406 



RECREATION 



north side is a perfectly level meadow 

 about a mile long and 200 yards wide. 

 The lake is known to be full of fish, but 

 as it is shallow along the edges and no 

 boat is to be had, fishing here is not very 

 satisfactory. 



From Lake Tenaya we followed a 

 precipitous, rocky canon, down which 

 foamed a torrent of snow water. As we 

 climbed upward, the trail became in- 

 creasingly difficult and snow began to 

 appear. In places the snow was banked 

 su deep upon the trail that it was neces- 

 sary to make wide detours to get around 

 it. Since leaving Sequoia we had trav- 

 eled upward more than 6,000 feet. Our 



slight breeze was blowing off shore rip- 

 pling the surface of the water. The first 

 cast caused a strike, and the fish when 

 landed measured a full 14 inches. Three 

 of us fished steadily for one hour, se- 

 curing 20 fish, ranging from 10 to 16 

 inches. 



We remained at this lake for three 

 days, and have no hesitancy in saying 

 that none of us had ever found better 

 fishing than we obtained both in the lake 

 and in the stream which serves as its 

 outlet. Tioga Lake, which is where we 

 were camped ; Rondale Lake, two miles 

 southeast, and Lee Vining Creek, which 

 connects them, makes a combination 



NEAR MT. LYELL 



trail led to the base of Mt. Gibbs, and at 

 this point we crossed the main ridge of 

 the Sierra Nevada Mountains, making 

 very slow progress through the snow 

 banks. At night we camped on a dry 

 piece of ground a hundred feet from a 

 beautiful lake. The last hour of the trip 

 from the crest of the mountains to this 

 lake had been through a glacial moraine. 

 The trail wound in and out among the 

 boulders, the smooth, round surfaces of 

 which showed out of the snow. Refer- 

 ring to the map which we had with us 

 we found our altitude to be 10,000 feet. 

 It was not yet sunset when we made 

 camp, and we determined that while the 

 guide was unpacking we would try the 

 lake for fish. Rigging our poles, we 

 walked around to the lower end. A 



which for the fisherman would seem to 

 be impossible to surpass. Owing to the 

 great altitude and the intense cold of 

 the early mornings, the fish will not rise 

 to a fly until about 11 o'clock. At any 

 time from then until sunset, provided 

 there is a ripple on the water, the most 

 ordinary fisherman can be assured of 

 six or eight large fish an hour. At any 

 time between 11 o'clock and sunset he 

 can do equally as well in Lee Vining 

 creek, whether the wind is blowing or 

 not. 



The level of Silver Lake is very little 

 below that of Tioga Lake, and the 

 stream which connects them meanders 

 through a comparatively level meadow. 

 Its banks are almost entirely free from 

 brush and it can be waded at any point. 



