Location: Medicine Bow National Forest, Pole Mountain Unit, east of Laramie, WY
Access: From the Happy Jack exit off I-80 at the Summit, head east on Happy Jack Rd 2.8 miles, then northeast on Telephone Rd (FR712) for 1.2 miles. At the fork, veer left, and continue another mile east to the next intersection. Take a sharp left turn and head north half a mile on FR702 to where the road crosses Middle Lodgepole Creek. Park along the road near UTM NAD83 z 13 469192e 4568942n.
Trail: None. The loop Henry and I took circled around a tributary of Middle Fork Lodgepole Creek, then followed the main channel back to make an easy loop of 4.4 miles with 370’ elevation gain. 
Fees: None
Dogs: No posted restrictions
Maps: USGS 7.5’ quads : Pilot Hill, Green Top Mt

June 14, 2014
Henry and I took in this pleasant stroll through the lush riparian meadows and shaded conifer-filled draws in the upper reaches of Middle Fork Lodgepole Creek on a sunny, warm morning in June. I parked near where the road crosses the creek, and we walked upstream on the south bank through aspen groves, open meadows and fields of mountain big sage, one of the prettiest-smelling native plants. We passed by several beaver dams along the way, apparently abandoned since the water level was well below the top of the dam. Without a firm plan on where I was heading, Henry and I ended up staying south of the water course, which turned out was just a minor tributary of the main channel, and soon we were at the dry uplands above this channel, circling north to the main channel through thick Douglas fir and limber pine. In the middle of nowhere, we stopped in the sun and I ate an apple and read a book while Henry sniffed around amongst the pines and sagebrush, searching for hidden quarry. We found the main channel, then followed it back east towards the car. Soon the main channel to our north met the side channel we had followed to our south, leaving us with no dry land to continue on. Things got a little wet as I hopped from hummock to hummock through a very wet meadow, trying to reach dry land to the south. Oh well, what’s wrong with wet feet on a June hike? Henry certainly found no problems with it, as his entire body was soaked by the time we reached sagebrush again. We sat in the sun and I shared my PBJ sandwich with Henry. The delay tactic was more to allow time for Henry to dry off than anything else. Shortly after, we reached the car, and headed back home. The entire hike took about 3 hours, and I was back home by noon.