August 24, 2002
Greetings Rock Creekers! Another summer season is winding down in the Eastern Sierra.
Next weekend is the unofficial end to summer, yet aspens on the higher slopes are already broadcasting the conclusion with a premature display of yellow and orange.
On the Tamarack Bench, Hilton trail, and spots in Little Lakes Valley, aspens are beginning their annual change from summer green to fall spectacular.
If you have never seen the Eastern Sierra in the fall, you're missing out.
While the Eastern Sierra's colors struggle to rival those of the east, a visit to the region from mid September into the first couple of weeks of October will offer a westerner a tremendous fall color experience.
With stark, jagged peaks as a backdrop, backlit aspens explode into an already wondrous scene with a display of color reminiscent of the most magnificent Sierra sunset.
It's an event one must experience to truly appreciate. Onto the newsletter...
--WEATHER--
Dry and cooler weather, typical of late summer, has been the norm for the past few days, and this pattern is expected to continue into Labor Day weekend.
Pleasant highs in the 60's and cool morning lows in the mid-upper 30's should continue for the next week at least.
Unfortunately, no precipitation is expected. This has been another extremely dry summer, with afternoon thunderstorms rare and hot temperatures common.
While the last 2 years have been very dry in the Eastern Sierra, this winter may be different.
According to reports, an el niņo condition has developed in the Pacific Ocean, and although it is predicted to have less of an impact than the el niņos of the 1990's, it is likely to bring more precipitation to California.
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center's El Niņo Advisory states that we are still in a mild to moderate El Niņo event.
Modelers predict that the present event will continue through 2002 and into early 2003, but at much less magnitude than the major event of 1997-98.
Although not all el niņo events bring increased precipitation to California, trends indicate a likelihood of more precipitation, especially in the southern part of the state.
Let's hope that this el niņo will live up to the trends.
---FISHING---
Fishing has been very good in the past couple of weeks in both the creek and lake, especially the couple of days following DFG trout plants.
One of the largest fish to be caught in the creek this year was caught on August 22 by Bill Mahoney of La Habra, weighing in at nearly 4 pounds.
The water level has been dropping for much of the summer, but it is not as low as many had anticipated it would be by late August.
However, now that overnight temperatures are dropping below freezing in the backcountry and decreasing the snowmelt as a result, water levels should start dropping more significantly.
This will be especially true later in September and October.
At the lake, 1000 pounds of brood stock rainbows were planted in the middle part of August.
These fish range in size from 2-7 pounds, and many have been caught. Several stringers with fish in this size range have been seen recently, although most have not been reported to the resort.
For a complete rundown on recently caught bigguns and the latest reports check out the current fishing conditions page on the site.
I updated them on August 23...
http://www.rockcreeklake.com/fishing/current.htm
---CAMPING/BEARS---
All campgrounds remain open in Rock Creek, and bears have been a part of the camping experience for many campers this summer.
While several incidents with bears have been reported, especially in East Fork and at the lake, none of them were major.
Most involved coolers and food that had been left out, luring bears to campsites where they indulged themselves on hot dogs, marshmallows, and other tasty items.
$150 fines have been imposed on a few campers that have been negligent with their food storage.
Please use the bear box if your site has one, and if not store your food in your vehicle, covering it and eliminating food scent as best you can.
Ask your campground manager for suggestions regarding food storage. They're very willing to help.
Another concern for campers this summer has been campfires. After the Birch Fire in early July that burned Lower Rock Creek, fire has been an issue.
Campfires are still allowed. Please do your best to keep the fire at a low burn and ensure that it's dead out before you retire for the evening.
---LITTER, ETIQUETTE---
Despite the fact that Rock Creek is an incredibly beautiful area, every year the problem with litter seems to get worse in the area.
When I was up there over the July 4 weekend, my wife and I walked around the south end of the lake picking up trash.
We each had a 30 gallon trash bag and filled them both about 1/4 full, the majority of it being fishing line and cigarette butts.
The fact that we filled them only 1/4 full surprised and delighted us! I fully expected to fill both bags completely by the time we were done.
However, since that weekend there has been a significant increase in the amount of trash along the shore of the lake and creekside due to the actions of a few inconsiderate, disrespectful individuals.
Cigarette butts were even found in the sand along Gem Lakes high up in Rock Creek's backcountry.
One visitor staying in the Resort's cabins reported seeing a squirrel tied up in fishing line, struggling to get free.
The majority of visitors to Rock Creek are extremely respectful and conscious of their actions, and do their part to keep the area quiet and pristine.
It's unfortunate that the majority must tolerate and clean up after an ignorant few.
SO HERE'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO...
When you see someone disrespecting the area by littering, carving into trees, feeding animals (I saw a guy try to feed a bear a fish 2 years ago), making too much noise, etc., please encourage them to stop their actions.
Do this as pleasantly as possible. Most people will realize what they're doing is bothering others or is unlawful and will correct their actions.
If they don't respond, you can decide what to do next. If problems are occurring in the campgrounds, one great alternative is to contact the campground managers.
They want their campers to have a pleasant experience and will do what they can to stop the problem.
Another thing I would like to introduce is "The 20-foot Rule." This might be the easiest way to clean the area and keep it clean.
If you are fishing at the lake, please get a trash bag (the resort will probably give you one) and clean the shoreline 20 feet in both directions from where you're fishing.
Look in the plants also, because that's where you will find lots of fishing line.
There are trash cans in 2 locations on the lake's western shore, and several in the campground on the east side in which to throw the trash when you're done.
Do this same thing along the creek and in the campgrounds. It's an easy way to help, and believe me, it WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Lastly, if you would like to join a group cleanup of the lake, come to Rock Creek Lake's boat dock on Sunday, September 1 at 10:00
A.M. We will walk the shore, cleaning all the filth that has been building up over the summer. Depending on the size of the group, it would be nice to try to walk the ENTIRE shore.
Thanks in advance for your support in keeping Rock Creek clean!
---ROCK CREEK LAKES RESORT---
Rock Creek Lakes Resort's cabins are among the nicest in the entire Sierra Nevada.
They typically book up about a year in advance, which makes the fact that there are 3 openings in the cabins around Labor Day weekend that much more unbelievable.
If you're planning a last-minute trip to the area and prefer cabins, call the resort at 760-935-4311 to check availability.
The pie's being baked fresh daily, and the store's well-stocked for your convenience.
Also, the resort has boat rentals and lots of other amenities to make your trip to the area more pleasant.
That's it for this long-winded newsletter. Remember, please do your part and keep Rock Creek the gem that it is and has been for centuries.
If you're in the area over Labor Day, come to the cleanup and say HI! Until the next newsletter, take it easy and THINK CREEK!!!
Tim