Notch Lake

I had heard a while back that the fiashing was good here. I made the hike DOWN to the lake off of Bald Mountain pass. It was a gentle decline with 2.5 miles of relatively good trail and prototypical mountain terrain. Best of all, nobody else was fishing any of the lakes. I met nobody going down and just one person coming back.

There were two other lakes on the way there one was named Clegg and I forgot the other. The time of evening was still before the good fishing and I've found that the early morning fishing is usually best anyway. I fished all of them, but only caught fish at Notch Lake. Four brookies of which three were nice fish........all of them are happily still swimming since I am a catch and release guy.

While I was reeling in and unhooking my last fish, I felt as if I was being watched. I turned to my right and there were ten mountain goats staring at me. They were foraging of some kind of plant that grows on the shore and completely aware of and unfazed by my presence. I waved, said 'hello goats' etc. They just sat and watched me fish and after a few minutes started working the shoreline for more food. As I left I walked withing fifty feet of some of the goats.

I spent 5 years hiking the Wasatch looking for goats. I saw my first ones near the top of Box Elder peak and they were at a half mile distant and running. (Interestingly enough, my oldest son climbed the same peak last week with a buddy of his. They got to see a cute little baby goat). And until today, I have sited goats on only three occasions. The closest being about 200 yards.

This leaves me with just one burning question. Why can't I remember to bring the damn camera?!

When I recconected with the trail out I saw a guy about 150 feet ahead of me. Quite a coincidence since he was the only person I was going to see all day long. He was 74 years onld and had been trying to find his way to a lake that was further down the drainage. He didn't make it and according to his GPS had already walked over 10 miles that day.

He was lugging around a metal detector! I bought one last week that I am still getting good at, so I asked him what he was looking for. At his intended lake (which be nameless for now) there is an old cabin and some abandoned gold mines. Since they are all on the west side of the Mirror Lake Highway that means they ain't wilderness. I guess, I've got a backpacking trip in store for me and my metal detector.

Seafood and Electronics

Red Lobster is something that everyone has heard of. And as such, it takes a lot of heat from gourmets (and mere wanabees that wish to sound cool). I like Red Lobster.....a lot

I had some kind of combo platter for about 25 bucks. I got a small lobster tail, some scallops, four shrimp, a snow crab cluster. It included some steamed broccoli and a two red potatoes.

Everything was cooked well. The potatoes, which were extraordinary, were perfectly soft after boiling and then rebaked and seasoned. Absolutely delicious and quite affordable.

I've had a GPS for a while now. I am going to take it out for a spin tomorrow along with some USGS maps. We'll see just how accurate it is in the mountains. I've always used (and will continue to use) a lensatic compass to calculate my position. But it doesn't work on moonless nights, bad weather with no visibility, in areas with magnetism, or when I have no maps and not the slightest damn clue where I am.......which is never. But hey, it COULD happen in theory.

GPS can calculate my position and plot a way back if I've kept it on.

GPS doesn't work when there is to view to the southern horizon, like in tight canyons or faces of peaks. Or if the batteries fail, or the machine is damaged....wet....etc.

I am very much old school, but I will need GPS I suspect with my new hobby, gold prospecting. I am not going to dredge up trout streams in an effort to find gold dust. Instead I am going to explore areas of the west deserts and work some areas of interest. This will doubtless be the subject of multiple future postings.

I got a new metal detector that does all sorts of cool stuff today to aid my prospecting. I'll probably search parks, beaches, etc. for some practice. I'll probably find a few bucks in change and some crappy jewelry. But practice is what I am needing.

My wife got a new video camera. This one doesn't have tape (digital or otherwise), or a DVD. It has a hard drive in the camera. It seemed like a good idea, so we got it.

Mirror lake

I've fished it twice in 3 days. The first day was with son number two, the second time with son number one. Both boys caught fish and had a good time...........me too.

I've read before that Arctic Grayling inhabit the lake. I've met nobody who has so much as seen one. I shall have to investigate further. Until it cools down, I'll not be fishing the 'berry or visiting any hot springs.

Iosepa

In the heart of Skull Valley lies Iosepa. It isn't my intent to discuss the history and lore that surrounds the place. Suffice it to say that any group of people that would have made a town and livelihood in this place deserves respect. You can draw your own conclusions regarding my opinions of the current residents...........ranchers and Goshutes, who with the benefit of modern technology have managed to do far, far less.

The overgrown condition of the area surrounding the cemetary is depressing. The lack of green space (trees, grass, etc.) within the cemetary itself is heartbreaking. Even though the town ceased to exist almost 90 years ago, there are still descendents, that feel a connection with this place, that are being buried there.

Water is surely available. Perhaps a sprinkling system can be constructed for grass. At the very least some drip irrigation for some trees. There is one tree within the cemetary struggling to make it.

Within a few weeks, I will be contacting some people affiliated with Iosepa. I would like to make a small suggestion, and a modest donation of course.

Silver Lake

I went up there today (2.5 miles 1200 vertical feet) with three of my boys. The water was a bit cool to swim in, but I did get in above my waist. I dropped my hat in the water and put it on my head. That cooled me right down. There is some old mining activity in the area from the 1800's and some interesting quartz formations, but since it is a federal wilderness area.........outta luck.

I keep forgetting to bring a camera along. Not much to see today. We had a momma moose stomping around, but not much more than that.