Rocky Mountain National Park - The Last Hike, Adding a Comma and the Revenge of the Fishes

We are finishing up two days in Rocky Mountain National Park. There is some big Scottish Festival in Estes Park this weekend and it starts today so we thought we would check out the pipers and the drummers before its Hammer time in Colorado Springs where I will gratefully entrust my gullet to the skilled hands of Jodi Hammerstrom for the weekend.

Yesterday we figured out the shuttle system to get up into the heavily travelled Bear Lake area. It was a short hike up along a string of lakes but it started at 9475 feet which we knew would be taxing even after living at 8000 feet in Yellowstone for a week. It was taxing but it seemed to me that as the day progress the heavy breathing eased up. The last lake was Emerald Lake and to get there we added 605 feet. So, the total elevation at the lake was 10,080! Five figures and a comma! Good to be in five figures once again and a wonderful way to end the mountain hiking portion of our trip.

Now on the way down I noticed a couple of folks carrying rods and casting out in the lakes. This is a heavily used trail and it is "smoothed" out and constructed in many parts. Along Dream Lake, The trail runs right up next to the edge of the lake along much of its shore. As we hiked out in the afternoon, I looked over at the water at the head of the lake. FISH! Rising to the surface and visible in the shallow water.

They were green cutthroat trout a sub-speices found in these lakes, all about 6-8 inches.  We stopped to watch. They were right there, swimming in a foot of water, rising to all kinds of crap, sticking their lips above the water and gulping or spitting it out. They were mocking me! They were saying , "You fool! Once again an alpine lake, and you have no license or a fly rod! I spit dead caddis pupa in your general direction!"

And I am not kidding, they were right next to shore. If the well groomed trail was a sidewalk, they were in the gutter. I could have taken off my hat and scooped them up (except it was my sacred Mets cap and it was not going into the water). They lazily swam in the shoreline eddies, chased each other off, swam back in, tasted a few more surface items, swam back out. Even as we moved down the shore to new access points, new fish doing the same. I could see them clear as a bell. Green on top, yellow leopard spotted hind quarters, rising, ever rising. It was as if they were saying, "We are Dream Lake fish but the only way you will catch us is in your dreams!"


It was a fine hike and a nice way to end the mountain portion of the trip.

Emerald Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, 10,080 feet.

Yellowstone - Part 3 - I AM a fisher-MAN!

We went to the Madison River, threw dry flies, hoppers, beetles, minnows, and nymphs. Nothing! We took a hike up to Bradley and Taggert Lakes, another set of small alpine type lakes. Fish everywhere, slurping, jumping. Of course, the fly rod was in the car 2.5 miles away. Talked Marsha into hiking back there again the next day, armed with weapons of destruction. Windy again. No fish rising, nothing underwater that they would take. Next day we drive along Yellowstone Lake and I take out the spin rod and cast as far out as I could. Nothing. Move up into the Yellowstone River (described in the guide book as THE blue ribbon trout stream of the world). Nothing. Windy, wide, no hatches. Nothing. We went to Gibbon River.

Nothing on the Gibbon really, until we stopped for a nature break. There on a small curve as the river twisted through a meadow was a small thermal spring. As I took care of business, I looked over at the small pool created by the curve near the thermal spring - Trout rising! Back to the car, grabbed the pole and you the end to this - a six inch brook trout!

I AM a fisher-MAN!

Skunked on the Snake

We did a nice hike up to two small lakes in the Tetons, Taggert Lake and Bradley Lake. As usual, fish rising to the surface, everywhere. From where we sat to have lunch, I counted at least 30 fish rising and slurping insects on the surface in 5 minutes.

Since it was an easy hike, I talked Marsha into grabbing some fishing licenses and heading back the following day. She opted for the one day license, I opted for the 3 day. Of course we hike in and the wind starts blowing. By the time we got to the first lake the wind was pretty steady, rippling the surface and disturbing any surface hatch.  No fish action. In the periods where the wind died down a little we threw surface flies. We threw hoppers and beetles. We threw nymphs. Nothing.

The next day I tried the Snake River, one of the premier trout rivers in the world. I had bought a guide book and we located some of the access points suggested by the authors. Again a very windy day and the Snake can be a big open river in places. It was tough to cast with the wind and the surface was rippled.

We did find one place about 1.5-2.0 miles below Jackson Lake Dam, called Cattleman's Bridge. It is a long gone bridge site down a dirt side road that is not marked from the main road. It opens into a broad curve in the river with a big beach on the inside of the curve and deep quiet water out into a deep channel. Easy wading (even for me who did not bring waders as a concession to space) and a very nice spot. It was obviously a place where local come to swim and fish after work. This afternoon it was big enough to accommodated swimmers, and 4-5 fisherman. Fish were rising in the quiet spots in the periods when the wind died down enough to make the water go flat.

As late afternoon moved toward supper time the periods of wind increased and the periods of calm decreased. I got pretty good at "shooting" my line into the wind to get it out to calm spots, but the river was big and wide and the wind was very tough. More and more wind, less and less calm. By the time I got a cutthroat to flash up to a parachute adams, it was no longer worth the effort. So, zero for the Tetons, but I'd love to go back. You can drift boat the Snake with a guide that cost some bucks but that really is the way to fish it.

Oh Deer! Still Hanging Out in Waterton

We have made the decision to hang out through the Canadian August Long Weekend holiday. We are just not sure we can move north and find a campsite. It is 90 degrees today so we did a short hike and  tried to fish a little bit (no luck). We ended up in town next to the lake in the shade of some trees by the afternoon. The lake is freezing cold so it is good for a dip but not long swims.

The wind is blowing fiercely off and on with gusts that are blowing people's hats off. I am being treated to a demo from some very expert wind surfers who are obviously local. The gal was about waist deep in the water scanning the lake to the south where the wind was coming from. As the white caps grew about a quarter mile out she started shouting to her guy partner who was just moving onto the beach. She told him to hurry as the big wind was coming. To me it was blowing pretty hard already, but she was reading the lake surface way out. When the wind hit, it hit hard and she jumped up, hung her butt down and flew across the water. Her partner followed but by taking a slightly different tack than her exploded across the lake at twice her speed. Both are very, very good windsurfers and know this lake well. Great show as we perform another stealth dinner in a campground kitchen shelter down by the water, charging the devices. We did confirm that our out of town camsite entitles us to showers at the in town campground showers.

We had visitors in the campground this morning at breakfast time. Three deer, two bucks and a doe. We have actually seen quite a few deer but before this just one small buck. Both of these guys were good size, sporting full racks of antlers covered in velvet. They grazed between several campsites and around ours for about a half an hour.

The plan for tomorrow is another long in  an then up to a lake hike. Most likely it will be Forum Lake but you could go to Wall Lake from the same route. We will see how the legs feel. Wall Lake is the "postcard" lake of Waterton.

 

Glacier National Park: Day 2 - Fire On The Mountain

Here was the plan for today. Take the 7AM Logan Pass shuttle up the Going to the Sun Road. At the top we would head north along one of the premier trails in the world - the Highline Trail. Yesterday Going to the Sun Road was closed late in the day as a small fire on the east side exploded into a 100 acre fire due to the high winds. Campgrounds on that side had to be evacuated and hiker were being located and the fire expanded rapidly. We still got up very early to queue for the first bus out just in case, but no dice, road was closed over the top all day.

So, let me tell you about the end of day 1, after we nabbed a campsite. We did a short hike up Avalanche Creek to Avalanche Lake. It is in a beautiful cirque fed from water exiting the Sperry Glacier. We counted five cascading waterfall coming over the headwall feeding the lake. Great hike, not to hard, just enough to let your legs know they were working.

On the return to the campsite we happened on a scene just on the road by our site. A couple about our age flagged down a ranger and gave him an earful. Playing the game of campsite roulette the arrived early (like us), tagged their site and then took off in their Mercedes motorhome for the day. WHen they returned someone was set up in their site. The woman was angry and frustrated, and the ranger was trying to figure out options on the fly. With all of the loops and other NP campsites full, it was going to be a long late drive to find something else. Her frustration was getting the better of the situation. I was teasing the young couple the next site over, by saying - watch this, I am going to go over there and tell  them that for $100 they can park on our site , but they have to sleep in our tent and we get to sleep in the Mercedes. With the situation escalating, it was not time for jokes butit was a good idea in principle. We ended up just making the offer of sharing our site through the ranger, they accepted, and things got immediately better for them. Until of course next morning at 6:15 AM while stuffing my car keys into the bottom of the pack to scoot for the early shuttle, I set off the car alarm and it took a few minutes to shut it off. 

The shuttles did not run up and over today, so the early up was a waste. Marsha just so a notice that it is now up to 2000 acres. Not a lot of hope for tomorrow, but we will try the early express. Back up plan is taking the time for huckleberry pancakes. 

We ended up doing a little biking, and I got to go fishing. First on the shores of Lake McDonald with spinning rod and fly casting into the wind. Later I got out onto the river outflow from the lake. No success except a few nibbles. I got one to follow a lure a few feet, had another rise to a fly and spit it twice, and on the river just one nibble but was in a good area as several small fish jumped near me. It was a windy day and you had to watch your casting but it was a real joy to fish in such clear water. The lake became tedious as the gravel shore line got into my sandals and the clarity masked depth. One false step and knee deep became chest deep and then swim time. The water was cold but not frigid Marsha got in for a lake swim before summer. 

On the river I was able to fish a hole just below a bridge and the water was warmer. I could wade across in water up to my belly button. I had great fun casting and floating flies and nymphs out in the middle of the river. It just amounted to a few hours of casting practice, which I needed. In the end I got much better at shooting the line and getting it where I wanted. Lots of wind but no wind knots and with t he clear water it was easy to figure out likely spots of cover to cast to, They were just not buying what I was selling. 

I am at the Apgar Visitor Center which actually closed a few hours ago. Marsha observed someone yesterday plugging a device into an outlet on the side of the building. Building has free wifi, is just down the street from the huckleberry ice cream stand. Charging and blogging, a pleasant way to spend a few hours. Here are the pictures:

 

Breakfast from the Natchaug

Nice trout that gulped a fly deep into his throat. Getting it out caused enough damage that he was not going to make it on release. Took it home for a breakfast snack.

Trial Run #2 - No Fish for Breakfast

Camping weekend #2 to work out more kinks in our systems. At Austin Hawes Campground on the Farmington River in American Legion State Forest, one of our favorite CT camping spots. One of the best trout streams in CT. Alas no fish for breakfast as they were beyond the skill of this fisherman and it is a catch and release section of the river anyway. Note to Mike Babinski - below note that I do pay attention on how leading lines and foreground objects contribute to composition. Note to Doug Hammerstrom - thanks for teaching me about fly fishing.