We awoke to view the Bridgeport valley, framed by the Sawtooth Mountains.
The day was sunny and warm.
We could see gold and orange spilling down the drainages where the aspens live. It was going to be a color-filled day.
We had a little time before meeting MarkBC, so we explored a small cemetery near Travertine Hot Springs. Kind of bizarre with plastic flowers and corian sink cutouts for non-labeled headstones.
Only one grave was marked.
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We did a quick visit to the Bridgeport Ranger Station to get a campfire permit. Susan walked out of the station and did a double take as a Tundra/Hawk rolled into the lot. She thought maybe it was me, but instead it was our new friends from Nevada City. We laughed to find each other 200 miles from home. Corbett was ready to fish the East Walker and said it was fishing really well. I kind of got jittery thinking about casting a fly. I fished the E. Walker last year and it was really nice.
It was time togo down to Hays Street Cafe. Mark rolled in and after a big breakfast of omelets, we hit the road. Before we left another FWC came in with a single guy, but we didn't connect with him. Popups seem to be everywhere on the East Side.
Our plan to to visit Lundy Canyon, just south of Conway Summit. The aspens right along 395 were magnificent. We drove to the end of Lundy Lake and past the beaver dams. Photographers were behind every bush as this is a very popular fall destination.
We took an afternoon hike up Lundy Canyon from the trailhead. Last year when we were here at the same time, it was cold and rainy. What a difference this year!
The first lake is only about half a mile and has a beautiful set of waterfalls along Mill Creek feeding the lake. The beavers have been industrious.
But we wanted to keep on climbing to a higher basin above the falls.
Lundy Canyon was part of the mail route from Bodie to Bennetville at Tioga Pass.
Lundy Cyn MiningWe found an old log cabin along the trail, slowly disintegrating into the earth.
Indian summer hiking in the fall Sierra. It doesn't get any better than this.
Our rendezvous with Ski3pin was up Green Creek road, so we decided to get there while it was light to pick the best site. I thought I might get a little fishing in.
The meadows above Dynamo Pond were golden.
I quickly grabbed my rod, skipping waders to hike upstream and fish. The water was so clear and still that casting would spook the trout, so I tried drifting my fly downstream into an undercut. My fly hooked a log and I could not dislodge it. I finally decided to snap off my leader, but when I did I realized that my rod tip had come off
It was dim light and I didn't have a headlamp. I got on my knees and strained my eyes looking down into the icy water and could not see it. Then I thought, "Well maybe it doesn't sink.", so I tested the middle section of my Sage carbon-fiber rod ($$$). It wanted to float! Yikes. Now my expensive rod tip was somewhere downstream. I threw dry grass in the water and watched where it went. About twenty feet below it tended to hang up. I looked in the water. Yes! I could see my rod tip there in about three feet of water at a 45 degree angle with the metal rod tip as ballast. I ran back in the dusk, got waders, headlamp and talked Susan into watching me as I retrieved my gear.
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