Damned if you do.....Option C.

[Dougfish]

This trip was a do over. We had intended to do a backpacking trip to another drainage. The same one we had to bail on last year.
Last year it was low water. We bailed two weeks ago because of rain and cold. This week it was forecast rain/high water and cold. Potential snow cold.
Fin crayfished out and Jacob and I looked at option B, C, D. Went from a backpacking trip to a truck camping trip. Gave us options to move, dry wood and room for more stuff.
Lots of stuff.
J has a lot of good pics. Here's mine.





I had showed J the forecast for an inch+ of rain and we was happy. "Makes the big fish move!"

We were going to hit a lower trib going in and then move up to set up camp.



Opps. That's the trib coming in from the left and flooding a low water bridge.
As it turns out there was no good option. All through the mountains the stations reported 1.5-2.5" of rain.
Looked at a few other rivers and decided to make the best of things. Option C?
Got set up in a window of no rain. Did some exploring, looked at the water, bullshitted with others camped back there and settled in.



Surf's up at camp side. Bridge?



Even some trees were gnarly.



Keepers have camped here. 



Cancer-root.



I've never seen a drainage with this much Bigleaf Magnolia.





J was in charge of the fire. I had hauled in some dry white oak (which I had gotten from him after he fell and split it!).
He used it as a base and had this strange assortment of wet wood drying and being added to the mix. Quite the fluid sculpture.



J had night one's dinner and we scarfed it down. No backpacking meals. And a cooler.
He commented, "How many beers did you bring?" I told him, enough.
Night came, the fire was warm, I had my libations and the moon made an appearance.



Saturday morning came after a cozy night's sleep. The river was down a bit, but still rockin'. 
Coffee, banana, Lil' Smokies, bagels w/butter and we're gone. 30ish year old Whisperlite still getting it done after new O rings installed.





We got across the main river with much trepidation (by me). Swimming was not desired. We set out for the targeted trib.
Mr. Youthful Exuberance insisted it was upstream. The trail itself was a stream. After a half mile, he conceded and we went down where I said it was.
Bingo.
Rocking also. And the rain returned.









After few fish, much scrambling, the loss of my prized orange hat (yes Mudwall, that bitch has died), and leaky rain coats, we holed up under a rock face.
And it kept raining, the wind blew, we were wet and cold. It was looking bleak for our heros. Then we made coffee and soup and said fuck it, we're out of here. After we got back to the river, we met an older couple slogging down the trail. (But maybe not as old as me?) They had hiked down from The Drive and were prepared to hike back up along a long loop. They had crossed the same river I whined about. A little further up, but damn! In jeans, low hiking boots and trekking poles. My manhood sunk as we wished them well. Only 6ish uphill miles awaited them. We just had to get back across the river. Had it gone up even more in the rain?
J had to try a good back eddy on the river. I watched.





The beast of the woods!



But seriously, we got back across the river and to camp. J commended me on crossing spot.
Got out of the wet clothes and went in search of a pizza. Bonus points for the truck.
Negative points for choosing the Buffalo Chicken Pizza of future colon distress.

Found this guy on my stove's wind screen later. Coolio.



Besides the Magnolias, we saw a gazillion False Solomon's Seals.



We ate late, it got colder and colder, J hit the hay and I fell asleep in front of the fire. Awoke a bit later and finished burning up all the wood before retiring.
It was probably right at 40 degrees and we both were warm. Getting the hammock thing down a little better each time out!

Busted down camp in the AM like champs and headed up higher to salvage the weekend. Did you notice any fish pics before now?
I was still wearing the skunk.
Not for long.





  Adelgids were here. 





Meadow Parsnip.



Wild Sarsaparilla.







Granddad's old Shakespeare Purist paired with a Stuart Perfect got it done.



We hiked out after a few hours feeling good about our selves.
Discussed hitting another drainage down the road but discovered no one fishing the lower reach of the river.
Hit the water we couldn't fish earlier and scored some fish. Got a puny brown to add to the tally.



And some brookies, including a nice one to make my day.



Lady bug enjoying a sunny moment on a nettle. Nettle. 







We climbing the bank, unsuited and headed for home. Plan C, or D, or whatever it was turned out OK.
We had a lot of wet stuff but we'll be back mid-week one day for the targeted trib.  y;

0:0

[benben reincarnated]

Looks wet, and green.  What were the air temps like? 

It was miserable here on Saturday.  Mountains outside of town got snow. 

[Dougfish]

Looks wet, and green.  What were the air temps like? 

It was miserable here on Saturday.  Mountains outside of town got snow.

I didn't take my thermometer. But just checked the nearest weather station 1000' lower.
High Friday, low 70's. Slid from there to highs of low 50's Sat. and lows of upper 30's. Climbed to low 60's Sunday.
The wet made it feel colder. And the streams had to be in the low-mid 50's. 
Feeling good today. Pneumonia can suck it. 

[The Dude]

I didn't realize just how high the water was until the photo with J fishing the eddy and seeing trees growing up out of the water. On weekends like that, your only option is Option GSD: Get Shitfaced Drunk. Wet + Cold sucks.


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[Big J]

I didn't realize just how high the water was until the photo with J fishing the eddy and seeing trees growing up out of the water.

That picture was after the river went down a foot and a half..... 

[Fin]

Well done gents.  An "A" for courage and effort.  Still can't say that I regret the decision to stay at home...   

[driver]

Sounds about like my weekend. TR later.

Still better than working.

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[Dougfish]

I didn't realize just how high the water was until the photo with J fishing the eddy and seeing trees growing up out of the water.

That picture was after the river went down a foot and a half..... 

And he wanted to cross there after he fished it. 
When you are getting hung up on tree roots that used to be well up the bank, you maybe should have re-thought this.

[Woolly Bugger]

yup, getting out is the thing, catching fish, well that's just a bonus....

[jwgnc]

 0:0

Great TR

[Big J]

More like Option F.  Doug summed up trip nicely, here are my pictures.


Anyone see what is messed up?  Makes for an interesting 7 hours of driving round trip.


"I think you got this Doug"


"The we ain't fishing today" light bulb finally kicked on.

So fumbling around camp.










This waterfall use to be a trickling spring you could probably step over below.


Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.  Rocks do not make good splitting bases...






Boom




New lanterns are kick butt. 


Day 2, crossing stream to fish trib was interesting.  I made it across in a sketchy spot.  Doug wouldn't commit.  Here is him trying and failing at second attempt. 

So I took pictures on the bank as I waited.






This was supposed to be our trail.


Finally a fish.


Said Trib.


After getting rained on for an hour and wind picked up, we had a coffee and soup break.  Had shelter for an hour or two before calling it quits for the morning fishing.  Rain wouldn't let up and trib was rising.  Concern was getting back across the river if it rose again.


Wouldn't be a Doug fishing trib without it.


Afternoon fishing around trip wasn't bad.  The pizza in town beforehand was....


You can see our makeshift stream gauge with orange paracord.  Stream dropped that much in 24 hrs.










Talk about good cooking coals.


Dougie sleeping it off.


Next morning the buffalo chicken pizza really hit us.  We weren't fighting each other over left overs.

Day 3










Another Giant Stone







This trip was provided by Big Red Worms. 

[Grannyknot]

Still looks like a fun time.
Did doug get rowdy?

[Big J]

Doug Behaved.  Wasn't like the fall trip...... 

[Dougfish]

Still looks like a fun time.
Did doug get rowdy?

I was tame. I think. I fell asleep because I was tired in front of a bodacious fire.
Quit liquor about 8 weeks ago.
0:0

[Jfey]

Crazy mofos.   Your gear should be dry sometime next month. 0:0