Our next door neighbors are Steve and Carol. Steve gives me some pointers about bait and tackle. Steve worked in the movie industry for a long time. Now he flies small airplanes and grows almonds and walnuts.
We run into Steve and Carol fishing up at Lake Sabrina. Both the Carols retreat to the small lodge to talk and drink wine. I catch a nice size trout immediately, but that's it for the day.
Today Mrs. Phred and I will rent a small boat and try again. This time I will remember to bring a knife and my camera. You need a knife to cut line and retie your rig.
Steve fished all day and ended up with a nice stringer of fish. He gave us some of his fish for dinner. We share some Sam Adam's beers and conversation in the evening.
The two bicyclists we met in the Texas desert have now reached San Diego. I get a comment from Susan (Guy's wife, Redding's mother) asking for pictures. I sent her six pictures by e-mail.
The tectonic plates uplifted a long ranges of granite mountains (North and South) and folded other terrain into a 400-mile long high valley. The Valley is bordered by the Eastern and Western Sierras which go on forever. The Western Sierras, called the "Inconsolable Range" is lined with mountains that are all 13,000 feet or better. Looking East from the Valley, you see a similar range, crowned by snow-covered Mt. Whitney at 14,000 feet plus. Whitney is the tallest in the lower 48.
As you drive North, you run into many interesting things, including: Mono Lake, Lake Tahoe, Reno, Mammoth Lake and the Yosemite Nation Park. Yosemite might be considered the crown jewel of the American Park system.
We show up at 9,600 feet for our all day horseback ride into the high Sierras. Our horses are saddled up and ready. Mine is a muscular brute named "Clyde". The cowboys speculate that Clyde is part Belgian or part Clydesdale. Clyde likes to stop and munch on green things or drink brook water. He has immediately pegged me as a patsy.
The trail up to Long Lake at 12,000 feet is rocky. Often the horses walk close to the edge of cliffs on narrow trails. I figure that millions of years of evolution has made them sure-footed and hope that Clyde is not clinically depressed about his menial job.
Our trail guide, Jesse, mentions that this is his summer job. Under questioning, he admits to being a literature major at Yale. Turns out he studied two years at "Deep Springs" University. They accept 13 male applicants each year from a pool of 250 and study in the remote desert. Most of his desert classmates transfer to Yale (possibly the most prestigious University in America. The CIA recruits heavily at Yale.
After climbing rock ledges and switchback trails for two hours, we pass though the snow line and reach Long Lake at 12,000 feet. It's a lovely spot for lunch so we eat our sandwiches.
Mrs. Phred takes over the camera at the turning point.
I mount Clyde for the return trip.
Mrs. Phred snaps a shot of our trail guide, Jesse, on the return trip and cuts off his head.
You may remember "High Sierra" with Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart (1941). Bogart plays Roy Earle, a gangster with feelings of an almost human nature. After a robbery gone bad, he splits with Marie (Ida) and his dog. "Pard", and retreats to a Sierra mountaintop. After a cold night, he hears Pard bark and runs out calling Marie's name. He is shot in the back of the head by a police sharpshooter, finding the freedom he always sought. This film elevated Bogart to stardom. Bogart's dog, Zero, played Pard.
There's a trout in here somewhere, but don't stare at the photo too long or it will begin to stare back at you.
The drive up to 10,000 feet still leaves you thousands of feet below the snow covered peaks. The lakes and streams are crystal clear at this elevation and full of hungry trout.
My hip boots, net and fishing gear are in the Toyota trunk. Maybe I'll get them out this week and try my luck?
We see a couple of Marmots.
In the Fall the aspens turn orange and yellow.
We talked to Jesse and arranged an all day horseback ride up along some of the ridges at 10,000 feet tomorrow. Jesse says we should be able to get some good pictures.
You can walk a trail from this lake about three miles and be in the King's Canyon National Park to the West. To get there by road is about 250 miles.
