In The Shadow of Longs Peak
Guernsey Reservoir State Park
20 August 2024 thru 22 August 2024
Tuesday, 20 August 2024
This trip is to check out Guernsey Reservoir and State Park as a paddling destination and to see if paddling from Wendover into the Reservoir.
I have wanted to do a paddling trip to Guernsey for a long, long time! And now I am here!
Back when I was married my ex-husband was stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, we came up to Guernsey frequently and putted around in our little fishing boat. We did go to Glendo once, but Guernsey was much better suited to a small boat.
Guernsey State Park is much more developed than it was 40+ years ago. The places where we would remote camp are now designated campsites and there are many more fully grown trees at the edge of the lake.
We headed away from my place at 10:15, 45 minutes behind schedule. Our first stop is Whole Foods in Ft. Collins for sushi for dinner and beer for Gary. Then north on US 287 to Prospect, east on Prospect to I-25, then north to Cheyenne and the Wyoming AIS inspection station and then to Dave H’s place.
Dave is accompanying us on this outing. He moved to Cheyenne at the end of April, so this will be the first time we’ve boated with him this year. His place is northeast of Cheyenne in a subdivision of ‘ranchettes’ that were they even in the early 1980’s when I lived there.
We caravan back to I-25 then north to exit 92 and east toward Guernsey, so about 80 miles from Cheyenne. We pass the sign for the North Platte Access at Wendover and continue toward Guernsey. We turn north at the road into the state park. The booth is closed so we stop at the information kiosk.
My thought was to camp at Sandy Beach Campground. Then, in the morning, launch from there and see if we can paddle to the delta where the North Platte River comes into the Reservoir.
We head over to the Sandy Beach Area via Skyline Drive. Once there, it turns out all the sites are reservation only. We pick one and call the number but are put on hold and the message indicates a long wait time.
Now what?
We drive back to the kiosk as there was an indication that not all the campgrounds require reservations. Some are first-come-first-serve and most of these seem to be along the eastern side of the lake so we start up that way, stopping at Spotted Tail which happens to be the first campground along the east side. There are available sites, but they are small, not pleasing and not an easy hike with the boats to the water.
Everyone is tired but it is early yet, and we decide to explore the remaining campgrounds and get a good look at the lake.
We continue along Lakeshore Drive, weaving in and out of campgrounds looking for first-come-first-serve sites that would be pleasant and an easy walk to the water to launch our boats. We drive completely around the lake and are at the opposite entrance with another closed booth and information kiosk. There is one last place, the Long Canyon Area. There is a campground here, again the sites have the reservation required sign. Dave and I walk down another spur while Gary checks out the boat launch situation. At the end of the spur are a couple of trailers with one empty site. We back track and look at the 5 other sites. And realize these do not have a reservation required sign! We snagged site 168, which had ample level space for tents and large cottonwoods providing lots of shade.
Gary has found a good launch spot from one of the reservation sites. We could drive the boats over and carry them down.
Back to site 168 we go and begin to unload. In the meantime, Dave investigates and finds a trail to the water’s edge. So we are set!
Once the tent is setup, we sit down to a well-deserved beer or two. Eventually, we have sushi for supper.
It is hot with only a slight breeze to keep away the mosquitos. But we endure.
Wednesday, 21 August 2024
We are up around 7:30 and work on making breakfast. As we finish a thunderstorm passes thru. Not a good sign but the sky in the distance seems clear so we get ready to paddle. It is ominous off to the west but these clouds do not seem to be coming in our direction.
We launch and paddle, first to the entrance of Long Canyon. Long Canyon has a number of campsites on the west edge and a boat ramp at the far end. Once out of Long Canyon, we paddle over to the Eastern Section of the reservoir. Along the way, I paddle to the end of Dead Man’s Cove to check out the campground then back out again. We continue down the main channel and do not investigate each nook and cranny as the goal is to try and get to the dam and back before another storm comes up.
Despite the ominous sky, the water is still and glassy, reflecting Gary and Dave in their boats and the hills and cliffs behind them.
We do make it just beyond the point where we can see the dam and immediately turn around as now the wind has come up and the water is quite choppy.
As we head back, the wind calms again and Gary explores Davis Bay. I paddle slowly, then decide to wait for Gary. Dave continues back, being bothered by an ill-fitting seat.
The weather continues to improve and at Long Canyon Gary and I decide to continue west, at least until we reach the open section of the lake. I stick to the north side and check out what turns out to be a trampoline. Hard to say how it got there.
Gary is more on the south side. He heads to an island which is his turnaround point.
We explore another cove on the north side on the way back then head back up Long Canyon.
It took us an hour to get to the dam. With the additional exploration, we paddled a total of 2.5 hours or so.
Dave decides to pack up and go home, the seat being a problem.
While the guys socialize, I hike down the road to check out the campsites along there though none are as good as #168. I do not go quite as far as the boat ramp.
I open a beer and work on prepping shrimp scampi for supper.
It’s not quite as hot as last night but still buggy.
Thursday, 22 August 2024
We are up by 7:30 AM again. Our plan is to go for a morning paddle, then come back, have breakfast, pack up, and head home.
I make a cup of coffee before getting stuff together to paddle.
It is overcast today and not the scorching heat of yesterday. A breeze comes and goes, fluttering the leaves of the cottonwood trees.
Our destination is the western part of the lake. We did start in that direction yesterday but only went as far as the end of the rock lined passage that separates the two sections of the reservoir.
We stay close to the northern shore as that is where the North Platte comes in. The weather is stable and we paddle steadily.
We turn a final corner but it’s hard to say which is the delta we are looking for.
Gary takes a guess and starts down a likely looking wide cove. We paddle and paddle though it eventually dead-ends. I take a way-point before turning around. We turn to go back but decide to keep along the shore but nothing looks like a delta. We paddle back arriving at 12:30 so a 3 hour paddle.
We have breakfast, more coffee. Then pack up and are driving away at 2:30 and back at my place around 5:30.
Another excellent adventure! Later, looking at the map, it turns out that the last cove we explored was directly across from the river delta, so we were almost there!