Saturday I got my customarily early start, trying not to wake the neighbors. Over the pass, across the central valley, fuel and snack stop.
Up into the foothills. For reasons everyone knows, this year picking up day of issue wilderness permits is a no-go, so I'd called ahead on Friday and the rangers left me a copy in the overnight drop box. I'd wanted to explore an area where I saw a dotted line on a map, another old unmaintained trail, up to a 10000'+ pass, then down to a series of high lakes.
I continued on up into the mountains, and after a series of long and windy roads arrived at the reservoir, at 8000'-ish. Looked full, with lots of people fishing for stockers. I used to come up here to climb on the beautiful featured granite. The last time was in 2014, a year after getting a set of rods put in my spine.
But now I continued on to the trailhead, and started hiking in mid-morning. After a while I came to a small creek crossing, with a view of some meadows.
Up and over a rise, then down to another meadow, with another creek. The day was warming. I spied fish.
I propped up my pack in the shade and fished a bit with my tenkara rod.
I had some ways to go, so I continued on. I found my trail junction, and headed up the path less traveled.
The trail followed a creek for a ways, apparently inhabited by rainbows and brookies.
The trail was actually in pretty good shape up to about 9200', where the topo indicated an old campsite. I did find some flat ground, but had no intention of camping there. I'd pre-treated my clothing with permethrin and coated exposed skin with 20% picaridin, and as expected the mosquitoes were very happy to see me
The creek here mellowed to wide, slow water and the small brookies seemed to be living the good life. I didn't stop though.
After some uphill thrashing through the forest I found bits and pieces of the trail, and arrived at the creek's namesake meadow. There was a snow survey marker and an automated gauge.
I still had about 500' of elevation up to the pass though. I huffed and puffed. The first day is always wretched like this. Finally, atop the pass.
I looked down at the lake below, and wondered if I could find an easy second or third class scramble down. Dream on ! It was after 5pm now, and I was worried about getting cliffed out with darkness approaching, so I continued down the northwest slope, where a trail supposedly existed.
I saw a few cairns / ducks, and the remains of trail tread in places. Following an old trail is always harder with hypoxia
But it wasn't bad, and around 6:30 or so I got to my lake and set up camp.
I was dead tired. It had been about 13 miles to get here. The mosquitoes were plentiful and eager, and I donned my headnet. While waiting for my dinner to rehydrate I got out my Orvis Superfine Glass 4wt and caught a few brookies. They also were plentiful and eager. I caught several in the dying light on a foam hopper.
It wasn't all that chilly overnight, and after breakfast I liesurely walked around the lake, lobbing foam hoppers out.
If I'd brought a frying pan I would have eaten well. The brookies here probably don't see many people, considering the state of the trails.
Around 10-ish I set out and dayhiked some of the other lakes in the area. There are some OHV routes nearby, and I had low expectations for the lakes near the vehicle access.
This one looked shallow around the edges. I saw no sign of fish, but lots of olive damselflies. On a day like today fish should be eating them up.
After a few miles on the OHV route I made my way down to a meadow, below the other lake. Nice stream, but where were the fish ?
I headed up to the main lake, and looked around. Again, shallow around the edges. The breeze was starting to pick up. I saw lots of blue damselflies.
Again, no feeding fish that I could see. I got out the SFG and cast an adult damsel and a hopper. Nothing happening here.
I walked around the other shore, and down past the outlet. Wait, was that a fish splashing, or a duck ? I stalked ... there, the flash of a distinctly piscine shape.
I tossed out some hoppers and damselflies. A few strikes on the hoppers, but mainly misses. Another big splash over there. Ah, there you are, meaty and strong.
There were a series of small lakes in this meadow connected by streams. The brookies seemed to hold in the pools, and I almost never saw them in the streams, perhaps because the water was so clear in them. I caught a few more. I'd read about rainbows or goldens somewhere around here, but did not see any. Perhaps in that other meadow a few miles away on the map ...
Around 4pm I decided it was time to mosey, and headed back up to the OHV route. From what I could see, the tread marks in the dirt were left over from last season and had until recently been under snow. Fine with me. I got back to camp around 5-ish and had a liesurely evening.
It was a bit warmer than the previous night, and the mosquitoes got started earlier the next morning. I was on the trail before 8am, and back over the pass before 9. Back down through the woods to the meadow, whereupon I managed to get turned around in the woods somehow.
But sometimes getting lost is how you find things. I happened across the snow survey shelter cabin, near a pleasant creek and some flat ground. Maybe next time I'll camp near here on the way up.
I always find it easier to follow unmaintained trails while going downhill
Soon I was back down at the creek, and watching the brookies doing their thing. I maintained a brisk pace, and this time took a slightly more direct route, past a lake I'd skipped on the way up.
It did not seem like a fishing destination, but was a nice spot for lunch on a Monday. It looked shallow and warm, a place to take the family or a troop of scouts.
It was actually warm enough heading back in mid afternoon that I zipped off the legs of my convertible pants. Summertime. I made a mental note that the days would be getting shorter from now on ...