I'd visited these two lake last year with a friend, and we gotten rained on, wet, and miserable. I didn't even land a fish, so a rematch was in order and I headed back after the first of our two recent rain events. I sort of expected this area to be crowded, and was pleasantly surprised to only run into a few people, including an actual Ranger Rick; a volunteer Wilderness Steward with the NFS.
The lower lake holds naturally reproducing Cutthroat, and has a shallow weedy shoreline that makes it virtually unfishable from the bank, so I brought my ultralight raft. It's not as nice to fish from as a float tube setup, but sure is nicer to carry.
As expected, the rain brought out an early mushroom crop, and that always tells me we're approaching autumn. I found some edibles (not that kind!), and a few others.
Zeller's Bolete- that's a keeper.
New to me; young Turbinellus floccosus or scaly/shaggy Chanterelle. Not recommended, though reportedly tasty.
And some full grown specimens.
And what should turn up 20' from my tent but a King Bolete! Choice.
Nature's drying rack.
Forest dweller.
The trail in passes below this impressive wall on the west flank of a prominent local landmark.
You get a nice overview of the mountain from the lake. We've been up this from another lake on the opposite shoulder; it's actually pretty mellow. There are yet two other lakes perched above the treeline here which I'd love to visit, but it's a big brush bash and looks like a lot of work.
It's a pretty spot.
The trail to the upper lake starts out a bit sketchy, and I got totally soaked going through the thick huckleberry brush, but that first view is always such a joy.
Made even better when there are nice fish rising and a Bonsai island.
I spent a while here, then went back to the lower lake and caught some more. I really missed having a net; it seems so much more stressful for me and the fish.
The next day I was hoping to visit two other lakes tucked into the woods nearby, but the density and wetness of brush gave me a case of the awfuckits. Fish were rising all over the lower lake, so I went for another mellow paddle, caught more Cutts, picked some berries to bring home and checked out. Not bad!
The lower lake holds naturally reproducing Cutthroat, and has a shallow weedy shoreline that makes it virtually unfishable from the bank, so I brought my ultralight raft. It's not as nice to fish from as a float tube setup, but sure is nicer to carry.
As expected, the rain brought out an early mushroom crop, and that always tells me we're approaching autumn. I found some edibles (not that kind!), and a few others.
Zeller's Bolete- that's a keeper.
New to me; young Turbinellus floccosus or scaly/shaggy Chanterelle. Not recommended, though reportedly tasty.
And some full grown specimens.
And what should turn up 20' from my tent but a King Bolete! Choice.
Nature's drying rack.
Forest dweller.
The trail in passes below this impressive wall on the west flank of a prominent local landmark.
You get a nice overview of the mountain from the lake. We've been up this from another lake on the opposite shoulder; it's actually pretty mellow. There are yet two other lakes perched above the treeline here which I'd love to visit, but it's a big brush bash and looks like a lot of work.
It's a pretty spot.
The trail to the upper lake starts out a bit sketchy, and I got totally soaked going through the thick huckleberry brush, but that first view is always such a joy.
Made even better when there are nice fish rising and a Bonsai island.
I spent a while here, then went back to the lower lake and caught some more. I really missed having a net; it seems so much more stressful for me and the fish.
The next day I was hoping to visit two other lakes tucked into the woods nearby, but the density and wetness of brush gave me a case of the awfuckits. Fish were rising all over the lower lake, so I went for another mellow paddle, caught more Cutts, picked some berries to bring home and checked out. Not bad!
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