TR: Wind Rivers 5 Elkhart loop
Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2023 10:58 am
Elkhart CCW Fishing Loop
August 23-30, 2023
(Mileages below include fishing and day-hikes)
8/22/2023: Day off at Fremont Campground
Awaking again to a soaked tent, undecided on what to do next, and still quite disorganized, I decided to stay another night. I left the tent to dry, laid out water to solar heat, paid for another night and headed to the library to recharge all my electronics while getting weather and news. I bought a fuel canister and some zucchini; real eggs, milk and bananas for breakfast before returning. At camp I washed and hung clothes to dry before taking out the packet of trip plans and maps. The three routes I really wanted to do were too remote and difficult to consider solo with the ongoing unsettled weather. I settled on a mellow fishing trip from Elkhart Trailhead. I dumped the contents of the remaining bear can on the picnic table and found an 8-day ration less one breakfast, but trail food would do just fine. One medium gas can was enough to cook fish if I had cold drinks for dinner. I must have had too many beers because I ended up with 9 days food, sans two breakfasts! A hair wash with solar heated water and phone calls to family ended this relaxed day off.
Day1. 8/23/2003. Elkhart TH to Pole Creek Lake
(9.4 miles, about 6 hours, 1285 feet elevation gain/ 885 feet loss)
It rained again at night. Not wanting to wait for the car-camping tent to dry, I again dumped the wet tent in a large garbage bag and tossed it into the trunk. My backpack was in the front seat and ready to go as I left the campground, heading for the trailhead about 10 miles up the road. Construction on the access road delayed me for about 15 minutes. I started up the trail which was pretty empty early in the morning. Resting at the Miller Lake junction a few backpackers were coming out. A few others were also resting at Photographers Point enjoying the view, which was unusually clear after the night’s rain. I reached my “must-get-to” destination, Ecklund Lake at noon. The lake was beautiful and most had left; I was really tempted to stop. The question was, would fishing be better here or down at Pole Creek Lake? Pole Creek won with the additional fact that I had never camped there; I am always looking for something new.
Pinedale has become a standard CDT resupply and rather than repeat the miles back to Little Seneca Lake, some thru-hikers take the Pole Creek Trail to intersect the CDT below Bald Mountain Basin. Several passed me including a tall bearded fellow in a blue plaid kilt. I soon caught up as the CDE folks had stopped for lunch at Marys Lake. I stopped a bit farther down the trail for my lunch as the CDT hikers passed. We met again at a small lake further down. Shortly I met a packer leading two loaded horses and a fellow behind walking his riding horse. Once down to the trail junction at Pole Creek the northbound Highline Trail continues upstream along Pole Creek. I turned downstream on southbound Highline Trail reaching the lower crossing in about half a mile. Taking off the pack, I noticed one Crock was missing. I had no idea of where I lost it and decided to just let it go. The likelihood of finding it was low and wading shoes are nice but not necessary.
The streambed was lined with sharp cobbles and no way was I going to wade bare-footed. I put the remaining Crock on one foot and my hiking shoe sans insole on the other. Once across, I dropped my pack at the large established horse camp and spent over half an hour looking for a campsite. The nicest site was further along the south shores of Pole Creek Lake but fresh horse poo upwind precluded that! I ended up near the inlet at a less horsy site, set up. Although I could fish from my campsite, I walked to the horsy site and fished back to my campsite and upstream a bit. No luck, not a bite, not a rise. Another try later in the afternoon from the rock benches on the shore next to my site also produced no fish. Just at dusk, while in the tent I heard what I though could be a bear, got out my bear spray, and a fellow walked through my site, fishing rod in hand. He quickly said “sorry” and left.
Day2. 8/24/2023: Middle Chain Lake
(4.2 miles, about 6 hours, 290 feet elevation gain/ 175 feet loss)
Come morning, the tent was wet with dew and still in the shade. I cooked breakfast, with no hurry since I planned a very short day. Smoke curled up into the air so I wandered over to the established camp where a group of guys were sitting there around a fire. One of the fellows was the one who wandered through my camp the night before; he also had no luck fishing. Evidently they were aiming for the upstream crossing of Pole Creek but it was late enough when they figured out they were instead at the lower crossing, they just set up their tents. I cannot believe that one fellow waded across in bare feet! Ouch!
I packed up and continued south on the Highline Trail in a beautiful lush little valley with a creek. As I walked along the lower Chain Lake it looked like fine fishing. I dropped my pack at the Bell Lake Trail junction and found a campsite above the shores of Middle Chain Lake. It too had been used by horse campers but at least not recently and smelled fine.
I spent the rest of the day fishing. The lake shores are perfect for fly casting but it was windy and the fish were staying deep. I spotted a fisherman on the other side of the lake and found that there was a rock-hop across the outlet. I went over to that side where I at least got a few bites. I either caught a big fish or snagged the fly on rocks, but I swear the line pulled and then the fly broke off. I had lost my last “mosquito” fly. I put on another brownish fly that I did not realize was barbless. I got bites but landed no fish.
While eating lunch other CDT hikers passed by. They are easy to recognize from their tiny packs. Then I walked the Highline Trail south to the end of the Lower Chain Lake with plans to fish nearby Spruce Lake but it was not clear how to get there. Somehow the map needed for the Chain Lake area never made it into my pack; perhaps a bit too much beer consumed while packing. Again I saw the other fisherman in the distance across the lake. The lower lake was difficult to fly fish but it was a pleasant day-hike.
I made one more attempt to catch a fish and hiked north on the trail about half a mile to fish deeper water off low cliffs. I slipped on a rock, kept hold of the pole but hit the rock with my elbow and arm. The pole was saved but my arm bloodied and bruised. I put on a bandage and decided that I needed to change the fly. Taking out the flies, the wind blew half of them over the grass. It was not going well. I gave up and went back to camp to cook dinner and photograph the stunning sunset. I saw that two backpackers had set up in the distance on the other side of the trail. In spite of not catching fish enjoyed the Chain Lakes. The weather was perfect all day.
August 23-30, 2023
(Mileages below include fishing and day-hikes)
8/22/2023: Day off at Fremont Campground
Awaking again to a soaked tent, undecided on what to do next, and still quite disorganized, I decided to stay another night. I left the tent to dry, laid out water to solar heat, paid for another night and headed to the library to recharge all my electronics while getting weather and news. I bought a fuel canister and some zucchini; real eggs, milk and bananas for breakfast before returning. At camp I washed and hung clothes to dry before taking out the packet of trip plans and maps. The three routes I really wanted to do were too remote and difficult to consider solo with the ongoing unsettled weather. I settled on a mellow fishing trip from Elkhart Trailhead. I dumped the contents of the remaining bear can on the picnic table and found an 8-day ration less one breakfast, but trail food would do just fine. One medium gas can was enough to cook fish if I had cold drinks for dinner. I must have had too many beers because I ended up with 9 days food, sans two breakfasts! A hair wash with solar heated water and phone calls to family ended this relaxed day off.
Day1. 8/23/2003. Elkhart TH to Pole Creek Lake
(9.4 miles, about 6 hours, 1285 feet elevation gain/ 885 feet loss)
It rained again at night. Not wanting to wait for the car-camping tent to dry, I again dumped the wet tent in a large garbage bag and tossed it into the trunk. My backpack was in the front seat and ready to go as I left the campground, heading for the trailhead about 10 miles up the road. Construction on the access road delayed me for about 15 minutes. I started up the trail which was pretty empty early in the morning. Resting at the Miller Lake junction a few backpackers were coming out. A few others were also resting at Photographers Point enjoying the view, which was unusually clear after the night’s rain. I reached my “must-get-to” destination, Ecklund Lake at noon. The lake was beautiful and most had left; I was really tempted to stop. The question was, would fishing be better here or down at Pole Creek Lake? Pole Creek won with the additional fact that I had never camped there; I am always looking for something new.
Pinedale has become a standard CDT resupply and rather than repeat the miles back to Little Seneca Lake, some thru-hikers take the Pole Creek Trail to intersect the CDT below Bald Mountain Basin. Several passed me including a tall bearded fellow in a blue plaid kilt. I soon caught up as the CDE folks had stopped for lunch at Marys Lake. I stopped a bit farther down the trail for my lunch as the CDT hikers passed. We met again at a small lake further down. Shortly I met a packer leading two loaded horses and a fellow behind walking his riding horse. Once down to the trail junction at Pole Creek the northbound Highline Trail continues upstream along Pole Creek. I turned downstream on southbound Highline Trail reaching the lower crossing in about half a mile. Taking off the pack, I noticed one Crock was missing. I had no idea of where I lost it and decided to just let it go. The likelihood of finding it was low and wading shoes are nice but not necessary.
The streambed was lined with sharp cobbles and no way was I going to wade bare-footed. I put the remaining Crock on one foot and my hiking shoe sans insole on the other. Once across, I dropped my pack at the large established horse camp and spent over half an hour looking for a campsite. The nicest site was further along the south shores of Pole Creek Lake but fresh horse poo upwind precluded that! I ended up near the inlet at a less horsy site, set up. Although I could fish from my campsite, I walked to the horsy site and fished back to my campsite and upstream a bit. No luck, not a bite, not a rise. Another try later in the afternoon from the rock benches on the shore next to my site also produced no fish. Just at dusk, while in the tent I heard what I though could be a bear, got out my bear spray, and a fellow walked through my site, fishing rod in hand. He quickly said “sorry” and left.
Day2. 8/24/2023: Middle Chain Lake
(4.2 miles, about 6 hours, 290 feet elevation gain/ 175 feet loss)
Come morning, the tent was wet with dew and still in the shade. I cooked breakfast, with no hurry since I planned a very short day. Smoke curled up into the air so I wandered over to the established camp where a group of guys were sitting there around a fire. One of the fellows was the one who wandered through my camp the night before; he also had no luck fishing. Evidently they were aiming for the upstream crossing of Pole Creek but it was late enough when they figured out they were instead at the lower crossing, they just set up their tents. I cannot believe that one fellow waded across in bare feet! Ouch!
I packed up and continued south on the Highline Trail in a beautiful lush little valley with a creek. As I walked along the lower Chain Lake it looked like fine fishing. I dropped my pack at the Bell Lake Trail junction and found a campsite above the shores of Middle Chain Lake. It too had been used by horse campers but at least not recently and smelled fine.
I spent the rest of the day fishing. The lake shores are perfect for fly casting but it was windy and the fish were staying deep. I spotted a fisherman on the other side of the lake and found that there was a rock-hop across the outlet. I went over to that side where I at least got a few bites. I either caught a big fish or snagged the fly on rocks, but I swear the line pulled and then the fly broke off. I had lost my last “mosquito” fly. I put on another brownish fly that I did not realize was barbless. I got bites but landed no fish.
While eating lunch other CDT hikers passed by. They are easy to recognize from their tiny packs. Then I walked the Highline Trail south to the end of the Lower Chain Lake with plans to fish nearby Spruce Lake but it was not clear how to get there. Somehow the map needed for the Chain Lake area never made it into my pack; perhaps a bit too much beer consumed while packing. Again I saw the other fisherman in the distance across the lake. The lower lake was difficult to fly fish but it was a pleasant day-hike.
I made one more attempt to catch a fish and hiked north on the trail about half a mile to fish deeper water off low cliffs. I slipped on a rock, kept hold of the pole but hit the rock with my elbow and arm. The pole was saved but my arm bloodied and bruised. I put on a bandage and decided that I needed to change the fly. Taking out the flies, the wind blew half of them over the grass. It was not going well. I gave up and went back to camp to cook dinner and photograph the stunning sunset. I saw that two backpackers had set up in the distance on the other side of the trail. In spite of not catching fish enjoyed the Chain Lakes. The weather was perfect all day.