May 25, 2004

Greetings from a cloudy and cool Rock Creek!  As I write from the deck of Rock Creek Lakes Resort at 8:00 Tuesday morning, high clouds are drifting lazily over the high peaks that encompass this canyon spitting snow at times.  A number of birds are singing their morning welcome, including the mountain chickadee and its familiar “cheese—bur-ger” song, and crisp mountain air is entering my lungs, reminding my why I’m here with each breath.  A stronger gust enters my body through my fingers and sends a chill to my core.  Leaves are budding out on the willows and aspens that are common at this elevation.  Shadows from the clouds are creating interesting shapes and patterns on the snow that still envelopes the high peaks.  In over 30 minutes of contemplating and writing, I’ve seen only one vehicle drive up Rock Creek Road.  Peace and tranquility dominate here and push the rat race out my being with each passing minute.  Are you ready for some of this?

Memorial Day traditionally signifies the beginning of summer, and the Eastern Sierra is bracing for and anticipating the onslaught of humanity from across the state that will pour into the region this coming weekend.  Most people are aware that this spring has been uncharacteristically warm, leading to a very early thaw in the Sierra.  Rock Creek Lake went ice-free on May 4 following an extended period of warm weather that began prior to the fishing opener in late April.  In the backcountry, Mack, Marsh, and Heart Lakes have all thawed, and the road to Mosquito Flat is open.  Most snow has melted from the trail up to Heart Lake, but there is still significant snow beyond Long Lake.  This level of snowmelt and thawing is more typical of the second week of June than the week prior to Memorial Day.

So people visiting the Eastern Sierra over Memorial weekend should expect shorts and t-shirt weather, right?  NOPE!  The latest forecast is calling for scattered snow showers this afternoon and evening leading to windy and cooler temperatures Thursday and Friday with snow showers likely both days.  Below normal temperatures will continue through Memorial weekend with highs in the 50’s and lows in the 20’s and low 30’s at Rock Creek Lake.  Little or no precipitation is expected over the weekend, but don’t be surprised if an afternoon shower pops up and gets you a little wet.  The one truism about weather in this area is that there’s always a chance of showers, so expect it.

Anglers will be happy to know that fishing, in both the creek and lake, has been excellent.  Power Bait has been the most productive bait, with rainbow and chartreuse the best colors to use.  Nightcrawlers and garden worms are also working well.  Spinners, such as Panther Martins, Rooster Tails, and silver Mepps are working well in both the creek and lake.  Gold Super Dupers, red/gold and nickel Thomas Buoyants, and gold Super Dupers are also working well in the lake.  Flies that are working in the creek and lake are helgramites, stone flies, olive matukas and wooly buggers, and surprisingly, despite the fact that there is very little insect activity, dry flies such as Rock Creek Specials and elk hair caddis are working in all local waters.  So are small nymphs, including prince nymphs, hares ears, and beaded pheasant tails.  No fish of any significant size have been reported, but Alpers trout will likely be planted in June, so a trend toward larger fish coming out of the lake is likely in the near future.  Those coming up to fish over Memorial weekend should have great luck.

Tim Alpers will not be the only source of big fish in the Rock Creek area this year.  Conway Ranch trout will also be stocked in our local waters, and Rock Creek Lakes Resort will once again be raising its own trout to further supplement DFG’s plants.  By September, it is hoped that the fish that the resort will be raising will average 3-4 pounds each.  Many of those trout will holdover to the 2005 season, so next fishing season should start off with a bang.

In other news, aspens around the lake are being killed rapidly.  This is not due to a geologic event such as that of Horseshoe Lake near Mammoth.  Instead, here at Rock Creek Lake, a group of voracious beavers have chosen the aspens as their food source and construction material for their den.  Dead and destroyed aspens can be found around the entire lake, but the largest aspens that have fallen are near the boat dock.  For years, this area has been home to incredible fall color in September and October, but as the trees continue to drop, so does the amount of fall color that will be present later in the year.  While I was fishing near the beavers’ home last night, two adult beavers exited their den and voiced their displeasure with my presence by slamming their tails in the water and swimming in circles directly out from where I was located.  They are beautiful animals, and quite large.  Their home is an impressive bit of carpentry and architecture.  It’s unfortunate that they’ve chosen the aspens for their survival, but such is nature.  The likelihood that they will make themselves available for viewing will lessen as more and more people come up this summer.  Hopefully you’ll get a chance to see these impressive animals during your visit this year.

As folks’ visits to the Eastern Sierra grow near, so do their concerns about mosquitoes, bears, and other local pests.  As of today, no bears have been sighted in Rock Creek this season.  It is still a bit early for mosquitoes, but be advised that as soon as the weather warms again, they will likely make their first appearance.  I expect mosquitoes to be present by the first week of June.  Mice are also not a problem currently.  This is a great time to be here.  The first wildflowers of the year, shooting stars, have already begun poking their heads up down by the pond.  As we go deeper into June and July, you can expect a cornucopia of other flowers to show up as well, including cinquefoil, tiger lily, Mariposa lily, iris, columbine, monkshood, and rangers’ buttons, among others.

Well, I think that’s about it for this long-winded newsletter.  Since I began writing this morning, the high clouds have thickened and lowered.  The temperature has dropped, and the peaks are no longer visible.  Snow is now falling moderately and starting to stick to the ground and coat the needles of our resident lodgepole pines.  It’s a beautiful sight.  The scent of wet sagebrush is permeating the air.  I just carried my cat outside and introduced her to the white stuff.  She wasn’t overly-impressed and decided that inside is the place to be on days like today.  I’d have to agree.  I think I’ll go inside the resort and get myself some hot chocolate.  Pie will be available to go with that chocolate on Friday the 28^th, when the resort will be fully-operational, just in time for the holiday weekend.  I hope to see some of you up here soon.

Until next time, do a snow dance, clean those waders, re-spool that fishing line, take it easy, and THINK CREEK!

Tim

------------------------------------------------

The Rock Creek Newsletter
http://www.rockcreeklake.com/letter/signup.htm

Use the above link to signup for the newsletter or make changes to your account.

------------------------------------------------