First stop: Strawberry Reservoir. I was hoping to be able to see a pipeline (not because I love pipelines, but just for my project's sake), I didn't see one, but I did see spawning salmon, which was so much better! Every fall these salmon return to the creeks along the reservoir where they hatched to spawn and die. If you get to opportunity to watch a video of spawning salmon, take it. It's hilarious. The female fish lay eggs in the gravel, then the males fertilize them (fertilize is the wrong word, but I can't remember the right word). After they've satisfied that biological imperative, they die and their bodies provide much needed nutrients to the surrounding aquatic system. Then, in the spring, salmon smelts will emerge from the gravel and continue the circle of life (which I sing whenever I'm given the opportunity).
Next stop: Starvation Reservoir. To get to Vernal you need to cross the Freedom Bridge, which stirs some weird little emotion in me. Then you get to Starvation, then you pass through some really impoverished communities plopped down in really scenic territory. I'm sad for the inhabitants and jealous at the same time. It's weird. At the rest area there I spotted this funny bit of graffiti. Yeah, its a little obscene and mis-spelled. But it makes me giggle.
I ended up printing up a Google Map that took me to the back side of the Monument. While I was lost driving up and down county roads I felt like it was a mistake, but when I figured out where I was going and got to tour those back roads all by myself I realized it was very fortuitous. There's a bunch of little farms plopped down along Brush Creek, and they look amazing. I want to live here, add it to the list.
I ended up driving on about 100 miles of dirt roads, and Gus totally rocked it. The dirt road way into Dinosaur is amazing.
I got to see lots of petroglyphs. And tried to be a petroglyph.
I drove out to the Island Park area, which has a fun little abandoned ranch in it. There was much exploring to be done, then I went off to find a camp site.
I ended up in the a beautiful camp site right next to the Green River.
There was one other person there, who was not really up to talking, so it was like being all by myself, but a little safer. I made dinner just in time to watch the moon rise above the river.
Then I wandered around the area by moonlight, which was awesome. Someone cut down a bunch of sage brush(es?) next to the river, so I ran into one. The more I wandered the more I wondered about the wildlife in the area. I didn't see any signs about bears, so I assumed I wasn't threatened by them, but I was concerned about elk and moose, which I generally feel uneasy around. Eventually I opted to sit down, sip some beverage, and listen to the bats hunting over the river. Awesome!
I slept pretty well, only woke up once, concerned that 'creatures' were getting into my stuff. Then I fell back asleep. I think part of the reason I slept so well is because of the best vault toilet in the world. I'm generally comfortable with vault toilets, but this one had a solar panel on top that generated enough electricity to run a light with a motion-sensor, so I could pee in the light. I really like having that option.
I woke up the next morning to a pretty spectacular view, ready for the rest of what the Monument had to offer.
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