I've been wanting to do the Upper Truckee for the stream resident LCT for some time now. I finally got a good window to get out today - much better'n working that's for sure!
Weather was PERFECT! Got a good jump on the day and Hope Valley looked cool shrouded in mist and frozen ground:
Parked the car at Carson Pass/Meiss Trailhead parking lot. Don't forget to pay the $5!
So, I head up the hill on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail - or so I though! I guess I'm just too rip roarin' to go and somehow manage to get OFF the train and charged up the hill. Ooops. Wait, is THAT the trail I'm supposed to be on?
If you look closely you may see the light trail snaking along 100(?!) feet below me! So, do I lose all the potential energy that I burned half of breakfast gaining to get back down to the trail? Or scrabble horizontally toward the saddle where the trail goes over? Yeah, I ain't giving up my vert! Scrabbling across the scree through the contours of the mountain was hairy going, but I managed to make it to the ridge and came to an outcropping over where the trail made it's pass. Took a break and played with the timer on the camera:
From this perch I still had to scrabble down 50 feet to the trail. Whew, back on track...
Photo from the trail near the crest. You can see Lake Tahoe in the distance.
Now the trail goes down the back of the mountain into the meadow. I start crossing these:
I wonder if I hock a loogie in there how long would it take for my DNA to get into Pyramid Lake?
The trail eventually gets to the historic Meiss summer cabin:
and on to these signs:
Well, little blue lines cross both trails, and the little blue lines hold the little spotted fish right? I go towards Round Lake. Bad idea. About a mile in I cross the little blue line. Not much blue! Grr, should have gone the other way as that blue is downstream and has more feeders and should have more blue... Damn. Turn around. Back to the signs, try again...
Go up the other trail and the blue that crosses again is but a trickle. Looks like I need to follow it down to find more water. It's amazing how much marshy muck and brush this area has! Booney-crashed through the brush going downhill and following the trickle and FINALLY came to some water holding fish - small pockets and pools with some trickle in and out:
Now we're in business - FINALLY! Every pool holds fish, somewhat spooky but not lockjawed. On the pool above I actually dropped my fly over the rock seen on the bottom right corner and wasn't paying attention. When I went to lift the rod I though I was snagged - nope! Fish on! Got fish out of every pool down the line.
Some of the fish:
All on small dries, parachute Adams in size 16/18?
At some point more feeders were coming in and there was more blue, but it was after noon by now and I though I might have a try at Showers. Uh, but where am I? I knew the general direction of the trail, and I knew if I kept moving that way couldn't miss it. Thing is, the muck and brush and of course in chasing pools downstream one tends to burn elevation quickly so the slog up and out until I found the trail again sucked! Based on the direction and turns on the trail where I found it, I think I was maybe a half mile from Showers, but I'd had enough. I got what I came for, and now it's time to turn back.
On the way out, I crossed a small trickle and managed neat shot:
It's amazing how little water these guys need...
So, now it was time to back UP and UP to the saddle, then down. Easy peasy now that I am on the actual trail right? Well, I got a case of the uh-ohs at one point because it seemed to be a bit farther than I'd expected so I turned back to find a spur that I may have missed. Turns out that I was on the right track after all, but I did manage to do one last bit of extra walking for the day.
Not sure but I'm guessing 10-12 miles in all today? Not bad for a guy who usually floats in a La-z-Boy and fins around small lakes.
On the way out I fished the Carson at the bridges and got a couple planter 'bows at one, but the other bridge is chock full of 2-5 lb chunkers! Now THESE brutes had lockjaw. Nothing I threw at them interested them. I did forget to take my big streamer box, but I really didn't think I'd need them for the LCTs. Someone go out and figure out what those Alpers fish want before they're all snagged out of there!
_SHig
Bookmarks