Loaded up the truck before dawn so the neighbors wouldn't notice and had a nice early morning drive over a popular mountain road. I arrived at the lake to find the packed. Like Walmart on black Friday packed. A nearby river was running rafting releases and there were tents, hammocks and kayaks slung anywhere there was space. I imagined it was absolute madness the evening before.
I quickly stuffed my gear into the borrowed canoe (mine was hit by a drunk driver) to avoid drawing the attention of so many, likely hungover paddlers. After a short trip down the lake camp was set up in the mouth of a stream known to test the skills of hikers and anglers alike.
View from my hammock
View from my hammock
A short nap to recharge the batteries was interrupted by a thunderstorm. After it passed I finally hit the notorious trail I have been daydreaming about for quite some time. In places it did not disappoint.
It was a different kind of trail. Not too bad but wet.
I made my way up the trail, passing multiple backcountry campsites along the way, and stopping to drift a couple of promising pools. I came to a waterfall and climbed down for a couple pictures right as it started to sprinkle. I didn't stay there long though I did manage to get a couple of warpaint shiners to eat.
There was a little log cabin above the falls
It was starting to rain harder and there was thunder in the distance so I moved quickly hoping to find some semblance of shelter. There was a small bluff around 15 feet tall so I hung out at the base. I had an emergency blanket and wrapped myself up hoping to stay reasonably dry, but as the thunder moved closer I started seeing flashes through the forest and my ears were ringing from the near by bolts. I wondered if the astronaut blanket had any actual metal since it looked like a big sheet of aluminum foil. Not wanting to know for sure, I shucked the blanket and rode out the storm.
After the worst was over, I could finally do what I came to do. With a steady rain still falling I found a couple of likely spots and the trout seemed to approve of my offering. One hooked and lost then another one missed, I started to move up the trail in search of more water and realized I had hit a dead end. I searched for a bit but I didn't pick up the path. It was getting late in the afternoon, being soaked and hungry I decided to try again in the morning. On the way down I noticed a couple of trees down on the trail that weren't there before. You couldn't miss it, it was just above the falls in a spot I wondered if it was previously a campsite or just the party spot.
Something bad happened here
Somewhere around 3-4 am I woke to the sound of breaking timber. I knew what it was, and there was nothing I could do but lay there and hope the falling tree didn't land on my tent. It was close enough I felt the thud as it landed. I have no wife so luckily it couldn't be a widow maker that night.
The next morning I was up bright and early, much wiser from the experiences of the previous day. I have heard a saying, an older one supposedly. "Up by noon-down by two" was how it went. I planned on keeping those hours this time around no matter what.
Just up the trail I stopped and plucked a couple of rainbows from a run then made tracks to the falls. And right into the dead end again. I had hoped to see something I missed the day before. I tried going a few different ways but found nothing. I spent over an hour searching before I walked back to the log cabin to start over. Hiking back up I spotted a little pink ribbon up in a tree I missed before. Bingo!
A nice bow
It was evident from the condition of the trail that most hikers who come in from the lake are there for the falls. It also explains why I kept missing the fork. The trail climbed away from the stream, was overgrown, and eroded in places. Not many traverse this section since most anglers take a different trail bringing them in further upstream.
I came to the next crossing and the trail opened back up, wide and following the stream. Gone were the big rock ledges that defined the area surrounding the falls and the creek looked more like a classic mid elevation mountain stream. I made a few drifts and finally landed a little brown trout.
It took a lot of effort but it was worth it!
I worked my way upstream, keeping a close eye on the trail, and picking up a brown here and there. Before long I was at a large campsite and the trail junction most anglers use to access the stream. I stopped for a few pictures then hit the stream again. I wasn't far above the junction when my alarm sounded, marking the time to turn around and start back to camp. I pondered ignoring it and continuing to the next trail junction, where a sizable tributary joins the mainstream. It was maybe another mile up the trail, but I had no desire to be caught out in another thunderstorm. I made it back just as the clock ticked off the two.
Poor man's stimulator wins again
Following lunch I planned to fish the lake, after a swing in the hammock of course. When I woke it was 830pm! I slept the entire afternoon away. I decided to night fish the lake and was waiting for dark when I heard thunder. Dang it!
I jumped in the tent and next came a monsoon that tried its best to flatten it out. I sat there nervously holding up the peak to preserve the poles that normally had the job covered. The storm passed then came another followed by another. They never reached the intensity of the earlier storm but were enough to keep me in the tent, awake nearly all night. I packed camp at first light the next morning to avoid the coming generation period.
It was a different kind of trail. Not too bad but wet.
I made my way up the trail, passing multiple backcountry campsites along the way, and stopping to drift a couple of promising pools. I came to a waterfall and climbed down for a couple pictures right as it started to sprinkle. I didn't stay there long though I did manage to get a couple of warpaint shiners to eat.
It was starting to rain harder and there was thunder in the distance so I moved quickly hoping to find some semblance of shelter. There was a small bluff around 15 feet tall so I hung out at the base. I had an emergency blanket and wrapped myself up hoping to stay reasonably dry, but as the thunder moved closer I started seeing flashes through the forest and my ears were ringing from the near by bolts. I wondered if the astronaut blanket had any actual metal since it looked like a big sheet of aluminum foil. Not wanting to know for sure, I shucked the blanket and rode out the storm.
After the worst was over, I could finally do what I came to do. With a steady rain still falling I found a couple of likely spots and the trout seemed to approve of my offering. One hooked and lost then another one missed, I started to move up the trail in search of more water and realized I had hit a dead end. I searched for a bit but I didn't pick up the path. It was getting late in the afternoon, being soaked and hungry I decided to try again in the morning. On the way down I noticed a couple of trees down on the trail that weren't there before. You couldn't miss it, it was just above the falls in a spot I wondered if it was previously a campsite or just the party spot.
Something bad happened here
Somewhere around 3-4 am I woke to the sound of breaking timber. I knew what it was, and there was nothing I could do but lay there and hope the falling tree didn't land on my tent. It was close enough I felt the thud as it landed. I have no wife so luckily it couldn't be a widow maker that night.
The next morning I was up bright and early, much wiser from the experiences of the previous day. I have heard a saying, an older one supposedly. "Up by noon-down by two" was how it went. I planned on keeping those hours this time around no matter what.
Just up the trail I stopped and plucked a couple of rainbows from a run then made tracks to the falls. And right into the dead end again. I had hoped to see something I missed the day before. I tried going a few different ways but found nothing. I spent over an hour searching before I walked back to the log cabin to start over. Hiking back up I spotted a little pink ribbon up in a tree I missed before. Bingo!
It was evident from the condition of the trail that most hikers who come in from the lake are there for the falls. It also explains why I kept missing the fork. The trail climbed away from the stream, was overgrown, and eroded in places. Not many traverse this section since most anglers take a different trail bringing them in further upstream.
I came to the next crossing and the trail opened back up, wide and following the stream. Gone were the big rock ledges that defined the area surrounding the falls and the creek looked more like a classic mid elevation mountain stream. I made a few drifts and finally landed a little brown trout.
I worked my way upstream, keeping a close eye on the trail, and picking up a brown here and there. Before long I was at a large campsite and the trail junction most anglers use to access the stream. I stopped for a few pictures then hit the stream again. I wasn't far above the junction when my alarm sounded, marking the time to turn around and start back to camp. I pondered ignoring it and continuing to the next trail junction, where a sizable tributary joins the mainstream. It was maybe another mile up the trail, but I had no desire to be caught out in another thunderstorm. I made it back just as the clock ticked off the two.
Poor man's stimulator wins again
Following lunch I planned to fish the lake, after a swing in the hammock of course. When I woke it was 830pm! I slept the entire afternoon away. I decided to night fish the lake and was waiting for dark when I heard thunder. Dang it!
I jumped in the tent and next came a monsoon that tried its best to flatten it out. I sat there nervously holding up the peak to preserve the poles that normally had the job covered. The storm passed then came another followed by another. They never reached the intensity of the earlier storm but were enough to keep me in the tent, awake nearly all night. I packed camp at first light the next morning to avoid the coming generation period.
The lake on the way out
Got to the ramp and it was empty. The kayakers, the campers, fishermen, all gone. Like the stream, I had the whole place to myself. I unloaded everything except the fishing gear and paddled back out. I managed to land a rainbow trout before the current picked up. As much as I wanted to stay and make up for lost time, I knew I was done.
Thanks to troutgirl and fland49 for the info and rusty for the canoe. Y'all helped make this happen.
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