[Cdt-l] Henrys Lake Route

[Rick Ostheimer]

I was fine with only Ley's maps----and OOOs track on my GPS.  In fact, I 
can remember misplacing the trail only twice on the whole route from the 
exit of Yellowstone to where it joins the alternate from Macks Inn.  One 
of the "misplacements" was where the trail turns 90 degrees east from a 
forest road onto an abandoned rail bed heavily used by ATVs.  I missed 
the turn there but was rescued by Rubadubdub who learned from some 
ATVers whom I'd given directions that I'd headed the wrong direction.  
He persuaded the ATVers to come get me and give me a ride, hanging on 
the rear of the 4-wheeler for dear life, back to the railroad bed 
intersection.  The other was just N of Targhee Pass where I thought I'd 
missed a turn and headed back to the pass only to find I'd been on the 
"trail" after all.

The new section of trail between the abandoned RR grade and Targhee Pass 
was very nice, well-marked and easy to follow, but I don't recall any 
water.  There was a fantastic wildflower display there on Aug 3, 2011 
(might have been delayed due to heavy snow), but no water from the 
beginning of the rail grade until descending into the pass where the 
trail crosses some small streams and springs.  I'd carried water from a 
stream noted on Ley's map just before the RR grade turnoff, and camped 
up on the divide about 10 mi S of the pass from whence I could see the 
lights of West Yellowstone and made my reservations for the hostel at 
the Madison Hotel.  I highly recommend the hostel and the restaurant 
just to the south of it.  The hitch in was easy since I'd met man out 
looking for huckleberries and struck up a conversation with him, 
eventually yogi-ing a ride----his son had hiked the PCT so he was 
familiar with "hiker trash".

There are great resupply options at the two grocery stores in W. 
Yellowstone, but the "outfitters" offerings were disappointing.  The 
hitch back to the trail was very difficult.  I think I stood by the side 
of the road for over two hours until I wound up talking with the wife of 
a motorcyclist and her friend started asking me about the trail.  She 
and her husband were headed to Sturgis for the Harley rally and I wound 
up riding to the pass as a passenger on his Harley.  First ever hitch on 
a motorcycle.

The trail north of Targhee Pass starts out on a closed forest road, 
joins with an ATV trail near a rock formation called Lions Head and then 
gets onto really nice tread.  There is water a couple of places between 
Lions Head and the top a climb to Targhee Divide, then again after the 
trail switchbacks quickly down 3000 ft to Mile Creek.  There is 
newly-built (2010?) trail that crosses Mile Creek and cuts off some of 
the road walk on US287 that is shown on Ley's map.  I saw the turnoff, 
but didn't take it as I was following the line on Ley's map.  When I got 
to Targhee Divide, I was tempted to scramble up Targhee Peak, but 
demurred as there were thunderstorms brewing all around and it was 
getting late in the day.  I wound up camping at the first level spot 
along the trail after the descent from Targhee Divide which was only 
about a mile before that turnoff on the new section of trail.  I imagine 
Targhee National Forest can give an update on this new section and 
explain where ends up.

The road walk along US287 wasn't too bad and there was some nice trail 
built on the northbound side of US287.  The section along Hell Roaring 
Creek caused some confusion as there's new trail built there that isn't 
yet shown on Ley's maps.  Plus, I think both the new and old sections 
through there were marked.  The new trail, which I followed, recrossed 
Hell Roaring Creek or one of its tributaries and leads to high meadows 
with the most spectacular wildflower display I witnessed in my 2011 
"chunk" hike from Rawlins to McDonald Pass.  It also passes a spring 
before heading back up to the divide.  These are just before the route 
from Macks Inn joins.

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