REPORT OF THE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 



31 



ami rcsoiiiTcriiliiess of tlic hardiest mountaineers. Owiiit;- to llii; dil'licul- 

 ties attending the opciiiipj,- up and operation of this station, and to the 

 fact that sutKcient skilh'd help to operate all of our- hatcheries to 

 capacity could not be obtained, this station was not utilized during 

 1918 and 1919. 



On account of the extreme drought olitaining throughout the entire 

 state during the winter and spring of 1920, which nuiterially reduced 

 our take of trout eggs, it was decided that every effort should be made 

 to take at least a half million rainbow eggs at the Rae Lakes Station in 



1''IG. s. Cabin at the 

 collecting Station as it appeared at the end of 

 June, 1920. Photograph by L. J. Stinnett. 



oi-dor that Mount AVhitiicy Hatchery might l)e supplied with an ample 

 number of trout eggs to stock the streams and lakes of southern 

 California. Some rainbow and a few steelhead eggs had been shipped 

 to ]Mount Whitney Hatchery from some of the northern stations, but 

 the hatchery was still half a million eggs short of reciuirements. 



Accordingly, on June 7. our crew left Mount Whitney Ilatcliery for 

 the Rae Lakes district. The Oak Creek trail was in very bad shape, 

 rocks and slides having made it very rough. The snow banks were very 

 deep and the snow soft, making it extremely difficult to get tlie pack 

 animals through in places. Several times the men had to shovel out 

 paths for the horses. The party was four days in making tlie trip, but 

 fortunately they got in ahead of the run. The ice on the lakes was just 



3—7857 



