Adventure Index, Dingo Vacations Adventure Index or Master Adventure Index. Or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures.

Going to the Winds – Green River Lakes & Squaretop Mountain, WY (8-29-15)

After successfully climbing Wyoming Peak (11,378 ft.) the prior day, Day 21 of Lupe’s great Summer of 2015 Dingo Vacation was destined to be a bumpy one. SPHP was determined NOT to take the same La Barge Creek Road (No. 315) out of the Wyoming Range that Lupe had taken into it. There was no sense putting the G6 through that again. SPHP checked the maps. Heading for Big Piney looked like the shortest way out of the Wyoming Range. Big Piney was also the closest to Lupe’s next destination – the fabulous Wind River Range.

Before 7:00 AM, Lupe and SPHP left the Wyoming Peak area driving S on Greys River road. Lupe was very interested in a herd of 8 pronghorn antelope grazing in a valley. More antelope could be seen up at the edge of the forest. It was a gorgeous morning in the Wyoming Range. A bit farther S, at a sign about the history of La Barge Meadow, SPHP stopped the G6 for a few minutes to let Lupe out to take a sniff of the morning air.

Lupe visits La Barge Meadow in the Wyoming Range for a quick sniff of the cool morning air. Photo looks N.

Lupe and SPHP continued S from La Barge Meadow. SPHP turned E on USFS Road No. 10128 where there was a sign indicating this road went to Big Piney. No. 10128 was a good gravel road for a long way. It went through some beautiful territory as it took Lupe down out of the Wyoming Range. Part of the route was not so pretty, there were 5 miles of burnt forest along the way, too.

SPHP had hoped the experience with very rough dirt roads coming up La Barge Creek would not have to be repeated. However, as Lupe continued E out of the Wyoming Range, as soon as the road left the Bridger National Forest to cross private land, it deteriorated significantly. It wasn’t as bad as the 3 miles of crummy road coming up La Barge Creek, but made up for it by being twice as long – 6 miles of rocks, potholes, and big dips.

The road finally improved. Lupe reached pavement on Hwy 350 about 10 miles W of Big Piney. Two hours of bumping along on gravel and dirt roads finally came to an end, but there would be plenty more later in the day. At Big Piney, SPHP turned N on Hwy 189. N of Big Piney there was a sign commemorating the Green River Rendezvous held annually from 1824 to 1840. SPHP stopped to take a look.

This sign about the Green River Rendezvous held annually by fur traders from 1824 to 1840 was Just E of Hwy 189 N of Big Piney. — This sign about the Green River Rendezvous held annually by trappers and fur traders from 1824 to 1840 was Just E of Hwy 189 N of Big Piney.

The Green River was not in sight where the sign was, but there was a wooded area beyond the sign with a couple of dirt roads going back into it. SPHP thought the dirt roads might lead to the river, so Lupe and SPHP took a walk back into the woods. Pretty soon SPHP realized there were homes ahead. Without ever finding the Green River, Lupe and SPHP went back to the G6.

At Pinedale, WY, Lupe and SPHP had a picnic at a city park on Pine Creek. After the picnic, Lupe went wading in Pine Creek. SPHP sat on a rock with feet dangling in the cool, clear water. It felt really good. Lupe curled up for a little nap in the tall grass along the shore.

The town of Pinedale lies just S of the heart of the Wind River range, which stretches over 100 miles in a NW/SE direction. Gannet Peak, the highest mountain in Wyoming at 13,804 feet is in the Winds. Of the 20 highest peaks in Wyoming, 19 are located in the Wind River range. The single exception is the famous Grand Teton in the Teton range.

Lupe and SPHP left the city park to go see a few of the sights near Pinedale. Lupe stopped by Half Moon Lake, one of a number of large lakes on the S side of the Wind River range left after the retreat of glaciers. After wading in Pine Creek, Lupe didn’t seem inclined to go wading in Half Moon Lake, so Lupe and SPHP left to go check out the Fremont Lake campground.

The Fremont Lake campground was closed “until further notice”. The gate was padlocked shut. SPHP decided to take Lupe up Skyline Drive to Elkhart Park. Lupe had been there once before near the end of her very first big Dingo Vacation in 2012. Along Skyline Drive there are great views of Fremont Lake from high above. Near the end of the road is a panoramic view of the highest and most rugged peaks of the central Wind River range. At Elkhart Park are trails leading into the wilderness.

The road to Elkhart Park was blocked due to road construction. A semi-truck carrying huge metal drainage pipes was being unloaded. It looked like a long wait. Another adventure got crossed off Lupe’s to do list. She wasn’t going to wait around.

So Lupe and SPHP went back to Pinedale. After a few errands there, Lupe headed W out of town on Hwy 191. At Hwy 352, SPHP turned N. Lupe was going to get a tour of the scenic Green River valley all the way to Green River Lakes at the NW end of the Wind River Range. The paved road turned to gravel when it entered the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Lupe near the Green River shortly after it flows out of the Wind River range.

The Green River starts high in the Wind River range. It flows out the NW end of the range and turns S to start its long journey to join the Colorado River.

Lupe had already seen the Green River much farther from its source on her 2015 Dingo Vacation. She crossed it near Dinosaur National Monument soon after entering Utah. She saw it again along the Little Hole Trail in Flaming Gorge. — Lupe had already seen the Green River much farther from its source on her 2015 Dingo Vacation. She crossed it near **Dinosaur National Monument** soon after entering Utah. She saw it again along the **Little Hole Trail in Flaming Gorge**.

The gravel road following the Green River into the Wind River range was long and very washboardy. SPHP drove very slowly so the poor G6 wouldn’t end up just a bucket of bolts. Huge pickup trucks, vans and SUV’s raced on by stirring up big clouds of dust. The drive was gorgeous. Slowly the Green River and road both curved around to the NE and then E. When the river turned SE, SPHP knew Lupe was nearing her destination.

Finally, the mighty watchtower of the NW Wind River range, Squaretop Mountain (11,695 ft.), came into view.

The washboardy road ended at Lower Green River Lake, the largest of two big lakes the Green River flows through as it leaves the Winds. Lupe and SPHP left the G6 to go down to the beach. The views of Squaretop Mountain looming beyond the Green River Lakes are among SPHP’s favorite mountain scenes anywhere.

Lower Green River Lake and Squaretop Mountain.

Lupe hits the beach at Lower Green River Lake.

Lost Eagle Peak (L), White Rock (Center), Squaretop Mountain (R) from Lower Green River Lake. — **Lost Eagle Peak** **(11,838 ft.)** (L), **White Rock** **(11,284 ft.)** (Center), and Squaretop Mountain (R) from Lower Green River Lake.

SPHP waded in the lake near the N shore. The sand was coarse and loose. Lupe didn’t want to get wet. She played on the beach and explored the nearby vegetation. SPHP threw a few sticks for her to chase, and played tug-of-war with her when she brought them back. The American Dingo won every time in the end, but SPHP didn’t let it be too easy.

It was evening. The sun was about to go down behind the mountains. The long day bumping along so many gravel and dirt roads was ending. Even the feisty Carolina Dog was getting a bit tired. To the gentle sound of little waves lapping up against the lakeshore, Lupe laid down and went to sleep.