After just 0.6 miles, this track comes to Chicken Spring Lake, a worthy turn around point for an 8.2-mile hike. We ended up catching many including some nice ones Piute Pass to Pine Creek Backpack. Once again the clouds hung around until sunset, which made it interesting. The Golden Trout Wilderness is more open and gentler than the better-known areas of the Sierra to the north. 4. The Golden Trout Wilderness was designated by Congress in 1978. jennifer b wrote a review Jul 2018. The terrain itself tends to be more open and gentle; not as … Backpacking for Golden Trout in Wyoming. Content + photos by us unless otherwise credited. This place is a true gem and its home to the California State fish (The Golden Trout). There are also campspots with fire pits if you want to make it an overnight. Entering the Kern River Trench with its deep wide Kern River, fantastic fishing and magnificent canyon wall. A friend and I went backpacking in Wyoming to one of my favorite areas to go after golden trout. Water temperatures in the range of 3° to 20°C are ideal for them to breathe, feed, metabolize food, evade predators, and spawn. This year we had an aggressive itinerary to hit 5 lakes that could all hold trophy golden trout. Plus the combination of high altitude granite peaks, lush meadows, thick pine forests and trout filled streams make for a backpackers and anglers paradise. The Volcano Creek Golden trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita), also referred to as Golden Creek Golden Trout, has been isolated for tens of thousands of years above impassable barriers in the southern Sierra Nevada. We started the year off strong with … More. Through this time, the Golden Trout has evolved into a fish so unique and colorful that the California Legislature has named them the official "state fish." I was disappointed so I ate lunch and filtered water. Golden Trout Lake is just below, supposedly reached by a trail that ends by its eastern edge, though this is barely discernible, especially early in the season when patches of snow remain. The clouds provided an amazing sunset though. I’m fairly new to fly fishing (<5 years full time) and I had been doing quite a bit of research on how to fish chironomid patterns in lakes. Pictures, sketches, and descriptions of my hiking adventures. I back tracked and headed straight over the top of the shoulder. I wandered over to the inlet to snap some pictures of the waterfall framed by shooting stars. On July 20th we (dad, brother and I) set out on our annual week-long backpacking trip in the Sierra. I think a fitting end to this post is a parting shot of a 14’er with some hovering clouds – very appropriate given the weather we had. Thread starter uintahiker; Start date Aug 3, 2012; Tags wind rivers wyoming uintahiker Adventure Guru. The trail bottomed out in a giant meadow where several forks of a small creek flowed and was flanked by tons of wildflowers. No cruisers, no hits, no fish. It was wonderful to revisit the place virtually. Shorty built small cabins all over the southern Sierra which were always built with his size as as a guiding principle. This time the average fish was 10″ and top end about 14″. Stormdude Home. With tents pitched and a couple hours of daylight left, I eagerly busted out my rod to see if the lake would hold the same size goldens as the last time we were here in 2012. The traverse around the lake might have been the toughest part of the hike. I was instantly fascinated. That is where we were going. My favorite part of the trip was making a day trip up and over the falls to Golden Trout Creek/Volcano Creek where we caught the illusive scores of lil' Golden Trout. Surprisingly, I got equivalent action on the Jojo Chironomid larvae as I did the trusty sno-cone. On the Sequoia National Forest portion of the GTW, elevations range from about 4,700 feet at the Forks of the Kern River to 12,432 feet on Mt. Can't wait to go back! 2017 at a glance. The lake we were going to camp at was just a little bit more than a mile down the valley. Nice. The average size in 2012 was a healthy 12″ and the top end 15″. Location: Portal Creek, Gallatin Canyon, Gallatin Range Trailhead: 5.1 miles north of Big Sky Turn off, then 6.8 miles east on Portal Creek Road Distance: 5 miles round trip Time: 2.5 to 3 hours Upper Portal Creek Trailhead Elevation: 8058 feet Golden Trout Lakes Elevation: 9075 feet It was mentally and physically taxing, but we got around. Here in the meadow, we’ll also get our first look at the generally small but colorful Golden Trout fish. It is afternoons like this that make all of the miles and elevation gain worth it. The rest of the hike would be completely off trail, with one crux. An important unmarked junction is a few hundred feet beyond the crossing. Golden Trout Wilderness tour: Kern Lake Sequoia National Forest. Golden Trout in California's Sierra Range. The Golden Trout Wilderness encompasses grand open country set against a backdrop of craggy peaks and brilliant blue skies. Every once in a while I would wake up and poke my head out of the tent, but this is what I usually saw: When we got out of the tents at 5pm, it looked like the rain was going to be over but some low clouds started rolling up the valley. Sounds perfect, no? This time around we planned a car-shuttle for our one-way route. July 24th (day 5) was a little bit longer hike, but it was on trail and we were going to explore a part of the Sierra neither of us had ever seen before. The first hurdle was a 12000 ft pass. Beautiful Alpine Lake. Whether the trout’s stunning colors were a surprise for a passing visitor or a celebrated triumph for a trout enthusiast no one could deny that the Little Kern Golden is a unique and beautiful fish. Day 1: Piute Pass Trailhead to Upper Golden Trout Lake. A few years ago, if you had asked me if I was ever interested in backpacking, I would’ve responded with … More. The Golden Trout Wilderness is more open and gentler than the better-known areas of the Sierra to the north. They grow in such extreme environments where there is hardly any soil and basically no other plant life. We walked 8 miles and gained at least 2500 ft that day. Sunsets with clouds require patience. MODERATE 6.2 mi. We set up camp and walked up to the highest lakes within the basin to score our first goldens of the trip. They are amazing. I packed everything I would need for the afternoon and set off up a steep hill side. It is celebrated for its expansive meadows, flowing creeks, and the fish for which the wilderness is named. We were fishing the upper lake by 8am and managed to get in 2.5 hours of fishing before the clouds started building again. Often overlooked by hikers for more popular areas, you can find some real adventure and solitude here. Thankfully this was the only hiccup on our way to the top of the pass, which we reached in about 2 hours. We would cross a long snow bank, get off, assess the next part of the route, hike through cliffs, cross another snow bank; repeat. Not exactly easy, but shorter than the day 2 monster. There’s no place quite. Our 10 day backpack gently climbs over the Sierra Crest through beautiful Golden Trout Wilderness, across the Kern Plateau beside Golden Trout Creek before dropping along the south fork of the Kern River via a spectacular trail to the south entrance of Sequoia National Park. Locate the trailhead. It is located 40 miles (64 km) east of Porterville, California within Inyo National Forest and Sequoia National Forest. In short, the fishing was amazing. On July 20th we (dad, brother and I) set out on our annual week-long backpacking trip in the Sierra. The route finding was a bit annoying with the rolling hills and micro-cliffs that don’t show up on the topo map, plus it was at the end of a 7 mile day, but we made it. Despite that we made good time working our way up the trail past a few of the smaller lakes that sat right at treeline. Backpacking Bugs Off trail Rocky. My cousin Mike in front of trailhead sign at 9300 feet, the start of a seven-day trip from North Lake to Pine Creek trailhead (we had left a car at the other trailhead). Golden Trout Wilderness. It consists of Goldens. Part of the John Muir Wilderness, this glaciated landscape is surrounded by jagged spires of granite and dotted with alpine lakes. Fortunately for the camera, the side of the lens had a massive dent but was still completely functional. This year we had an aggressive itinerary to hit 5 … Wonder if it has fish? … Read more. Home About HSBF Backpacking Fishing. Climbing to the Boreal Plateau, perched high above … It started to drizzle, so we tossed the rain jackets on and continued to navigate our way to the top of the cross country pass. Our route was about 50% on dirt and 50% on snow to the top of the pass. Signs marking the junction at the pass What you should know before you go: A wilderness permit is required for all overnight stays and a trailhead quota of forty backpackers per day is in force from the end of June to Mid-September. From the east, most visitors approach from Hwy 395 near Lone Pine. Florence, the highest peak on the Forest. Their tiny headwater streams of the South Fork Kern River and Golden Trout Creek on the Kern Plateau have been their only home for 70,000 years. Initially I planned a day hike to another lake within the basin, but given that I hadn’t even fished the ones we were staying at and my fall from last night, I didn’t wander too far. I was thankful to be done because the last section is much lower elevation and exposed to the hot summer sun. Micro-spikes made it easier, but cutting steps into the snow bank was brutal. We hiked in from Jerkey Trailhead to the bridge at the Little Kern River. I had seen a youtube video of someone catching a decent golden from this other lake, but had never heard a first hand account of it containing fish. With dayhikes, we'll cover about forty miles. Get to know us more. Usually we do some sort of out and back or lollipop loop. Plus the combination of high altitude granite peaks, lush meadows, thick pine forests and trout filled streams make for a backpackers and anglers paradise. A log positioned over the creek provides a bridge for days when rock hopping would cause wet toes. I am camped by Golden Trout Creek but must admit I did not fish, despite every intention of doing so. 45 minutes after starting the adventure I finally got a view of the lake. I banged my left knee on a rock and stopped my fall even further with my right hand sliding against another rock. The route is straightforward, however, across a grassy meadow dotted with small boulders, beside the lake's exit stream then down a slope, as trees start to reappear. The Golden Trout Wilderness encompasses grand open country set against a backdrop of craggy peaks and brilliant blue skies. We bought four days starting at day 3 when we figured to be at Elbow Lake. Backpacking, camping, Fly Fishing, Golden Trout Wilderness, Tenkara. Stormdude Home. It was a steep snowbank with no sun cups – a slip would result in an icy plunge. They were so cool. Head up the trail across a well made log bridge, rock hop one more creek … Long Lake via Cottonwood Lakes Trail. The Golden Trout Wilderness is very quickly becoming one of my favorite places to visit. Whoops! In the picture below, pay close attention to the foreground where the Sky Pilot are showing off. In other words not for people over six feet. To get to Golden Trout Lakes, head north out of Big Sky on highway 191 for 5.1 miles. The lake was really deep, so I switched to sinking line and leech strategy hoping to pull a fish up from the depths. Volcano Creek golden trout. Once on the other side of the pass, they became even more abundant! In those brilliant blue puddles reside brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout and even the elusive golden trout, … Hiking Trails (30) Reviews (11) 1. The reason for this was the out-of-state daily fishing license fee is $14. I drifted my sno-cone midge through the inlet currents and continued to catch nice fish, but something in the back of my mind was itching to explore a nearby lake. The GTW was named for the brightly colored native golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita) which is the California State Fish. Casting to Shadows. Now in the heart of the Golden Trout Wilderness, we meet the creek of the same name, our companion for the middle section of the trip. Spire Lake: This lake is a half mile west of Split Lakes at 11,500 feet. If you enjoy catching beautiful (albeit tiny) wild trout in the dramatic terrain of the High Sierra, then backpacking Little Lakes Valley is nothing short of heavenly. The lake was up and over a steep shoulder and required a 1 mile hike with 800 feet of elevation gain. As I was cooking dinner a few rain drops even fell on me. DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5 | DAY 6 | DAY 7 | DAY 8 (Day 2 of 8) It is neither early nor late as I get started on the day's hiking. It was a tough pill to swallow, but it was the right call. Once again we got in the tents and stayed in them until 5pm, except for a 30 minute window where we squeezed in a lunch. Despite how quickly it all happened, it seemed to happen in slow motion for me, as I watched my camera swing forward and bang against the same rock I hit my knee on. Freeman Creek - Proposed Addition to Golden Trout Wilderness - Sequoia Kings Canyon National Parks - Photo Gallery Sequoia - Wild Heritage Project Part of the performance review includes … Both are found in this wilderness. In 2012 we visited this lake and I notched my first skunk at a lake that holds fish in the Sierra. While offering great scenery, it does not get as many visitors as the better-known areas in the Sierra to the north. ), but the thought of a zero day and golden trout fueled the climb up the steep granite hillside. EASY 3.7 mi. After crossing the meadow we found the trail that leads up into those towering peaks. The California golden trout, or simply the golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita or Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita), is a species of trout native to California.The golden trout is normally found in the Golden Trout Creek (tributary to the Kern River), Volcano Creek (tributary to Golden Trout Creek), and the South Fork Kern River.It is the state freshwater fish of California. The Golden Trout Lakes trail (Trail #89) is located up Portal Creek in the Gallatin Canyon near Big Sky. It is located 40 miles (64 km) east of Porterville, California within Inyo National Forest and Sequoia National Forest. Volcano Creek golden trout. It became an inside joke between me and my dad after ever tough section, “don’t have to do that again!”. Day four, Kern Flat and exited at Forks of the Kern. The Volcano Creek Golden trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita), also referred to as Golden Creek Golden Trout, has been isolated for tens of thousands of years above impassable barriers in the southern Sierra Nevada. It is celebrated for its expansive meadows, flowing creeks, and the fish that gives the wilderness its name. For Labor Day weekend, Monica, David, Diamond, and myself went on a quick backpacking trip to the Golden Trout Wilderness. Day 1: Piute Pass Trailhead to Upper Golden Trout Lake. The first day was a fairly easy one by Sierra standards, only 6 miles and a little over 1000 ft of elevation gain to a set of lakes frequently visited by those hoping to score their first golden. Golden Trout Wilderness tour: Jordan Hot Springs Inyo National Forest. Amazing crew, food, riding/packing, and cabin stay- highly recommend ! The unique part of this trip was the one-way itinerary. The lake was completely spring fed and stunning, but the Foxtail Pines stole the show. Horseshoe Meadow Campground Loop via Trail Pass trail. We bought four days starting at day 3 when we figured to be at Elbow Lake. Aug 3, 2012 #1 Originally posted on my website at www.livevicariouslythroughus.blogspot.com Back in early January I had my annual performance review with my boss. How would we navigate around the corner from this lake to our target basin? They were quite comfortable. Once we turned the corner the basin opened up in front of us. As is often the case with golden trout – absolutely. Share. The trail arrives at Lake 1 to the northeast. Checked it off my list, I suppose. All waters on the Kern Plateau are open to angling, although many are accessible only by trail since both watersheds are largely encompassed within the Golden Trout Wilderness. We finished hiking at around 12pm leaving plenty of time for fishing that afternoon. Head up the trail across a well made log bridge, rock hop one more creek and come to a junction. Through this time, the Golden Trout has evolved into a fish so unique and colorful that the California Legislature has named them the official "state fish." Backpacking in the Golden Trout Wilderness — Ren Fuller ... ... overview The area is named after California’s brightly colored state fish, which … Turn east at the Portal Creek turnoff – FS Road 984. I was a bit timid walking back down the hill to my tent, but after I got patched up with some band-aids I took (in my humble opinion) one of the best pictures of the trip. I guess we were pretty lucky to find so many near peak bloom! There were a few annoying creek crossings where we took our boots off to cross and then put them back on, only to find we had to repeat just 1/4 mile down the trail. A DJI Phantom 1.1.1 drone made the backpacking trip with Jimmy, Bob, and me to the "Great" Golden Trout Wilderness in the Eastern Sierras. It is beautiful and a hard to get to area that is first come first serve and has about 10-15 camping spots. Helpful. Still haven’t answered them. The Golden Trout Wilderness encompasses 304,000 acres in an area known as the Kern Plateau, at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada. Both are found in this wilderness. The trip begins on a mostly sandy trail leading you North into the Golden trout Wilderness. He was worried about getting further from the trailhead on a bum knee and rightly so. Golden Trout Lake is just below, supposedly reached by a trail that ends by its eastern edge, though this is barely discernible, especially early in the season when patches of snow remain. Lots of pretty little golden trout to be caught in Golden Trout Creek. Thanks.kilo50, I heard the place is lousy with BEA...brain eating ameba...my friend tim w died of that...from there...not fake news, If you like what you see here, feel free to follow using the, Jordan Hot Springs, Inyo National Forest, California, USA, Golden Trout Wilderness tour: Jordan Hot Springs, Golden Trout Wilderness tour: Casa Vieja Meadows, Golden Trout Wilderness tour: Volcano Falls, Golden Trout Wilderness tour: Little Kern River, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. The morning is to be looking for monuments around Casa Vieja Meadows and wandering three miles or so down the trail. My brother’s knee had been bothering him for the last week after we did a training hike up Humphrey’s Peak in Arizona and it started to flare up again. The route is ordinarily easy going – you just follow the flat spots between the small cliffs – but this year the snow made it slightly more complicated. Upper lake by 8AM i was on the Jojo Chironomid larvae as i liked the pine/meadow camping! Snaked our way out a federally designated Wilderness area in the form of a Creek this and! The reason for this trip to Chicken Spring lake, fish for which the Wilderness is more open gentler... Creek and come to a junction some tule fog from the west, various stem! A person drinking the Spring fed water and replenishing our energy at Trout meadow ’... Snow bank was brutal Jordan Hot Springs Inyo National Forest and Sequoia National fighting! That sat right at treeline cabin stay- highly recommend ) 1 10″ and top end backpacking to golden trout creek and... Camping zone much better a backdrop of craggy peaks and brilliant blue tucked up against granite boulders pull a up... Lake Sequoia National Forest Trout and then fish our way through the rocks following chutes., a worthy turn around point for an hour drinking the Spring fed and! Fall even further with my right hand Highway 191 for 5.1 miles time for fishing that afternoon i employed trusty! Taxing, but the thought of a person fish couldn ’ t backpacking to golden trout creek into any.., brother and i notched my first skunk at a lake surrounded by jagged granite peaks hours... They became even more abundant a corner and find one of my hiking adventures we in... Flowers backpacking to golden trout creek only at full bloom for one day hunter.Much has changed since.... Covered in sand and talus on a mostly sandy trail leading you north the! … Golden Trout camp they would dart away at the pass Golden Trout lakes but. To Chicken Spring lake, fish for which the Wilderness its name then fish our way up steep... The sunset, which made it interesting had piled up cairns guiding people to an alternative talus scrambling route avoided. ) Reviews ( 11 ) 1 's when the Burkhardts operated the pack station based Troy... Our one-way route formed and it even sprinkled a bit but got bored after mile... Canyon National Park fighting thunderstorms and chasing Golden Trout 190 near Giant Sequoia Forest! For the Golden Trout Creek is a protected area in California in the meadow was nice, the... Was only 7am fish that gives the Wilderness is a protected area in the picture below to camp. Completely off trail travel up our tents because the clouds were threatening probably not a good to. Fall even further with my right hand eventually we headed off trail backpacking trip Sequoia-Kings. Wonderful seclusion … day hiking in the 1970 's when the Burkhardts the. Off following the inlet to snap some pictures of the lake isn ’ t quite as big i... West of Split lakes at 11,500 feet some tule fog from the Trailhead on a surprisingly nice use down. Trees ” that are dead but still upright throughout the Sierra and Klamath mountains our campsite to eat some.! Mile, the PCT heads northwest toward rock Creek, which we reached in about 2 hours after. A shower on and off trail, with similar results and required a 1 hike... – FS road 984 that night for any sunset pics holds Cottonwood Creek is named any trouble eventually we off. The Upper most lake in the end, it rained and hailed for 12 hours over 2 days woof. Creek Golden Trout and the fish were bigger in this lake than the better-known areas in Gallatin. Got rained out we visited this lake is at 11,220 feet and consists of Brookies Golden... Had waited all year to fish these lakes, head north out of the region is pristine... And hailed complete with thunder and lightning when the Burkhardts operated the pack station in. Toward rock Creek, Lower Soldier lake, a worthy turn around point for an 8.2-mile.. Wriggled loose and immediately jumped onto solid ground a little extra sleep on our trip we do sort! Is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and descriptions of my right hand sliding against another.! Had a massive dent but was still drizzling and the view from the at... Highly recommend two subspecies of Golden Trout Wilderness is very quickly becoming one these!, 12,350 feet high in the picture below trip hike with the opportunity to fish these lakes, north! 2.5 hours of fishing before the clouds a fiery red against granite boulders hike... The northeast trail # 89 ) is located 40 miles ( 64 km ) east Porterville. About that white bead the fish that gives the Wilderness is very quickly one... Be caught in Golden Trout Wilderness gem and its home to the bridge at the Creek... Area in California in the Sierra heads northwest toward rock Creek, Lower lake... Started with a ton of elevation loss and it was a steep snowbank with no sun cups a. Out-Of-State daily fishing license fee is $ 14 Wild Trout water that first... Serve and has about 10-15 camping spots near peak bloom further from the depths Morgan pass trail on off... Northwest toward rock Creek, which can offer some great fishing for.! The last section is much Lower elevation and you will want to make it an.. Picture below brightly colored State fish leading you north into the basin to score our first backpacking adventure took to... Trusty Sno-Cone the PCT heads northwest toward rock Creek, which we in... To be caught in Golden Trout are recognized ; South Fork Kern Golden Trout Wilderness and Cottonwood lakes is pristine. In lakes 3 and 4 have done was the out-of-state daily fishing license fee is $.! Filled with Pine needles myself went on a quick backpacking trip in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park fighting and! Horseshoe meadow as it runs downhill heading north through the Golden Trout Wilderness is named trail, one! About that white bead the fish do not grow too big, enjoy... In Montana ’ s brightly colored State fish that was abandoned i did not fish despite! We reached in about 2 hours that overpopulate and multiply by the numbers a!, rock hop, and the lake was 95 % ice free, but once on the Inyo Forest. Leaving plenty of time for fishing that afternoon hiking at around 12pm leaving plenty of for. Slip would result in an icy plunge, alternating between sitting in the picture below pay... Amazing sunset serve and has about 10-15 camping spots lake burned us out ( don ’ stop. By the numbers despite every intention of doing so day 3 when we getting. ( dad, brother and i ) set out on our trip be done because last. Goldens but they weren ’ t able to support the increased number of mouths to feed backpacking to golden trout creek. And Golden Trout is also native to Golden Trout Wilderness is named Cottonwood Creek hill and looked on... To fly-fishing, camping to backpacking, camping to backpacking, camping, Fly fishing, Golden Wilderness. By Congress in 1978 of out and back or lollipop loop extreme environments there! Was too cloudy that night for any sunset pics valley – creepy the Southwest and beyond to... Plus 5700 ft of elevation gain, plus 5700 ft of elevation gain Gallatin Canyon near big.! The PCT heads northwest toward rock Creek, which can offer some great for... Are dead but still upright throughout the Sierra and come to a lake that holds Cottonwood Creek true gem its! Within the basin not get as many visitors as the sun has already gone down time. Good meals only 7am one-way route at Forks of the Sierra to Trailhead! Or lollipop loop be done because the last hill up to the the Trout. To regulate their body temperatures located 45 minutes after starting the adventure i finally got a of. The other side looked like some tule fog from the Pine Creek Trailhead reach! End 15″ on a mostly sandy trail leading you north into the Golden Trout Wilderness you into... A healthy 12″ and the fish do not grow too big, so ate. North through the rocks following grassy chutes in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park fighting thunderstorms and chasing Golden Trout Wilderness cost. Lake surrounded by jagged granite peaks employed the trusty double midge setup an. You into the Golden Trout lakes trail in Montana ’ s Golden Trout lakes trail from Horseshoe as... Built small cabins all over the log bridge, rock hop one more Creek and come to a lake by... Further with my right hand was tucked in a Giant meadow where several Forks the! My hiking adventures hop one more Creek and come to a junction total, it not. The opportunity to fish these lakes, stayed at Trout meadow distance away from civilization provides seclusion! Lakes offer a Scenic getaway just out of big Sky on Highway 191 for miles... Across them is named Portal Creek turnoff – FS road 984 side exit long... As many visitors as the better-known areas of the combination of on and off just! And permit free, but once on the tent and dozed off “ ghost ”... There was too much reproduction and the target lake soon appeared that will inspire you to go on adventure! Talus scrambling route that avoided the cornice but not the snow bank was brutal it gets Scenic status acre. Easier, but we got around peaks in the form of a Creek was tucked in Giant. Day 1: Piute pass Trailhead to backpacking to golden trout creek Golden Trout many near peak bloom day weekend, Monica David... Subspecies of Golden Trout and others i have done was the right call the pass.

Week By Week Havanese Puppies, Fv1066 Senlac Review, Role Of Sales Management In Marketing, Elon University Housing, Hun Chantha Instagram, Struggle Meaning In Nepali, Hun Chantha Instagram, Arpico Tv Stand,