Fishhawk Creek, Washakie Wilderness

Towelie · Aug 12, 2018

My wife is into hiking and backpacking like most of us are into hunting. Every year we do a few trips. We already did a Wind River trip this year to a new spot and one in the Gros Ventre. Now she's obsessed with the Washakie. Never been there. Pretty much just threw a dart at the map and picked Fishhawk. We're going the first week of September.

Anyone been up there?

How's the trail?

How's the fishing?

Looking at maps I think we'll camp around fishhawk meadows. Will there be any outfitter camps there? Don't really want to camp near where someone will be hanging dead elk.

How's the grizz situation up there? We have lots of bear spray, both leaded and unleaded.

DoubleDropMuley · Aug 12, 2018

Haven?t been up that drainage but I'm sure the grizz are there. Be safe and have some fun!!

mightyhunter · Aug 13, 2018

If you are talking Fishhawk Creek that runs into the North Fork of the Shoshone, be prepared to cross that creek a lot of times as you move along the trail. As with every drainage in this area, you can expect grizzly bears. I believe Michael, nfh on these forums, spends time in that area.

just sayin...mh

nfh · Aug 13, 2018

Be prepared to cross the main Shoshone river right away. Then after that you cross fishhawk creek 23 times.

yes right at the meadows is a camp. it is fishhawk creek mountain outfitters. The camp will be there by sep.1

Towelie · Aug 13, 2018

Hmmmm....very interesting.

Looking at google earth it shows a bridge up stream a little bit from fishhawk creek, crossing the Shoshone and a road going down steam toward FC and ending right before FC. I thought that was the trailhead. That's not it??

How difficult is it to wade across the river with full packs on?

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.

Soccerdude · Aug 13, 2018

You are talking about the boy scout camp bridge. I don't know when its closed and how often you can cross. Kitty creek trail starts just to the west of fishhawk.

Anyone else enlighten us on the boy scout camp bridge for hiking and hunting?

Wyohunter1 · Aug 13, 2018

>You are talking about the boy
>scout camp bridge. I
>don't know when its closed
>and how often you can
>cross. Kitty creek trail
>starts just to the west
>of fishhawk.
>
>Anyone else enlighten us on the
>boy scout camp bridge for
>hiking and hunting?

Bridge is open open year round

Wyohunter1 · Aug 13, 2018

If you want to backpack in the Washakie, go up the Greybull River or the Wood River or even the South Fork of the Shoshone River is a beauty

Soccerdude · Aug 13, 2018

>>You are talking about the boy
>>scout camp bridge. I
>>don't know when its closed
>>and how often you can
>>cross. Kitty creek trail
>>starts just to the west
>>of fishhawk.
>>
>>Anyone else enlighten us on the
>>boy scout camp bridge for
>>hiking and hunting?
>
>
>Bridge is open open year
>round

Good to know. I will be out there chasing mulies nov 4-10th. My brother had a tag last year and we had a blast.

OchocoKid · Aug 13, 2018

I would 2nd WYO on the south fork . I've been up there a couple times at least 15 miles from the trailhead and it's an awesome area. the largest roadless area in the lower 48 I believe. I would plan on seeing griz but they never gave us any trouble.

Stay Thirsty My Friends

nfh · Aug 14, 2018

You can use the bridge but it just some extra foot steps. the parking for fishhawk is on the other side of the highway. then cross the highway then the main river. The trail is clean. Good suggestions on other trails to hit. I spent 30 days straight on the Greybull last summer and lots of awesome county to.

Wyohunter1 · Aug 14, 2018

The Upper South Fork has some excellent fishing as well as I heard the Upper Greybull does too.

Towelie · Aug 14, 2018

Great info!! Thanks again. Very much appreciated.

Both the Graybull and South Fork sounds intriguing to me but this is my wife's deal. I will pass on the info and let her decide where we're going.

Towelie · Aug 14, 2018

Oh btw, I'm assuming the Boy Scout camp doesn't allow people crossing the bridge, driving down to the end of that road and parking?

mightyhunter · Aug 14, 2018

You can cross the bridge and drive to the start of the Boy Scout Camp. That is the least of your problems. Crossing the creek numerous times may require some waders. just sayin...mh

Gator · Aug 15, 2018

Bear spray is good, I hope you have something else to help if needed.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
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Towelie · Sep 17, 2018

Just wanted to thank everyone again for the info and suggestions and give a run down on the trip.

We ended up going up Fishhawk. Not your typical backpacking country but a great adventure anyway and the wife loved it. We saw 1 horse trailer at the trailhead. We ran into them on the trail. They were unsuccessful sheep hunters heading out to try another drainage so we were the only ones up there. You couldn't walk on that trail without stepping in bear crap. Lots of water crossings! We found the outfitters camp complete with bear boxes. No one was home, no tents set up, so we decided to camp there and use the bear boxes. We cooked and ate by the bear boxes and set up our tent a couple hundred yards away at the edge of the meadow. Fishing was outstanding!!!!
That country is hard to get around in. Dead fall from hell but we did a little exploring anyway. We tried to hike up Glacier creek to Fishhawk Glacier. We almost made it but had to turn around because we didn't want to be stumbling around in the dead fall in the dark.
We were basically camped right at the confluence of Avalanche creek and Fishhawk creek so we decided to hike up Avalanche creek. What awesome country Avalanche creek is!!! Unbelievable!!.
First there's a 70 foot deep slot in the ground where Avalanche creek dumps into the Fishhawk creek drainage. Then at the head of the Avalance creek drainage is the Avalanche Creek Cirque. Absolutely Freaking spectacular!!! This is where we saw our first grizz of the trip. We made it up Avalanche creek about a mile when we came upon a somewhat open meadow a few hundred yards long. We made it in the meadow a hundred yards or so when I saw movment at the tree line in front of us. Put my binos up and sure as chit a grizz coming down the trail if you can call it that, and he doesn't see us so I blow my whistle and he stops and is looking our direction but looks like he still doesn't see us so I wave my arms. Now he sees us. It got a little tense for a minute because it looked like he couldn't decide if he wanted to bail or come check us out as he would take a few steps towards us and then turn around and take a few back. Finally he headed into the trees to the north. We sat there for a while deciding if we should keep going or turn around. We were just about to turn around when I looked up on the ridge above where he was and saw him going over the ridge into the next drainage to the north.
We tried to hike all the way up the Fishhawk creek drainage but was stopped by a massive pile of avalanche debris blocking the entire drainage.

Towelie · Sep 17, 2018

Part 2:

There was a trail leading out of fishhawk meadow that led up a hill to a pretty good glassing spot. One morning from that spot I spotted the 2nd and final grizz of the trip. I put my spotter on him. He was way up high on the north shoulder of Chaos peak heading to the east. We saw one doe and fawn and one small 290 300ish bull in the meadow all the other elk I saw were way up high in the steep chit close to tree line. Didn't see much elk sign low at all. Heard a faith bugle one morning and saw a couple pretty good bulls bugling way up high through the spotter but too far away to hear them. Wondering if all the elk were up high in the steeps because of wolves?? We saw no wolves, no sign or didn't hear any. Didn't see any bucks. Saw some moose tracks but didn't see any. Like I said before fishing was great. Awesome trip!

BTW Gator, we took a little more than just spray. I packed a 870 12 gauge with a slug barrel with 3" Mag 1 1/4 oz. slugs and the wife had her Kimber 1911 in .45

nfh · Sep 17, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Sep-17-18 AT 03:03PM (MST)[p]Thanks for the update. I know the sheep hunters you ran into. I talked to the guy that was going up there.

oh yeah how did you like the 23 river crossings???

Towelie · Sep 17, 2018

Hahahah. yea the river crossings were a pain in my arse. My wife doesn't mind hiking with wet feet but I can't stand it. I was taking off my hiking boots and putting on my trail runners to cross the creek at each crossing. Until we got way up the drainage and the crossings became more frequent then I said screw it and hiked with wet feet too.