Worst trail ever, if it even is a trail. Ghostman seems to always appear out of nowhere and the best chance you have of seeing him is when he’s shore casting from his favorite point on the lake. Laurel Lakes CA 4×4 trail, off roading Mammoth Lakes and the Inyo Mountains, and golden trout This little gem of an off road trail is no secret, carvings in poplar trees downstream from Laurel Lakes for instance, in what is known as Laurel Creek, are dated from the 1930’s. It seemed like all that long, lonely night the wind whispered through the pine trees those famous words of John Steinbeck: “Any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming.”. The Hike The trail to Lower Golden Trout Lake starts in a forested area and works it's way westward and uphill for the first 1.4 miles. Despite the snow, our group of three (a fourth person would hike in later) headed into the mountains in the spirit of the Sierra Nevada’s most famous sojourner, John Muir. As the official state fish of California, Golden Trout is an impressive but rare sight in hatcheries. There is a higher route along the cliff base which can be walked through mostly but one section of slightly exposed crux that is much easier if there are 2 or more in your party. Regulations & Recommendations. Named official state fish of California in 1947, the golden trout was once transplanted as far as east as New York. All Rights Reserved. Golden Trout Fun Facts. Golden trout are native only to a few small lakes and streams at high elevations in the Sierra Nevada of California. Golden trout have few natural predators besides man, although some folks believe there are no true wild goldens left — they’re all just some form of rainbow, brook and golden hybrids. Golden Trout Creek is a designated Heritage and Wild Trout Water. After hiking for hour upon hour, through snow, rain, wind, sleet and flatulence, crossing over the Canadian border twice and apparently passing over some place in Uruguay, we made it to our first night’s camp. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and fishing and is best used from April until September. Late the next morning, however, the Fishing Gods decided to smile upon me and finally I proved that I’m as smart as at least a few golden trout. Before the sun had finally set in a blaze of High Sierra glory, Billy Ray had landed several goldens, Ollie had a few and G-Dubs had caught so many fish he was hoarse from hollerin’ out ”Fish on!”, I, however, got skunked on goldens, only catching a couple of lazy rainbows, and crawled into my bivouac that night dejected. Ollie, the lone city slicker/non-Eastsider in the group, immediately marked his spot in camp by puking on it, which is apparently his tradition. It was discovered in the 1980's that the Golden Trout Brood stock within the lakes were actually Golden-Rainbow hybrids that had become contaminated by the presence of rainbows within the hatchery. Golden Trout Ale is a Blonde Ale - American style beer brewed by Mammoth Brewing Company in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Wet, freezing, bruised, bloody and shaken, S&R stated this trail is not safe and definitely one of the hardest trails to navigate. Don’t be fooled by the short distance, this is a serious trail. Despite its limited distribution, there are two recognized subspecies of golden trout. Trips to the Golden Trout Wilderness for packing and fly fishing. From the east, most visitors approach from Hwy 395 near Lone Pine. Getting There To reach Lower Golden Trout Lake, park at the North Lake Trailhead. Once you get to the beginning of the trail, the hike is a nice little workout until you reach the final location of Golden Trout Lakes. Published: May 12th 2014. Has anyone does this trail this year. The book focuses on fishing in Mammoth Lakes and the surrounding area, with tips and tricks from local experts. California golden trout are native to two stream systems on the eastern side of the Kern River: Golden Trout Creek and the South Fork Kern River (Tulare County). The trail leads to Piute Pass and into the High Sierra Backcountry.. And the casting commenced. Golden Trout Lake Loop is a 8.2 kilometer lightly trafficked loop trail located near Independence, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Over 300 lakes and 700 miles of streams have been planted by this program since 1913. Golden Trout Wilderness, West Golden Trout Wilderness, West. My research revealed several lakes in the same drainage that spanned the numbers/size spectrum. Offices. We have summer backpacks, sleeping bags and pads, fishing gear and camping... Rick’s Sport Center has been a destination for trout fishermen for almost 30 years. The creek has about 14 miles of fishable water from just below Rocky Basin Lakes at 10,500 feet to above Volcano Falls next to the Kern River at 7,500. Then there is the one section of bouldering that is sketchy at best, and outright treacherous if you have a heavy pack and a large dog like we did. Huge risky rocks to scramble through and multiple steep inclines. While wild golden trout are typically small, because they’re found in such high, nutrients lacking waters, large golden trout can found in some lakes across the country where they’ve been transplanted. Follow Following Unfollow. Stay Connected. Contact Us : Golden Trout Lakes Trail Starting from Onion Valley, Golden Trout Lakes Trail ends at Golden Trout Lakes, in the John Muir Wilderness. Come to think of it, make that three feet—this is a fishing story, for crying out loud. Taxonomy. The Golden Trout Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada, in Tulare County and Inyo County, California.It is located 40 miles (64 km) east of Porterville, California within Inyo National Forest and Sequoia National Forest.. Golden Trout Pack Station offers horseback riding, fly fishing, hunting, and Trying to see how the snow is thinking about doing it this weekend, beautiful place, little traffic, hard climb up, Junction Meadow Via Kearsarge Pass and Bubbs Creek Trails, Manzanar Japanese Relocation Site: Manzanar Trail, Onion Valley, Kearsarge Pass, Forrester Pass, Shepherds Pass Backpacking Trip, Onion Valley Campground to Rae Lakes via Kearsarge Pass, Kearsarge Pass Trail to John Muir Trail Loop, Onion Valley to Mt. Transplanted by miners and other strange smelling folk across the High Sierra. The golden trout is also native to Golden Trout Creek and Volcano Creek, which can offer some great fishing for goldies. Top 10 Golden Trout Lakes in the California Sierra Photos, maps and written descriptions of the top 10 lakes to catch golden trout in the eastern sierra of California . Score: 77 with 64 ratings and reviews. Last update: 12-03-2020. This trail has spectacular views but also some challenging terrain and very thin trails that disappear and reappear quickly. The Troutfitter in Mammoth Lakes is the largest fishing store and guide service in Mono County. How to Leave No Trace When Recreating Near Water, Plan Your Trip for the Kids Fishing Festival. The only reason I gave it 3 stars was because of the views, but those views can be seen from the Kearsage pass trail which is so much nicer. North Lake is located outside of Bishop in the Lake Sabrina area. Then there is a trail but it is thin and meandering. Rough roads to the Golden Trout Lakes It was difficult driving up the road to get to the beginning of the trail, so I recommend a vehicle that can handle the rough road; preferably a truck or AWD. The broodstock used for stocking golden trout outside their native range is slightly hybridized with hatchery rainbow trout, but still retains the appearance of the golden trout. Triumphant because not only was he carrying a pack the size of VW Bus on his back, but he also held what at first looked like a large purse, but thankfully turned out to be a canvas bag from The Gap filled with beer. Now primarily found in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana, the Wind River Range in Wyoming and the Golden State’s Sierra Nevada. Originally the golden trout was described as a subspecies of the salmon species, with a name Salmo mykiss agua-bonita, and it is still often considered a subspecies (now called Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita) along with several other rainbow trout subspecies commonly known as redband trout. I ended up falling down the side of the waterfall, losing the trail and being lost until 9pm when search and rescue came to get me (5 hours later). Steep uphill the whole way to the lakes but trail was much better than expected and in places where it disappeared it was clear which way to go. Besides the birth of my children or seeing my wife on our wedding day, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything so awe-inspiring. Where To Catch Golden Trout. Even though the Ghostman always startles you at first, he’s said to be good luck. Golden Trout Lakes trail is a 5 mile out and back hike to a beautiful alpine lake in the Gallatin Range of SW Montana. © 2020 Mammoth Lakes Tourism. Alltrails kept us on track most of the time. Hard. Due to its beauty and popularity with anglers the California golden trout has been widely stocked outside of its native range, especially in the high lakes of the Sierra and Rocky Mountain Ranges. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/golden-trout-lake-loop Just outside of town, you can also hike to golden-friendly lakes along the June Lake Loop, the Treasure Lakes area above Bishop or the Cottonwoods Lakes area in the Golden Trout Wilderness near Lone Pine. You’d probably like it, even though it’s really hard, steep, sometimes not so clear. Beautiful area with very few other people. Lakes 1 and 2 hold golden and brook trout, while only goldens are found in lakes 3 and 4. SierraWild.gov - Golden Trout Wilderness; USFS - Golden Trout Wilderness; Nearby. “Okay, okay, now stop squealing like a girl,” said Billy Ray, the trip organizer after I delightedly accept the invitation. 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