July 1, 2001
---WEATHER---
Greetings from a warm and painfully dry Rock Creek! For the first time in many
years, Rock Creek did not receive any snow in June. The fact that Rock Creek
USUALLY receives at least one snowstorm in June may surprise some people, but the truth is that May and June are transitional months between spring and
summer, and since snow is common in spring at our elevation, at least 3-4 May and June snows typically occur and are expected.
They didn't happen this year
though, which didn't surprise anyone considering how sickeningly dry it's been.
Most creeks and ponds that are typically full of water in early July are bone dry this year, and with the lack of snow on the mountain peaks it looks more
like late August instead of July 1.
The weather has remained very warm and dry for weeks now. Last week it cooled
down slightly, but warmed right back up again on Friday and has stayed very warm
all weekend. At last check it was 103 degrees in Bishop this afternoon, and for
a town at over 4,000 feet in elevation, that's hot any time of year. There's a
chance that some monsoonal moisture may spread northward from Arizona this coming week, bringing with it a chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms
each day. The hope is that the storms will contain more precipitation than
lightning. If the storms are more high-based and bring more lightning, we may
have to deal with an outbreak of fires in the area resulting from the extremely dry conditions.
Right now a LARGE outbreak of thunderstorms is not forecasted, but that may change.
Only hit and miss storms are currently expected. Stay up to date on the latest conditions and forecasts with Rock Creek's weather page...
http://www.rockcreeklake.com/weather/
---FISHING---
The fishing in Rock Creek had been good until Friday, when it became INCREDIBLE.
It's amazing what a load of 3-16 pound Alpers Trout will do to a fishery! On
Thursday, June 28, Tim Alpers planted 250 pounds of his famous trophy trout into
Rock Creek Lake, with the help of Rock Creek Lakes Resort and American Land and Leisure (the campground concessionaire in Rock Creek).
Since the planting, 3 fish larger than 8 pounds have been caught, the largest being an 11 pound, 13
ounce monster. That fish was caught on Power Bait, while the others were caught
on Thomas Buoyant and Hot Shot lures. The one caught on a Hot Shot weighed 10
pounds even, and the other weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces. Amazingly, these were NOT
the largest fish planted that day. According to Allen Crume, campground manager
at Upper East Fork, 2 fish were put into the lake that will push or exceed the lake record of 15 1/2 pounds!
T. J. Chase of the Resort witnessed the planting of Alpers' trout, and echoed Crume.
He said they were HUGE! Needless to say, THIS is the time to fish Rock Creek Lake!
And how's this for irony? The woman that caught the largest fish was talking to
Arnell Bazemore, the campground manager at Big Meadow/Iris Meadow just before she headed up to the lake to fish, and said, "I'm not much of a Fisherman."
I've been fishing the lake since the '70's (not that I knew what I was doing back then) and the largest I've gotten is a 5
pounder. Ain't fishing a cruel sport sometimes??
The trout have been diving into deeper water in response to warmer water surface
temperatures. Bait fisherfolks will find going deep with a nightcrawler, Power
Bait, or Sierra Gold to be most effective. Anglers that prefer lures should try
red/gold or perch Thomas Buoyants, Hot Shots, gold Kastmasters, and frog or gold
Super Dupers. The usual streamer flies, such as olive matukas, wooly buggers,
wooly worms, and Twin Lakes Specials are working well for float tubers and flyfishers wading near the inlet or boat dock areas.
Some small browns have also been caught in Rainbow Bay and off of Windy Point, particularly in the early
morning hours using small dry flies including Rock Creek Specials and elk hair caddis.
The lake and creek will be stocked again this coming week, so fishing will continue to be good, despite the holiday crowds.
Come into the Resort for the latest information and any fishing gear you remembered you forgot half-way
here.
---BEARS!---
As most of you know, bears have been a problem in Rock Creek for the past 5 years or so, but they REALLY became a major nuisance when they started breaking
into cars and causing major damage last year. Those bears were "removed" from
Rock Creek last fall, but there is a new crop of bears in the canyon this year.
They haven't been seen recently in Iris or Big Meadow, but were in East Fork 2 nights ago.
These bears are different from the ones last year in that they're very skiddish and afraid of humans.
They tend to poke around on the fringes of campgrounds and only come in if they are sure of getting something to eat.
This is great news for campers and campground managers alike!
Of course, this good fortune will not continue if the public doesn't do ITS part
in keeping the campgrounds "bear-proofed." Please be sure to store your food
responsibly. If you have any questions about proper food storage or what to do
if you happen to encounter a bear, don't hesitate to ask the campground managers.
Believe me, they are VERY interested in keeping these bears as skiddish and afraid of humans as possible.
Your help in this matter is greatly
appreciated. You will not only be helping protect campers, but the bears as
well. Thank you for doing your part.
Many campsites in Rock Creek have bear boxes now, and more boxes are being delivered later this week for installation in East Fork, Pine Grove, Upper Pine
Grove, and Rock Creek Lake. The plan is to complete the installation of bear
boxes in all sites at R. C. Lake, Pine Grove, Palisade, and Upper Pine Grove, and then begin installing boxes in strategic locations in East Fork.
This project will hopefully be completed by the middle of July. I will keep you
posted on its progress.
---TRAIL CONDITIONS---
The trails in Rock Creek and the Eastern Sierra are wide open, but are extremely
dusty and dry. Mosquitoes have been a problem late in the day, especially in
areas close to water. Away from water the mosquitoes have not been as bad.
Thunderstorms this week will hopefully knock down the dust and pack the trails down a bit.
---WILDFLOWERS---
Despite the fact that it is extremely dry in the Eastern Sierra, the area's wildflowers have still chosen to
display their colorful splendor. In Rock Creek, the flowers are spectacular along the road from the lodge up to the Resort.
They
can be found most anywhere presently, but are particularly stunning along small tributary creeks, in marshy areas, and in riparian meadows.
In Little Lakes Valley, columbine can be found in the rocks along the trail, particularly along
Long Lake, and several other types can be found in the backcountry as well.
Here's a page of wildflower shots taken by Allen Crume last week...
http://www.rockcreeklake.com/photos/flowers/allen/flowers.htm
That's about all the information I have for this newsletter. Oh hey, my wife
Jenni and I will be working at the Resort for about a month, from July 5 through
early August. If you find yourself in the area, drop in and say, "HEY!" or
something like that. I'll make you some French Toast and she'll pour you a cup
of coffee. Until next time, enjoy the summer, stay cool, take it easy and THINK
CREEK!!!!!
Tim