4 days, 31 miles hiked, 12 lakes, TONS OF PICS 2024
fourbizz reply :
Another backpacking trip in the books.
My girl and I took off for 4 days and 3 nights in the Desolation Wilderness.
When we left, it was cooooooold. After hiking past little Beauty Lake and marshy Maude Lake, we headed up the gnarly Rockbound Pass. Clouds were rolling in, and the wind was howling. Unfortunately this picture doesnt capture the cool eddying effect in that cloud as it scraped over the mountain.
We dropped down the other side of the pass to quaint little Lake Doris, which I have shown pics of before. That was mile 7 of day one. Then past Lake Lois at mile 8.5, which I will show pics of a little later.
We then arrived at our destination of Lake Schmidell at mile 10 for day 1, which I have never been to. A very large and beautiful lake.
Fishing sucked, it was cold, and we had hiked a good piece for having fully loaded packs (41lbs for me) and with not being adjusted to the altitude, we opted to crash.
That night was cooooold. This was the view out the rear vestibule of our tent in the morning.
I had hoped to jump over the ridge from here, but after scouring the map and doing a gut check, we decided that there was a very cool loop route that we could do that would keep us from hiking out the same way we came in.
So on day 2 we hiked back down to Lake Lois and set up shop there, opting not to hike a whole bunch and do a good deal of fishing at the lake that was so awesome on our last trip. We only got to fish it for an hour or two last month, so I gave us a full day to check it out, moving that to day 2 instead of 4.
Well, the fishing really sucked, I think owing to the massive cold snap putting the fish down. But the scenery was tough to beat.
The inlet was still a bit chilly.
Heaven
Day 3 saw us jumping across the ridge using an old, poorly marked stock trail that topped us out above 9,000ft. Our car was parked at 6,200.
If you look at this picture, you can see a shelf a couple hundred feet below the top of the mountain, we sidehilled that shelf in a right to left direction.
This is Lake Lois from near the top of the pass.
Topped out.
We hiked another mile or so down the other side, and I looked over the hill to figure out our trailless route down to Top Lake. This bit was pretty hairy at times, specially with a full pack on your back.
We did make it down after half an hour of scrambling, and I found the quintessential alpine meadow stream. Not wide, but quite deep, with undercut banks, and full of spawning Brookies.
Watch out for fishy man-goo.
The lake turned out to be barren as near as I can tell. A sad trait of many of the lakes in this area, due to tree-hugging haters of trout plants. Still a pretty lake though.
Using the girls spinning rod out of desperation
From there we did another short x-country to Lake No. 9 which is also fishless.
Down from 9 was Lawrence Lake another recent victim of stocking cessation. Many of these lakes lack sufficient spawning habitat for fish to reproduce.
After that we hiked up past ugly, fishless, Lake Number 5, and do to poor navigation on my part, ended up a half mile off track. The silver lining being this.
This is some sort of twin engine that went down in 1969. Since it is many, many miles from the nearest road, they still have not cleaned up the site.
After diagnosing the error in course plotting, we got back on trail and headed the couple of miles up to Lake " I dont even dare posting its name". This lake was to be the crown jewel of the trip, and boy was it. Very hard to reach from any direction, and one of only a few lakes in this area (there are at least 75) that still has Golden Trout.
First five minutes of fishing rewarded me with this little alpine gem.
There were a dozen more like him caught that evening, and finally, as it was getting dark, I popped this one. I know it doesnt look big, and it isnt, but for its species, and the Desolation Wilderness these days, its a DANG good one.
A bit more fishing in the morning and we were off.
On the way out, there was one more off trail lake I wanted to check out. It was not attractive, it was devoid of fish, and the bushwacking to get to it was not much fun.
After that we hopped on the trail and did another 7 miles back to the car, passing Dark Lake on the way out. For at least 5 of those miles, the evidence of this guy's passing kept us company.
So that was 4 days, 3 nights, 12 lakes and 31 miles of pure heaven.
Cant wait to get back. If you bass fishing rednecks ever get tired of reading these California granola cruncher posts, bury them in the Other Species forum, lol.
-HAWK- reply :
That is some amazing scenery man. That is true paradise.
simplejoe reply :
QuoteThat is some amazing scenery man. That is true paradise.
Yep, truly amazing. I'm jealous. ;D
Culln5 reply :
Great story! I bet that trip was awesome! That's something I could only dream of.
nUgZ reply :
You sir are one lucky man!! Thanks for sharing those great pictures and the story. Those trout are spectacular.
looking4structure reply :
WOW you took some really great pictures.
Grey Wolf reply :
Thanks for sharing that wonderful trip with us !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bass Tracker reply :
Awesome trip, great pics, great story! 
k4phd reply :
Just can't describe how nice the pictures were. Reading your post and looking at the pictures at the same time makes you feel the chill in the air and almost feel like we were there too. Great job and thanks for sharing that with us. Please do that again .
Jim
preach4bass reply :
About the only reason I visit this section of the forum now is to read about your amazing trips. Thanks for sharing, and hurry back again!
daviscw reply :
This is awesome. I've been wanting to plan the same kind of deal except on horse through the Appalachians.
grimlin reply :
Now that looks like an awesome trip!
I.rar reply :
QuoteNow that looks like an awesome trip!
x2!
great pictures! i would love to go on a serious hike like that.
skillet reply :
THANKS for taking us along 
...
skillet
Frog Turds reply :
thats pure sweetness!!...thats one thing i miss from moving away from seattle, all the mountains...
Randall reply :
Thanks for posting. I have been enjoying the stories and pics.
fourbizz reply :
Thanks all, glad you enjoy these posts.
Looks like a 3 day next week and another trip to big Cutthroat country with Brannus.
I guess there are a few advantages to a slow construction market ;D
Bassn Blvd reply :
What an awesome way to spend a few days. I was totally void of my surroundings while reading your adventure. I felt like I was in a scene of Grizzly Adams.
flechero reply :
Nice trip! I like it when you post... I get the scenery and you hiked it for me!
T-rig reply :
Awesome pics fourbizz!
A friend of mine fishes alot of alpine lakes in Switzerland. You would love it over here!
roadwarrior reply :
You should be sponsored by Discovery or National Geographic!
Man, GREAT thread.
;D ;D
NewAngler reply :
Amazingly breath taking, dude.
mrlitetackle reply :
great stuff man,
i always love to see the pic's......
nothin' like that here in orlando 
Bassn Blvd reply :
Quotegreat stuff man,i always love to see the pic's......
nothin' like that here in orlando
Dude, we have Space Mountain.
skunked_again reply :
ppl in kansas would pay for a trip like that. amazing.
=Matt 5.0= reply :
Bizz, you da man! 8-)
Tons of respect dude!
Infidel. reply :
Very nice Homeboy
Quotenothin' like that here in orlando
Yeah but you are a short drive from Tarpon and Snook!!!
baboosicbass08 reply :
Simply amazing, great pictures. I always look forward to seeing the pictures from your trips like this.
ShawnCorreia reply :
QuoteTHANKS for taking us alongskillet
Like Skillet said.....I could totally put myself there with all the great pics. Thanks Also finding that wreck must have been pretty cool too!
Purpleworm82 reply :
Wow that is some amazing scenery. Great post, thanks for sharing.
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