Fishlake Hightop Field Trip - FF
August 27, 2005 – field trip to Fish Lake Hightop
On August 27, 2005 we convened a field trip to the Fish Lake Hightop in Sevier County. We met at Pelican Point and had a brief discussion about backcounty. Frank Fay (planning team leader) asked the group to think about three questions during the field trip:
About 17 people then rode horses or mules up Pelican Canyon to the hightop (one trail dog followed along). Another 6 people drove to the Tasha Springs trailhead for a short hike on the top. The Fish Lake High Top is a dramatic alpine setting with boulders, grass, and scattered conifers. There are excellent views in all directions. We saw Mt Nebo, the Tushars, Thousand Lake Mountain, Boulder Top, and even the Henrys and Factory Butte in the distance.
At about one o’clock we met at Tasha Springs for a brief discussion. Several of the horse riders supported the general idea of backcountry, but expressed a desire for a backcountry area at a lower elevation with aspen and meadows.
Looking at the forest-wide map, several people expressed that they like the proposed White Mountain backcountry area, but were concerned about motorized encroachment from the north in Gunnison Valley. There was also some interest in discussing a backcountry designation for part of the Boulder Mountain Rim. Several specific examples of motorized encroachment around the forest were discussed.
The riders then rode down the Tasha Creek trail to the equestrian camp. The hikers split with half going down the Pelican Trail and half hiking around on top. We reconvened at the equestrian camp for additional discussion and good byes.