Gem, Waugh, Thousand Island Lakes and others : Sept 1 – Sept 4
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—- Joe (we met at Gem) – if you read this, send me a message via Private Message, I’ve got something for you. —-
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We decided to use this long weekend to go to our favorite spot – Thousand Island lake and thereabouts. My dad is over 70, but he loves outdoors and spending time on the trails. This is our rare time away from the busy lives and a chance to spend quality time together.
We’ve started at Rush Creek trailhead from Silver lake heading up towards Agnew and Gem. This section is my least favorite due to how hard the rocky terrain is on my feet (i wear running shoes, which are too flexible for 2 hours of walking on rock).
While going up to Agnew, we’ve met a nice young couple heading same way. We kept on switching the lead as one group would stop by to rest for a minute and the other would catch up and take point. By the time we’ve reached Gem – we’ve started to chat and joke around.
Agnew was one half to one third empty and the water didn’t really reach the dam. It looked like it was reinforced and surface refreshed.Gem Lake was lower than usual, but still – a very pleasant site with great water color. Same as with Agnew – the dam surface looked fresh, as if it was reinforced or refreshed recently.
Both teams dissented for a swim – it was great. Calm and clear water was refreshing without being freezing cold. Sandy beach made the experience very special.
After a swim, we’ve returned to the trail and moved on to Waugh lake. By this time we’ve noticed something that was absent on our previous trips – very dry air. By mid-day, our throats and noses were completely dry and no amount of water would keep them moist. It was getting unpleasant.
This feeling was temporarily forgotten when I’ve spotted a good place to cast my tenkara line for some brook trout. The fish was hungry and feisty. All of them were released promptly thanks to barbless hooks.
We’ve also found quite a few edible mushrooms – plenty of Suillus (check out the size next to a my somewhat large hand).
And of course our favorite – Boletus edulis (penny bun, cep, porcino or porcini). They were all over the place next to creeks and some lakes. Beautiful, big, meaty, untouched by worms.
As soon as we’ve crested over the dam at Waugh, we were stunned to see a completely drained lake. Now, I know that Southern Cali Edison that manages the dams in the area had to release water due to very high amount of rain/snow earlier in the year (180% of the norm), but draining lake this high completely made no sense. There was a branching stream going through the lake bed, but it was very shallow – only a couple of inches in depest sections.
We’ve setup camp in a nice spot with a great view of the lake bed and the mountains behind it. On this trip I’ve brought my latest addition to shelter collection – REI Dash 2. A two person 2lb 7oz tent. It is mostly free-standing, but requires stakes or lines in order to give it some extra volume in the foot area. Instead of using included thick aluminum stakes, i’ve brought very thin Ti stakes and this dropped several ounces. Not bad for a 2 door, tall, two person tent.
I’ve brought something special for first night’s dinner – Vermicelli with a can of roasted beef in juices and fat. While it was a very heavy item (one of the heaviest in our pack), the pure richness of the taste and calorie content were well worth it.
The next day we’ve headed out to Thousand Island Lake, only to be intercepted by one of the people from the couple we’ve met previously. They were having some trouble with treating water, so we’ve stopped by to refill their containers. I happen to bring a Sawyer Mini as a backup to Katadyn BeFree and gladly gave it to the couple. Would hate to see a trip spoiled by not being able to get clean water in needed quantities.
Hike to Thousand Island was great as always, only slightly spoiled by the dry air. However, Once we’ve reached the point from which we could see the lake – it was worth it.
We’ve found a good spot on south side in the area allowed for camping and setup our tent. While we hooked some fish on the UL spin setup I brought and had a bunch do some tail walking above the surface of the water.
The sunset was stunning. Some light fog and red light from the sun just made it feel surreal.
After coming back in the dark to our camp site, we were surprised to find two hikers setting up camp about 20 feet away from us, even though there was plenty of space all around. Next morning we’ve packed up and left towards Clark Lake. As we walked, the clouds gathered and it started to sprinkle, then started to rain more substantially. It was on and off though. Considering the dryness, this rain was a welcome change, but it did make going over some rocky areas more challenging.
It was a great trip and both of us are extremely happy we’ve spent some time together. The culmination was at “Holy Smoke Texas Style Barbecue” across from Erick Schat’s bakery. Both places are excellent and are highly recommended.
Notes:
– it was really dry, did i mention it? Any solutions to dry nose and throat? Drinking water doesn’t help
– bring backup to your essentials (water treatment, fire starter)
– lots of people on the trails
– it’s easier to get a permit from Rush Creek to Thousand Island than for other trails
– Waugh is empty and disappointing right now
– bring butter to fry some mushrooms (only if you know which ones to pick)
– bring fishing gear – plenty of fish in lakes and streams
– there were mosquitoes close to water sources. Bringing some repellent is a good idea.
– it was hot during the day and warm at night. It dropped to only 49F and my 30F bag was way too warm.
– bring shorts or convertible pants. Regular hiking pants are just too much for this weather (but do help with mosquitoes)
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