Page 3 of 4

Re: Back from Yosemite

Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 7:14 am
by freestone
Great story and thread! I use to have a rod that could swing both ways....fly or spin. The trouble was, it did neither very well. I found myself using it more as a fly setup rather than spinner, so I eventually invested in fly equipment and haven't really looked back since. Flyfishing in the wind can be done, but if you are trying to fish the middle of a lake, its not the right tool. I carry a very limited amount of gear and fly selection. If it's not working, (and its not, on windy days) I go climb a mountain. If its working, I'm as happy as a dog licking icecream. I actually like fishing close to shore, for me its all about seeing the fish react to the fly (or not!) then seeing the strike.
As for those Z pads, my understanding is thru-hiking is all about breaking camp fast and doing big milage days with the minimum weight and hassle. I guess squeezing air out of a pad for them is a counter productive and time consuming task.

Re: Back from Yosemite

Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:29 pm
by Andrew Skibo
Gatorade comes in packets that will do fine for a 1 liter Nalgene. I first saw the packets at Philmont a few years ago, and couldn't find them at retail. Now they are in the REI website. Not cheap, but nothing in modern backpacking is cheap.

Re: Back from Yosemite

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 1:29 am
by markskor
I realize that Gatorade comes in a 1 liter package... and many several kinds are available in other venues. However in all the various Yosemite Stores, "world famously renowned" as a backpacking Mecca, they did not stock/restock anything simlar in a dry drink mix except Kool Aid Grape and Crystal Lite Raspberry Tea.

Re: Back from Yosemite, the rest of the Story

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 2:20 pm
by oldranger
Mark has given you his version of the story, now it is my turn. If your read both versions you will understand that he is a big BSer :D ! Note any omissions or diversions from the real events are to protect the innocent. On the other hand there are no innocent. Also since I have yet to store my photos on a service there will be several installments. Sorry.

As I drove down I-5 thru Northern California it dawned on me that with food in my pack for 2 weeks that said pack would make it impossible for me to meet Mark on the appointed day. Necessity being the mother of invention I went to plan B and had Minarets Pack Station Pack me in past my first day’s intended destination.
Sunrise over Upper Isberg Lake.JPG
To make a long story short I made the trek over Isberg Pass,
Top of Isberg Pass.JPG
did a short diversion, then a little cross country, back to the trail then off again for the last mile. At the tarn below Edna Lake I arrived at Markskor’s camp about 3 hours late. Completely bushed I was relieved that Mark did not insist that we head up to Edna. We became acquainted face to face for the first time and Mark kibitzed as I set up my camp about 100 yards away (not unfriendly but just a better flat spot) and cooked dinner. We agreed on our plans for the next day and as soon as the sun died down we jumped in our respective tents to escape the mosquitoes.
My blissful sleep was interrupted about 3Am by the realization that my exped downmat had apparently sprung a leak! I pumped it back up and the next thing I knew there was sun on the tent and it was time to get up for the first ever Mark/Mike joint Edna Lake fishing expedition.
Route to Edna.JPG
From S.JPG
Snowbank.JPG
FAST FORWARD to about 6 PM and Mike joins Mark at the location of our camp (we split up as soon as we got to the lake). “AH Mark, what did you think about the fishing?” HUGE GRIN! “Well, in terms of size and number of fish it was at the top of the list of any backcountry lake I’ve ever fished.” “ME too!” Actually I was much less articulate than “Me, too!” But it took at least 15 or 20 minutes for us to jointly get out all the superlatives. What a day. My best fish of the day (hook turned upsidedown and fish slid back into lake unharmed):
Edna Rainbow.JPG
Next installment Mark leads the way to rendezvous with Tehipte Tom, tres amigos wander e. side of Clark Range.

Mike

Re: Back from Yosemite

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 4:09 pm
by markskor
Yes, that was indeed the best fishing I have ever experienced at any backcountry lake...without a doubt...not even close to anything previously in terms of size and numbers. What a great day! Just so you all know, we were 25 - 30 miles in at the time we met up that afternoon.
FYI, what Mike forgets to mention is that:
1) I had landed 7 or 8 fish of similar size (or bigger...lol), before he even got his first nibble, but he did catch up nicely as the day progressed.
2) As to being a BS'er, I did not realize that he had a camera along. Glad he kept it in his pants. Good to see that there is proof of our epic fishing day.
3) The final "route" up to Edna from the tarn (his picture taken from my campsite) looks a lot easier than it actually was, but well worth the effort. Notice that big black rock above the ice floes -center of the picture...just to the left of the snow field that looks like South America...that rock hides the entrance to Edna.)

Nice trail report though...Way to go Mike!
Mark

Re: Back from Yosemite, the rest of the Story-- Part 2

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 6:20 pm
by oldranger
Next day we packed up (I’m always the slow one) leisurely. The trip to Red Devil was short. Mark actually knew the way and picked out where the trail was before we could see it.
mark leading the way.JPG
God it hurt to admit that he did a good job! Our new camp was set up by noon. Mark was in the water far before I was finished farting around. I took my Exped to the rock slab where we would hang out for the rest of the afternoon.
Red Devil Lake.JPG
Tehipite Tom showed up early (unlike moi). I showed Tom to our campsite and discovered that the local marmot had chewed into 3 of my things 1. My handkerchief (ate quite a bit before he decided he didn’t like the taste of my snot. 2. My diner for the night that I had left in my cooking pot (he took the lid off, chewed through plastic bag containing dinner and promptly decided that he did not like freezedried food and showing much better taste than he did with my handkerchief. 3. The handle of one of my hiking poles. As only the 3rd worst calamity of the trip (After the leak in my sleeping pad and later running out of book) the items were lessons relearned! We shared frozen margaritas and honey roasted peanuts and wasabi peas during an early cocktail hour.
Tres Amigos Red Devil.JPG
Mark sketched as we talked.

During our first morning as a group of 3 we walked to the NW and down to the Red Peak Fork of the Merced. Mark figured we could take a high traverse and avoid going down to the lower reaches of the creek as I had to do two years earlier doing the reverse trip in order to avoid crossing wet slabs during a thunderstorm (He was rrrrrrrrrrrright again! :crybaby: ).
Tom leading across slabs.JPG
We all were amazed at grizzled old junipers on the s. facing slabs(check out Toms photos). We also had views down the Red Peak Fork.
Looking down Red Peak Fork.JPG
. Once across the slabs we had to head uphill through a mosquito infested forest to a saddle that provided access to the Grey Peak Fork drainage.
Across Gray Peak Fork.JPG
Mark and Tom pushed me along mercilessly as we had traveled over several miles, most on hot s. facing slabs.

to be continued

Mike

Re: Back from Yosemite

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 6:51 pm
by maverick
Mike your pic's are not posting.

Re: Back from Yosemite

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:09 pm
by markskor
Yes, they were here for about 30 min (saw them)...alas, now gone.
Maybe the Marmot got them.

Re: Back from Yosemite

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:08 pm
by oldranger
Maverick

i don't have a clue unless all the pics with mark and tom screwed up the program!

I sent a help pm to eric.

Mike

Re: Back from Yosemite

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 7:41 am
by oldranger
As a test to see if I can get my photos to stick here is a closeup of the approach to Edna.
Approach to Edna.JPG
Mike