Ah yes, when opportunity knocks it pays to open the door. On Wednesday I had the rear Roadmaster sway bar installed and the passenger side airbag mount repaired and beefed up.
I had been working way too many days in a row (try 60) and I really needed to go off to the mountains. I was disappointed when Ruth said she was too tired to hit the road and she wanted to stay home and relax until she said โ if you don't mind going solo you should goโ. I didn't need to be asked twice.
Thursday after work I hoisted the Kayak to the roof of the Lance and stuffed my float tube, rods, waders, and boots into the shower and proceeded to pack everything but the food which I took care of at 6am Friday before heading out to work.
Friday Night I loaded Jake the Wonder Dog into his normal Shotgun position and off we went.
I'm happy to say that with the new Roadmaster sway bars front and rear the truck handled rotten pavement, gusty croswinds and twisty Sierra mountain roads with ease.
Somewhere around 11:30pm and near the top of one of the passes on hwy 88 I called it a night and pulled over onto a nice wide dirt pullout with a nice full moon, the altitude was 8000 feet.
I woke up to a nice sunrise and view.
Jake approved
My morning breakfast scramble
Back onto hwy 88 heading towards Silver and Caples Lakes
It was windy cool and the water was choppy at Silver Lake
spectacular though
So I decided to try the West Fork of the Carson river and pass on the lakes
Carson Pass
Red Lake having a major algae bloom
Jake sniffing for that perfect spot to leave his mark
Hope Valley and the West Fork of the Carson River at around 7000 feet on the eastern slope of the Sierras
I turned off the pavement and onto the dirt in search of a nice campsite right next to the river
This looks like the right spot
yup
Ooh and this is less than 30 feet from the camper...might just set a spell
Took Jake for a walk and then got down to the business of Fly Fishing. Well that is why I came up here. Hooked 3 small ones before I found this nice brown hiding under the bank and got him to hit on a #18 dun. I was using a 8 foot 5 wt wf line with a 7,5 foot 6x tippet
video
http://youtu.be/WLDYlbdPRV0
the afternoon clouds rolled in and out came the clouds of skeeters too
It was close to 90 out and I was dying, my waders had turned into a personal sweat lodge. I was glad that the AC was running to keep Jake cool in the camper when I got back
Nothing like sharing ice cold watermelon with your best friend on a hot day
Refreshed I went out and fished some more.
This guy gave me the best fight of the trip
video
http://youtu.be/zCye2cgsIaA
I waded and hiked the river for over 6 hours. My legs were thrashed, my arms zapped and my back was protesting. Fed and walked jake, grabbed a snack, quick shower, some Ibuprofen, and I went to bed while it was still light out.
Sunday morning and it was a wonderful 42* as Jake and me took a morning walk
camp elevation
So having fished the river on Saturday and this being Sunday and I had a whole set of unused toys on board I decided to pull up stakes and go Kayaking down at Bear River Reservoir
so off we went
hey a TC is in front of me (actuall we outnumbered the motorhomes travel trailers and 5th wheels on this day.
Climbing Carson pass was a breeze, which by the way was still blowing at silver lake
Jake was chillin as is his custom
Carson Pass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carson_Pass
great geology on the spur
can we go now dad?
So we dropped on down to Bear River Reservoir a hydroelectric dam and lake run by PG&E
Not exactly a low elevation lake
Well I didn't want to paddle on the side of the lake that had the launch ramp so I drove to the other side. The one with steep rocky slopes from the road to the water. I can be such a dumb stubborn cuss some times, Yed the yak weighs 70 pounds and I man handled the darn thing down the slope, paddled and fished for three hours then carried it back up the dang thing. Three trips each time to bring the boat and gear up. Yes it kicked my butt
But it was fun though!!!
the water was sparkling clear
not too worse for wear and tear
short video from out on the water.
http://youtu.be/_X65S6uF5lo
All to soon it was time to head home
I must have been hallucinating because I swear that I saw a giant construction worker standing on the side of the highway
yikes
and into the foothills and home
epilog: on everything on my body was stiff and sore at work Monday except for my brain and soul which were so relaxed...
I had been working way too many days in a row (try 60) and I really needed to go off to the mountains. I was disappointed when Ruth said she was too tired to hit the road and she wanted to stay home and relax until she said โ if you don't mind going solo you should goโ. I didn't need to be asked twice.
Thursday after work I hoisted the Kayak to the roof of the Lance and stuffed my float tube, rods, waders, and boots into the shower and proceeded to pack everything but the food which I took care of at 6am Friday before heading out to work.
Friday Night I loaded Jake the Wonder Dog into his normal Shotgun position and off we went.
I'm happy to say that with the new Roadmaster sway bars front and rear the truck handled rotten pavement, gusty croswinds and twisty Sierra mountain roads with ease.
Somewhere around 11:30pm and near the top of one of the passes on hwy 88 I called it a night and pulled over onto a nice wide dirt pullout with a nice full moon, the altitude was 8000 feet.
I woke up to a nice sunrise and view.
Jake approved
My morning breakfast scramble
Back onto hwy 88 heading towards Silver and Caples Lakes
It was windy cool and the water was choppy at Silver Lake
spectacular though
So I decided to try the West Fork of the Carson river and pass on the lakes
Carson Pass
Red Lake having a major algae bloom
Jake sniffing for that perfect spot to leave his mark
Hope Valley and the West Fork of the Carson River at around 7000 feet on the eastern slope of the Sierras
I turned off the pavement and onto the dirt in search of a nice campsite right next to the river
This looks like the right spot
yup
Ooh and this is less than 30 feet from the camper...might just set a spell
Took Jake for a walk and then got down to the business of Fly Fishing. Well that is why I came up here. Hooked 3 small ones before I found this nice brown hiding under the bank and got him to hit on a #18 dun. I was using a 8 foot 5 wt wf line with a 7,5 foot 6x tippet
video
http://youtu.be/WLDYlbdPRV0
the afternoon clouds rolled in and out came the clouds of skeeters too
It was close to 90 out and I was dying, my waders had turned into a personal sweat lodge. I was glad that the AC was running to keep Jake cool in the camper when I got back
Nothing like sharing ice cold watermelon with your best friend on a hot day
Refreshed I went out and fished some more.
This guy gave me the best fight of the trip
video
http://youtu.be/zCye2cgsIaA
I waded and hiked the river for over 6 hours. My legs were thrashed, my arms zapped and my back was protesting. Fed and walked jake, grabbed a snack, quick shower, some Ibuprofen, and I went to bed while it was still light out.
Sunday morning and it was a wonderful 42* as Jake and me took a morning walk
camp elevation
So having fished the river on Saturday and this being Sunday and I had a whole set of unused toys on board I decided to pull up stakes and go Kayaking down at Bear River Reservoir
so off we went
hey a TC is in front of me (actuall we outnumbered the motorhomes travel trailers and 5th wheels on this day.
Climbing Carson pass was a breeze, which by the way was still blowing at silver lake
Jake was chillin as is his custom
Carson Pass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carson_Pass
great geology on the spur
can we go now dad?
So we dropped on down to Bear River Reservoir a hydroelectric dam and lake run by PG&E
Not exactly a low elevation lake
Well I didn't want to paddle on the side of the lake that had the launch ramp so I drove to the other side. The one with steep rocky slopes from the road to the water. I can be such a dumb stubborn cuss some times, Yed the yak weighs 70 pounds and I man handled the darn thing down the slope, paddled and fished for three hours then carried it back up the dang thing. Three trips each time to bring the boat and gear up. Yes it kicked my butt
But it was fun though!!!
the water was sparkling clear
not too worse for wear and tear
short video from out on the water.
http://youtu.be/_X65S6uF5lo
All to soon it was time to head home
I must have been hallucinating because I swear that I saw a giant construction worker standing on the side of the highway
yikes
and into the foothills and home
epilog: on everything on my body was stiff and sore at work Monday except for my brain and soul which were so relaxed...
