High Sierra Topix

Tehipite is loaded with trout! You will catch your limit in one hour. I have never eaten so much trout.

Wow! Rattlesnake bites to black widows and trout. I just love it.

When I get back from Tehipite Valley toward the end of May, I'll let ya'll know what I found.

Plenty of trout to go around.

This was taken in the Monarch Wilderness, below little tehipite in a side canyon. It's an aquatic garter snake, and that's a native rainbow.

Amazing photo!

Totally amazing photo.

I do have a similar experience. A group of us were in the 60 Lakes Basin. Most of the guys were out fishing, but three of us were sitting around, cooking trout. After some time of inattention, we looked over and saw a garter snake actually taking a fish out of the frying pan!!! We were so stunned, no one thought to take a picture - we just watched the action...

That IS amazing! It must have smelled pretty good :-)

Speaking of Aquatic and getting back to the topic of Rattlesnakes (but not in Tehipite) a few years ago I was almost swimming with a Rattlesnake here in the Los Padres. I was at one of my favorite secret backcountry swimming holes that has a cliff down to the water on one side,. After swimming and cooling off in the water for about 15 minutes I swam across towards the cliff and when about 5 feet from the cliff I saw a 3' rattlesnake half out of the water on a small ledge. The only way he could have gotten there was by swimming and the ledge wasn't big enough for it to get all the way out of the water, so I imagine it was a bit nervous with me in the water- the entire pool was only about 15' by 15'. I don't know if I scared it into the water with my approach or if it was washed down from above or what. Needless to say I wasn't anxious to panic it into joining me for a swim, so I left the water and after drying in the sun, left it to its own devices

Been to Tehipite 4X....two rattlers per visit was the norm. The 1st was the worst. Was jumping from boulder to boulder down by the water (below the miner's cabin) -- was looking for pools that might contain trout...very nearly jumped on a very large spicimen, camouflaged by the granite, sleeping in the afternoon sun. Found a piece of driftwood (baseball bat size) and smashed his head in. 13 rattles -- fat four footer. I suddenly lost interest in fishing, made a u-turn back to camp. Heard they travelled in pairs -- yes, there was another one, just where I had come from. A granite stone finished him off. Back in camp an hour or so later -- and still kind of "rattled" (get it?!) a patrolling park ranger came through. Very nice guy... asked about fishing, etc. Then he asked if I had seen any rattlers. I proudly announced that I had killed two in the last hour. He cringed and asked if they were threatening my life in any way. I told him I nearly jumped on one, and then I would have been in deep yogurt. He shook his head and reminded me that they are the residents -- and I was the guest. Hmmmmmmmm. Something to think about. Knees gone for any more Tehipite trips -- but I am glad I had the opportunity to visit this special place! mark

Apparently, snakes can be taken under a fishing license, but there are regs for various areas. If you just killed them because they were there, and kept the rattle, that might qualify under wanton waste if you didn't harvest the meat. They're probably as valuable as any other creature out there.

And welcome to the HST, Mark!

Russ

"He shook his head and reminded me that they are the residents -- and I was the guest."

he is right.