Diverse Americans enjoy time in a Wyoming water tower…
I recently had the privilege of spending time with fellow public land owners in the Seven Brothers Creek Water Tower. Diverse Americans, from five of fifty States, enjoying the solace of Wyoming’s public lands. Ten Americans in all, myself included. Some meeting each other for the first time, others reuniting for the first time in months or years.
Six adults. Some single. Some married. Most middle age. One senior citizen (me if you can believe that).
Four children. One young child. One pre-teen. Two teens.
And one dog.
A spectacular glaciated landscape…
The Seven Brothers Creek Water Tower is within the Bighorn National Forest in north-central Wyoming. The highest elevations, roughly 9,000 to 11,900 feet above sea level, are within the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area. Elevations below the wilderness area (roughly 9,000 to 7,800 feet) are multiple use lands (motorized and non-motorized recreation, logging, livestock grazing) that finish draining the water tower into North Clear Creek. These waters, free as they are, eventually reach the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, ultimately flowing into the Gulf of Mexico.
The hydrology of the water tower is a snowmelt dominated cycle. Deep snowpack builds each year between October and April. This snowpack then melts mid-April through early July, filling stream channels, like Seven Brothers Creek, with cold clean water. Once the snowpack is gone, the creeks recede to a constant base flow for the rest of the summer and into the fall.
Heavily glaciated Pre-Cambrian granites dominate the landscape. Surficial geology resulting from the glaciation is as diverse as was our backpacking party. Lateral and terminal moraines of various ages and sizes. Glacial erratics, some the size of small cars, haphazardly scattered everywhere.
And then there’s Seven Brothers Lakes. A string of small to large waterbodies along a distance of about 1.5-miles running west to east. Each nestled in glacial till with only about 100-feet of elevation difference between the lowest and highest lake.
With shorelines wrapped by a diverse forest of lodgepole pine, Englemann spruce, and sub-alpine fir, each lake is unique in its own right. But as a hydrologic and ecologic unit, the whole is orders of magnitude greater than the sum of the parts.
Many would consider each lake spectacular enough, as so eloquently shouted by the young child in our group when she saw the first lake. “GIMONGOUS” she said, as she threw her pack to the ground and ran to the shore. But wait until you see the other six, and the glacial cirque and high peaks above them, I thought in silence as I chuckled at her comment.
Our Seven Brothers journey…
Day 1…
Our journey began at the Hunter Trailhead on the east side of the Bighorn Mountains. After introductions, and taking a little time for old friends to reunite, we threw our packs on our backs and headed west. We had hoped to reach Seven Brothers Lakes our first day. But with a noon start and much of our group being from the East Coast, thus struggling with the high elevation, we chose to spend our first night near the wilderness boundary.
Doing this allowed us to have a fire, for they are allowed outside the wilderness but not in. Our planned camp, still another two miles away, was in an area off-limits to any fires. Trees and thus firewood are scarce at those elevations due to a short, cold growing season.
The fire served many purposes. Cooking dinner. Taking the chill off tired bodies milling around in the 50-degree weather. Sparking conversation – old and new. Sharing and remembering backpacking stories from trips of the past. Four happy kids playing and learning from each other. Six tired adults sipping wine while listening to the cascading waters of North Clear Creek.
The night brought rain. A light pitter-patter, on rainflys of various colors, that facilitated sleep.
Day 2…
The next day we finished our trek to our original destination – the eastern most lake of the Seven Brothers string. Fording North Clear Creek first thing in the morning in shorts and sandals was a cold experience for all. With both water temperature and air temperature about the same (low to mid 50s) the crossing was a character building one too. Especially for the kids.
We found a flat area on the edge of a lateral moraine overlooking the broad valley of North Clear Creek. After pitching five tents amongst the trees we located an area to the west to hang our food high in the trees so critters of the night couldn’t feast on our dime. Then we found a good kitchen and living room area near the shores of Lake 1.
The four kids took off exploring while the six adults rested in the sun. Rains returned late afternoon and into the evening, making dinner a challenge. But it was all good as everyone hunkered down under the trees and worked as a team.
Day 3…
The third day most of the group took off on a day hike to see the other six lakes and the alpine country above them. One took off with a spinning rod, baited to sample each lake for a fish named Harvey Wallhanger. But it was Harvey’s lucky day.
After returning to camp we chose to have an early supper as once again rains returned. Our timing could not have been better. Bellies were filled and dishes were cleaned shortly before the sprinkles began. Sprinkles turned to small hail which turned to steady rain so everyone headed to the tents for the night.
It rained most of the night. Occasional lightning lit up the sky. Subsequent thunder rumbled off the mountain peaks. A spectacular symphonic light show.
Day 4…
By daybreak the rains had quit but the skies were threatening more moisture. Camp was torn down and wet gear was stuffed into backpacks. Backpacks were once again thrown on backs and the trip out ensued.
The re-crossing of North Clear Creek wasn’t any warmer than it was two days previous, but even more character building occurred.
The trip out seemed much faster than the trip in. The kids seemed to take off like horses heading to the barn. The adults seemed to keep glancing over their shoulders at building thunderstorms, wondering if rain gear would have to come out. But it didn’t.
The kids cheered as we walked into the trailhead. They helped the adults load gear in vehicles. The dog found shade, flopped down on the ground, and watched everyone else do the work.
Good-byes, hugs and “thanks for a great time” exchanges were made. Vehicles were driven off.
In closing…
And the ten Americans, all owners of the Seven Brothers Creek Water Tower, headed home. Their bodies and souls recharged as they returned to their busy lives. Recharging through recreation, one of the many ecosystem services provided by Wyoming’s water towers. And Wyoming’s public lands.
Until next time. Enjoy YOUR public lands. And write your representatives with your thoughts on how they should be managed.