Sierra_Smitty
08-05-2009, 09:00 AM
It's been years since I've been able to go backpacking with my Dad....far far too long. Since Parchers happened my brothers and I have been so dang busy during the summer that getting out and enjoying where we live has been difficult. This year I have the best staff ever so the boys and I went off into the wilderness with Dad. It was amazing.
We left out of Rock Creek(Elevation 10000) on Sunday and went up over Mono Pass (elevation 12045). We left about noon which was a dumb idea (hot as hell) but it is what it is. Once over the pass we dropped the packs and took a little side hike over to a lake called Neelle Lake at an elevation of about 11300. It was loaded with decent goldens to 11 inches. These fish were probably the most beautiful Golden Trout I've ever seen in my life....and I've seen a lot of Goldens. It was epic - wide open fishing on fly/bubble (any fly would do) and Orange Powerworms. We fished for about an hour or so before getting back on the trail.
Our destination was Mono creek just below Fourth Recess lake (Elevation 9950). We picked this camp because it was just below the 10000ft mark where we could have a campfire - which is important. Of course going down that low meant we'd have to climb back out come Tuesday....on our way down we were seriously doubting the wisdom of that plan. We reached camp about 6pm...sore, tired, hungry but satisfied after a good hike and some great fishing. It was a pretty mild night...a little grub, a short lived campfire and off to bed.
I slept like crap that night - my back was really sore as this was the first time I've really put it to the test since back surgery winter of 2007/2008. It's all good though - what doesn't kill us makes us stronger right?
Woke up early on Monday - hot cocoa and some granola tasted incredible...it's amazing how good food tastes when you're truly hungry.
The plan for the day was to hike up to Pioneer Basin in search of Goldens. A friend of mine used to own Rock Creek Pack Outfit and turned me on to a few lakes that hold better fish. We started our hike about 8:30am. We did about 1500 vertical - which in and of itself isn't too bad - but we were a little beat up from the day before so it felt like a much longer hike than it otherwise would have been. Anyhow - after taking pictures at the first few Pioneer lakes, we set up a little day camp at Pioneer 5 and caught a bunch of brookies. My Mom caught a 16" brookie at this lake about 10 years ago but the biggest we caught was 11" or so. We filleted up a few to go with our lunch of pepperjack quesadillas....DELICIOUS!!!!
After lunch we headed up to the top lake and found an excellent bite on Goldens to 14". These fish were all chunky - I mean real chunky - and fought like hell. Orange Powerworms fished deep was the ticket. I also picked up two sight fishing with a Gold Mepps. It was an incredible day - incredible.
On our way back we took a different trail that took us a long several meadows and an amazing creek that cascaded down granite - lots of waterfalls and meandering pools. It was gorgeous!!!!
Got back to camp and grubbed down - we needed to eat a bunch for the hike out was sure to be brutal.
Zzzzzzzzzz
Woke up at 6:30am on Tuesday - grubbed some breakfast, broke down camp and hit the trail by 7:30am. We were expecting absolute hell on our back - we were dreading what we saw coming down on our first day. To our surprise, we charged up the pass like it was nothing - damn it felt good.
Got back to the trailhead about noon - sore, tired but not beaten - we survived.
Anyhow - it was an amazing trip on several levels but above all it was a bonding trip for myself, my brothers and my Dad. We've spent far too little time in the backcountry together. The trip reminded us just how lucky we are to have a close family and to have a father who loves the backcountry like he does. He's literally an encyclopedia of backpacking knowledge and wisdom and it was great to see all of us forget about work for a few days and get off the grid - spend some time as men in the mountains. We probably won't get a chance to do this again this season, but God willing we're definitely going to be doing these trips far more often in the years to come.
Here are a few pics of the trip....
Peace,
Smitty
Little Lakes Valley - Rock Creek
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs171.snc1/6440_1137529130106_1583718245_350661_1348145_n.jpg
Shore Lunch in Pioneer Basin
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs191.snc1/6440_1137529290110_1583718245_350665_6119579_n.jpg
The boys atop Mono Pass
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs191.snc1/6440_1137528450089_1583718245_350644_7415725_n.jpg
Yours truly with a healthy Golden
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs191.snc1/6440_1137528730096_1583718245_350651_20437_n.jpg
My Bro Lane with a fattie
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs171.snc1/6440_1137528970102_1583718245_350657_3035252_n.jpg
At the top of the pass looking east...
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs191.snc1/6440_1137528770097_1583718245_350652_5036998_n.jpg
My brother with a golden
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs191.snc1/6440_1137528490090_1583718245_350645_4402242_n.jpg
Mono Creek below Golden Trout Lake
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs191.snc1/6440_1137528570092_1583718245_350647_6825261_n.jpg
Me above Ruby lake on the hike home....
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs171.snc1/6440_1137528650094_1583718245_350649_1858731_n.jpg
We left out of Rock Creek(Elevation 10000) on Sunday and went up over Mono Pass (elevation 12045). We left about noon which was a dumb idea (hot as hell) but it is what it is. Once over the pass we dropped the packs and took a little side hike over to a lake called Neelle Lake at an elevation of about 11300. It was loaded with decent goldens to 11 inches. These fish were probably the most beautiful Golden Trout I've ever seen in my life....and I've seen a lot of Goldens. It was epic - wide open fishing on fly/bubble (any fly would do) and Orange Powerworms. We fished for about an hour or so before getting back on the trail.
Our destination was Mono creek just below Fourth Recess lake (Elevation 9950). We picked this camp because it was just below the 10000ft mark where we could have a campfire - which is important. Of course going down that low meant we'd have to climb back out come Tuesday....on our way down we were seriously doubting the wisdom of that plan. We reached camp about 6pm...sore, tired, hungry but satisfied after a good hike and some great fishing. It was a pretty mild night...a little grub, a short lived campfire and off to bed.
I slept like crap that night - my back was really sore as this was the first time I've really put it to the test since back surgery winter of 2007/2008. It's all good though - what doesn't kill us makes us stronger right?
Woke up early on Monday - hot cocoa and some granola tasted incredible...it's amazing how good food tastes when you're truly hungry.
The plan for the day was to hike up to Pioneer Basin in search of Goldens. A friend of mine used to own Rock Creek Pack Outfit and turned me on to a few lakes that hold better fish. We started our hike about 8:30am. We did about 1500 vertical - which in and of itself isn't too bad - but we were a little beat up from the day before so it felt like a much longer hike than it otherwise would have been. Anyhow - after taking pictures at the first few Pioneer lakes, we set up a little day camp at Pioneer 5 and caught a bunch of brookies. My Mom caught a 16" brookie at this lake about 10 years ago but the biggest we caught was 11" or so. We filleted up a few to go with our lunch of pepperjack quesadillas....DELICIOUS!!!!
After lunch we headed up to the top lake and found an excellent bite on Goldens to 14". These fish were all chunky - I mean real chunky - and fought like hell. Orange Powerworms fished deep was the ticket. I also picked up two sight fishing with a Gold Mepps. It was an incredible day - incredible.
On our way back we took a different trail that took us a long several meadows and an amazing creek that cascaded down granite - lots of waterfalls and meandering pools. It was gorgeous!!!!
Got back to camp and grubbed down - we needed to eat a bunch for the hike out was sure to be brutal.
Zzzzzzzzzz
Woke up at 6:30am on Tuesday - grubbed some breakfast, broke down camp and hit the trail by 7:30am. We were expecting absolute hell on our back - we were dreading what we saw coming down on our first day. To our surprise, we charged up the pass like it was nothing - damn it felt good.
Got back to the trailhead about noon - sore, tired but not beaten - we survived.
Anyhow - it was an amazing trip on several levels but above all it was a bonding trip for myself, my brothers and my Dad. We've spent far too little time in the backcountry together. The trip reminded us just how lucky we are to have a close family and to have a father who loves the backcountry like he does. He's literally an encyclopedia of backpacking knowledge and wisdom and it was great to see all of us forget about work for a few days and get off the grid - spend some time as men in the mountains. We probably won't get a chance to do this again this season, but God willing we're definitely going to be doing these trips far more often in the years to come.
Here are a few pics of the trip....
Peace,
Smitty
Little Lakes Valley - Rock Creek
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs171.snc1/6440_1137529130106_1583718245_350661_1348145_n.jpg
Shore Lunch in Pioneer Basin
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs191.snc1/6440_1137529290110_1583718245_350665_6119579_n.jpg
The boys atop Mono Pass
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs191.snc1/6440_1137528450089_1583718245_350644_7415725_n.jpg
Yours truly with a healthy Golden
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs191.snc1/6440_1137528730096_1583718245_350651_20437_n.jpg
My Bro Lane with a fattie
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs171.snc1/6440_1137528970102_1583718245_350657_3035252_n.jpg
At the top of the pass looking east...
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs191.snc1/6440_1137528770097_1583718245_350652_5036998_n.jpg
My brother with a golden
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs191.snc1/6440_1137528490090_1583718245_350645_4402242_n.jpg
Mono Creek below Golden Trout Lake
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs191.snc1/6440_1137528570092_1583718245_350647_6825261_n.jpg
Me above Ruby lake on the hike home....
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs171.snc1/6440_1137528650094_1583718245_350649_1858731_n.jpg