# Fish Creek/Beaver Dam Res Boulder Mountain



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

OK, here is my question. 

After not fishing or even visiting either water for over 35 years I blundered upon their trail head the other day while deer hunting the area. So I just had to do it, I headed up it on my ATV. My problem is that nothing looked familiar until I got up to Beaver Dam. Even the bottom of the trail head has changed. From what I remember it was a small meadow with a sign at the start of the road that said Jeep Road and someone had written "That's No Sh#T" under it. 

So did they change the trail head or is my memory failing me? I know that the last time I drove up there that there were huge boulders that you walked across with your vehicle and that the one steep spot did seam to be in the right place but had changed a little at the base of it. 

So help this old man out with his memory. I'll be headed back up there next year with a fishing pole with me instead of a rifle.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Well, I wasn't there 35 years ago, but I find it hard to believe that another road existed in that terrain. Seems like a super highway anymore. They have maintained it every few years for sure since I've been going there. 

.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I know what you mean about the road. I just looked at Google Earth of it and can see where it appears that the Forest Service or county changed the access road at the bottom of the trail and I can tell where the meadow that used to be a parking area could of been. I also saw on the trip up and down where they had dug out larger boulders and pushed them to the side, but the road now is a lot better than what it used to be. Perhaps for the better or worse. I kinda of liked it where it was a little bit more of a challenge to navigate than it is now.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

I can understand that it could have beed modified over the years. All I know is that its steep and nasty down gradient of the current road.

I'll be there in two days. With my pole… :grin:


.


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## torowy (Jun 19, 2008)

it is still pretty rough, but you can make it up there in a truck. But you still need to be careful.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

When I first started going up there you needed a short wheel base vehicle. My Blazer made it quite easily and a short wheel base truck did OK but if you had a long wheel base truck you could make it if you didn't care for the damage that was going to be done to it. 

My last trip up there in 81 we found a brand new Chevy 3/4 ton truck at the dam with a hole in its oil pan that happened on its way up there.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

torowy said:


> it is still pretty rough, but you can make it up there in a truck. But you still need to be careful.


Just hope like hell someones not coming the other way:shock:


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## BG1 (Feb 15, 2013)

Used to be one of the roughest roads on the mountain. Now the "easy" road to Donkey is worse than that one. Any SUV or 4x4 can go up to Fish Creek in about 30 minutes. Sure grew the crowds. Dirty shame.


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

I have been going into those lakes for over 30 years quite regularly....I don't believe the road has changed. The forest service has, though, many times over those years improved the road. However, from what I have seen, the road quickly goes back to being a beast. I don't know when or how often the forest service decides to improve the road, but I am sure it has helped increased the crowds. However, the real reason those lakes are seeing a lot more fishermen is that they have both been greatly improved over what they used to be. Sure, both pumped out big fish at times, but the stunting problem of brook trout in Fish Creek led to little fish in Beaver Dam. Now that only sterile brook trout are being stocked in Beaver Dam and no brook trout in Fish Creek, Fish Creek is pumping out really big fish and people have noticed. The real reason the popularity has increased has more to do with quality fishing than good roads. These days with the increased use of ATVs and UTVs, those lakes would be just as popular even had the road never improved in my opinion.

For what it is worth, the first time I ever camped at Beaver Dam we parked at the bottom of the road, loaded up backpacks, and hiked in. My father and uncle were driving Honda Big Red four wheelers with the food/drinks in coolers. We made it to the lake hiking before they did on the ATVs. In fact, they had to push the ATVs up the steep hill! Back then, the machines didn't have the power to make it up the hill with a heavy load.


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