The Green, below Flaming Gorge. ??

[Steve in Idaho]

My son and I are discussing a possible short trip on the Green below Flaming Gorge in late March. What we have found so far is three sections below the dam that can be done as day trips or all together - with one caveat.....Red Creek rapids (class III). Of course, that is in the most remote canyon section, which I'm guessing is the most scenic part. There doesn't seem to be any mention of other significant rapids in those three stretches that end after about 30 miles at Swinging Bridge. Anybody familiar with that stretch? Just how bad is Red Creek? We have read one comment that it can be portaged. What are the good flows?

 

[Gamma1214]

Never been there (but always curious) and I found these online. At 8600 cfs, it looks manageable but also easily portaged on river left. The guide service mentioned in the 1st video could probably advise you as to better (or dangerous) flows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9Gb_Lv5ctg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKcTWC7A_dg

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Thanks, Gamma. Looks like we could run it in the drift boat or portage with the Prospector. Maybe run it in the Prospector at low flows. Videos are always a little deceiving though.

 

[Gamma1214]

Videos are always a little deceiving though.

Yes, they are. I would probably trust them for portage-ability only. Looks like pretty country though...

 

[Black_Fly]

The upper Green in Wyoming is the prettiest part of that river, but not good canoeing except in June when snow is melting in the high country. Water cold and CLEAR. Mostly private land so put in can be tricky, but not impossible. You can float down from Cora to as far south as you want. Wind River range to the right the whole way. Not much out there south of Pinedale, except for gas wells and cows, til you get to Green River, Wyoming.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

BF - a poling trip up to Green River lakes is high on my to-do list...hopefully this summer.

 

[Black_Fly]

BF - a poling trip up to Green River lakes is high on my to-do list...hopefully this summer.

Summer is something else up there. Starts in July. I paddled the lake and camped on the upper a time or two. Good fly fishing for trout in the river. I think there's some brownies in the canyon. Some dude stocked all those lakes in the Winds with barrels strapped on mules. He's a local legend. Did God's work. An overnight hike up to Beaver Park is worth it.

There's a boulder field directly below the lower lake that I doubt can be poled. Water is low except in early spring, when it's class III. In the summer you could pole up to Cora and a little farther, though before hitting boulder fields.

 

[Holmes375]

The Green river few miles south of the lower lake canyon area (late October):

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Flat Top mountain (11,823), from lower lake:

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River channel between lakes looking south to Square Top mountain:

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Boat launch, lower lake:

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Lower lake outlet, Green river heading westward:

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Square Top mountain (11,695'), looking south from south end of lower lake:

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Fishing the lower end of the river channel:

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[Guest]

Some dude stocked all those lakes in the Winds with barrels strapped on mules. He's a local legend.

That dude was Finis Mitchell, who arrived in the Wind Rivers as a child in 1906 “with my parents, a span of mules, a wagon and a cow”. In 1930 he borrowed horses and saddles and started Mitchell’s Fishing Camp in the Big Sandy Openings. There were, by his estimation, only about five lakes that had fish in them, all native cutthroat.

Mitchell stocked 314 lakes by packing in fingerling trout, in 5 gallon milk cans, 12 cans at a time on a string of 6 horses. In 12 years he packed in 2 ½ million trout. My favorite Finis Mitchell line about that high lake stocking is this

“We left those trout alone for 2 years. The second summer I went up to see if they had lived. The first fish I caught was a male. He was a monster. He looked like you had blowed him up with a tire pump he was so fat”

That is taken from Mitchell’s autobiography in his 1975 guidebook Wind River Trails, a wonderful read.

He was still active in the Wind Rivers until the early 1980s. I have a photo of a note he made from that period in a trailhead log book, and may have unknowingly passed him on the trail.

He is legendary.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finis_Mitchell

 

[Black_Fly]

How do you get your photos to load without reducing the resolution? I've struggled with that for this site.

 

[Holmes375]

How do you get your photos to load without reducing the resolution? I've struggled with that for this site.

I have, too, and did with these. The first two attempts I loaded from my web site. The pics would appear in my preview only to disappear later after I made the post.

The third time I uploaded from my computer and selected the medium size for insertion. Seemed to work and I was pleasantly surprised to see them there the next day.

I've had enough trouble posting pics here that I seldom make the effort any longer but maybe I've finally figured it out

 

[Black_Fly]

Well they are fine photos and I appreciate the effort. Brings back fond memories.

 

[Black_Fly]

I've been on the upper green and it rolls when the snow is melting. That was golden trout upstream. Don't know if they're still there. Its a cross between a brown and a cutty as I recall. Maybe it was another stream. My mind plays tricks on me these days.

 

[Jhcorney]

Thanks for the info on here was planning to check out the upper Green this summer. I’ll be moving out to Lander, WY in May, just wondering if there is anything I should add to the list.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

BF - I'll be sure to take the Coho when I do that trip. At ~40 lbs, I can carry it around the boulders.

I had to miss the Flaming Gorge trip, but my son and friends did go. They chose to run section A several times, and caught a few fish. Said A was fun and worth doing repeatedly.