Trip Report 2014 to East Lake
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 11:36 am
Right off the bat: After reading this forum for awhile, I know that many of you are HIGH adventure. I've always been a trail hiker and have done very little off-trail hiking. You all have me interested. I apologize if this ON TRAIL report is not that exciting to many of you, but the trip was a real eye-opener for me and I thought I'd share.
I re-started my Backpacking career with a trip out of Road's End to East Lake in June 2014. I had just finished my yearly teaching assignment and was ready for some quiet times. I arrived at Cedar Grove the night before and packed my trusty old Kelty Tioga:
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Dang heavy! I'm learning all the time. Much lighter THIS year (2015) but still working...I had owned this pack and gear since the 60's as a teen! (Yes, those peace signs are contemporary...gifts to me in 1969!
I started from Road's End in the morning and humped up into upper Bubbs Creek. I was on a fish mission, so several stops yielded some nice Rainbows. this lovely pool sent me into joyland:
The view down canyon:
I have to be honest: Hiking this trail after so many years off kicked my booty. But at the same time, on arrival at Junction Meadow I was "re-hooked" on this activity. (I got a good dose of humility when I awoke the following morning when I met some young people who hiked up in HALF THE TIME it took me and were headed on a climb around Mt. Bago THAT DAY. Studs all!)
Day 2 was the trip up to East Lake and Lake Reflection. Good cup of coffee and some oats and I'm ready to go-sore but excited! Crossed Bubbs and made my way up the trail to the East Creek bridge (what a view):
Hiked slowly up the hill and arrived at East Lake in the early afternoon on a beautiful clear day. This is why we love it isn't it?
In fact, it was so beautiful I decided to just lay over at East and fish my way up to Lake Reflection. So much deadfall made the stream fishing difficult but once I got to the lake I got on em. Small brook trout mostly but maybe I caught a golden? I'm not sure but it sure was a pretty fish. I was afraid to have my phone out there so no picture! I had a fly rod and I got out on the lake for some distance. But there's a limit with the flyrod. I'll take this up on the "fishing hole" forum but welcome any comments.
When I arrived at Lake Reflection is when the change happened. I stopped complaining internally about the workout and said to myself "this is the thing!" Yes, it's difficult physically but I bet it is for all of you. I looked around and just wanted to go on! I'm not super proficient with compass, so I'm worried about off trail but I think I NEED to go on from a place like this to see what is out there. I saw this view:
Untitled by Kirk Clague, on Flickr
...and I know there is more out there to explore. So I hope to do that. I returned to East Lake and had a wonderful evening. Caught, cleaned and ate two lovely brown trout out of the lake...yummy!
Day 3-Pounded my way all the way out. I needed to get back for an appointment but I knew I would be back. And now (in 2015) I did. I"ll report on that trip later, but for now...onward: