Inyo National Forest

Started by Big J, August 03, 2020, 10:49:44 AM

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Big J

Quote from: Mudwall Gatewood 3.0 on August 03, 2020, 17:01:08 PMGreat report!  Really enjoy the photos of the fishes and the water.  Glad you both returned safely east with unforgettable memories.

Please tell us about the blisters.  A CA search-and-rescue friend called with the story of rescuing a Virginia angler/camper/hiker from your area of adventure who was rendered immobile from blisters.  She (the S&R gal) did not have a name of the tenderfoot, but I was concerned for you two.
 
Again, great job and thanks for sharing.

More please.

Ha! I thought those prayer calls would get you from lying so much. 

I hiked the first two days in neoprene socks and wading boots.  For some reason, I was born a moron.  It is a real issue I have to combat on the daily.  Had two good hot spots and a blister that formed by the end of the trip, but it didn't really slow me down.  Just threw some gauze and electrical tape on them in the morning and was good to go.  I hiked in a spare pair of boots I brought that I should of been hiking in to begin with.  Lesson learned.  Just had to carry around 5 extra worthless lbs of boots for the next 5 days....

Dougfish

#16
Gulping low oxygen air. Our first big haul. New Army Pass.

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Yeah, that's snow.

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"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
 Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change? "
Kelly's Heroes,1970

"I don't wanna go to hell,
But if I do,
It'll be 'cause of you..."
Strange Desire, The Black Keys, 2006

Woolly Bugger

Quote from: Big J on August 03, 2020, 19:33:16 PMI hiked the first two days in neoprene socks and wading boots.  For some reason, I was born a moron.  It is a real issue I have to combat on the daily.  Had two good hot spots and a blister that formed by the end of the trip, but it didn't really slow me down.  Just threw some gauze and electrical tape on them in the morning and was good to go.  I hiked in a spare pair of boots I brought that I should of been hiking in to begin with.  Lesson learned.  Just had to carry around 5 extra worthless lbs of boots for the next 5 days....

:o  yikes! Bet you don't do that again! Didn't Doug try and talk you out of that?
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

croaker

Wow!  That brings back some memories.  Went through there in '74 over Old Army Pass. Grand report and pictures.  The colors of them Goldens are still etched in my mind.                                           
                                                                                                           
              'c;   
-you can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him.  Robert A. Heinlein.

Dougfish


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"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
 Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change? "
Kelly's Heroes,1970

"I don't wanna go to hell,
But if I do,
It'll be 'cause of you..."
Strange Desire, The Black Keys, 2006

Dougfish

Quote from: croaker on August 03, 2020, 20:25:50 PMWow!  That brings back some memories.  Went through there in '74 over Old Army Pass. Grand report and pictures.  The colors of them Goldens are still etched in my mind.                                           
                                                                                                           
              'c;   

We were fishing at #4 and saw some folks coming down Old Army Pass. Sketchy. Not maintained any more. Time saver, but...  :o
"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
 Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change? "
Kelly's Heroes,1970

"I don't wanna go to hell,
But if I do,
It'll be 'cause of you..."
Strange Desire, The Black Keys, 2006

driver

did you guys see a lot of people out there? Other fisher folks?

Big J

Quote from: driver on August 03, 2020, 20:41:33 PMdid you guys see a lot of people out there? Other fisher folks?

It was scary how few of people were over New Army Pass. Maybe saw 20 people in 4 days over New Army Pass. Cottonwood Lakes and Trail to the lakes was insane. Crawling with people.

Dougfish

Spin, 10:1 at Cottonwood. We were out fishing them in my opinion.
Beyond that, we saw few fishers. Fly out there.
"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
 Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change? "
Kelly's Heroes,1970

"I don't wanna go to hell,
But if I do,
It'll be 'cause of you..."
Strange Desire, The Black Keys, 2006

RiverbumCO

What was the biggest fish caught?
My real name is Chad Farthouse.

Big J

Quote from: RiverbumCO on August 03, 2020, 21:23:49 PMWhat was the biggest fish caught?

Patience. There is still 5 more days left to this TR.

Phil

Quote from: Big J on August 03, 2020, 21:41:19 PM
Quote from: RiverbumCO on August 03, 2020, 21:23:49 PMWhat was the biggest fish caught?

Patience. There is still 5 more days left to this TR.

Good! Keep it coming. This is the best shit ever!

troutrus

Beautiful scenes and fish. Bet the trouts were tasty.

Big J

Going to lump day 4 and 5 together since we spent two days in the same spot.  Left Soldier Lake and headed up the next valley over to Sky Blue Lake.  I think I told Doug it was an easy 3 mile hike, but I think it ended up being a 5 mile hike with some pretty big gorges and falls to scale.  In between the first ascent into the valley and the first gorge there was a very scenic meadow named Penstock Meadow by the horse riders.  We chatted with one of the wranglers on a stop up to Sky Blue and got some good info about the area and some stories about some of his clientele base.  He said the meadow is a natural pen for the horses.  It is just steep enough down in the entrance to the meadow that the horses have to be forced down, and they can't make it up the gorge so riders can just leave the horses in the meadow and not worry about losing them.

After an hour plus of "is the lake above this ledge?", we finally arrived to Sky Blue Lake.  We were planning on going up the next day over Crabtree Pass and dropping down to Crabtree Lake, but after seeing how much harder it was to get to Sky Blue than we thought, we knew the trailess crawl up to Crabtree Pass was going to be a pain in the rear.  We both agreed and decided to just spend 2 nights at Sky Blue Lake and hike out the way we came.

Sky Blue Lake was the pinnacle of our trip.  This lake was extremely deep and our best fish were landed here.  Caught a several dozens of fish and the average size for me was bigger than the biggest fish I was catching at Soldier Lake and Cottonwood Lake.  Doug lost a very big fish and I had several fish follow my fly that were pushing the 18" to 20" range.  Tanks.  Another aspect of this lake is the brutality of the sun.  When the sun gets on this lake, it stays on the lake.  There are no trees and very few spots with shade against the high afternoon sun. 

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Leaving Soldier Lake

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Penstock Meadow

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First Gorge

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Sky Blue is up at the top of the 3rd set of wet rocks.

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But it is worth it.

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There are about 5 mountains that encompass this lake with peaks over 13,500 ft. and the lake itself is at 11,500 ft. 

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Evening dry sipper

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Morning Marmot harassing us.

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This fish was probably one of my favorite from the trip.  I had a 4 wt rigged up with a nymph and a 2 wt rigged up with a elk hair caddis.  I saw a 10" fish sipping some bugs off the flat so I grabbed my 2 wt and royally blew my shot and the fish ran off.  Out of the corner of my eye I see two bigger fish enter the flat.  I lead the first fish by 3 ft and wait.  Like slow motion the lead fish goes up and sips two bugs on his way to my fly.  Then, slowly swims up and sips my fly.  Hook set, fish on, and a heck of a bend in the 2 wt.  Had to keep the fish from going off flat and under the rocks to break me off.  It was a take and fight that have replayed in my head often.

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Doug getting his evening fish on.

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To Be Continued. . .


Dougfish

We had maps. The best maps. Our maps don't lie.
Guess what? Those mileage numbers do lie. You can add 10-20% to most of the mileages we covered.
Of course, once we got out of the second gorge, there was no distinct trail. Lots of rock hopping. And as J said, which rock wall/waterfall was the lake behind?! Camped above the tree line. We had three camping nights above 11000'. Two were here. Three nights with temps right at freezing. Two were here. And my worst physical ailment had beset me. Sunburned lips. Lip balm and the buff over my ears and lips for the remainder of the sun time for me.

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You had to watch your itchy trigger finger/strike here. An 8' leader, a 5' sink tip and 5-10' of sunken fly line put you down at 15'+. You could see the fish approaching the fly from below.  :o

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Tent at lower right. Who put the loose boulders on top of these outcroppings?
Nature is grand.

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The big fish breaking me off on a granite ledge still haunts me.

Continued... :Dance  






"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
 Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change? "
Kelly's Heroes,1970

"I don't wanna go to hell,
But if I do,
It'll be 'cause of you..."
Strange Desire, The Black Keys, 2006