Only seemed like yesterday that we were strolling along the trail along lower Green Lake on our way up to a meadow section of the Green River between the upper and lower bodies of water. The weather was fine in the sixties though a bit breezy as we went searching for the Greater North American Colorado cutthroat trout, a rare species growing rarer by the day as our species encroaches on the last of this trout’s pristine mountain habitat. A few of them also swim in the Wyoming Range to the southwest. In the Green running below the lakes the rainbows were plentiful and willing, but no luck attracting the native species in question, so the desire surfaced for this walk into the Bridger Wilderness during the height of a gorgeous Wyoming autumn (also think of Mari Sandoz and her book Cheyenne Autumn for some reason at this time of the year in this place.) The distinctive shape of Squaretop Mountain dominates the natural proceedings. Moose are being aggressive in the willows at the head of the lake. We give them a wide birth. I’ve had far more confrontations with them than with grizzlies over the years. We find a beautiful waterfall and plunge pool filled with trout—rainbows. In the meadows the fish are few and far between but of good size, but none are caught. They’re on the spooky side of life this afternoon. None of this matters as we enjoy a lunch of brie, grapes, sourdough bread, and summer sausage before heading back down to the parking lot several miles distant to make the quick run to our campsite in a grassy stretch along a nice reach of the Green. The moon lights up storm clouds as we enjoy a fire before turning in. Fine weather in good country. Seems like yesterday as winter snow flies out my window.