Henry Coe from Hunting Hollow

Arn,

My wife and I take our kids several times a year out there. Quite often we do the same (leaving Friday after work/school). We like to camp at the little pond near Willson Peak. You have to climb over 1600 ft in less than 3 miles to get there. We don't mind the climb, since we are conditioning for the JMT and like that the pond is off the trail and you are alone. In the morning we go then down to Kelly Lake for some fishing.
Willson Camp is less climb and more gradual, so you might prefer that (and the fact that you have a rest room). We have camped there too (one night in the rain under the little barn), but prefer Willson Peak.

I'm not sure what you mean by Fish Pond? I'm aware of Fish & Game Pond, but that is almost all the way at Coit Lake and way beyond your 4 mile radius. May be you mean Rodeo Pond (0.8 miles up the road from Willson Camp)? We have also stayed at Wasno Pond which was nice (and we saw a scorpion there), but that is roughly 5 miles. Wasno and Rodeo Ponds both offer rest rooms, if that makes a difference for you.

For Henry Coe we leave our SteriPen at home and use our gravity filter instead. The kids like the water better, when it is filtered and doesn't have the algae taste. You should be fine with a bandana as pre-filter and the SteriPen for treatment, but you might find a certain "taste" to the water. So you might want to bring some Gatorade powder, etc.

Have fun out there,

Manfred

Wilson Camp is pretty nice, with a bathroom and plenty of flat spots. There are several springs nearby which have much cleaner water than the ponds. I have drank out of the springs several times using a bandana and aqua mira and the water was just fine.

There are also a few picnic spots with springs just a few hundred yards down the trail from the parking lot, but I am not sure if these are legal to camp in. I slept in one over by the old windmill once instead of driving back late at night. I heard a pack of coyotes yipping their way down the canyon not too far from my campsite later that night which was a cool experience.

Have fun, the wildflowers are probably pretty good right now.

Thanks for the info!

I do not have the map in front of me, but, it shows fish pond just off the main road (not sure of the name) heading east from Hunting Hollow about 3.5 miles from the parking lot. Looks flat and has a bathroom. The pond appears very small though. It sounds like I have a few options for a short hike to camp Friday night and may just save fish pond for another day.

I am looking forward to getting out there for the first time. With the rain last week and this warm weather this week, I imagine the wildflowers will be out in force. Bringing the fishing rod along too. Hopefully I can run into a few fish at the bigger lakes.

Now I know which pond you mean — the one past the wind mill along Hunting Hollow Rd. I have never stayed there and rarely go on the wide fire road (Hunting Hollow Rd./ Wagon Rd) around to Willson Camp.

Fishing at Kelly Lake has always been good for us.

Enjoy!

Manfred

Even with the recent rain, I wouldn't want a steripen and coffee filter. If you tank up and use the streams and springs, then that would be okay.

mind the ticks.