Bullfrog North Ramp... again

Cimarron16

Cimarron16

Active Member
Getting everything ready to head down in a couple weeks. Everyone was super helpful in the last thread. Thinking about heading down in the evening and getting there12am ish, from Grand Junction.. where would be a good place to park the truck and get a couple hours worth of zzzzzs in the pickup before launching early?? Im assuming the rangers dont like people sleeping in their trucks at trailer parking, or probably have eyes on it. Im also assuming im not the only one to have contemplated this meneuver.
 
Decon parking lot next to loop A if you are inclined. There are lots of (black) dry cows on the winter range now . We make lots of early runs to Powell but always time it so we hit Hanksville and the open range at daylight. Get a good nights sleep at home and leave Junction at 4-4:30 am.
 
I don’t think you will have any trouble with the Rangers this (or honestly any) time of year sleeping in your truck. The decontamination/inspection parking lot would be fine as would the parking lot near the old marina store.

The black cows are no joke. They love to hang around right on the road and are incredibly hard to see until you are right into them. If you drive at night, go slow from Hanksville on.
 
I didn't expect winter range, and I should have. Just gonna be a quick day trip because I got the itch to get out and I need to blow the cobwebs out of a boat I am working on. Gonna troll around Bullfrog and Moki and drop some spoons if I run into any. If I get the urge, I might run up to Forgotten. I guess the main question is, is it worth putting the boat in before morning twilight for any type of bite? I be new to the winter Striper game
 
Since the highway is on grade the cows like to travel next to the road. The bar ditch gets extra runoff for feed. This last spring on my way to LP the cows were walking the center line drinking rainwater from the noise divots. There’s no calves this time of year and the old cows savvy the highway. If you drift over the noise divots as you approach they’re aware that you’re there. Who knows about a dawn launch, we have a full moon
 
You will absolutely have ZERO problem pulling into the parking lot and catching a few hours of sleep. I’ve seen people pulled in with their cab over campers in the middle of summer very obviously spending the night and no one cares. It will be virtually deserted up there. I’d venture to say there’s not a human that will even see you from when you park until when you get up to launch hahaha. Have fun and good luck!
 
Littlesaltwash said:
Since the highway is on grade the cows like to travel next to the road. The bar ditch gets extra runoff for feed. This last spring on my way to LP the cows were walking the center line drinking rainwater from the noise divots. There’s no calves this time of year and the old cows savvy the highway. If you drift over the noise divots as you approach they’re aware that you’re there. Who knows about a dawn launch, we have a full moon
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Noise divots =rumble strips on the right side?
 
This is all great advice. Giving me a lot of avenues to snoop around on Google Earth and think about. The day on the water will be (should be, barring any weather) the 19th or 20th, a new moon I think. So maybe I will see someone from the thread down there. Hopefully I will graph or pull something up within a few miles of the marina
 
Ryan said:
I don’t think you will have any trouble with the Rangers this (or honestly any) time of year sleeping in your truck. The decontamination/inspection parking lot would be fine as would the parking lot near the old marina store.

The black cows are no joke. They love to hang around right on the road and are incredibly hard to see until you are right into them. If you drive at night, go slow from Hanksville on.
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Agreed! Just got back from Bullfrog and 4 locations had cows between Bullfrog and Hanksville (7:00 pm)... stay under 50 mph! They appeared right after the warning signs! Well placed warning!
 
I think I may have clipped one a few years back on a November trip.

We left later than I wanted to. Had my older truck without the best head lights. All of a sudden the cows were everywhere - both the side of the road as well as in the middle. I braked and weaved through. Stopped and got out and everything looked ok but when I got home and looked at the trailer in the light one of the guide posts was missing on the trailer. Maybe the damage happened in the parking lot and I didn’t notice but that wouldn’t be my normal modus operandi.

That same trip, just outside of Ticaboo, there was an F150 on the side of the road that hit a full grown cow. The front end was mangled all the way to the windshield. They must have been flying. I never heard but man that truck looked like it would have been tough to survive in.

I now have a Grand Cherokee with night vision. I specifically checked that box for winter and spring trips to the lake.

Anyway, I hope you have a good trip, the boat runs well, you catch some fish and come home safely.
 
Bruno said:
Agreed! Just got back from Bullfrog and 4 locations had cows between Bullfrog and Hanksville (7:00 pm)... stay under 50 mph! They appeared right after the warning signs! Well placed warning!
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Like most I also try to avoid driving between Hanksville and Bullfrog after it starts getting dark. But if it can’t be avoided, slowing down, only makes sense!
Seeing how people drive, I am surprise there aren’t more accidents. I’ve had moronic idiots pass me while I was going 50 in this section during twilight. One guy literally passed me when there was a cow standing right on the side of the road! All I could do was stomp on the brakes, grate my teeth, and hope the cow didn’t step out on the road…
 
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