Most Recent High Country Trip

[fourbizz]

Managed to sneak out on a 3 day trip with my girl. Since she has proved her mettle the last couple trips, I opted to do a pretty tough one to some remote country.

The day 1 hike was a strenuous 6.6 miles. This picture is taken about 3 miles into the hike. We still have to go about half a mile on the OTHER side of that low pass/saddle in the background.

Some guys mentioned that they hardly ever see rocks in Florida. Well, we got them here. Nothing like a trail paved by the creator himself, lol.

Finally made it to the top of the pass. The wind was HOWLING up here, my guess is 50mph+. Had a hard time keeping my footing for this picture.

This was to be our home for both nights.

The fishing was a little slow the first night. But I did manage to put together a couple brookies, sauteed onions, and shitake mushrooms to go with a delicious dinner of ramen noodles.

On day 2, we opted to hike down into the canyon and try and get a Golden out of the Rubicon river.

After a few miles down the mountain, we discovered a nearly dry river. I was able to find a pool of trapped fish and catch one tiny golden. But after another mile or so of heading up the valley, I found the handiwork of some long gone beavers. Thank you beavers, thank you.

I found no more goldens, but what I did find was a ton of Brookies, probably 40 in total.

We headed back to camp for night two and again enjoyed a brookie/onion/shroom dish finished off with freeze dried spaghetti.

On day three, even though we had a long hike out ahead of us, we decided to make a quick dayhike over to a neighboring lake. I'm glad we did. Many of the lakes in this area are fishless and it is near impossible to get current info, so its almost always a gamble that you might hike your butt off for nothing. Well, this 2 mile jaunt was worth it! By this time we were about 9 miles from the nearest trailhead or road, so it was feeling pretty remote. Unfortunately, the camera ran out of batteries and we couldnt find the spares, so hopefully my verbal imagery can paint at least a pallid picture of our morning.

We came over the hill to see a BEAUTIFUL lake. Quite large by backcountry standards, I would say in the neighborhood of 30 acres. The water was stunningly clear, you could see the bottom in probably 20ish feet. At first it looked barren, and I thought the hike was for naught. But then, I saw a group of half a dozen large fish! SCORE!

I proceeded to catch brookies in the 12-14 inch range for about 2 hours, all on the fly rod. I was fishing a large streamer just below the surface and you would see them rocket out of the depths to t-bone it like the Great Whites hitting seal decoys on the Discovery Channel. It was too much fun. Have you ever felt completely at peace and content? That was me. Just about as happy as I can get. We made a short side trip following the tiny outlet of the lake that held suprisingly nice size fish for its diminutive size. I even got a chance to prove my mountain man prowess to the girl by catching a couple fish by hand. We had to leave much too soon to tear down camp and head home. I wish I could've spent the next 5 years up there bumming around and eating wild trout, but alas, back to the lowlands we went.

All told, my conservative estimate is 21 miles in three days, much of that with a 40lb pack. Probably over 100 fish. I cannot wait to do it again.

[Grey Wolf]

Thank you very much for sharing your trip with us. Beautiful pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dan:]

Looks awesome. I wish I could find places like that around me.

[Branuss04]

GOLDENS IN THE RUBICON!!!!!    You, my friend, are only the second person I know who has accomplished that... CONGRATS!!!!

BTW.... Answer your phone one of these days... lets plan a trip  

[mrlitetackle]

Looks amazing around your area there.

And sounds like quite the good time.

Thanks for the great pics, and good luck with your next trip man!

[Quitlimpin]

That looks like an absolute blast.  As always, great reports and awesome pics of some beautiful country.

[skillet]

 GREAT post! The pics take your breath away, must be unbelievable in person...

skillet

[RoLo]

Now that's my idea of a REAL fishing trip!

A man after my own heart

Roger

[Tokyo Tony]

Amazingly beautiful. Keep posting your trips, please!

[Tokyo Tony]

A couple questions - what do you do for water? Do you take a purification system out there, or can you just drink the spring water?

Also, do you take a gun with you for protection from some of the wildlife?

[NewAngler]

Bizz- thanks for your reports dude. I always enjoy reading them and the pictures are always amazing. Wish NOVA had that.

[fourbizz]

A couple questions - what do you do for water? Do you take a purification system out there, or can you just drink the spring water?

Also, do you take a gun with you for protection from some of the wildlife?

We use purifiction bottles. In the early season I will also drink from the water running out from underneath snow fields, and this last trip we found a delicious spring. She uses a Katadyn, and I use a Bota. Just fill the bottle up from the lake, stream, whatever, put the cap back on, and purified water comes out when you squeeze it. Very efficient and handy. Also, in places where you come across water pretty frequently, you can always have cold refreshing water, which is nice.

As for protection my Commie state makes it pretty scary to carry a gun, so despite having them, I do not take one. If I did, it would be to protect myself from people not animals.

The black bears around here tend to stay way below the elevations we camp at, and I am not worried about encountering them while we are hiking at lower elevations.

[Branuss04]

As for protection my Commie state makes it pretty scary to carry a gun, so despite having them, I do not take one. If I did, it would be to protect myself from people not animals.

So sad but oh so true!!!

[Infidel.]

Sounds like a fun trip.  So does the old lady not like to fish?

Making me miss California already.  :-[

[Tokyo Tony]

Nice I'll have to look into those bottles.

If you don't feel comfortable carrying a gun, you should at least take a slingshot. I think a slingshotted ball bearing to the nose would be enough to deter a black bear. Or are those restricted too? I actually wouldn't be surprised.

[fourbizz]

I look at a black bear attack just the same as I do getting struck by lightning, or being crushed by a falling tree while hiking.

I'm not gonna run around the top of the ridge with my flyrod in the air during a thunderstorm, and I'm not gonna swing from the limb of a dead tree.

But the chances of those things happening arent going to keep me form going out, or make me wear boots with a 4" rubber sole and a hard hat while in the woods.

If I happen to be hiking along and am killed by lightning or a random falling tree, so be it.

Same with bears. I'm not gonna sleep with a package of bacon in my sleeping bag, but I'm not gonna lug a 3lb pistol with me everywhere either. If I get eaten, I get eaten. That is a lot cooler than dying of heart disease or a car crash.

I really am more worried about people than bears.

Now, Grizzlies are another story. I wouldnt backpack through their house without my 1911.

And before anyone quips in with "Black Bears kill more people than  Brown Bears", I know that already. But that is like saying that more people die from car wrecks than spaceshuttle crashes. There are black bears EVERYWHERE! ;D

[RoLo]

I look at a black bear attack just the same as I do getting struck by lightning, or being crushed by a falling tree while hiking.

I'm not gonna run around the top of the ridge with my flyrod in the air during a thunderstorm, and I'm not gonna swing from the limb of a dead tree.

But the chances of those things happening arent going to keep me form going out, or make me wear boots with a 4" rubber sole and a hard hat while in the woods.

If I happen to be hiking along and am killed by lightning or a random falling tree, so be it.

Same with bears. I'm not gonna sleep with a package of bacon in my sleeping bag, but I'm not gonna lug a 3lb pistol with me everywhere either. If I get eaten, I get eaten. That is a lot cooler than dying of heart disease or a car crash.

I really am more worried about people than bears.

Now, Grizzlies are another story. I wouldnt backpack through their house without my 1911.

And before anyone quips in with "Black Bears kill more people than Brown Bears", I know that already. But that is like saying that more people die from car wrecks than spaceshuttle crashes. There are black bears EVERYWHERE! ;D

Well said  

Roger

[Pond Hopper]

Sign me up man, that would be a trip of a lifetime for me even not being a trout fisherman.  With scenery like that I would even pass on bass fishing for a weekend.  I think I need to book a trip for next summer.

[looking4structure]

Great pictures.That place is beautiful.

[fourbizz]

Well, with the approach of fall, Branuss and I are already looking at making our first trip to big brookie territory in the next couple weeks. Im excited!

Sign me up man, that would be a trip of a lifetime for me even not being a trout fisherman. With scenery like that I would even pass on bass fishing for a weekend. I think I need to book a trip for next summer.

Lets go dude!

[K_Mac]

fourbiz

I enjoy your pictures, your stories, and your attitude. Way to go brother.

[Pond Hopper]

Well, with the approach of fall, Branuss and I are already looking at making our first trip to big brookie territory in the next couple weeks. Im excited!

Sign me up man, that would be a trip of a lifetime for me even not being a trout fisherman. With scenery like that I would even pass on bass fishing for a weekend. I think I need to book a trip for next summer.

Lets go dude!

You have extra rods?  And what do you charge for rental and guide fees?  

I have a fly rod but it is cheap as hell and we use them to catch big spawning cats on the rocks.