On The Fly

“Oh NO, not again!” In this episode, Sierra Reflections 2024 . . . This was my immediate and pressing thought as I squirmed in my camp chair at Trout Lake in the Eastern Sierra. A glance at my watch–4:45 a.m. on day three, Tuesday, October 1, 2024, of this year's Sierra adventure. There was no time to waste. Stumbling through the dark with my headlamp, “Hurry–gotta find that spot to dig yet another hole.” Without getting too graphic, it was day two of the “trots”– a colloquial expression for diarrhea. But let's start from the beginning . . . As autumn descends upon Little Lakes Valley, the landscape becomes a canvas of vibrant hues as we ascend Rock Creek Road off the Eastern Sierra Scenic Byway (Route 395). The aspens, once a shimmering sea of green, now blaze with fiery gold. Like falling stars, their leaves dance in the gentle breeze, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. Fall has arrived, bringing crisp, refreshing air carrying the scent of pine and fallen leaves. The lakes sh...

In this episode (165) – A Bear Sighting . . . Pull up a chair, and let me tell you the story of a bear. I awoke to the steady patter of rain on my tent in the black velvet darkness of our cozy mountain camp. Wrapped in my sleeping bag, I sat up, craned my head to one side, and listened; there was that strange sound again. Nervously, I reached for my wristwatch and clicked the Indiglo light. It was just after 1:00 a.m., and I was wide awake. "What was that sound? I thought, Was it a Bear?" The skies were ominous that night. A soft, steady rain began at dusk; we had retired early and camped near Chickenfoot Lake, in the Inyo National Forest, elevation 10,789 feet, in the Sierra Mountains just northwest of Bishop, California. This was the second night of our 2014 annual wilderness backpacking trek. Our evening conversation had centered on BIG , ferocious bears. "It wasn't that long ago campers simply hung their food in trees. Not anymore; the bears had wised up to that ...

Still somewhat giddy from our adventure with the bear, we moved on. “Little Lakes Valley trail is very popular,” said Brendan. Expect to see more day-hikers than usual.” Trailhead parking was already full when we arrived. Quickly we found out why from one of the locals. “We love this place; it’s an easy hike with glorious views.” We consulted our map, and the elevation gain from the trailhead to Chickenfoot Lake was less than 600 feet. An easy climb. Obviously, many weekend visitors and fishermen came to enjoy the scenic beauty and fish the abundant lakes. I paused to admire the graceful arc of a fly-line as a fisherman stood casting his line to the edge of tall green grass at Marsh lake. The weather patterns changed constantly. Our hike began with intense blue skies, blanketed by wispy clouds and interspersed with low-hanging cumulous clouds that framed the mountain peaks. Human sounds faded. Nature took over; murmuring waters and leaves shimmered as the breeze lightly ca...

I awoke to the steady patter of rain on my tent in the black velvet darkness of our cozy mountain camp. Wrapped in my sleeping bag, I sat up and listened, there it was again, some strange sound. Anxiously, I reached for my watch and clicked the Indiglo light. It was just after 1:00 a.m. and sleep eluded me. What was that sound? Was it a Bear? The skies were ominous that night. The steady rain began at dusk, we had retired early camped near Chickenfoot Lake , in the Inyo National Forest, elevation 10,789 feet, in the Sierra Mountains just northwest of Bishop, California. This was the second night of our annual wilderness backpacking trek. Our evening conversation always centered on BIG , ferocious bears. It wasn’t that long ago campers simply hung their food in trees. Not anymore, the bears had wised up to that old trick. Proper precaution requires every scrap of paper, food, trash, toothpaste - anything that has a smell gets packed into the bear proof canister for the nig...