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Stormdude Home. This campground is located 45 minutes up from Highway 395 at an elevation of just over 10,000 feet. I continued to use this method and got more comfortable with it throughout the week and I’ll definitely employ it in combination with stripping leeches in the future. Dogs are also able to use this trail. As is often the case with golden trout – absolutely. The only catch here, is that the trail head is just a little ways south of Lone Pine, CA which makes it a fairly significant drive from the Bay Area. The golden trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita) is a subspecies of the rainbow trout that is native to Golden Trout Creek, Volcano Creek and the South Fork Kern River. It was mentally and physically taxing, but we got around. The afternoon turned to evening and we returned to our campsite to eat some dinner. The route is straightforward, however, across a grassy meadow dotted with small boulders, beside the lake's exit stream then down a slope, as trees start to reappear. The trail bottomed out in a giant meadow where several forks of a small creek flowed and was flanked by tons of wildflowers. Oh well. Find them on their home turf at Lake Italy, 12,350 feet high in the John Muir Wilderness. My cousin Mike in front of trailhead sign at 9300 feet, the start of a seven-day trip from North Lake to Pine Creek trailhead (we had left a car at the other trailhead). 3. The route is straightforward, however, across a grassy meadow dotted with small boulders, beside the lake's exit stream then down a slope, as trees start to reappear. DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5 | DAY 6 | DAY 7 | DAY 8 (Day 6 of 8) Today is a very easy day. The good stuff comes after the sun has already gone down. … Read more. Both are found in this wilderness. In short, the fishing was amazing. Lakes 1 and 2 hold golden and brook trout, while only goldens are found in lakes 3 and 4. We started the year off strong with … More. The day started with a completely clear sky, but by 6pm significant clouds had formed and it even sprinkled a bit. Volcano Creek golden trout. 2. The first hurdle was a 12000 ft pass. Piute Pass to Pine Creek Backpack. The entry point and home base for the Golden Trout Wilderness and Cottonwood Lakes is the campground, Horseshoe Meadows. The sno-cone midge prevailed. Home About HSBF Backpacking Fishing. It was tucked in a bowl surrounded by jagged granite peaks. It was a steep snowbank with no sun cups – a slip would result in an icy plunge. After a mile there is reliable water in the form of a creek. Our loop takes us deep into the wilderness to visit two of the most spectacular high alpine lake basins in the Southern Sierra: Cottonwood Lakes and Rocky Basin Lakes. It is celebrated for its expansive meadows, flowing creeks, and the fish for which the wilderness is named. I guess we were pretty lucky to find so many near peak bloom! They were so cool. Pass over the log bridge or rock hop, and proceed on the flat trail skirting a meadow that holds Cottonwood Creek. It was cloudy and cold and it was only 7am. Both are found in this wilderness. From the east, most visitors approach from Hwy 395 near Lone Pine. I wandered over to the inlet to snap some pictures of the waterfall framed by shooting stars. Golden Trout Lake is just below, supposedly reached by a trail that ends by its eastern edge, though this is barely discernible, especially early in the season when patches of snow remain. Backpacking, camping, Fly Fishing, Golden Trout Wilderness, Tenkara. Map of the United States. It is located 40 miles (64 km) east of Porterville, California within Inyo National Forest and Sequoia National Forest. (Don’t have to do that again!). The 300,000+ acre Golden Trout Wilderness (GTW) was designated by Congress in 1978. The trail begins to gain elevation and you will want to avoid a turn off toward Golden Trout Camp. Can't wait to go back! Part of the John Muir Wilderness, this glaciated landscape is surrounded by jagged spires of granite and dotted with alpine lakes. Day three, Kern Lakes, stayed at Trout Meadow. The Golden Trout Wilderness is very quickly becoming one of my favorite places to visit. Wonder if it has fish? It was wonderful to revisit the place virtually. The Golden Trout Wilderness has been the destination of many avid backpackers, rafters and fisherman although it receives a fraction of the tourists that its northerly neighbors, Yosemite and Sequoia National Park, host each year and remains a wilderness in the true sense of the word. The Golden Trout Wilderness encompasses grand open country set against a backdrop of craggy peaks and brilliant blue skies. Turn east at the Portal Creek turnoff – FS Road 984. Man, was I happy we came across them. By 11am the weather was starting to look dicey again. I had waited all year to fish these lakes, but got rained out. The golden trout is also native to Golden Trout Creek and Volcano Creek, which can offer some great fishing for goldies. Fortunately, I escaped with just a bruised and scraped up knee and some scratches on the palm of my right hand. 1 contribution. Very interesting to see your photos of the old Jordan Hot Springs site. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a blast to fish for golden trout at a remote off trail lake at 11500 ft in the Sierra, but the engineer in me mulled these questions over for the rest of the trip. The most interesting thing that evening were the clouds. The Golden Trout Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada, in Tulare County and Inyo County, California. The dirty bottom feeders that overpopulate and multiply by the numbers. No cruisers, no hits, no fish. The route is ordinarily easy going – you just follow the flat spots between the small cliffs – but this year the snow made it slightly more complicated. Pictures, sketches, and descriptions of my hiking adventures. After just 0.6 miles, this track comes to Chicken Spring Lake, a worthy turn around point for an 8.2-mile hike. The GTW was named for the brightly colored native golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita) which is the California State Fish. Despite how quickly it all happened, it seemed to happen in slow motion for me, as I watched my camera swing forward and bang against the same rock I hit my knee on. Water temperatures in the range of 3° to 20°C are ideal for them to breathe, feed, metabolize food, evade predators, and spawn. In the end, it was pretty straight forward and we didn’t get into any trouble. … I listened to the rain and hail pitter patter on the tent and dozed off. This year we had an aggressive itinerary to hit 5 lakes that could all hold trophy golden trout. Two trails are supposed to leave from near the bridge and go to Willow Meadows, according to Tom Harrison. Some have even been dated at over 2000 years old. It took about 30 minutes to navigate the rocky meadows over to our camp location. This place is a true gem and its home to the California … The trail begins to gain elevation and you will want to avoid a turn off toward Golden Trout Camp. The longer you wait, the better it gets. We jumped on a popular use trail that summits a local mountain for a few miles before turning left and continuing towards a large off trail high elevation basin. jennifer b wrote a review Jul 2018. Our loop takes us deep into the Wilderness, to visit one of the most spectacular high alpine lake basins in the Southern Sierra: Rocky Basin Lakes. After crossing the meadow we found the trail that leads up into those towering peaks. Still haven’t answered them. How would we navigate around the corner from this lake to our target basin? Trout and Willow Meadows [CLOSED] is a 18.9 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Johnsondale, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. A Humbling Hiking Tour of the High Sierra, Fishing for Brown Trout Below the Mogollon Rim, Avalanche Lake's Pure Westslope Cutthroat Trout, In honor of National Park Week, we wanted to share, It’s amazing how many awe-inspiring places like, This winter has been a doozy. Golden trout are native to California. The Golden Trout Wilderness encompasses 304,000 acres in an area known as the Kern Plateau, at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada. My brother’s knee had been bothering him for the last week after we did a training hike up Humphrey’s Peak in Arizona and it started to flare up again. By 8AM I was on the water fishing for the numerous goldens in the lake. We would cross a long snow bank, get off, assess the next part of the route, hike through cliffs, cross another snow bank; repeat. For Labor Day weekend, Monica, David, Diamond, and myself went on a quick backpacking trip to the Golden Trout Wilderness. After about 30 minutes of walking we crested a hill and looked down on the upper most lake in the basin. It consists of Goldens. That evening I did my usual walk about taking pictures while the lighting was good and thought about what I would do during my layover day. It is celebrated for its expansive meadows, flowing creeks, and the fish for which the wilderness is named. Long Lake via Cottonwood Lakes Trail. Day hiking in the Golden Trout Wilderness is cost and permit free, so enjoy! If you are looking for a little longer hike, you can go over Cottonwood Pass and hit Big Whitney Meadow which is about 10 miles in. The route was Horseshoe Meadow over trail pass to Tunnel Meadows night 1, explored Golden Trout Creek, Volcano Meadow and falls, natural bridge, and dropped into the Kern Valley to stay at Soda Spring night 2. Despite the low clouds, it didn’t rain anymore and I managed to get back up to the upper lake and fish for a couple more hours. Golden trout lakes is a 5-mile rout trip hike with the opportunity to fish for Golden Trout. We finished hiking at around 12pm leaving plenty of time for fishing that afternoon. Plus the combination of high altitude granite peaks, lush meadows, thick pine forests and trout filled streams make for a backpackers and anglers paradise. Whoops! The Golden Trout Lakes trail (Trail #89) is located up Portal Creek in the Gallatin Canyon near Big Sky. Hiking The Golden Trout Lakes Trail In Montana’s Gallatin Range. July 23rd (day 4), was a 5 mile cross country hike over a Class 2 pass with 1200 feet of elevation gain. I wondered what could have changed in 7 years? The traverse around the lake might have been the toughest part of the hike. Backpacking for Golden Trout in Wyoming. I couldn’t wait for some real food and a shower! In 2012 we visited this lake and I notched my first skunk at a lake that holds fish in the Sierra. Our first backpacking adventure took up to the the Golden Trout Wilderness in the Southern Sierra Nevada. Fortunately for the camera, the side of the lens had a massive dent but was still completely functional. We were lucky enough to find a great campsite with not many people around. It was a Saturday so there were plenty of people with the same thoughts as us, but we managed to find a spot on a lake with less people around. Head up the trail across a well made log bridge, rock hop one more creek … They would dart away at the first sign of a person. Our loop takes us deep into the Wilderness, to visit one of the most spectacular high alpine lake basins in the Southern Sierra: Rocky Basin Lakes. Day 1: Piute Pass Trailhead to Upper Golden Trout Lake. That sand wore out my legs and once I sat down (and had a few sips of whiskey) I lost all motivation to get up again. The Golden Trout Wilderness is very quickly becoming one of my favorite places to visit. On July 20th we (dad, brother and I) set out on our annual week-long backpacking trip in the Sierra. Golden Trout Wilderness is named after California’s brightly colored state fish. We bought four days starting at day 3 when we figured to be at Elbow Lake. Entering the Kern River Trench with its deep wide Kern River, fantastic fishing and magnificent canyon wall. The trip begins on a mostly sandy trail leading you North into the Golden trout Wilderness. It is afternoons like this that make all of the miles and elevation gain worth it. 45 minutes after starting the adventure I finally got a view of the lake. Hiking Trails (30) Reviews (11) 1. It became an inside joke between me and my dad after ever tough section, “don’t have to do that again!”. As you noted the bathhouses are gone. The meadow was nice, but I couldn’t stop looking at the dominant peaks in the background. I was disappointed so I ate lunch and filtered water. Once again we got in the tents and stayed in them until 5pm, except for a 30 minute window where we squeezed in a lunch. Backpack Angeling ... Rates Book Now High Sierra Backpacking and Fishing. Golden Trout Lake is just below, supposedly reached by a trail that ends by its eastern edge, though this is barely discernible, especially early in the season when patches of snow remain. Once again, patience was the key as the sun turned the clouds a fiery red. Our plan was to hike in to Elbow Lake, fish for it’s Golden trout and then fish our way out. The Golden Trout Wilderness was designated by Congress in 1978. In other words not for people over six feet. Once on the other side of the pass, they became even more abundant! I was glad I was not a hunter.Much has changed since then. A week long off trail backpacking trip in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park fighting thunderstorms and chasing golden trout. The trail was well graded and easy to follow all the way to the last 100 yards, where there was a giant snow cornice blocking the way to the top of the pass. A few years ago, if you had asked me if I was ever interested in backpacking, I would’ve responded with … More. We may go several days without seeing other backpackers. It is beautiful and a hard to get to area that is first come first serve and has about 10-15 camping spots. The Golden Trout Wilderness is more open and gentler than the better-known areas of the Sierra to the north. Day four, Kern Flat and exited at Forks of the Kern. Was the hike worth the 70% chance of failure? To get to Golden Trout Lakes, head north out of Big Sky on highway 191 for 5.1 miles. It was too cloudy that night for any sunset pics. It is good to hear some one is attempting to create soaking pools. The most striking topographic feature of the region is the pristine Kern River which qualifies for federal Wild & Scenic status. Golden Trout Wilderness tour: Kern Lake Sequoia National Forest. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from June until October. Golden Trout Wilderness tour: Jordan Hot Springs Inyo National Forest. I think a fitting end to this post is a parting shot of a 14’er with some hovering clouds – very appropriate given the weather we had. Day hiking in the Golden Trout Wilderness is cost and permit free, so enjoy! They were quite comfortable. I packed everything I would need for the afternoon and set off up a steep hill side. On July 20th we (dad, brother and I) set out on our annual week-long backpacking trip in the Sierra. 2017 at a glance. The average size in 2012 was a healthy 12″ and the top end 15″. We set off following the inlet creek high up into the basin. Sounds perfect, no? Head up the trail across a well made log bridge, rock hop one more creek and come to a junction. My brother landed the first golden of the trip. A few years ago, if you had asked me if I was ever interested in backpacking, I would’ve responded with … More . Piute Pass to Pine Creek Backpack. I drifted my sno-cone midge through the inlet currents and continued to catch nice fish, but something in the back of my mind was itching to explore a nearby lake. Thread starter uintahiker; Start date Aug 3, 2012; Tags wind rivers wyoming uintahiker Adventure Guru. It was still frozen. Now in the heart of the Golden Trout Wilderness, we meet the creek of the same name, our companion for the middle section of the trip. The Golden Trout Wilderness is more open and gentler than the better-known areas of the Sierra to the north. The weather pattern had changed, and the rain was a foreshadow of what was to come. Despite that we made good time working our way up the trail past a few of the smaller lakes that sat right at treeline. The waterfall was full with fresh snow melt and the inlet creek was overflowing its banks – it was still spring at 11500 ft. After a mile there is reliable water in the form of a creek. The main attraction here is not sandy forests but Golden Trout, the world’s most beautiful fish. The Golden Trout Wilderness is more open and gentler than the better-known areas of the Sierra to the north. Backpacking, camping, Fly Fishing, Golden Trout Wilderness, Tenkara. The next morning we said goodbye to my brother while he headed backwards and us forward. They have a penchant for becoming those fascinating “ghost trees” that are dead but still upright throughout the Sierra. We drove through Pinedale WY, then West on Willow Dr to the trailhead at Spring Creek Park. I caught 3 more fish and possibly my longest of the trip. I wriggled loose and immediately jumped onto solid ground a little spooked. The unwanted trash fish of freshwater. Helpful. The fish do not grow too big, so they are a catch and release fish in the area. Cottonwood Lake #1 via South Fork … The Golden Trout lakes offer a scenic getaway just out of the Gallatin Valley Canyon. It was quite startling to round a corner and find one of these in front of you. I couldn’t believe it was going to rain even earlier than yesterday! When we reached the lake we took the first available flat spot, which happened to be next to a snow bank (you can just barely see them in the picture below). Content + photos by us unless otherwise credited. It blew my mind. While wild golden trout are typically small, because they’re found in such high, nutrients lacking waters, large golden trout can found in some lakes across the country where they’ve been transplanted. It looked like some tule fog from the central valley – creepy. In those brilliant blue puddles reside brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout and even the elusive golden trout, … Hidden Lake via Cottonwood Lakes Trail. No fish, no spawning fish, nothing. This place is a true gem and its home to the California State fish (The Golden Trout). I reached the outlet without seeing anything. Often overlooked by hikers for more popular areas, you can find some real adventure and solitude here. Golden Trout Wilderness; IUCN category Ib (wilderness area) Lookout from the Jordan Trail. After a mile there is reliable water in the form of a creek. Climbing to the Boreal Plateau, perched high above … Our route was about 50% on dirt and 50% on snow to the top of the pass. Site design + code by us. About Sequoia National Forest Golden Trout Wilderness Backpacking. Of this total, approximately 111,000 acres is on the Sequoia National Forest and the remainder is on the Inyo National Forest. I fished hard for 2 more hours, with similar results. The Golden Trout Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada, in Tulare County and Inyo County, California. DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5 | DAY 6 | DAY 7 | DAY 8 (Day 2 of 8) It is neither early nor late as I get started on the day's hiking. It would be no fun hiking up and down the rugged Sierra mountains with an inflamed IT band that would only get worse with every mile hiked. At that point it was still drizzling and the view down the valley on the other side looked like a winter wonderland. I am camped by Golden Trout Creek but must admit I did not fish, despite every intention of doing so. Locate the trailhead. 2017 at a glance. Casting to Shadows. We followed a use trail down past the lakes in the sunset pictures above and then around and into the canyon to the north. The fish were bigger in this lake than the one previous and they fought hard. The most striking topographic feature of the region is the pristine Kern River which qualifies for federal Wild & Scenic status. Their tiny headwater streams of the South Fork Kern River and Golden Trout Creek on the Kern Plateau have been their only home for 70,000 years. Not to be. Ultimately the view from the top was pretty cool. It was frustrating, but coming back was a big reason for this trip. At first I tried to traverse it but got to a point where one miss step would have resulted in a slide down a 1000 ft sheer cliff. From the west, various roads stem from Hwy 190 near Giant Sequoia National Monument. The hike down was a typical Sierra east side exit – long with a ton of elevation loss. The California golden trout, or simply the golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita or Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita), is a species of trout native to California.The golden trout is normally found in the Golden Trout Creek (tributary to the Kern River), Volcano Creek (tributary to Golden Trout Creek), and the South Fork Kern River.It is the state freshwater fish of California. I stayed there several times back in the 1970's when the Burkhardts operated the pack station based in Troy Meadows. I need to make up four miles. Never stayed in the cabins as I liked the pine/meadow margin camping zone much better. I knew from previous trips that chironomids were the main source of food for trout in the high Sierra alpine lakes (save a few special lakes), but had no idea how to fish them. The trail is actually part of a mining road that was abandoned. Locate the trailhead. It was easy walking on large granite slopes, and the target lake soon appeared. Eventually we headed off trail just above the infinity edge lake in the picture below. The area is traversed by several hundred miles of scenic trails and two wild and scenic rivers (North and South Forks of the Kern River). Usually we do some sort of out and back or lollipop loop. There were tons of hungry, fiesty goldens but they weren’t quite as big as I remembered. The lake was up and over a steep shoulder and required a 1 mile hike with 800 feet of elevation gain. DIFFICULT 11.0 mi. Whether the trout’s stunning colors were a surprise for a passing visitor or a celebrated triumph for a trout enthusiast no one could deny that the Little Kern Golden is a unique and beautiful fish. I was instantly fascinated. I stuck to my double midge rig and managed to catch a few. Lake is at 11,220 feet and consists of Brookies and Golden Trout. This trail brings you into the LIttle Lakes Valley. If you enjoy catching beautiful (albeit tiny) wild trout in the dramatic terrain of the High Sierra, then backpacking Little Lakes Valley is nothing short of heavenly. On the Sequoia National Forest portion of the GTW, elevations range from about 4,700 feet at the Forks of the Kern River to 12,432 feet on Mt. Share. Aug 3, 2012 #1 Originally posted on my website at www.livevicariouslythroughus.blogspot.com Back in early January I had my annual performance review with my boss. While pursuit of High-Sierra gold is the allure of a backcountry trip into the Treasure Lakes, proper fishing gear and technique are only pieces of the puzzle of success. About Sequoia National Forest Golden Trout Wilderness Backpacking. Two subspecies of golden trout are recognized; South Fork Kern golden trout and the Little K… Tucked away in a high Sierra valley only accessible by a long, up hill, multiday backpacking trip, this beautiful trout has only been seen or caught by dedicated outdoors people. Part of the performance review includes … I had seen a youtube video of someone catching a decent golden from this other lake, but had never heard a first hand account of it containing fish. Perhaps insect life had deteriorated leave the population with less food? Watch Queue Queue The Golden Trout Wilderness encompasses grand open country set against a backdrop of craggy peaks and brilliant blue skies. The lake was really deep, so I switched to sinking line and leech strategy hoping to pull a fish up from the depths. He was worried about getting further from the trailhead on a bum knee and rightly so. It rained and hailed complete with thunder and lightning. The larger trees have fat trunks and short limbs filled with pine needles. 5. Our 10 day backpack gently climbs over the Sierra Crest through beautiful Golden Trout Wilderness, across the Kern Plateau beside Golden Trout Creek before dropping along the south fork of the Kern River via a spectacular trail to the south entrance of Sequoia National Park. It was a tough pill to swallow, but it was the right call. Those guys were drunk the entire time. The only difference between this trail and others I have done was the insane amount of switchbacks. We were fishing the upper lake by 8am and managed to get in 2.5 hours of fishing before the clouds started building again. I must say I worked hard for those three good meals. Once we turned the corner the basin opened up in front of us. The lingering clouds once again created an amazing sunset. They’re an extremely rare pine tree that grows only in California in the Sierra and Klamath mountains. We got an early start and made it over the pass by 8:30am but not before stopping and taking a few pictures of some Sky Pilot flowers along the trail. Beautiful Alpine Lake. A few years ago, if you had asked me if I was ever interested in backpacking, I would’ve responded with … More . The first day was a fairly easy one by Sierra standards, only 6 miles and a little over 1000 ft of elevation gain to a set of lakes frequently visited by those hoping to score their first golden. A week long off trail backpacking trip in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park fighting thunderstorms and chasing golden trout. Map of the United States. We started the year off strong with … More. Lots of pretty little golden trout to be caught in Golden Trout Creek. From surf-fishing to fly-fishing, camping to backpacking, 2017 was jam packed with adventures. In the picture below, pay close attention to the foreground where the Sky Pilot are showing off. They are amazing. 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By 1pm it was cloudy and cold and it even sprinkled a bit of the old Jordan Springs. Sierra to the north a true gem and its home to the....
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