Me and Quinn, along with Hugh and his family decided to camp at Iron Bog campground this year for Labor Day. I have been getting tired of the crowds at Island Park and so this has been a great alternative. Unfortunately, there was a lot of smoke from all the forest fires nearby. Me and Quinn left on Friday morning and drove with the WildKat to Rexburg and from there to Howe, to Arco and then the campground up Antelope Creek road. Once in awhile we go that way across the desert because there is a little tiny bit more scenery, but I think it may be somewhat slower to drive that way.
Most of these pictures are taken with my SX720HS point and shoot Canon. I took a few with my 5D Mark 4 and some night pictures with my 7D Mark 2 .
This moth was on the carpet the night before we left
Me and Quinn show up to Iron Bog campground Friday around 2 pm. We picked the same spot we took the year before because of the big awnings.
Me and Quinn took a ride up toward Brockie Lake. We didn't go very far, I just wanted to see if you could get across the creek as we could not in June. The road was really bumpy and rutty from all the water washing down it so we didn't go very far. It was getting later in the evening as well.
Selfie time as we are crossing the creek. Notice how it is running down the road aways where last year it only crossed the road.
Showing the smoke at Iron Bog Campground
This is a video with most of the same photos presented here. It does have a little dialogue and so is interesting to fill in the pieces of the story.
Me and Quinn started the hike before Hugh and his family. We went quite slow until Garret and Jadyn caught up to us. We went a little ways and then waited at this tree for awhile. I call this the first mile tree. Karen and Kirsten stayed at the camp along with Keaton who's allergies were acting up terrible.
We decide to move on up the trail. Looking back at first mile tree, we now see Hugh, Holly and Meghan. We are probably just a hundred yard from the second shade tree.
zoomed in on Holly, Hugh and Meghan
I call this the last shady spot or the second shade tree after the one mile tree. We waited here until Hugh and his girls made it up the hill to us.
All together
Holly takes off as we still are sitting
Holly in front, then Garret and Jadyn, then Quinn
Hugh had to carry Meghan a lot of the ways
Quinn pauses by that cool tree he remembers
Quinn going across the rock slide area
Hugh and Meghan starting along the rock slide
Garret has now gotten ahead and Jadyn and Quinn are with me. Holly is behind on the rocks down below and Hugh and Meghan are still coming around on the rock slide.
Garret is at the sign where the trail splits to Iron Bog and Fishpole lake. Iron Bog lake is about 50 yards from the sign
Hugh and Meghan are now at the sign
Walking down to the lake from the sign
We call this place Logan's dropoff after Logan fell in the lake her this last Spring. See the Roberts family reunion blog for that story.
Interesting colors at Iron Bog lake
Quinn and Holly eating lunch
Hugh, Meghan and Jadyn
Garret
Iron Bog Lake
Looking back down on Iron Bog lake. I decided that I'd been up there 3 times now and had not hiked over to Fishpole Lake. I had heard it was not a difficult hike and was only a mile from Iron Bog. Garret wanted to stay at Iron Bog and Hugh didn't really want to haul Meghan much farther so they stayed back and fished and rested with Holly. Me, Jadyn and Quinn went on up to Fishpole Lake. It was a very easy and pleasant hike.
Found wild raspberries. There were lots of different berries starting to ripen
Looking forward up the trail. It got much more green and open with lots of wild flowers.
We found a few lakes in between Iron Bog and Fishpole. We named this one Jadyn lake just for the heck of it.
Jadyn and Quinn explore Jadyn lake.
Leaving Jadyn Lake
We named this lake Quinn Lake. Quinn didn't like that and wanted to change the name to Tadpole lake. I decided to call it Quinn-Tadpole Lake.
Such a pretty hike.
Looking back toward Quinn-Tadpole Lake
Fishpole Lake is just over this rise
First view of Fishpole Lake
We chose to stop here and eat snacks and play as the water was shallow and somewhat sandy. We ate snacks and I put my Tenkara Rod together.
Quinn and Jadyn found lots of bugs, snails and even a freshwater shrimp under rocks and the log.
Wading out with my Tenkara rod. The rocks were only mildly sharp
Starting a cast. No there's no fish on. Unfortunately, as we were putting our shoes on to leave, another guy had been fishing around the corner and came over and told us he had caught a bunch of big fat cutthroat. He showed me a picture of one and it was a pig. I learned that he was using an elk hair caddis and was casting out about 25 to 30 feet. My Tenkara rod only gets out maybe 20 feet. While it is super light and easy to pack, I think if go back up to high mountain lakes I'm taking my real fly rod. This is the first time in a long time, I've been skunked on a high mountain lake with flies.
Heading back down, Quinn and Jadyn share some rootbeer barrells.
Back at Jadyn lake we find a Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel and they stop to watch it play.
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You can see all the way up Antelope Creek from this point, and the trail up to Iron Bog
Hugh had been walking up the trail toward us as we were coming down. We had brought walkie talkies and found that we could communicate quite well in most places.
Quinn's favorite bridge
Kyrsten had this grasshopper she'd been playing with all day
Zooming in to this tree way up on the mountain. Just seeing how far I could zoom with my point and shoot camera.
Quinn finds a bushy yarrow plant and plays with it like he plays with his marbles.
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Mad and giving Hugh a dirty look because he was telling them they had to go home for a day. Later he changed his mind and only Hugh left with Garret and Keaton.
The next day we just puttered around camp as Hugh was gone with Garret and Keaton. I broke my crown on my tooth that day and ended up going into Arco to find super glue. I found that I could glue it together and put it back on. It was a crazy day as I ended up getting super glue all over my hands, pants and seats in the truck. It squirted 5 inches when I poked a hole in the end of it.
A video that complements the photos on this day, it also has a little dialogue. I like the setting on the camera that does this.
climbing on rocks on a nature hike.
Kirsten, Jadyn, Quinn and Holly
See how many bugs and butterflies we can photograph
Playing at the bridge.
Down in the creek.
I found this cool and cozy place down by the creek where I sat and read for a couple hours in the cool morning. I would have stayed here in the afternoon as well if I hadn't broke my crown and had to go to town.
Thats a very burnt marshmallow Garret
Video as we are leaving.
Morning of the last day which was a Monday. The smoke from the surrounding forest fires was so bad. Quinn is in the tent packing up. We borrowed Macey's tent this time and it worked great for the both of us. Hugh had his camper and they all slept in it except Garret who slept in the back of their suburban.
The high way to Arco as we are leaving. Notice that you cannot see those really big mountains across the road.
I got a chance to photograph Saturn. I used the same setup that I used to photograph this past eclipse. I will post those in a later blog. Notice that while it is not a great photo I was still able to capture Saturn's rings. This was done on the last night we were there.
