July 24, 2004
Belated greetings from a busy, warm, and colorful Rock Creek! It’s been far too long since my last newsletter, and I figured I’d better let y’all know what’s been going on up the hill. Several items are on my agenda for this newsletter, but perhaps the most noteworthy is the continued problems with bears in the campgrounds and here at the Resort. Since my May newsletter, bears have become increasingly active here in Rock Creek, and one bear in particular is especially bold, as well as destructive. More than one car has been broken into in search for food in recent days by this particular bear, and in most occasions the car contained food or food scent. It is extremely important that ALL food and related odor be eliminated or masked in your vehicle prior to retiring for the evening. I suggest placing a few mothballs in the vehicle and leaving the windows down completely. In nearly every case, the bear has found vehicles with windows partially closed but not completely, and simply pulled the window out. Then he/she/it rummaged through the vehicle and left, leaving behind very little damage other than the window. The use of bear boxes is of obvious importance. Please make sure that ALL food items and coolers are placed in the bear boxes if you leave your campsite or car unattended. There are even bear boxes at the trailheads to place your items if needed. This is a growing problem, and it would be very unfortunate if the bear is destroyed as a result of human negligence. This is the direction this problem is heading. Please help by following my suggestions, and ask the campground manager for assistance/information if you need it. They are more than willing to help. This bear is a beautiful light brown/cinnamon-colored animal and can be recognized by its large “caboose” it drags around. I figure it’s in the 350-400 pound range. There are other smaller bears in the area as well, but none are as active as this larger bear…or the animal that’s been far more destructive, lately.
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As my wife and I were walking around the lake on Tuesday night, we
came across perhaps the most disturbing thing I’ve ever seen here in
Rock Creek…fresh graffiti. I’m
not talking about the carving of trees, which is destructive enough.
This was fresh paint that had been scrolled on tree stumps and
granite on the lake’s south shore near the rock face.
In all the time I’ve been visiting/working here, I have never
seen graffiti, and nobody I’ve talked to has either…until now.
I attempted to clean it but didn’t have the right materials to
get rid of it. I contacted the
forest service, so hopefully they’ll take care of it.
It’s unfortunate that graffiti has made its way here, but that
shows you the kind of people that are finding the Eastern Sierra
now…ignorant and uncaring to say the least.
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Enough of the negative…I’m starting to sound like CNN.
On a more positive note, the wildflowers are in peak color right
now. Five-foot tall stalks of
monkshood, fields of lupine, spectacular columbine of various colors,
Sierra lily, wild rose, meadow penstemon, swamp onion, prickly poppy,
shooting star, paintbrush of fabulous shades of red, orange, and pink,
cinquefoil, and several species of small alpine wildflowers are but a few
of the many types of wildflowers that can be found right now in Rock Creek
Canyon. The rainfall in June
that we received has blessed us with this bounty, and I hope you will be
able to catch it before it’s past-peak in August.
The trail from East Fork up to |
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Weather-wise,
this has been a relatively cool and wet early summer, but we really haven’t
received much precipitation since June. Afternoon
thunderstorms have been the norm since I arrived in May, and high temperatures
have been in the 60’s for much of the time.
However, these storms have become less common in recent weeks and daytime
temperatures have slowly been on the rise, especially at the lower elevations.
Bishop is expecting a high today of 102 and Mammoth will likely be in the
low 80’s today and through the weekend. Here
in the high country, however, this warming trend will likely place us in the low
70’s at
We sure could use some steady rain to help knock down the dust on the
trails. Since the arrival of the
pack station’s stock, some of the area’s trails have become progressively
loose and dusty. The
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Fishing in the Rock Creek area has been very good for much of the
time since the opener in April. Several
large fish have been caught, most notably a 4 pound, 10 ounce brown trout
that was snagged out of Heart Lake by Bill Garcia.
Alpers trout have been planted 3-4 times, and DFG continues to
plant the lake and creek weekly. Bait
fishermen will be chagrined to know that bait ain’t working…or at
least it isn’t catching the larger fish, other than Randy Lemons from
Fillmore that caught a 4+-pounder with a nightcrawler.
Most of the 3-6 pound trout that are coming out have been caught
using lures and flies. Some
anglers that have caught fish with artificials are Michelle Fieler, Steve
Cantu, and Angelo Vicava who caught large rainbows using black wooly
buggers, James McMann who got one with an |
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Teele Manning got a nice one using a red/gold Thomas Buoyant. Yes, a few were also caught with Power Bait, but check out the board on your next visit. Fly/bubble fishing with streamers is catching the bigguns. Trolling a matuka or wooly bugger is also working very well. In the creek, the usual small spinners are working well, along with salmon eggs, worms, and various dry flies such as elk hair caddis, light cahills, female adams, and Rock Creek specials. Terrestrials such as black ants are very reliable. Make sure to bring your biggun into the Resort so I can prop you up on the site and on the fish board. When Western Outdoor News calls on Sunday I’ll be sure to let them know about your 9 pound, 13 ounce brown. Wishful thinking?
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Another event I’d like to discuss is the Western States 100 Mile
Endurance Run. Most people
couldn’t care less, but the reason it’s noteworthy is that my good friend
and fellow Resort employee,
Summer USFS ranger programs have begun in Rock Creek as well, all of
which take place on Fridays. At
As you can see, summer in Rock Creek is in full swing. There is a lot to do, see, and enjoy here, and even though the crowds are becoming more prevalent, there is no place I’d rather be right now. To be able to look up canyon and ingest the surrounding peaks, breathe the crisp, sweet air, and feel the dirt on my feet is more than I can ask for. Even the occasional nibble from a mosquito is welcome, as it is simply part of the Rock Creek experience. When that cloud of 3,500 skeeters is on your tail, however, that’s a bit much!
It’s amazing how many people are now hitting the site on a daily basis,
and I’d like to thank all of you that have made Rock Creek and this site a
part of your life. The message board
has some very good information and discussions from various knowledgeable folks.
Check it out…
http://members.boardhost.com/rockcreek/
I hope to meet many of you during your travels to the Eastern Sierra. Until the next newsletter which I’ll try to write sometime in mid-August, go for a swim and stay cool, take it easy, and THINK CREEK!
Tim
P. S. - Cheri’s 2005 Rock
Creek calendar is now available for sale. Buy
it at the Resort, Tom’s Place, or online…
http://www.rockcreeklake.com/calendar/2005/
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