27 Aug 2023 - Flaming Gorge State Scenic Byway Loop, Last Day at Rock Springs/Green River KOA WY

 

World's Largest Fly Fishing Fly!

Today we drove south from our campground in Wyoming on US 191 into Utah, stopping at the Flaming Gorge Dam and then looped back north through Manila and back on WY 530.  It was about 160 miles round trip and took us a little over four hours. 

It is amazing how the scenery changed all along our route.  Here are a few pictures between our campground and the dam:

This is just south of I-80, southbound on US 191

Evidence of a wildland fire sometime on the past.  

This could possibly be the Sunny Cove fire in July this year

Our first look at Flaming Gorge Reservoir

We made a quick pottie stop just northeast of the dam at a gas station and then another to snap a picture of the World's Largest Fly Fishing Fly!  Could not pass that by!

Soon we rounded the corner and there was the Flaming Gorge Dam.  Small in comparison to the Hoover Dam we visited a month ago, but still very impressive.  

A drive over the dam to the Visitor Center

A view of the crystal clear reservoir

A view of the dam from the visitor center 

We parked and headed to the visitor center.  Inside there is a movie we watched, displays on the history of the dam project, and items for sale.

 

Outside they have a Francis Turbine Wheel on display 

which was in service from 1963-2005

The Flaming Gorge Dam is part of the larger Colorado River Storage Project 

which was authorized by Congress in 1956.  There were several other dam projects included with this, such as the Fontenelle Dam, the Glen Canyon Dam and others.  This dam is considered a "concrete thin arch dam".  It is 502 ft tall and 1180 feet long, and the generators produce 152 megawatts of power.  The reservoir covers almost 4 million acre feet and is 91 miles long and has 375 miles of shoreline.

This is "before"

This is after!

During construction

The dam was dedicated 17 Aug 1964 by Ladybird Johnson, the First Lady at the time.  

We went over the walkway bridge to the south side of the dam and took these pictures from the overlook.  There is some great trout fishing below the dam and it draws fisherman from all over.

After visiting the dam we loaded up and headed west to finish the loop back to the campground.  This took us through the several different areas including the Ashley National Forest and the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.  This area has campgrounds, hiking trails, ATV/motorcycle trails and other recreation areas everywhere!  A few more pictures of the return trip route, again, with vastly changing scenery!

Another view of the reservoir

We got back about 1330 hrs and we started in on our pre-departure tasks.  Doreen started on the laundry and I ran back into town to fuel the truck.  When I got back, I flushed and drained tanks and stowed the hoses, like I always do.  When I do that we switch from using campground water to using onboard water.  That requires the use of the water pump.  This process can inject some air in the water lines and has to be bled out the faucets, which I failed to do.  I am guessing with the air conditioners and TV running inside and rain hitting the roof,  I did not hear the pump free-running with air in the lines because it never built water pressure enough to shut off.  Bottom line is the pump failed and troubleshooting it, we had power to the pump, but the pump was hot and would not run.  So I think I toasted the pump.  Hopefully I can get one in Cheyenne, our next stop.  If not, it is not the end of the world.  The water system works fine on city water in the campgrounds.   

After the rain, a double full rainbow appeared in the eastern sky and it was amazing!  These pictures do not do the colors justice.

 Tomorrow we continue our journey about 277 miles east on I-80 to Cheyenne WY, our next stop.