R04 TR: Woodchuck Lake 5/3/15-5/6/15

[MountainMinstrel]

Thanks Oldranger, That is the sound I thought the OP was describing but I had no idea what it was. Three of us once spent about an hour trying to discover what it was. We finally discovered the source to be a fallen hollow tree. We figured that it must be the wind blowing across the knotholes. never thought to look inside the tree. I learned something new today

[Troutdog 59]

Mikes (OR) correct. The sound was a grouse. Nice report guys. Very early entry. Looks like more snow tonight and another storm at the end of next week.

[gabe&mel]

gabe&mel

Re sound: Ever hear a grouse drumming?

Mike

Mike.... I can't say I have. So we just got home from a ballgame and were discussing the mystery sound and were a wee bit suspicious of your claim... Then when we got home, put on some headphones and were thoroughly impressed. Hats off to you sir, That was spot on! I don't usually sleep well the first night of any trip and that night stuck out in particular. I was so curious I timed these strange noises for 5 minutes and for those who care they occurred every 18 to 30 seconds with the same duration as in video [emoji6]. Well mystery solved thanks to Mike, thanks again.


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[oldranger]

Now thru early june is the main time that the male grouse do their mating thing. In late june you can come across mamas with a half dozen chicks meandering after her. By September the chicks are almost as big as mom, if they survive that long. Typically in my experience only one or at best 2 will make it thru the summer. Walking along trails in forested areas a grouse will practically explode off the trail right next to you and scare the pee right out of you! It is even more exciting if you are on a horse, which happened to me several times a summer during my rangering days.

By the way I love the simplicity of the Tenkara set up but it is pretty limited when fishing lakes. You are dependent on finding fish cruising the shoreline. Last year I actually had a 60 fish day at WC Lake, about 30 fishing from my ultralight Supai raft and another 30 after dinner fishing from shore with spinning gear chucking a 3/8 oz z-ray. Most of the time I bring along my cook, markskor (about his only redeeming value!) so all I have to do is keep a couple of dinner fish (release the rest), clean them, and hand them to mark and if I ply him with a backcountry daiquiri and some parmesano reggiano cheese, he will cook the the fish. Coupled with some puttanesca pesto (Tehipite Tom's recipe modified for long trips in the backcountry) we have a dinner much too good for the likes of me.

I love it, a young couple that backpacks and goes to ballgames!

Carry On!

Mike

[sliverqueen]

So...did you end up getting the Thomas Buoyant and Panther Martins I told you about?

[gabe&mel]

Hi Silverqueen,

Did we meet and chat with you and your buddies at bishop lakes last week?

If so ... We just stopped at fishing store today [emoji41]
I'm in the process of piecing together a spinning setup over the next few weeks.


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[sliverqueen]

Yep, that was us. I was surprised to see your post on here, I chat with a lot of people on the trail but never expect to see them in a trail review Great write up's by the way. I might put a few reviews of my own up seeing as I have been lurking for a few years now.