A few weekends ago, Bob, Joey, Jules, and myself made a quick two-day trip to Joshua Tree National Park. After arriving and hiking Ryan Mountain, we setup camp for the night at Indian Cove. The next day we hiked 49 Palms Oasis before driving through the park to hike Lost Palms Oasis. The weather in Joshua Tree can be hot in late April / early May, but we lucked out with comfortable temperatures in the 70s and lots of sun.
Last weekend some friends and I made a relatively impromptu journey to Mammoth Mountain for a few days of skiing. Although Mammoth hasn’t received much new snow in the past few weeks, the skiing was still fast and fun, and the crowds were light – another great weekend in the Sierras!
Around Thanksgiving I hosted Tristan – a good Australian friend who I met during a study abroad in Newcastle, Australia. During his visit I wanted to show him some of California’s best, so we decided to take a road trip to San Francisco and Yosemite. While in San Francisco we stayed with Ben and Darcy and met up with Nate. Following a great walking tour of the city (led by Ben) and some delicious home cooked meals (prepared by Darcy), we made it to Yosemite in time to see the sun set on the snow-covered valley. It was a quick trip, but definitely worth it for the friends we met and the sights we saw.
Bug hunting, or lobster hunting, is something that I’ve wanted to do for many years – ever since seeing lobsters underwater while diving in California and coming back to a boat that had large, empty lobster tanks. Finally the stars aligned, and over Halloween weekend, Jimmy, Jeremy, and I participated in our first bug hunting adventure. We joined a 2-day live aboard organized by Channel Islands Dive Adventures on the Peace Boat (both excellent operations). Our planned destination was the remote San Nicholas Island, where bug hunting was rumored to be exceptional due to the few boats that travel there. When we boarded the Peace, though, we learned that the island was closed by the military and we would instead be diving the island of Santa Barbara.
Over 6 dives on Santa Barbara throughout the first day, the diving and bug hunting was in large part a disappointment. Santa Barbara is known for its great underwater visibility, but unfortunately the strange weather patterns that California has experienced throughout the year had clouded the water – at times the visibility was only about 15 feet. Additionally, the water was unseasonably cold, and as such, the lobsters were not to be found at their usual depths, which made finding bugs more difficult than it should have been.
That being said, the night dive on Halloween (and the 6th dive for Jimmy and me on the trip thus far) changed the course of the ship (literally). The dive itself was incredible (my first night dive in California), the water seemed warm, and I even caught a bug (too small to keep, though). We also received our fair share of Halloween spooks, when sea lions would rapidly swim into the light cast by our flashlights and back out of it again. After the dive, the captain of the Peace decided to cut our losses on Santa Barbara and over the night we sailed to the island of Santa Cruz.
The captain made the right choice, since one could not have asked for better conditions for our three morning dives on Santa Cruz – the sun was shining, the temperature was in the 70s, the seas were calm, and, most importantly, there were bugs on the sea floor. It was at Santa Cruz where Jimmy, Jeremy, and I each caught ourselves a keeper (with many more caught that were just under the limit and therefore had to be released).
The hunt itself was quite exciting… Jeremy, Jimmy, and I dove as a team, and as we swam a bearing away from the boat, we would comb the sea floor looking for bugs. When one of us found a bug, we would signal the others and try to retrieve it. Since lobsters usually hide under rocks, the key is to not hesitate, lest they move further back into their hole, making it more difficult to grab ‘em. The retrieval involves simply getting a good grip on the lobster, either at the base of the feelers or by grabbing the carapace (upper shell). (Since the lobsters we were hunting were California Spiny Lobsters, we didn’t have to worry about claws.) Once one of us had a lobster, somebody else would measure the lobster with their lobster gauge, and if the lobster was a keeper (i.e., the carapace measured longer than 3 1/4 inches), we would bag it and bring it to the surface at the end of the dive.
Usually after a diving trip, we go home to cleanup and relax. However, since we had three lobsters to cook after this trip, we went to Jimmy’s and cooked up a delicious feast. Overall it was an incredible experience and a great success for our first trip hunting bugs – I look forward to the next bug hunting expedition!
The idea to backpack to the Iva Bell Hot Springs and the Lost Keys Lakes was born around the campfire during the Yosemite Trail Ride. More specifically, I was examining a trail map of the wilderness around Mammoth Lakes in search of lakes with fish that could serve as a destination for a 4-day / 3-night backpacking trip. This search led me to the remote Lost Keys Lakes, and as a bonus, the Iva Bell Hot Springs were en route to the lakes (I’ve had yet to experience hot springs in the wilderness). As soon as Mark confirmed that the Iva Bell Hot Springs and the Lost Keys Lakes were some of his favorite destinations in the Sierra, the decision had been made: I would be booking a permit to the Lost Keys Lakes with three companions. Jimmy, Ben, and Darcy signed-up for a 4-day backpacking trip over Labor Day weekend.
Day 1:
With a big 13-mile day ahead of us, we left Reds Meadow as early as the shuttle service allowed so that we would have time to stake out a campsite at Iva Bell and soak in one of the seven pools. The hike was relatively easy since it was a gentle downslope to Fish Creek (apart from the switchbacks) followed by a gentle upslope to the Iva Bell Hot Springs. Reading Iva Bell trip reports on the Internet told us that the pools were located at different altitudes and that the pools at the top commanded a spectacular view of the Fish Creek valley. So, we headed to the top and found the pools we had sought. After soaking in the mineral water for hours, I can say that I have never felt better after a 13-mile hike! Also, sitting under the stars in a wilderness “hot tub” is remarkable.
Day 2:
The ultimate destination of this backpacking trip was the Lost Keys Lakes, and the hike to them from the Iva Bell Hot Springs involved a 2,000 ft. elevation gain over 4 miles. Upon sighting the first lake, there was no doubt that our hike was worth it – the calm waters nestled at the base of granite cliffs provided ample opportunity for fishing and relaxing. After picking out a campsite, fishing for a while, and cooking the keepers (delicious), we ventured to another lake in the Lost Keys group. The evening was spent around the fire eating smores and listening to some of our favorite backcountry music.
Day 3:
Apart from a group of forest rangers that were “renovating” the campsites around the lakes, Jimmy, Ben, Darcy, and myself were the only backpackers that had spent the previous night at the Lost Keys Lakes (a testament to the remoteness). Before beginning the hike back, Jimmy and I spent a few hours fishing and cooking the few additional keepers that we caught. The hike back went much faster than expected, and in no time we found ourselves back at Iva Bell. We spent a few hours soaking in my new favorite Iva Bell pool before continuing further down the trail so that we could make an early exit the next day.
Day 4:
Our early start made the shaded, uphill hike back to Reds Meadow very comfortable. Before finishing the hike at Reds Meadow, we made a quick stop at Rainbow Falls. Once we made it to Reds Meadow, Jimmy and I decided to treat ourselves to the famed chocolate milkshakes of the Mule House Cafe – it was a tasty end to an amazing summer in the Sierras. Until next summer, Happy Trails!
