Wyoming Backroads Exploration

[smallfry]

Photos from the 2nd half of the day yesterday was exploring a portion of Tunp Range in Wyoming and seeing if the routes back to Lake Alice and the Devil’s Hole was open yet as well as a secondary route back to Kemmerer Wyoming. Both the Wyoming Backroads book and the Wyoming Benchmark Maps came in handy while back in these area.









You can see the road towards the bottom of the photo that I just came up.






The road back to Lake Alice is still not open yet to 4x4 travel.

 

[smallfry]

I was surprised to see the road this clear but I'm assuming it was only this clear at the moment due to a logging operation that was going on further down the trail.









The road ahead leads down to Hams Fork but it is not open yet. My original plan was to come from the other side along FS10062 but I think I made the better choice coming the direction that I did.












In the Wyoming Backroads book this route is called 'Hams Folk Plateau' and is a back way to Kemmerer ,Wyoming. I originally missed it using the Benchmark book so the the other book came in handy.


Can you follow the trail as it kicks up the mountain?








At the top of the pass.


The view from where I decided to end my day and head back home.


The road continued on behind me but it dropped down among the aspens on muddy and still partially snow covered trail. I knew better than to continue on since I didn't know what laid ahead in the mess and I didn't want to get stuck.

Now what I didn't post a photo is that there is some trail damage along the Ham's Fork trail. At one portion of it passing though some ranch the trail is servery rutted out and looks like folks had previously gotten stuck in the muck. There's a bypass around it but even that is starting to rut out some and I have a chuck of mud/grass on the side of my skid plate now. The 2nd area of damage is around a culvert that has been eroded out on both sides, it's been fixed to make it passable but another good rain storm could wash it out.

I'm hoping to make a return to the area in June once the snow melts off more and try to complete both routes as a loop starting and ending in Kemmerer, Wyoming. With the hopes of hiking back to the Devil's Hole and Lake Alice. Anyone want to come if I go?

 

[MissouriBreaks]

Great photos. I love driving back roads like these and have at least one of the books you mentioned. Will have to try these roads sometime.

 

[2ndhandyotaman]

It's pretty on that side of the state. I was in Cheyenne for a year a long time ago, It was vastly different from that.

 

[Peadog]

Thanks for the post. Ordered those books for the next trip west.

 

[smallfry]

Pulled the photos off my cell phone. This is the worst section that I encountered towards the end. Made it though fine the first time taking the bypass on the left but on the way back I slid a bit and hit a patch of grass.



No way I was going to try and go straight through this




A short section after this you could feel the softness in the ground as you drove over it but it was firm enough to still drive on with no issues. I hate mud.

Cell phone similar to one I already posted.

 

[gm350reratliff]

Awesome pics! Man, I'd love to do some exploring up there some day!

 

[jb10]

cool pics! thanks for sharing. i grew up in wy and i'm planning a trip back there all on back roads similar to yours

 

[smallfry]

Heading back to the area at the end of the month to see if I can complete the loop I originally set out to do.

 

[smallfry]

Part 2 of this trip can be found here: https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/part-2-wyoming-backroads-exploration.195082/