Half Moon Lake, Granite Creek & Gros Ventre Mountains

Half Moon Lake

After two days in Denver visiting with friends, we drove north to Wyoming, in search of mountain vistas and clear skies. Our destination was the Bridger-Teton National Forest, which is huge, with several districts within their boundaries. We ended up at Half Moon Lake campground in the Pinedale ranger district. Half Moon Lake is just outside of Pinedale, with a combination of first-come-first served and reservable sites (those, of course, are the premium are lakefront sites). Bernie wanted to fish; however, the lake was extremely warm, especially compared to our frigid mountain streams in Western North Carolina. It was pretty, but our goal was to be higher up, and surrounded by mountains. After one night, we packed up to explore areas closer to the Grand Tetons.

Granite Creek

As we were leaving Half Moon Lake, Bernie, with his crazy google skills and actual cell coverage, suggested the Granite Creek campground in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/btnf/recarea/?recid=71637 Granite Creek is situated near the end of forest road 30500, on the way to Jackson, Wyoming. Getting there meant a nine mile slog down a dusty, washboard gravel road, along the Hoback River, that boasts a wild and scenic designation. That was fine with us, because every curve in this canyon featured craggy peaks and conifer forests interspersed with aspens. In fact, it was so dusty that I just took iphone photos on the drive!

Once at the campground, we noticed the logo is the footprint of a grizzly bear. As much as I love boondocking (camping in remote areas versus campgrounds), the thought of a grizzly encounter makes me queasy. Particularly if there is no one else camping nearby. Granite Creek campground has large campsites, with heavy-duty bear boxes (installed a few years ago as the grizzly range expanded southward), fire rings and picnic tables. Most of the sites had shade, and beautiful views of the Gros Ventre mountains to the east. There were vault toilets, and potable water stations at various locations in the campground. And did I mention the views?

Our first day here, it was clear, with bright blue skies dotted with cottony, drifting clouds. Bella and I took a walk towards the waterfall and hot springs, taking in the scenery and keeping an eye out for bears. https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/?ID=224

Wildflower survivors

A few wildflowers survived the low temperatures of early fall, including salsify, which looks like a tropical dandelion on steroids. Both are members of the aster family.

Yet another harebell! These never cease to get my attention, because they are hardy, have a long growing season, and their intense range of blue to purple makes them a standout among the herbaceous ground cover.

The western version of wild geranium had survived, poking up through the dominant ground cover. Wilted, but resilient. What more can you ask for?

Day 2 at Granite Creek

It rained overnight, and the next morning dawned with a hazy curtain of high, overhanging clouds laden with rain, and mist drifting above the trees. We were anxious to get Bella out and for all of us to warm up a bit after cold temperatures. Hot chocolate helps, but movement is better. The changing weather gave us a different perspective on the mountains, and as the morning progressed, we knew that blue skies and sun were not far away.

The Granite Creek waterfall is just above the campground, a shorter distance than we anticipated. The creek was moving at pretty good pace, with some deep holes. We watched a fellow wade across- very slowly and with great care. We decided not to ford, even though we could see the hot springs pools to the right of the waterfall. The pools were calling to us, but common sense prevailed when limited mobility is a factor. Not to mention that we weren’t dressed to wade in cold OR hot water!

Granite Creek Hot Springs

Our last full day was spent outside (not really different from any other day, right?) We prepped for a fire, and decided to visit the hot springs pool. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/btnf/recarea/?recid=71639.

The hot springs pool at Granite Creek was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. This is a fascinating piece of history, but I haven’t been able to find much detail about this project except some archives from the University of Michigan and a few Library of Congress references. https://lsa.umich.edu/earth/about-us/department-history/camp-davis-then-and-now/hot-springs-granite-creek.html From the U of M archives, it is clear that there have been significant changes to the pool over the years, but the landscape is enduring.

In September, even on a weekend, it was not crowded. Certainly we were not limited to one hour in the pool. Bella went with us and was tethered to a picnic table. During our soak, we moved to various spots in the pool to take advantage of warmer (or cooler) temperatures.

As our final day arrived, we reluctantly packed up; the campground was closing for the season. Our next destination? The Grand Tetons- please join us as we continue up the eastern front of the Rockies, and then down the western front. We had no reservations for the Tetons, our plan was to boondock, crossing our fingers for good weather and a safe, dog friendly spot (with no grizzlies). I hope that you are getting out there and making every day count!