Escalante Utah - Barker Reservoir revisited

We head back up to Barker Reservoir with the intention of 

spending the night in our Truck bed Tent.  We turn onto North Creek Road and this time I stopped to get a picture of the Falls right at the turn

We turn right onto North Creek Road

 The Aspen seem to be budding out more.

We end up back at Barker Reservoir

We decide to hike to the other lakes along the trail that was snowed in when we were up here a few days ago.  Looks like the beavers were hard at work again.

The Aspen are all covered with inscriptions along the way.

Still some snow but it is passable.

When you come to a fork in the road - which way do you go?

We head towards Lower Barker 

And there it is.  

We don't hike down the hill, 

instead we turn left to head to Joe Lay Reservoir

 More Aspen, the silence is broken by a jet overhead

We come to a backpacking campsite

 Little Joe Reservoir is just beyond.

Tucson can't resist a quick swim.  The water is cold!  Still dropping into the 30's and it is fed by snow melt.

The boys taking a break before heading back

We return back the way we came with the intention of setting our lawn chairs on the dock and doing some reading.
 
Got back and a family was there fishing.  This young woman caught a rainbow trout.  I  told her I would text her the picture.  It didn't go until we got back to town but she replied right away thanks and that she worked at Bryce Canyon National Park and if we were ever that way to look her up. 

Since the dock was tied up we decided to check out the Old Lady campsite for our overnight stay and the far side of Lower Barker Reservoir. 

We have lunch

and Gary catches a few winks.

While Tucson and I scoped out Lower Barker Reservoir

Looks like a perfect place to set up our chairs.  I head back to let Gary know and 2 cars pull into the parking area and fishermen get out - curses foiled again!

Gary thinks one of the cars belongs to the family we ran into at Upper Barker Reservoir so we head back up there - and the dock is free!  So we set up our chairs and Gary does some fishing with Tucson supervising.

While I read and get some shots of the local waterfowl.  I was enthralled with this Blue billed Ruddy Duck

There was also a Mallard pair

as well as a what is either a Female or Immature Male Hooded Merganser - it was not impressive from a distance - Gary thought it was ugly but a close-up proved otherwise.

Gary didn't catch anything but Tucson was ever hopeful

We packed it up and headed back to Lower Barker and found the fishermen leaving there so we hauled down the chairs and enjoyed a cocktail

We go back to Old Lady campground and have a dinner fit for a King, or a camping garbage plate.

At this point we are both beat and decide we are too tired to set up
the Tent to spend the night so we just head back home.

 Tucson just kicks back and enjoys the ride