Periodic Spring in Afton

Today we went outside of Afton to check out the periodic spring there. This is the only cold water geyser in the world and actually supplies the town of Afton with its water. It is quite a drive to get to it. Once you leave the blacktop and get on the dirt road, it’s four miles on a pot holed, sometimes narrow road to get back to the parking area.
The water is very high in this area, due to the excessive snow pack that is still melting. The rivers just fell below flood stage but “Swift Creek”, that comes down through the canyon is sure living up to its name.



Once you get to the parking area, you’ve got about a half mile hike ahead of you, up a path to get to the site of the spring. The water level is so high right now that the “geyser’ part of the spring doesn’t work. Read the sign info above to see how it would normally work. The water is pouring out continuously from the spout, due to the sheer volume of water, so it doesn’t squirt out “periodically”. Was still an amazing thing to see. Thank goodness the water has gone down a little bit as we had to tippy toe along the shoreline to get to the foot bridge that crosses over to the spring. We found a couple of shallow areas where Boomer could get in and get wet. Most of it was so deep and rushing so fast that it wouldn’t have been safe for him to get in.

Look at the snow, where it comes in from the left and ends at the water’s edge. There are wood chips across the top of the snow, maybe where the water had run when it was higher but has now receded, leaving the wood behind.  On the backside of the snow, against the wall of the canyon, there was an opening so you could get back in there and walk under the snow bank. It was really cool (literally and figuratively)!



Entrance to the ice cave…..you could walk in through the opening, hugging the canyon wall







Standing inside the cave, looking up to the top. The snow had melted and light was pouring in from the top.





The light was coming through the roof of the snow, from outside, illuminating the snow with a funny glow.





The roof of the cave, looking down toward the water’s edge. There is a little opening at the bottom. Won’t be long before all of this will collapse inward. It’s melting quite a bit on these hot days, dripping on anyone inside. The temp inside the cave was very comfortable and quite refreshing, considering how hot it was today.




Looking from the entrance of the snow cave, down towards where Linda and Boomer were waiting. Quite an amazing view from up there.

It was so beautiful to be in that canyon and see this wonder of the world. The roar of the rushing water was deafening……so many gallons of water pouring down through that canyon. One of the women, that was with the group of people who were there the same time as us, said that in the 15 years she’s been coming to Afton to her summer home, she’s never seen the water this high. Had a great day…temps are almost 80 degrees…sunny and a nice breeze. Couldn’t ask for much more than that…

Thayne,WY Attractions

Afton Elk Horn Arch - There are some really neat attractions in this area. As I mentioned in a previous post, the world’s largest elkhorn arch is in Afton, about 20 miles away from Thayne. The arch was constructed in 1958 and contains 15 tons of antlers, totaling 3,011. The horns were picked up on the elk feeding grounds in Alpine and Jackson as the elk shed their horns every spring. The highest point of the arch reaches 24 feet high and spans Highway 89 for 75 feet. Based on the current value of elk horns, it would cost over $400,000 to build the same arch today.

Palisades Reservoir – The reservoir consists of 1.25 million acre feet, the Salt River, Snake River and Greys River converge here. It was completed in 1959, and forced the relocation of Alpine to its current location. It has excellent trout fishing and several public access boat ramps.




Elk Refuge in Alpine – Is located one mile south of Alpine on Highway 89. A 6 foot fence and hay sheds mark the area where over 500 tons of hay are fed to as many as 1000 elk fro late November until early May. This site has been in use since the 1940’s and is managed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The cost of this operation is supported by game and fishing license fees.

About Star Valley: Nestled on the western border of Wyoming and surrounded by the Bridger-Teton, Caribou and Targhee National Forests lies Star Valley. Originally known as the Salt River Valley, the name was changed to Star Valley around 1880. With no written explanation for this name change, perhaps our ancestors felt it self-explanatory. Indeed, the beauty and serenity found here truly makes this a start of all valleys. Approximately 12 miles wide and 45 miles long, altitudes range from 5,600 feet in the north rising to 7,000 feet in the south. The Salt River Mountain Range with peaks rising to 10,000 feet, is its eastern border. The Caribou and Webster Ranges, with 8,000 foot peaks, lie to the west. Those who traveled north on Hwy 89 have experienced crossing the Salt River Pass with its breathtaking view at 7,610 feet.
This valley was a good place for outlaws on the run long before it was settled. There were gold camps to the northwest and salt freighters coming in and out to the southwest. The major outlaw who surfaced as a Star Valley resident was Butch Cassidy. He earned his nickname from working in a butcher shop in Rock Springs. It is said that Cassidy made his famous trip to South America soon after the Winnemucca Bank Robbery.
Interesting things to see and do in and around Thayne…..

Wyoming….

  We’re enjoying our time in Wyoming. What a nice drive up here, from Colorado. There was record snowfall this winter, so it hasn’t been until the last three weeks that this area has experienced any warm up in temps. There is still snow in the mountains all around the park.
This is horse country..even as you drive into town there are horse pastures all along the road, right up to the town limits. We arrived Thursday afternoon and got set up. Had our meeting with the campground owner and then started selling on Friday. We’ve had pop-up thunderstorms every afternoon. The area has had a great deal of rainfall, since June, and many areas have experienced flooding. All the rain has made for lush pastures and gorgeous flowers.
We spent Friday morning selling in Afton….a really cute town down the road from Thayne. They have the world’s largest Elk horn arch over the street in the center of town. Quite a site to see. We were parked, in downtown Afton, along the curb and could hear some dogs barking. I looked up and saw these cute little guys, watching us from their perch at a second story window. How cute !
The park here is very large…806 sites. They have a golf course, which is extremely busy, and several other amenities. It is surrounded by the beautiful mountains and Linda and I don’t seem to be bothered as much by the elevation. No shortness of breath, like in Colorado. Maybe we’re finally getting used to being in the mountains. Going to be in Thayne for a total of ten days and then we move on to Jackson for ten days there. Looking forward to our time in Wyoming…