Sheep Creek to Strawberry

[PACMEN]

Figured I'd get on here to let those who go to Strawberry via Spanish Fork Canyon, then up Sheep Creek, that the gate is closed just after the junction that goes North to Rays Valley.  To those who are familiar this is the new oiled road.  The gate is open at Indian Creek but closed at the South end.

Yesterday we went to the Berry using this road.  When we left Renegade at just after 5 pm we headed home on this road.  We got to the gate and had to turn around go back to Indian creek then on to hwy 40.  Pretty well took a half hr each way.  We were not the only ones with this conundrum a truck pulling a boat pulled up to the gate right behind us.
AT the gate there is no easy way to turn around.  The road is 2 lane with mountain on one side and a drop off on the other.  We backed up the road a hundred yards or so where the road grade was a bit less.  Jack knifed the boat, blocked the wheels both ways, unhooked the truck, turned it around, drove on the shoulder past the boat, then hooked up to the trailer that was now blocking pretty much both travel lanes and off we went back up the mountain.
Took us 2 hrs longer to get home than it did to get there.  To say the least we were some pretty unhappy fishers.

Now to the important stuff.  Catching was fairly. We did not do as good as last week but still caught our fair share plus some.  Nice warm calm morning with catching consistent then noon or so a 5mph breeze kicked up.  A big   came to my face as I ALWAYS do better with a bit of chop on the water.  I guess the ALWAYS needs to be amended.  Dang catching dropped right off.  It never got back to as fast as it had been.  When the breeze kicked up the  fish moved from the top 4' of water to 6' -10' down and got more finicky.  All my fish were caught on white tubes with chub cut bait.  Fellow I was with caught a few on night crawlers but I think most of his were on the cut bait also.  Tried other colors but they only seemed to want white.
I did not count but I would estimate there were about 6 outfits with boat trailers in the parking lot.

[Kent]

That is too bad on the closed gate. Isn't there a gate down by Indian Creek that had it been locked you could have avoided a lot of pain?

[PACMEN]

That is too bad on the closed gate.  Isn't there a gate down by Indian Creek that had it been locked you could have avoided a lot of pain?

Yes there is one at Indian Creek.  When we got back to Indian I was sure glad to see it still open and they had not locked us in.  If I had had a pair of bolt cutters I would have cut their lock.  There were people coming up to the gate from the bottom also.  They were trying to get to their trailers up the mountain.  These people had to go back down Spanish Fork Canyon then up Provo Canyon past Heber to get to their rigs.

[gofish435]

Thanks for the report and gate information. I was thinking about heading up that way tomorrow, you saved me some pain.    

According to the Forest Service web site the road is not supposed to be closed until November 20th.   

[chubby chaser]

Figured I'd get on here to let those who go to Strawberry via Spanish Fork Canyon, then up Sheep Creek, that the gate is closed just after the junction that goes North to Rays Valley.  To those who are familiar this is the new oiled road.  The gate is open at Indian Creek but closed at the South end.

Yesterday we went to the Berry using this road.  When we left Renegade at just after 5 pm we headed home on this road.  We got to the gate and had to turn around go back to Indian creek then on to hwy 40.  Pretty well took a half hr each way.  We were not the only ones with this conundrum a truck pulling a boat pulled up to the gate right behind us.
AT the gate there is no easy way to turn around.  The road is 2 lane with mountain on one side and a drop off on the other.  We backed up the road a hundred yards or so where the road grade was a bit less.  Jack knifed the boat, blocked the wheels both ways, unhooked the truck, turned it around, drove on the shoulder past the boat, then hooked up to the trailer that was now blocking pretty much both travel lanes and off we went back up the mountain.
Took us 2 hrs longer to get home than it did to get there.  To say the least we were some pretty unhappy fishers.

Now to the important stuff.  Catching was fairly. We did not do as good as last week but still caught our fair share plus some.  Nice warm calm morning with catching consistent then noon or so a 5mph breeze kicked up.  A big   came to my face as I ALWAYS do better with a bit of chop on the water.  I guess the ALWAYS needs to be amended.  Dang catching dropped right off.  It never got back to as fast as it had been.  When the breeze kicked up the  fish moved from the top 4' of water to 6' -10' down and got more finicky.  All my fish were caught on white tubes with chub cut bait.  Fellow I was with caught a few on night crawlers but I think most of his were on the cut bait also.  Tried other colors but they only seemed to want white.
I did not count but I would estimate there were about 6 outfits with boat trailers in the parking lot.

geez, seems like the  least they could do is post a sign at the bottom of the road letting people know the gate was closed.  at least that way people can still go up to other spots in the canyon but not expect to make up to the lake.

[SkunkedAgain]

I always worry about getting closed in this time of year, been up cutting fire wood and such and when I go past the gates I worry they may be locked when I come out at night... So far I haven't been locked in, but you kind of experienced my worry of mountain roads as it gets to be winter... Glad you could get the boat turned around, that could have been a really nasty situation, glad they didn't get the other end locked before you got back to it... At least you had a good fishing trip to offset the bad news... Thanks for the report, very valuable info... later J

[Piscophilic]

Thanks for the report and for the gate info! It probably saved several of us from trying it. I used that road for the first time time a few weeks ago. I remember thinking I would not want to try pulling a boat on it either direction if there was snow on it. 

The guy locking the gate was probably still working on the process when you ran into trouble. Closing it before last night's storm might have saved someone else a bigger problem that you had though.

[catchinon]

A number of years ago I had a Samurai with large tires that allowed me to drive on top of the packed snow that's on the roads of the Nebo Loop. I could go anywhere and it was a lot of fun. Once in the spring after they had unlocked the gates on the Payson side I decided to drive clear through to the other end of the loop near Nephi. To my dismay the gate was locked on that end. I didn't want to drive all the way back over the top. I unwired the fence at a corner, pulled the wires back and drove through, then put it all back good as new. No damage was done and I say no harm, no foul. I doubt the Forest Service would have seen it that way, though.