The Great OOTdoors
06-12-2022
, 09:29 PM
Thanks for the offer...we just got back home to CA today. I'm not as militantly anti-guide as that poster was in the fly fishing thread (Boris?) but I'm more or less in the "figure it out myself" camp, often to my own detriment. I'm even reluctant to hit the local fly shop wherever I am, though, I guess it would be better to support them to at least buy some flies that I can then deposit in the rocks and shoreline trees.
I will say, about 10 years ago, we drove from just past The Dalles south along the Deschutes River and I was tossing some piddly trout stuff while these big tail slaps were going on (not sure if they were salmon or steelhead) and I probably could have used a clue then
I will say, about 10 years ago, we drove from just past The Dalles south along the Deschutes River and I was tossing some piddly trout stuff while these big tail slaps were going on (not sure if they were salmon or steelhead) and I probably could have used a clue then
08-08-2022
, 12:33 AM
Took a trip up to the Sierras for some fishing with my boys and my dad.
This is the Stanislaus River along HW108 just below Kennedy Meadows. Caught a bunch of fish along that rock wall.
My younger son caught this rainbow. Made a tasty dinner!
This is Sardine Creek near the summit of Sonora Pass. Lots of wildflowers in bloom this time of year
Driving past Bridgeport Reservoir at sunset
Camp breakfast on a ridge overlooking the lake
A huge meadow in the valley at 6500'
High desert scrub with some ominous looking late afternoon clouds rolling in above the town of Bridgeport
This little brookie swam back to his hiding place in the tiny we caught him from right after this pic
This is the Stanislaus River along HW108 just below Kennedy Meadows. Caught a bunch of fish along that rock wall.
My younger son caught this rainbow. Made a tasty dinner!
This is Sardine Creek near the summit of Sonora Pass. Lots of wildflowers in bloom this time of year
Driving past Bridgeport Reservoir at sunset
Camp breakfast on a ridge overlooking the lake
A huge meadow in the valley at 6500'
High desert scrub with some ominous looking late afternoon clouds rolling in above the town of Bridgeport
This little brookie swam back to his hiding place in the tiny we caught him from right after this pic
08-08-2022
, 01:01 AM
We made camp in a dispersed camping area (as shown in the picture above) off a dirt road a couple miles outside Bridgeport. The road goes way back into the mountains for miles and miles, so we decided to follow it one day and see what was out there.
It turns out the road leads to an old abandoned mining town that we learned afterwards was called Chemung. Chemung Mine was operational starting in 1909, and was abandoned in 1938. Apparently for a short time in the 20's, it was the most prolific gold producer of any of the ~40 mining operations in the area. Quite a few of the structures are still (barely) standing, and this place isn't regulated at all, and definitely isn't a tourist destination like the nearby ghost town of Bodie.
Not sure if these buildings were once living quarters, offices, or used for storage or what
the main mill structure is still there
And some of the machinery is still intact
Didn't feel great about walking under it
The mine entrance was barred decades ago, but if you stand in front of it you can feel a steady blast of cold air coming from deep below the surface. It feels like a massive AC vent.
There was another opening out of frame to the left of this one, that went into the mountain at 90° angle to this shaft.
Not exactly sure what this piece of equipment was for but it's massive. You can get a sense of scale when you notice the person standing in the lower right corner.
I assume it was used to move around the ore, after it was crushed im the mill?
This was a pretty cool place to explore.
It turns out the road leads to an old abandoned mining town that we learned afterwards was called Chemung. Chemung Mine was operational starting in 1909, and was abandoned in 1938. Apparently for a short time in the 20's, it was the most prolific gold producer of any of the ~40 mining operations in the area. Quite a few of the structures are still (barely) standing, and this place isn't regulated at all, and definitely isn't a tourist destination like the nearby ghost town of Bodie.
Not sure if these buildings were once living quarters, offices, or used for storage or what
the main mill structure is still there
And some of the machinery is still intact
Didn't feel great about walking under it
The mine entrance was barred decades ago, but if you stand in front of it you can feel a steady blast of cold air coming from deep below the surface. It feels like a massive AC vent.
There was another opening out of frame to the left of this one, that went into the mountain at 90° angle to this shaft.
Not exactly sure what this piece of equipment was for but it's massive. You can get a sense of scale when you notice the person standing in the lower right corner.
I assume it was used to move around the ore, after it was crushed im the mill?
This was a pretty cool place to explore.
Last edited by cs3; 08-08-2022 at 01:15 AM.
08-10-2022
, 01:23 PM
A few pics from recent hikes around the Bay Area
Coyote in the Hayward/Union City hills
There were thousands of these little guys hopping around along the mostly dry creek bed we explored. It was like a plague of frogs. The pools that still held water had lots of tadpoles with legs that were about ready to finish their transformation to frogdom and climb out onto land.
I'm a newt!
I cannot believe you've done this!
I'm freeeee!
Ssssssssup bro
Coyote in the Hayward/Union City hills
There were thousands of these little guys hopping around along the mostly dry creek bed we explored. It was like a plague of frogs. The pools that still held water had lots of tadpoles with legs that were about ready to finish their transformation to frogdom and climb out onto land.
I'm a newt!
I cannot believe you've done this!
I'm freeeee!
Ssssssssup bro