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The old hatchery
manager's house |
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Old hatchery
building, now abandoned |
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[Continued from page
2]
We drove up the Mesa Falls Road until we joined
with Highway 20. I tried to talk Robert into taking the side
road to Big Springs, a paved side road. Big Springs is the
headwaters of Henry's Fork and tourists throw bits of bread
to the huge rainbow trout suspended in the crystal water.
Of course, the fish are protected but it is still something
to see so many giant rainbow trout in one spot. But Robert
and Roberta are hungry and thought we ought to find a place
to eat.
We pulled into a campground along the river.
It was deserted except for three fishermen in the riffles.
Henry's Fork is one of the most famous trout streams in the
world, and the crystal spring waters are rich with feed. With
so much feed and transparent waters, the fish are picky and
seemingly educated. We didn't see the three fishermen catch
fish.
We built a fire in a fire ring overlooking the
river. I put some corn on the grate, roasting it in the hull.
(Here's
how to do it.) We cut willows along the river bank for
hot dogs and I noticed that the wintering elk had chomped
the tender branches down to stubs. Robert sneered when I pulled
the hot dogs from the cooler, mumbling something about "barely
edible". But these were not hot dogs; they were brats.
By his second, he acknowledged that they were the best hot
dogs he had ever eaten. We ate old-fashioned
potato salad and finished the meal with brownies.
The Mesa Falls Scenic byway offers incredible
picnicking and the ability to stay on paved roads -- I am
going to remember this gorgeous area the next time I have
out-of-town guests who need to stay on paved roads!
Dennis Weaver
July 1, 2007
IF YOU GO:
U.S Forest Service: Mesa
Falls Recreation Area
White
Water Rafting Info
Mesa
Falls Scenic Byway
Map
