R02 TR: Vernon-Jack Main-Frog Creek 5/26-31 2021

[Harlen]

Thanks for the fine report. Too bad about the fish, but I'd happily trade my fish for your Bear and Rattlesnake sightings. I would wander around behind you, just to see all of the Bears you do. I just came back down Taboose Creek, and looked and looked for the Bear I'd seen there last month, but no joy.
I really like your photographs of the storm coming and arriving-- beautiful light! The falls shots are nice too, and the reflections.
It looks like there is some of that glacially polished granite around Frog Creek and Lake Vernon?

[Wandering Daisy]

I am quite used to dealing with rattlesnakes, after living in Wyoming for 20 years. This one was at 7590 elevation. Why do rattlesnakes love to hang out on trails, and especially in places where the trail is on a cliff? Harlen, you need to spend more time in Yosemite north of Hetch Hetchy. That is where they used to dump all the naughty bears. Going down Tildon Creek Canyon years ago, I ran into 8 bears in one day- one bear per hour. That is added to three more bears up in Pleasant Valley along with another stubborn rattlesnake. The deer at Vernon Lake were downright pests- very curious. If you let them they will put their noses inside your tent. I wish I could have seen some frogs in addition to hearing them all night. I also ran into a few other snakes- thin and about 15 inches long- almost looked like a big worm. Also what is different at these lower elevations is the constant bird songs, so contrary to the above-timber high Sierra.

Yes, the storm coming in was quite a show. Perfect storm lighting- storm coming in from the east, at sunset.

It is interesting that one of the most used trails- the Vernon Lake Loop, is right next to such an unused drainage- Frog Creek.

Plenty of people were catching fish- I just was not seriously fishing. I think I would have had good luck at the unnamed lake half mile below Bearup Lake. Fish were rising. If I had the trip to do over, I would have stayed there.

And yes, LOTS of glacial polish!

[giantbrookie]

Plenty of people were catching fish- I just was not seriously fishing. I think I would have had good luck at the unnamed lake half mile below Bearup Lake. Fish were rising. If I had the trip to do over, I would have stayed there.

It isn't a bad place to stay but perhaps not when the mosquitoes are really bad. On our visit there in 1992 the mosquitoes there were so bad we names the place "Bug Cloud Lake". The fishing was indeed good there, though.

[SSSdave]

After reading yours and other reports, will be interesting to see what 2 of us find with mosquitoes at Kibbie in a few days, my warm-up backpack this summer. Have been hiking up in the north coast redwoods and Sonoma Coast this last week. Productive road trips.

Whole Kibbie Basin per sentinel-hub has now melted out that is all below 8.1k including Many Island Lake. But marshy Sache Spring flows all summer. My expectation is where we will tent way way out in the granite flat bedrock will be mostly squeet free while in wet areas like the northwest end of the lake, dragonflies and damselflies will allow we ol nekid boys to take a mid pm quick dip about the bedrock of the inlet creek drying off on the warm smooth rock, where not the same can be said of the same place after 5pm to 6pm when our blue friends leave for a night roost.

Not bringing my A6000 gear/tripod but yeah the tiny ELPH190 and my GoPro Hero 8 for which I'll be wearing a Chesty harness with a to worked out intermittent trail capture process since will be bringing it along on a 10-day with 2 others on, The 2021 Golden Trout Expedition up Bear Creek... in 6 weeks.

[Wandering Daisy]

I thought that kpeter was just in that area. You may want to send him a personal message inquiring about conditions.