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Show ' : -""--" ..'.- . rs, , . . f ' ' '. -! L ' " ' " ; . """ , ....... " ' " ' ' .' I L ' ... , ' ' , . 1 . . A T "iWi. ' ,, ,,..i.? ."". " ''' '.( .'',"'.. ' , .v j ;; ', i ' , ' -J r ... - - t - ' -.7,!' ' ' ' f . "'- , . : ' ,' . ." c 'vt ' --- t ', ,1 ' ...... . 3 - .... ....... - . . ' r- - ; .... .., A ' - (i ! '.: v. ' ,"' " ' w ' ... ; ' '.,?.'' - -TJ; - " vi . 1- , r-M,j : t;.: - : . ;. v E.sn'. ' v,. ... i.'- - H ; . :- .; - ; .--"-.' . J, : --:'.. ' ' i ;v. . .- f-'-Zl.: .." ... . ' ' ' ' '"".) I UTAH BORN guide Lee Nicholes battles big i golden trout in Wyoming's Wind River Moun- 1 like to pack into other high country for comparison. And there are some interesting in-teresting comparisons between Utah's Uintas and Wyoming's Wind River Mountains. ! Often called the "Bridger Wilderness," Wilder-ness," this range isn't more than half a (day from Vernal, via Manila-Mt. View, Wyo., and Kemmerer to Pinedale. An 'interesting difference is that the Wind " Rivers are rockier, with fewer velvet-lush velvet-lush meadows. Lakes are larger and deeper. There are some moose and elk, but fewer deer. The trout? sometimes larger, but not always. I While most Uinta lakes have trout, the Wind River lakes seem to require stream flow. The reason is probably that more Uinta Lakes are spring-fed through bottom seepage, with less oxygen or winter-kill problems. But, when you do locate a trout lake in the Wind Rivers, it has a larger variety of fish: grayling, brook, and cutthroat, as in the Uintas, but in many higher waters, goldens and lake trout, j Rainbows are also stocked in more high lakes. ! A recent expedition, with Fall Creek Guide Service (PO Box 293, Lehi, Utah W43),we rode horses from the Willow Creek trailhead east of Cora, Wyo., to Elbow Lake for goldens. We caught them too-19 respectable fish to three 1 i pounds apiece for five anglers. I was p 1 told by several packers that there is no lake in the world with more big goldens in it, and that the record 1Mb. record ! ran be beaten there. With the 6- !-pounders I saw in the outlet, and creek, tains, a range both similar and different to Utah's Uintas. ; Uinvci end Wind River high counlry eorrapeorisoms i By Hartt VVixom I Vernal Express Outdoors Writer ; One of my favorite mountain retreats has to be the Uintas. But, occasionally, I wouldn't bet against it. I've seen moose in the Uintas, but it seems every bull has a "franchise" on certain meadows, and you intrude on them caretully. Bull moose 1 ve encountered en-countered in the Uintas were more prone to ignore you altogether, or vamoose. But, then individual animals , can vary, and much can depend on time of year. There is also a "slight" danger of encountering a bear in the Winds, even a grizzly on the northern sector. Uinta campers seldom have to worry about bears. The Uintas have more side fringe aspens, a likely reason for more deer. But, the Wind River conifers and altitude-ranging up to the state's highest at Gannett Peak, just under 13,800 feet-house a good many elk. The Uintas also hold considerable wapiti, and some good bulls, but for Boone-Crocket Boone-Crocket entries, the Wind Rivers are second to none anywhere. The Utah range is also more rounded, glacially-smoothed, with easier access across the backbone mountain. Roads run much higher into the Uintas, up to 10,400 feet at Mirror Lake, and other entrances, while less road-conscious Wyoming usually starts the adventurer at 7,000 feet average. It means you do not have to hike or ride as many steep trails in the Uintas, although some trail heads like the Uinta's Yellowstone, Uinta, and Lake Fork (Moon Lake) are lower than those on the north slope. Even that, backpacking into high country is not as difficult in the Uintas. The grayling is widely distributed in the Uintas, scarce in the Wind Rivers. Yet, many of those Utah grayling lakes are on the western slope, with Daggett the most popular (and just about only prolific grayling water) on the eastern side of the Uintas. The latter may also have cutts and brook trout scattered throughout lakes in one drainage. In the Wyoming range, an entire basin is likely to be one species only. Drainages are much different in the Uintas. When you enter one river system such as the Whiterocks, you are much more likely to remain within one branch or other of it. Streams in the Winds have many shelves from which snow-melt is drawn, meaning you might cross three drainages to reach one lake. Distances in to basins are not much different, 10 miles usually getting into good fishing water in either range. As for the fish themselves, they are not much different. Matches of brown, black, flies attract fish. And spinners work well. In that you can usually take the same gear into the Winds as work in the Uintas. I did find, however, that yellow patterns, resembling rock rollers, did not always work as well in Wyoming. Black and grey artificials seems most effective of all. The goldens in the Uintas' Lake Atwood are most vulnerable to bait. In the Wind Rivers they seemed to prefer slowly-retreived lui'es. Those are the differences I found. But, it made me appreciate both ranges more to gain the experiences of each. |