Peaking for Gold and ended up with Cutts

[SHigSpeed]

This weekend was SUPPOSED to be a double-header for me; an OGUL peak bag and a high altitude scramble for rumored gold in an "officially" dead lake on Saturday and then a crawdad feast and float tube fishing Saturday evening and Sunday, but it wasn't to be.

Since I was feeling better by Saturday afternoon, I figured I could try for the peak and peek on Sunday to salvage something on my free weekend.

So, Matt (Windknot) had planted in my brain that this small lake nestled near a peak surprisingly far north had at one point harbored goldens, though more recently is categorized as dead. Anyway, I figured I'd give it a shot.

I headed out well before the sun came up, and was making pretty good time to get to where I was to hit the hill. Nope, no trail in. Gotta go cross country. Unfortunately, due to the clearance of my car, I had to turn back and park a half a mile or so - maybe more - from where I was hoping to get to. Starting elevation was about 6300'.

No problem, I'll just hoof the road and then head up, vertical, skyward...

Once I veered off the road, I found that the going was slow through a bunch of dead fall trees and branches while the grade was pretty mellow. Still, quite a pain. The next "stage" was trying to stay on the exposed boulders when possible to minimize crashing through the bushes. Also, a good bit of strategy was needed not to get stuck under a wall which would require backtracking and rerouting. All the while still up up up...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8318/8065232300_09727f3957_c_d.jpg

First milestone was this small lake...

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7200' already - whew! It was at this point that I started getting a feeling that I've seen this before... See the peak in the background to the left? The lake that I was looking for is below that by about 700'. "Only" 600' vertical to go, but again, planning the route was a challenge, and there really is no easy direct route.

A good bit up the hill from the pond:

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By the time I started getting close to the elevation of the lake I was looking for, I came across another bit of water, but for whatever reason it looked too small to be my target. I knew there were two lakes - an upper and lower - so after a short bit of consideration, I figured I'd just hit the peak first, and hopefully come across my bucket of goldens.

Looking down into the small lake:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8460/8065374328_70a9e2851a_c_d.jpg

So there IS still snow in the Sierra!

Finally, after scrambling up to the peak, I was afforded a grand view on a beautiful morning! Got the crossword done save for ONE STINKIN' LETTER! I also realized that the lake that I had seen was indeed the one I was looking for.

This is some sort of beacon - the battery box inside the steel box said something about search and rescue. No official logbook in this one...

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Puzzle - only a Thursday, but I didn't have a lot of time to burn up top. I was on a mission! :)

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After completing the puzzle and leaving it in the box as an unofficial logbook, I scrambled back down to the lake. Once there I thought that it looked too small to hold fish and was prepared to eat skunk, but as soon as the wind stopped blowing for a bit while I was eating lunch, sure enough - FISH!

Lots of these guys were willing to play. Sweet! Though not what I was hoping for. Once I did realize that there were only LCT, I knew that I HAD read a report (Ed!!) on this place. Oh well. I spent a few hours goofing around and catching these guys on just about any type of fly I could tie on.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8318/8065287037_66f9ae1ef5_c_d.jpg

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Later in the afternoon, the wind started picking up, and I wanted to leave plenty of time to get down the hill. Good thing, though down was certainly faster than up, it wasn't a walk in the park. I made great use of my poles to help keep from going ass-over-teakettle down the talus fields and through the brush and down the big boulder steps.

As a nice capper to the day, I nearly ran over this guy in the road on my way out!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8179/8065241509_0b7afc2ae6_c_d.jpg

All in all a great adventure. I'm glad that I did it even though I had my answer but didn't know it. Couldn't ask for a better day trip.

_SHig

[windknot]

Thanks for the report! Glad you found fish, and sorry for the misinformation; looks like Ed had more recent intel than I did. Seems like you had a great trip regardless though. :)

[Ed Wahl]

Man until you mentioned my name I had no idea where in the hell you were going. I could have saved you quite a bit of walking also, having gone in almost a dozen times over the years. There is a fairly straightforward route up, you just have to know where it is.
Even without the Gold it's still worthwhile to be up there.
On two separate trips I came across Rubber Boas, how's that for cool?

Not to make you feel bad but I have taken both of my grandkids up there. Both were under 10 when I took them.

When it was Gold it was the best kept secret in the northern Sierra. I'm glad I was able to get in on it.
Your pics bring back quite a few memories Shig, thanks bud.
Ed

[SHigSpeed]

Man until you mentioned my name I had no idea where in the hell you were going. I could have saved you quite a bit of walking also, having gone in almost a dozen times over the years. There is a fairly straightforward route up, you just have to know where it is.
Even without the Gold it's still worthwhile to be up there.
On two separate trips I came across Rubber Boas, how's that for cool?

Not to make you feel bad but I have taken both of my grandkids up there. Both were under 10 when I took them.

When it was Gold it was the best kept secret in the northern Sierra. I'm glad I was able to get in on it.
Your pics bring back quite a few memories Shig, thanks bud.
Ed

Ah, a straightforward route! That would've been nice.

Rubber boa?! I had no idea that such a creature lived in our neck of the woods, cool!

Not to make you feel bad, but I've heard stories of forced death marches that you've talked consenting adults on. Do your grandkids still talk to you? :) With my light pack it really wasn't too bad but the legs got a bit rubbery towards the end of the descent. The arms actually got a great workout working the sticks.

How many years has it been since you personally saw gold in there? Wonder if it was "ruined" the same time as the other place in the Moke?

_SHig

[SHigSpeed]

Thanks for the report! Glad you found fish, and sorry for the misinformation; looks like Ed had more recent intel than I did. Seems like you had a great trip regardless though. :)

I was actually happy to find anything. I went in prepared for the worst and a short day so no complaints here.

_SHig

[windknot]

Personally, I had feared that the CDFG had stopped stocking goldens and allowed the lake to go fishless (didn't think it was self-sustaining), so I'm very happy to hear that there are LCT here now. Now just need to watch and see if the lake productivity has the potential to grow any nice fish.

[FRSam]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post and viewing the pictures...thanks for sharing. So did you have lamb chops for dinner?

Pete

[SHigSpeed]

Personally, I had feared that the CDFG had stopped stocking goldens and allowed the lake to go fishless (didn't think it was self-sustaining), so I'm very happy to hear that there are LCT here now. Now just need to watch and see if the lake productivity has the potential to grow any nice fish.

While most fish were in the same size cohort, I did see a few that were a notch larger and a few more in the 6" range. As far as spawning habitat I'd guess if there is any it'd have to be in the small connector between the two lakes during spring (?) or if there are lake bottom springs like that other place.

I might head back in a year or two and check in on these guys! (maybe with a 4x4 next time!)

_SHig

[Ed Wahl]

Those rocky tarns don't really have enough of a food base for large trout. It could happen if they live long enough, but I've never seen anything over about 14 inches come out of there. There's no shallows or weedbeds, just clear water dropping off down into a very deep hole.

I've seen the goldens trying to spawn in the inlet in the early summer when the rest of the lake is still frozen. I'm not positive that they were successful but I did see some very small fish in there in the past.

In your birds eye shot of the lake if you look way up the bank you can see the brush-line that marks the early season high water mark. I's a totally different lake that time of year, not quite the moonscape you see around it now. It drops pretty fast over the summer.

I'ts totally cut off from any fish trying to make it upstream because the out flow, when it's there, percolates out under the rocks. The lake level never even gets close to the lip of bowl.

Shig, I believe it was 11 yrs ago that I last saw gold. My grandson and I caught them while overnighting there.

Thanks for the way cool post dude, brings back memories.

Ed

[loose_shoes]

Are you listening to tunes while you are hiking?

Seriously?

[SHigSpeed]

Are you listening to tunes while you are hiking?

Seriously?

Generally, no. Yes, bad form. :oops: I had a podcast going at the car and I left the buds in. My absolute favorite sounds of "the mountains" are the calls of the mountain chickadee. Not sure if I imprinted on them as a kid but my friends will tell you I can dead match whistle a cheese-cheese-burger. ;) Not much bird sound this trip, though I think Bambi may have taken a bullet or two!

_SHig

[John Sv]

Hi is that lake to the climbers left of this gully, and having a view from the top of the peak that looks like this?

[SHigSpeed]

Hi is that lake to the climbers left of this gully, and having a view from the top of the peak that looks like this?

Could be, but was there a search and rescue repeater antenna on the peak?

_SHig

[Fly Guy Dave]

Hey Sig-

Wow! I fished that lake and got gold out of there, it has to be at least ten years ago by now, and I've thought of going back, but I'm not sure I want to now, since cutts are much easier to find in other places. Yeah, I slogged in there from the north, uphill the whole way and no real "trail," but with some minor bushwhacking. Sounds like a great trip all the same, nice views, a semi-successful ;) crossword and some trout to boot. Can't beat that!
Thanks for sharing!

--F.G. Dave

[John Sv]

Am I allowed to post the name of the PIQ (peak in question) that I think it is, or is that taboo. (New on this and unfamiliar with secret spot protocols)

[windknot]

Hi John,

I'm not one to tell another man what to do, but generally I try to take my cue from the original poster's post. If he mentions a place by name, then I figure it's safe for me to do so too. If he doesn't, then I'll figure he wants to keep it under wraps and so I'll respect his choice to do so by refraining from naming a place if I know where it is.

This seems to be the most generally accepted etiquette for public forums like this one. If you want to discuss a particular place with another poster in more detail, the Private Message function works great for that. :)

Hope this helps!
Matt

[Kneedeep]

Isn't the peak in question sometimes known as Aboo?
:D

[SHigSpeed]

Isn't the peak in question sometimes known as Aboo?
:D

Whaa-whaa (ba-dum-ching!)

_SHig

[Kneedeep]

Whaa-whaa (ba-dum-ching!)

_SHig

I just couldn't let the shot go by......:D