FISHING THE EASTERN SIERRA MAY 2012

Mmmmm... trout. That's what we fish for here in the Sierra Nevada, and we like it: the fishing, the camping, the cooking, the eating. Though we reserved all of our catch for our freezer back home on this trip, we spent a weekend exploring creeks and the Owens River for future fishing forays. We've never been to the east side so early in the season and the campgrounds were very quiet. Our original camping goal was Big Springs, one of a series of free campgrounds maintained by the Forest Service between June Lake and Mammoth Lakes just off Hwy 395. Big Springs had not opened for the season, so we ended up camping at Glass Creek (also free), where Fleabag had plenty of room to roam and bump into things without ending up in someone else's campsite. The spring days at 7000 feet were spectacularly sunny and warm, but the nights were still a bit chilly. I woke to find Fleabag's water bowl had frozen overnight. After a morning campfire and a hearty camp breakfast we fished in the creek some 50 yards from our campsite that had been stocked with trout just three days before.

Glass Creek Campground

Glass Creek

Not much sport in the fishing of stocked trout, Ted says, so we took off in the afternoon to look for other possibilities. We stopped by Deadman Creek at the Big Springs campground and drove along the Owens River Road on our way to Hot Creek. You can surmise that Hot Creek is, well, hot, and near the source of geologic thermal activity. The road passes over the creek a few times and when we stopped on a bridge to snap photos of the undulating water plants in the flowing creek, a flock of swallows emerged from under the bridge in a huff as a formation of pelicans flew overhead. Hot Creek Geologic Site is maintained by the Forest Service with two hot springs pools that feed the creek. Just like the hot springs in Yellowstone, the pools are a fantastic milky blue. The creek abounds with plant life, and swimming is no longer allowed at the site due to temperature fluctuations in the hot springs. After a picnic lunch at the truck we strolled down the walkway to view the pools where Ted really yearned for a swim. On the walk down I noticed an unfamiliar shrub covered with showy pink flowers and buzzing bees. This turned out to be Desert Peach, which only blooms in early spring. Since I never make it over Tioga Pass before summer, there was indeed something new under the sun for me that day.

Deadman Creek

Hot CreekHot Creek Geologic Site

Down the road from the geologic site you can visit the Hot Creek Fish Hatchery, one of three hatcheries in the Eastern Sierra responsible for raising and stocking trout in the region. There are twenty-one fish hatcheries in California, and only half raise trout. The other hatcheries raise salmon and steelhead. This hatchery has outside ponds where you can take a gander at the monster trout and the seagulls all waiting around for a bite.

After the tour, we made a stop at the June Lake Junction store and gas station for ice, just about five miles down Hwy 395 from the Glass Creek campground. The campground itself is just off the highway, and though we could hear traffic from the road, 395 is not a terribly busy road and we found convenient access to ice important at this dry campground. We then convalesced at camp before some late afternoon fishing in Glass Creek to augment our stockpile. Our camp cooking style this trip utilized our new dutch oven, where we cooked up some marinated tri-tip over the fire. In the late evening we had two owls hooting around the campground and coyotes howling off in the distance.

Our dutch oven - the Pronghorn

Packing our gear the next morning, we planned to stop at a secret fishing hole that our friend Harry shared with us on our drive back over Tioga Pass and through Yosemite. A few other people had the same secret, but we were far outnumbered by the fish - thanks Harry! We stopped a few more places with no more success, but were plenty happy with the seven trout we brought home. Of course no trip to the East Side is complete without a meal at the Whoa Nellie Deli inside the Mobil Gas Mart at Lee Vining. Ted's Lobster Taquitos and my Steak Caesar Salad was outstanding as usual. So good that I had to buy the shirt.

Mine Creek at the Saddlebag Lake turnoffThe Tuolumne River in Yosemite

from nanamoose.typepad.com

Junket Rating:

Whoa Nellie Deli: Junk in the Trunk!

TRAVEL: CANOE CAMPING IN THE SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST AUGUST 2010

Our friend Joe owns two canoes and a dog, so we followed his advice and accompanied him on a canoe camping trip to Mammoth Pool Reservoir in the Sierra National Forest south of Yosemite National Park.  A dammed section of the San Joaquin River, Mammoth Pool Reservoir offers great trout fishing and boating at 3300 feet elevation in the Sierra Nevada.  Canoe camping is just like car camping, so we brought all the gear for a comfy overnight stay, including table and chairs for cooking and dining.  The drive into Mammoth Pool includes the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway and the scenery doesn't seem to be intimidated by proximity to Yosemite.  Forty miles from the town of North Fork, the byway and National Forest is accessed from CA State Route 41 and the south entrance to Yosemite.  Speaking of North Fork, we stopped for refreshments at the North Fork Super Market in town and were struck by the character of the place.  Across from the market, a Christian organization was sponsoring free hot dogs and in the market parking lot a stand offered Indian Tacos.  If you reside east of the Mississippi, you may not be familiar with Indian Tacos.  Originating as Navajo Tacos, this version of the taco is served on frybread (also known as bannock), a Native American specialty.  In addition to tacos, we got the distinct impression of a bygone era in the market - illustrated by treats such as Wright's (So Good!) Pink Popcorn.

After stocking up on supplies (beer), we drove the 40 miles to Mammoth Pool with two cars, two canoes, two dogs and three people.  Mammoth Pool feels like the middle of nowhere and it is.  And nowhere could you have a Sierra Nevada lake experience like this: we saw only five other boats the entire two-day excursion.  The boat launch is free and the ramp is easily accessed.  Joe's dog, Cody, is always overjoyed to see any body of water and proceeded to find the largest stick ever to cavort with in the drink.  Then he began this peculiar love affair with the stick, but more on that later.

Cody, the happiest water dog ever

We packed the canoes and cajoled Cody into the boat.  After launching, we paddled across the lake at a steady pace and compared the granite scenery to Yosemite.  Our dog, Fleabag, is not the happiest water dog at 14 years old.  He still loves to camp, though, and after overcoming a bout of nervous shakes in the canoe, mostly dozed as we paddled.  Fleabag appreciated the beer break on a sandy beach - accessible only at low water like we were experiencing in late summer.

Fleabag dozing in the canoe

Ted canoeing in a manly fashion

Joe and Cody in the canoe

Ted and Joe doing what they do best

We relaunched the canoe convoy and continued to tour the granite landscape.  After a short while, we struggled to paddle with the afternoon wind.  We discussed our options and opted for landing when convenient. Fortunately we sighted the ideal campsite near a green meadow and made our way over.  Obviously the campsite of choice at Mammoth Pool, the site offered a fire ring, sandy beach, level spaces under the trees and plenty of privacy when necessary.  We pitched our tents, did a little swimming and then Joe and Ted headed out in the canoe for some fishing.  Joe was intent on trout for dinner, but we had burgers as backup.

No campsite is complete without drying underwear

I stayed at camp with the dogs - who are really no good at fishing, go figure - and explored the lakeshore.  Our campsite was situated next to a meadow that was fed by a spring or creek as the grasses were still so green near the creek bed and you could see constant water seepage on the sand between the meadow and lake.  We camped well above the high water line, and the goodly distance between high water and current water level was littered with tree stumps.  But not just any old stumps, some were massive in size.  What could have led to their cutting?  I noticed some suspicious orange scum in the water that reminded me of bacterial mat at Yellowstone, but in the main, odd-colored additions to water can't be a good sign.  Luckily we had a lot of beer to keep us hydrated.  Coincidentally, I also captured some distinct bear tracks next to the creek.

Ted and Joe returned triumphantly from their fishing excursion with two trout, but we opted for burgers for dinner anyway.  Enjoying the campfire and pink clouds after sunset, we made dinner and relaxed. 

In the morning there was more swimming and fishing, so we fixed up trout (and bacon) for a late breakfast.  After breakfast we packed our gear and loaded up the canoes.  The afternoon weather was worrisome, as we had to head back directly into the wind, though the day was mostly sunny.  With effort we paddled back the way we came with only one instance of nearly tipping.  Here's my canoeing tip of the day: in strong winds, keep the canoe pointed directly into the wind, otherwise if you let the boat get sideways to the wind - you're a goner!  Due to the effort required to get back to the launch, no more photographic evidence exists, so here's some parting camp shots of our breakfast courtesy of Mammoth Pool:

On our way out we visited Wagner's Resort store, part of a concession that maintains the Mammoth Pool campground.  We were delighted by yet another instance of a bygone era in the form of the lunch counter in the store.  Picture a U-shaped counter with Naugahyde-covered stools (originally from the 50s I'm certain) and a giant menu board on the wall behind the counter.  If you've been to Yellowstone you see these vintage lunch counters in the stores at Old Faithful and Canyon.  I worked on restoring some of these counters during my various store re-model projects for Yellowstone General Stores.  We also finished the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway loop and really enjoyed the drive.  We ended up in Oakhurst for dinner at DiCecco's italian restaurant which is apparently a Central Valley chain that just recently expanded to include Colorado.  We enjoyed our calamari, pasta and meatball sandwich and our fellow diners didn't seem to mind our camping grime.

Canoe camping is great fun, but by far the most entertaining aspect of the trip was Cody's passionate love affair with various large sticks.  See for yourself (don't worry it's PG rated):

Junket Ratings:

North Fork Supermarket: Junkety-Junk-Junk

Wagner's Resort Store: Junkety-Junk-Junk

DiCecco's Restaurant: Junkety-Junk-Junk

TRAVEL: FISHING AND CAMPING THE INYO NATIONAL FOREST EAST OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK JULY 2010

Ellery Lake Inyo National Forest

Ahhhh, the High Sierra in summer - blue skies, puffy white clouds, rock climbing, trout fishing, hiking, warm sunny days and cool nights.  But don't forget the mosquitos - all that melting snow creates picturesque creeks, lakes, meadows that provide perfect breeding grounds for Sierra Nevada bloodsuckers.  We spent our weekend camping in the Inyo National Forest, just east of Yosemite.  The 'East Side' of the Sierra Nevada mountains has attained mythical proportion for denizens of Yosemite and the western foothills - the biggest trout, the sickest ascent, the perfect hot springs, the most beautiful hikes, and the best lobster taquitos with the tastiest mango margaritas!  Accessible only from June through September every year (if we're lucky, a little May/October too), Yosemite residents speak of Tuolumne Meadows in awe-tinged voices as they plan their next dinner at the Mobil gas station in the east side town of Lee Vining.  Dinner at a gas station?

 

People travel for miles - and rightly so - to sample Chef Matt Toomey's menu at the Whoa Nellie Deli and down their selections accompanied by mango margaritas.  A social hotspot for the Sierra east side and Yosemite's high country, the Mobil hosts live music for diners on their outdoor patio, as well as providing gas, beer, fishing supplies, sundries and snacks.  Famous for lobster taquitos and fish tacos, the menu doesn't really change from year to year, but the kitchen staff strives to offer daily specials that will pique your culinary interest.

Legendary Lobster Taquitos

Oyster Po' Boy Sandwich Daily Special

Though we will always find a reason to visit the Mobil, this particular trip required TV time in the restaurant to catch the semi-final of the World Cup.  Camping in Inyo National Forest for two days was giving Ted World Cup withdrawal symptoms, so we joined mostly Euro tourists for inside dining to watch Spain beat Germany. Satisfied with the outcome of the game and satiated with seafood, we returned to our campsite at Junction campground near the Tioga Pass Resort outside the east gate of Yosemite.  Located at an elevation of 9600 ft, this is truly Sierra Nevada high country and lots of snow remained on Tioga Peak and the Dana Plateau, though the temps reach the 80s during the day.

Fleabag loves camping!

East entrance Yosemite National Park

Junction Campsite #12

Mine Creek behind campsite #12

Western Wallflower

Fleabag approves of our campsite

Junction Campground is located at the junction of Highway 120 and the Saddlebag Lake Road leading to Sawmill and Saddlebag Lake campgrounds.  Bennettville ghost town is just a short hike from the junction, originally founded by the Great Sierra Mining Company in 1882.  Junction is also located a short jaunt down the highway from Ellery and Tioga Lakes.  With snow on the peaks, daytime temps in the 80s was just my speed as our main objective for this trip was fishing for trout and eating said trout.  And trout fishing requires you to stand in the glacially cold creek water while you cast - aaaiyeee!  We spent the afternoon fishing in Mine Creek at the entrance to our campground and caught one beautiful and very large trout just in time for dinner.

Arnica and Indian Paintbrush

Beautiful Rainbow Trout

After Ted taught me how to clean the fish in the creek behind our campsite,  I believe we did this big beautiful trout some justice by cooking him up hobo pack style with potatoes, onions, lemon slices, seasoned with basil and rosemary, steamed in butter and white wine:

The next day's destination was Ellery Lake in an attempt to repeat another day of successful fishing and dining. Ellery Lake is one of the most accessible high Sierra lakes - the only delay between leaving your car and dropping a line is the time it takes to bait the hook.  For all it's access, however, Ellery Lake was very quiet on a Wednesday afternoon.  We couldn't even tempt the fish in this stocked lake, but we enjoyed the locale immensely.

We retreated from Ellery and stuck with the tried and true fishing hole on Mine Creek.  Every angler that fished caught something here, and though most were using some elaborate bait, we caught three more trout with a lure resembling a little Brown Trout.  I let two get away (subconsciously?  I doubt it - fish are yummy!) and my performance would not have made my fishing mentor, Roy Singletary, very proud.  But as long as Ted was fishing, we were guaranteed dinner.  So the second evening we smoked the trout on the grill:

The next morning it was time to return to Yosemite Valley for work - the complete opposite of everyone else on the Tioga Road.   Passing through cool green Tuolumne Meadows and passing by Tenaya Lake, we descended 5000 feet to the Valley to face the summer hordes.  The high country campgrounds in Inyo National Forest are a welcome respite from the Valley's summer heat, but they don't take reservations and are often filled by early morning, especially on weekends.  Take a chance during the week like we did and arrive early and you may luck into a campsite filled with mosquitos and trout.

Tuolumne Meadows Yosemite National Park

Tenaya Lake Yosemite National Park

Junket Ratings:

Whoa Nellie Deli at the Tioga Gas Mart Mobil Station: Junk in the Trunk!

Junction Campground Inyo National Forest: Junk-O-Rama