Hi all,
We made it! After more than 200 18+ inch cutthroat, over 50 miles of muddy trail, and more laughs than we count, the Thorofare Expedition is back in the front country! As we sit in Jackson Hole, everyone is feeling pretty beat up, but countless personal best cutthroat and breathtaking views made it well worth it: we can all confidently say this is a trip we will never forget. With all those miles behind us, we can confidently say that everyone caught their personal best cutthroat, and many were able to land their overall largest trout! Through it all, muddy horse trails and all, it was our positive attitudes and determination that led us to the excellent fishing.
After picking up everyone from the airport, we spent the night at the Gros Ventre campground near Jackson, where we were able to get to know each other and exchange some fish tales. After walking around the Jackson Hole square briefly (and playing a few games of ultimate frisbee at a local park), we loaded up the van and headed to Turpin Meadows trailhead with the real adventure in our sights! After some backcountry preparation and divvying up of group gear, we prepared a hearty stir-fry meal to prepare us for the long day of hiking that was soon to come.
The following day we met up with the horse packers to lighten our load a little bit for our longest day of hiking. With minimal weight on our backs and our hearts set on huge cutties, we set off, ready to attack the day and the 16 miles that were to come! Due to inclement weather in the previous days, the trail was a little bit muddier than expected, but nonetheless, we forged ahead. The guides said that this was the most difficult they had ever seen the trail, but the boys were unfazed and pushed the pace as hard as they could. After 16 miles of hard work and mud pits, we made it to our campsite on Two Oceans Pass. The pass is most notable for being where Two Oceans Creek splits and creates Pacific Creek, which drains into the Snake River and eventually the Pacific Ocean, and Atlantic Creek, which drains into the Yellowstone River and ends up in the Gulf of Mexico. That night, we prepared a quick dinner of dehydrated meals and reflected on the wonder of nature that were these fish: they swam dozens of miles upstream to spawn on the exact same redds (spawning beds) in which they were born. They battled through raging river canyons and deep pools to make it back to the place in which their life began. After much reflection, we all realized just how lucky we were to even witness these fish in the first place, let alone get the chance to catch one. Despite acknowledging that there was a chance we wouldn’t catch fish, everyone seemed at peace with the idea that just witnessing the fish was an incredible testament to the strength and will of nature.
Upon waking up the next morning, a few members of our group fished out in front of camp catching the first of over 200 fish on the trip. All healthy, pre-spawn cutthroat approaching 20" in length. After a bowl of oatmeal, we embarked on the final six miles of our journey to Hawks Rest. Along the way, we would encounter several creek crossings and dense forests and bogs before reaching our campsite on the other side of a bridge over the Yellowstone river. That night the group headed to fish the Yellowstone for a few hours where we would catch around a half dozen colored up Yellowstone cutthroats en route to their spawning tributaries.
For the next two days, the group would split up into three separate, smaller groups fishing various different creeks and rivers within a few miles of our base camp. It was during these two days that we would find the best fishing of the trip. After packing a lunch, the groups would head out of camp by 8:30am and fish until around 7pm. Some groups would catch upwards of 50 fish in just a few hours with the average size approaching 20-21 inches. These incredible fish made the cold temperatures, bushwhacking, and thunderstorms bearable. To add to the experience, one of the creeks we fished showed no signs of other humans, this leaving us to believe that we were the first ones to fish it this year and possibly the first since our group fished it last year.
After our third and last night at Hawks Rest, we woke up and began our long journey back to the Turpin Meadows trailhead. After a few group pictures at the Hawks Rest ranger cabin and picturesque bridge over the Yellowstone, we embarked on a 12 miles hike to a campsite along the upper Buffalo Fork River. Despite the weather, brutal mosquitos, and various sign of bear activity we made it at dusk and enjoyed one last night in the backcountry. After a long day and night, the group slept in to gain some energy for the final push to the van that day. After close to seven hours of hiking through mud pools and brutal hot temperatures, we made it to the trailhead.
Today we made our way into Jackson for some much needed showers followed by a pizza lunch. This afternoon and evening will consist of an ultimate frisbee game concluded by a BBQ feast to end our trip.
This trip surely has been one for the books. With the numerous large fish caught, spectacular views, and the sheer remoteness of the wilderness area, this trip has to be one of the best LFFE has ever ran.
Tight lines,
Will, Zach, Cole and the LFFE Crew
