So now it must be them (West Elk Wilderness Outfitters - Gary Ballard/John Nelson) that setup their base camp at Rock Springs. It used to be Coal Creek Outfitters but maybe they went out of business or moved to Durango.
Interesting that you should mention Cow Creek. About fifteen years ago, I was backpacking into that area, just scouting, during the summer. I was camped on a little trickle that runs into Cow Creek just east of Little Soap Park. While I was sitting there heating water for freeze-dried, a young bear came foraging his way down the creek, turning over rocks as he went. He didn't see me and I just sat there motionless. He got to within maybe 15 feet when he suddenly looked straight at me. Maybe he heard the quiet wisper of the stove. He stared at me for a couple of minutes, niether of us moving, and then he sprinted away. That was a neat experience.
KC
