Three Sisters Wilderness: Lucky Lake

View of Lucky Lake as the trail intersects the lake.

 Lucky Lake is a beautiful mountain lake with great views of South Sister and Broken Top mountains, and it's easy to get to. In fact, the hike is just over a mile, and relatively flat the entire way. I hiked in on a weekday, looking for a quick getaway, and hopefully some fishing. The lake isn't as popular as many Three Sisters Wilderness destinations despite its beauty. Because of this (or maybe the hordes of mosquitoes) I had the lake to myself.

Camp, pre bug net.

 Campsites are concentrated on the south side of the lake. I chose the flattest spot with the best views and pitched my tarp. I was using for the first time a bug net/tarp combination. The net stops at the ground and does not have a floor. I was a bit nervous about its effectiveness pitching it in the midst of clouds of mosquitoes. But it worked great. I slept soundly, and no flying blood-suckers got in.

Why is my rod on the ground and not in my hand?

 Fishing didn't go so well. Lucky Lake's waters are crystal clear, and I didn't see a single fish of any size either in the water near shore or rising to the surface in deeper parts of the lake. I doubted that any fish were even in the lake despite what I had read online. Regardless, I spent most of the day circling the lake looking for fish and throwing out a fly absent sign of any. It basically became a day-long casting practice session. Lucky Lake isn't a very easy lake to fly fish anyway. Beaches are basically non-existent. In most places, trees grow right to the water's edge. Backcasting is nearly impossible without wading.

 Later that night I heard something big splashing in the water. From the water's edge near my camp I could see a big brown animal frolicking in the water across the lake. I couldn't tell what it was, and I kicked myself for not bringing my binoculars.

A serene morning on the lake.

After a good night's sleep, I awoke to a very quiet, peaceful lake. The water was completely still and the mountains glowed, spotlighted in the rising sun's rays. It's these moments that draw me to the woods. It's these moments that I sit up at night at home in bed thinking about.

Three Sisters Wilderness: Doris Lake

Fishing didn't go so well.

I finally got out for my first Oregon backpacking adventure. Since Bend is still so new to me, I didn't quite know where to go. In the Three Sisters Wilderness, everyone says Green Lakes is the place to be. Since I did Green Lakes as a dayhike, I wasn't really interested in going back. Mainly I wanted to avoid the crowds that I knew would be clogging up the trails. After studying a map, I settled on Doris Lake instead. It's an easy hike, and the fishing was supposed to be decent. 

The hike in was as easy as advertised, and mostly in the shade of the big evergreens. After recreating  in the desert for so long I almost felt claustrophobic among so many trees. Line of sight is a fraction of what I usually had in the desert, We passed a few groups hiking out, either complaining about mosquitoes or wearing headnets. I knew we were in for a treat.

After making camp near the lake I tried my luck fishing. I love fishing, but I've decided that I'm not very good at it. I threw out an orange Panther Martin (recommended to me by the fishing guy in Sportsman's Warehouse) and spent the next couple of hours reeling in... an orange Panther Martin. The beach nearest my tent was infested by big red ants which literally bit the hell out of my feet every chance they got. Literally, every time I stepped down, all ants within a foot radius would immediately charge my foot like a platoon of gung-ho marines. If I moved my foot they would chase it. Those little bastards were aggressive as hell. But the scenery was nice and the water was perfect, so I gave up fishing and went for a swim instead. The ants didn't follow me in.

Video: Starting a fire with Old Man's Beard

Late afternoon the mosquitos were swarming. I was covered head-to-toe in protection, but they were chewing up my dog Rocco. I started a fire early, deciding to turn-in when the sun set, I sat by the fire sipping some Irish whiskey and watching. The trees were covered in Old Man's Beard and the setting sun turned everything green. As far as I knew, Rocco and I had the lake to ourselves. I didn't see or hear another soul.

Doris Lake camp

Gear Review: Yeti Rambler Colster

Fishing, and a cold beer.

 The Dirt:

Yeti Rambler Colster

What is it? Drink insulator (beer koozie).

Comes with: Koozie, sealing gasket, storage can.

Size: .35 liters. 4.8 X 3.1 inches.

Weight: 8.3 ounces

Price: $30.00 at REI

Let's face it. We all love the crisp refreshing taste of an ice cold beer cascading down our dry throats, especially around the campfire or on the lake. But don't you hate it when you set your beer down to do something, only to come back to find it warm and flat, and only a shadow of its former self? We've all been there. Choking down a warm beer isn't fun.

 Enter the Yeti Rambler Colster.

At first glance, paying $30.00 for a beer koozie seems like madness, but there is a perfectly good reason Yeti charges so much for their products. They are the best. In the outdoor community, Yeti coolers are overwhelmingly considered to be the best in the world. Their Rambler line of drink insulators are quickly gaining the same reputation.

Thanks to 18/8 inch stainless steel and double-walled vacuum insulation, the Colster keeps your beer ice cold for hours, even in the hottest conditions. For me, the Colster really shines when I'm on the lake fishing. In the Arizona desert, the lakes are overwhelmingly shadeless. Set your beer down for a few minutes and it's stew. With the Colster I can set down my beer and fish for an hour, and come back to a cold beer. There have been times where I've come back to my beer to find the stainless steel outer-wall of the Colster so hot I can barely touch it, but the beer inside still ice cold. Simply put, the Colster is an outdoor beer drinker's dream.

The Colster will fit both cans and bottles, but tall-boys and some long-necks wont fit. That isn't a big deal to me because I rarely bring glass into the outdoors, and most good beers don't come in tall-boys. The Colster also comes with a dummy can that looks just like a beer can, but can be opened for storage. I like to call it "the beer can stash". The problem is that I still haven't thought of anything to stash in there, so for me the beer can stash usually stays home.

Overall the Yeti Rambler Colster is a sweet little product if you like to enjoy the finer things in life. I would highly recommend it to any outdoor lover who drinks from cans (be it beer or soda), especially campers and fisherman.

Saguaro Lake Fishing

Jimbo on the hunt for a fishing hole.

 Shore-fishing. It's what I do. To find the good spots, you need to put in the miles. That's why I like it so much. It's a good mix between hiking and fishing. Yesterday at Saguaro Lake was a first for both Jim and I. A changeup from the usual location at Bartlett. Saguaro Lake is nestled in the foothills of the Superstitions, and is an absolutely beautiful location (as far as desert reservoirs go). There are plenty of fish there too, including the three main varieties of bass, which is what we were after.

I was feeling optimistic as we reached our first location. The bass were active. We could see them jumping from the water all around us. Since they were surfacing so much, we started off with topwater lures. We would cast to the same spot we saw them jump. Another angler passed by on the trail. He had caught an 8 pound bass with a popper. Our optimism increased.... But nothing took our baits. We decided to keep hiking. 

Jimbo in the water

 We reached a marshy cove where the water was so still, clear and shallow we could see the bass just sitting at the bottom. Our luck was about to change, or so we thought. We tried crankbaits, spinners, worms and frogs, but we couldn't even manage a bite. We watched our lures drift by big bass untouched. For 6 hours we fished. Determined not to leave empty handed. If it weren't for the small bluegill Jim caught as we were wrapping the day up, we would have been skunked. But I wonder, when your target are big bass, does catching a bluegill even count? Until next time.

Catch of the day.

Return to the Honey Hole

The Honey Hole

What amazes me about the Honey Hole is that I never see anyone else there. It's as if the place is some great secret. Maybe that's why I was sworn to secrecy about its location in the first place. Jim and I fished many holes in the low lying area between Bartlett and Horseshoe that day, but only the Honey Hole produced. That entire area down there is teeming with wildlife, and feels like one of the wildest places in Arizona that I've been too. The Honey Hole is not easy to get too either. A 4X4 will get you close, but eventually you'll have to do some bushwacking.  

The water in the Honey Hole is only a couple feet deep max, but the size of the bass we pull out of there is pretty amazing. In that shallow water, bouncing plastic worms off the bottom seems to do the trick. Sometimes you can see the fish hit your lure it's so shallow.

Delicious Bass

What really made this trip special was a new piece of kit that I brought with me. A new beer koozie by YETI that kept my beers ice cold despite the sweltering heat. Check back later for my review. 

Oak Creek Fishing

Oak Creek

 It seems like forever since I've been fishing. Early last summer was the last time I went. I think. Fishing generally takes a backseat to backpacking for me, especially for overnight/multiday trips. I used to do them together when I lived in Spokane, but since I've been in Phoenix my backpacking fishing kit has been collecting dust in my gear closet. 

After an overnight stay in a plush cabin north of Sedona, my friends and I hit the creek bright and early Monday morning. Luckily I wasn't feeling the six-pack I drank the night before. The air was refreshingly brisk, and it wasn't until late in the morning when the sun finally reached the water in the canyon. I was elated by the weather. Cool air, running water and an abundance of trees isn't something I'm used too. Unfortunately, due to ongoing drought and low winter snowpack, the water level was really low. We hiked and bushwhacked up and down the creek searching for any pools big enough to sustain the brown trout we were looking for. They were hard to come by. 

Low water at Oak Creek

Raccoon?

 The pools we did find were really shallow. Maybe 2 feet deep at most. Jim and Mike fly-fished from the top, while I tried spinners, salmon eggs and even powerbait. The water was just too low, and we saw no sign of fish at all. I posted up on one pool and spent a couple hours throwing in everything I had. If there were any trout in that water, they didn't bite. Even though I wasn't catching anything, I was still enjoying myself. Like I always say, just being in the woods is enough. I saw some ducks, a great blue heron, and what I presumed to be raccoon tracks in the mud. That's what I love about the woods. It's never time wasted. There is always something to see and something to learn. Thanks for reading.

Ashurst Lake

Jimbo

Another fantastic trip in the books. We were supposed to go to Lower Lake Mary outside of Flagstaff, but when we arrived the "lake" more closely resembled a pond. I guess that's what 5 years of drought will do to a body of water. A shopkeeper at a general store near the lake recommended Ashurst. He told us that someone had recently caught a giant Northern Pike on powerbait there. Jim and I were pretty pumped about the prospect of catching pike, as neither of us had ever caught one before. Ashurst Lake we found out, was a total gem. Beautifully located on top of Anderson Mesa, the lake is surrounded by trees and offers great view of the San Francisco Mountains. The best part about Ashurst Lake is that there wasn't anyone else there. We camped all alone, and except for the sound of someone's generator off in the distance, didn't hear another human being.

I see you.

The fishing wasn't bad either. We caught a ton of rainbows between us both, with Jim catching the lion's share. These Arizona trout sure love powerbait. It's funny how different trout fishing is down here versus up north in Eastern Washington. Up there, I always used lures. Down here, I cant catch squat on lures. Powerbait is king. Maybe it's because they're mostly farm raised down here. This trip they seemed to like the green powerbait, which we fished off the bottom. This seems to work best for catching trout both on Ashurst and the Mogollon Rim lakes. A little trick Jim learned from a guy working the outdoors counter at Walmart. Didn't catch any pike though, but we didn't care. I did see a snake. It was only the third snake I've seen in Arizona. I still haven't seen a rattlesnake (or a scorpion for that matter). We also saw an Elk driving back to camp from the water. I thought I saw a bear, but now I wonder if it was just a dog. I only caught it out of the corner of my eye running across the road.

The man on the silver mountain

Overall it was a fun but brief trip. Overnighters are just enough to tease me it seems like. I have a big trip coming up to Fool's Hollow Lake in another week, but I hurt my back at work so now I'm afraid I can't go. I'm really hoping this injury is not very serious. I hate getting hurt. Sorry about the short blog. Between school and work my blog time has taken a serious hit. I do have a couple reviews on the horizon though, and I might talk my friend Jimbo into reviewing some of his gear for me. So stay tuned.

Bartlett Lake Fishing

Verde River

Once upon a time I fancied myself a decent fisherman, usually catching a fair number of trout in one of the many lakes, rivers, and streams of the Pacific Northwest. If you've been following my blog at all you know that since I moved down to the desert I haven't fared well in my fishing endeavors. Mainly, I think, because the primary game fish in these desert lakes are bass and catfish, and my experience with these species is limited. My primary location is Bartlett Lake, being only about a 45 minute drive from home. Bartlet is located in Tonto National Forest, and is not a true lake, but a reservoir created by the damming of the Verde River. I've spent significant time fishing this lake and the river with its many tributaries and landlocked ponds created by the fluctuating water levels.

Bluegill

I started out using crankbaits after reading that they are the best bass lures around, but thus far I haven't caught a single fish with one. I don't really feel like I've quite got the retrieve down, and on top of that I keep losing them. I've reached a point now that I've practically given up on the crankbaits because not only do they not work for me, they are so damn expensive. In these waters, at least from shore, the plastic lures seem to work best; the slimy worms with the twirly tails, or the lizards or frogs. I'll drag one across the bottom slowly, jerking up every once in awhile to give an appearance of something alive. This method seems to work best for both the bass and bluegill, and my fishing buddies and I (well mainly my fishing buddies) have caught quite a few nice fish this way. My buddy Mike even caught a lunker largemouth at one of the ponds near the Verde that ended up on the Arizona Game and Fish website. Check out the photo HERE.

Snapped Cabela's rod

My bad luck seemed to extend to my fishing gear as well. My trusty Shimano reel I've had for a few years now began suffering from some grinding gears, so I sent it in to Shimano for repairs. In the meantime I had a cheapie Zebco reel that unfortunately quit working the second time out with it. WIth two reels out for repair I purchased a third that seems to be holding up so far. Then, two trips ago my rod snapped in half while trying to negotiate a snag. Talk about a buzzkill. Nothing can ruin a trip faster then a snapped rod. In the meantime I found an old Abu Garcia rod with a missing guide ring, that I repaired and took out last week. It's more of a trout pole than anything, but does the job well enough for now.

Jimbo at Rattlesnake Cove

With some help from my buddy Jimbo I've managed to try my hand fishing for catfish as well. I haven't caught one yet since I am currently borrowing equipment for the job, and am pretty new to it. Jimbo has caught a few using stink bait. I know there are some seriously big catfish in Bartlett Lake. In fact the biggest fish ever caught in the state of Arizona was a flathead catfish caught last year from Bartlett by a fella ironically called "Flathead Ed". It was nearly 77 pounds! Talk about a whopper! You can see Flathead Ed's monster catfish HERE. I've decided that once I get my bass fishing set-up back on track I'll start working toward some catfish gear. I would love to catch a fish that big. 

Bass

Although I haven't caught as many as my buddies, I still enjoy spending my days out in the desert. I feel like I'm on track to becoming a better angler, but just being outside is fun in itself. Hopefully I'll have some real success stories to write about in the future... Until next time.

The Honey Hole

Verde River

 Fishing in the desert has been somewhat of a challenge for me. In fact, I've been skunked in every desert locale I've been too. I used to believe I was a semi-decent angler. Now I'm not so sure. So I was excited when I got an invite to fish a secret spot on the Verde River that always produces for a couple of Cave Creek locals I know. It was a beautiful sunny day, and despite the huge rains we had last week, the water was very low. The Honey Hole is a tributary of the Verde River that becomes landlocked when the water is low, trapping an untold number of fish inside. My friend Mike said the water at the Honey Hole was the lowest he'd ever seen, and I for one was dubious of fish even being in there because the water was just so shallow. Because of that mistaken belief, Jim and I started fishing on the river itself, with no success. Eventually we moved on to the Honey Hole after Mike started hollering about the fish he was catching. "I got one!", and "I got another one!" he would shout.

Jim at the Honey Hole

 The water at The Honey Hole was shallow, stagnate, and covered in a purple algae that made fishing difficult. Mike caught 2 bass and a bluegill in an hour, so we knew there were fish in there, but when Jim and I arrived all was quiet. We fished The Honey Hole for maybe 2 or 3 hours without even getting a bite. Finally Jim trekked back to the river, and after after a few more minutes I followed. Literally 5 minutes after I left the Honey Hole, I hear Mike shout, "I got one!" I couldn't believe it. Back at the river nothing was biting, while Mike continued hootin' and hollerin' about all the fish he was catching.

The Honey Hole king

Reluctantly Jim and I trudged back to The Honey Hole to try and catch something before dark. We had been fishing all day with zero luck and our morale was in the toilet, especially with Mike catching so much. In fact Mike caught 11 fish in all. A smattering of bass and bluegill. Jim landed one large-mouth right at the end of the day, and I was skunked yet again. Damn. One of these days I swear I will post a fishing report where I actually catch something! It was still a great day of fishing though. Just being out there in the breeze listening to the buzzing bees and chirping birds made it all worth it.

Pinetop Getaway

Finally a trip up north. A getaway from the heat, the cacti, and the punishing sun. It's nice to hike in trees... Really nice. We rented a log cabin for 3 days in Pinetop. A cozy little place with a wood stove and horseshoe pits in the backyard. The best part was that the property borders national forest land, so we could literally walk outside the backdoor into miles and miles of woods. Pretty cool.

A short walk out the backdoor. 

This trip was a family affair. Nights spent sitting around the dining room table playing Scrabble and Sorry. Mornings lounging on the back patio reading, sipping hot coffee, and listening to the birds in the forest wake-up for the day. There is something about waking up in a cabin in the woods that's pretty magical. I could do it everyday...  After coffee and a breakfast of biscuits & gravy James and I went for a hike out back. Cross-country through charred ponderosa to no particular destination. Jordy mimicking the birds as he rode high on James's back. After a couple miles we came to a trail. In an area with a dense mountain lion population we were excited to find some nice tracks still frozen in the mud. I couldn't tell if the tracks were cat or canine, knowing the two could be so similar. Absent any claw marks we decided on cat, but after some research at home, I had to change my mind. New conclusion: Large, well manicured domestic dog. In case you're wondering how I reached this conclusion, check out this website. If you think I'm wrong, let me know.

Cat or dog?

 After some more cross-country hiking, and hopping a couple barbed-wire fences, we caught another trail climbing Pat Mullen mountain where we ran into some pretty gnarly Alligator Junipers. After an easy ascent we caught some limited views of the White Mountains. The trees stretched in all directions and covered the distant peaks. It reminded me of home. 

Alligator Juniper

 We also managed to get in a little fishing at a place called Silver Creek, one of the premier fishing destinations for Apache Trout. The narrow creek proved a tough spot to fish for the kids, as casts often sailed long into the tall grass on the other side. But even though we were skunked, fun was had by all. It was a fun, but short 3 days, and for me at least, tough to leave the cabin. One thing I know for sure, nothing beats family bonding time in the woods. 

Fishing on Silver Creek

Gear Review: Keen Cascade CNX sandal

The Keen Cascade CNX are lightweight synthetic sandals great for summer trips to your favorite watering hole. Designed with a narrow shape and low-profile cut, the fit is both snug and comfortable, and true to size.  Weighing in at a measly 9.7 ounces (7.4 for women), you won’t even feel the weight on your feet, especially in the water where these sandals really shine.

Read my full article on the Mountain Blog here:

http://www.mountaingear.com/themountainblog/2013/08/keen-cascade-cnx-water-wear/

Back In Action: Overnight on the Mogollon Rim

After a hectic couple of months, I've finally made it back to the woods. I was invited by friends to help scout a possible location for an Elk hunt at the end of the year. The spot they were looking at was none other than The Highline Trail below the Mogollon Rim. We made a weekend out of it, camping on top of the rim near Woods Canyon Lake. The entire area was overrun by people, and it took over an hour to find a spot. We didn't set-up camp until 1am, and since we were so excited with anticipation for Saturday's scout, we decided to build a fire despite the late hour, and stayed up talking politics and quantum mechanics. By the time I crawled into my tent it was 3:30am. 

We awoke at 5:30am to a bugling elk somewhere near our camp, and after a quick breakfast and a cup of coffee, we drove down to the Geronimo trail-head for our scout. This area of The Highline Trail is also part of The Arizona Trail, making it the most heavily marked trail I've ever been on. Between the white-diamond blazes of The Highline, the frequent Arizona Trail signposts, and the fact that the Mogollon Rim is always visible to the north, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to get lost here.

Arizona Trail signpost

The trail was a lot of up and down, but other than the heat, it was pretty easy going. Unlike further south, the Arizona rim country has tons of trees, and of an impressive variety. We saw big ponderosa pine, alligator juniper, and the alien-like manzanita, which I found to be really cool looking with the twisting red and white bark.

Manzanita

Since the goal of this hike was to scout terrain for a hunt, there was a lot of map reading, and looking through binoculars. I was definitely interested in the insights my friends were sharing about the area, and about elk behavior. The most knowledgeable woodsmen I have ever known have been hunters, and I am always eager to soak up any information they are willing to share. In fact, it made me want to take up the bow and give hunting a go. I like the idea of finding a good hide, and just waiting and watching. As a backpacker, it seems like I'm always on the go. Especially hiking in groups, I find that people tend to hike too fast, and rarely just stop and soak in the surroundings. I think that's why hunters can be so knowledgeable, because they are watching and studying their environment, instead of just hurrying through like hikers do. 

Adam scoping out the area.

After returning to camp, the rain set in. I honestly didn't mind, especially after the hell-like weather Phoenix has been having. It rained all night, and we got to witness a spectacular lightning storm overhead. The next morning we fished Woods Canyon Lake. Other then a crayfish, I didn't catch anything. This was the second time I fished on Woods Canyon Lake, and although beautiful, its overcrowded and littered with trash. I don't think I'll be returning. 

Overall it was a fun trip. The boys have invited me to any future scouts, and even the hunt itself in November. I am really excited for next week because I'll be driving to Spokane and spending 4 days camping in Farragut State Park for my family reunion, which is always an awesome time. Well, thanks for reading.

The Highline Trail heading west.

Fishing The Rim: Willow Springs Lake

What a great weekend fishing on the Mogollon Rim! For those who don't know, the Mogollon Rim is the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau. The rim is one of the most unique geological features I've ever seen. It reminds me of a giant "stair step" because it rises straight-up thousands of feet and extends some 200 miles from Flagstaff to the White Mountains. On top, the rim is covered with pine trees. In fact, the Mogollon Rim has the largest stand of ponderosa pine in the United States. Pretty crazy when you think that just an hour (or less) drive south you're back in the desert. Up on the rim, it feels like you're much further north. And the lakes remind me of some of the lakes back home, surrounded by pine trees and full of animal life. With the beautiful scenery, great camping, lots of hiking trails, and the many lakes, it makes for a really great spot to spend the weekend, though I hear in the summer time its always packed.

Jimbo fishing on Willow Springs Lake

We got to fishing on Willow Springs Lake almost immediately. A short hike from the road brought us to a more remote section of the lake, away from the crowds of people fishing around the dock. We started off using Powerbait and were instantly rewarded. Jim caught one on his first cast. It took me a little longer, but I managed to get two that first day (to Jim's seven). Nothing huge mind you, just pan sized rainbow trout, but it was still a great time. 

Mogollon Rim camp

We decided to brave the wind and camp on the rim, just a few feet from the edge. It was a really pretty spot, but very windy in the late afternoon. Luckily for us the wind died at dusk both days. For dinner that first night I cooked our day's catch in some aluminum foil over the fire. I stuffed the fish with onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and about a tablespoon of butter each. I've cooked trout this way a few times, and it always turns out delicious... Nothing beats fresh caught trout.

Cooking the day's catch

 We fished all day the next day and both of us slayed, especially Jim, who's Rainbow Powerbait proved to be what those trout favored. It was a great day of fishing and enjoying the bird life. There are tons of birds on those lakes and they are very active. We saw a great blue heron, ravens, duck, osprey, hawks, and even a bald eagle. At one point an Osprey swooped down right in front of us and snatched a trout up out of the water. It was so awesome! I actually heard its wings slicing through the air about 10 seconds before I saw it. A few minutes later I saw a fish floating belly up in the water. I trained my camera on the spot thinking the Osprey might come back, and he did (he missed the fish though). Unfortunately the pics didn't turn out very good, but it was such a cool thing to witness up close.

Osprey pulling up after a missed dive on that belly-up trout.

Overall it was a great trip. There weren't many people out on account of it being early in the season. I guess it is still too cold for most of the Phoenix crowd. I'm just glad I was able to bring some fish home, especially after getting skunked so much recently. Before I left for the trip Sarah looked at me and said rather seriously, "Bring me home some fish baby"... And I did just that.

My first catch on Sunday

Reference for Mogollon Rim info - http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/southwestern/RimLakes/index.shtml

Easter Camp on Bartlett Lake

Okay, I will admit the title of today's blog post is misleading, as our "Easter camp-out" ended up an "Easter day trip".  I couldn't have imagined that so many people would have the exact same idea. By the time we reached Bartlett Lake early Saturday afternoon it was much too late. The multitudes had already arrived. Their tents and RV's packed so tight that even if we found a spot (which we didn't) it would have been right on top of someone else. So we set up a nice little spot on the beach at Rattlesnake Cove (no camping allowed) instead. The water was surprisingly warm, and with a little help from my friends, I quickly got over the disappointment of not finding a camp. So our Easter camp turned into a pleasant day playing at the beach.

Fishing - Didn't go so well.

My beautiful Sarah with her little sister.

Wildflowers were out in force.

Bartlett Lake

I was able to get out camping again this week, and I had a really great time thanks to beautiful scenery and excellent company. We camped right on the beach in this little cove on Bartlett Lake, and for the most part we had the place to ourselves. The lake is ringed by some really cool green rock formations, and surrounded by brown mountains and giant saguaros. 

Water level was high. Notice the fire ring?

This trip was all about fishing. So far my Arizona fishing experience has resulted in zero catches, but this time I managed to reel in at least one bass. It was small, and I threw it back, but it was better than nothing that's for sure. It was really cool camping on the beach  because we could just fish from our camp. 

James trying to land a lunker.

 We did see plenty of wildlife. Lots of lizards and turkey vultures, a hawk, a great blue heron, and a couple roadrunners that boogied by our camp. Unfortunately most were too far away to get a good shot with my current lens.

Roadrunner

Hitchhiker

Overall it was a really fun trip, but I wished I could have stayed out a bit longer, and I wish I would have caught more fish, but its just being out there that is the most important thing for me. I'm already thinking about my next destination. 

Snow on the distant peaks.