July 1, 2018
A 14 mile hike in the mountains during the summer catching trout is about as good as it gets.
I always like the brisk mountain mornings in the middle of the hot summer. Knowing that the sun will heat it up by noon but still be humidity free makes it ideal to spend the day outside in the beauty that God created.
We started at the trailhead in long sleeves and jackets and headed up. Immediately we crossed over the first bridge on Palisades Creek, getting a taste of the rushing water bringing the snowmelt down from on high. Fortunately, we were to cross it several times throughout the coming day, seeing it in different light, and hearing its power.
As we ascended into the canyon, the sun was just peaking over the ridges, it’s brilliant light hitting the tops of the tallest trees first. It was breathtaking to watch it gradually bathe the rest of the valley as the morning progressed.
The well trod trail led us to the first of the lakes, Lower Palisades Lake, at about 4 miles, or 2 hours. My companions and I are mostly over 50 (except for Ryan, in his early 20’s), so we don’t have the same pace of our youth. The lake was beautiful, and there was a very nice looking campground just below it. It did not look like there was any easy fishing access, so we continued on.
The Upper Palisades Lake was a few miles further, but as we climbed higher, it seemed to take forever and like we might never get there. It did not disappoint once we arrived. The lake was large for one that high up, and it looked to have good fishing access. We took over a campground on the water, though we did not plan to spend the night. Some rigged up and went right to fishing. Jim and I took to taking our hiking shoes off and grabbing a quick rest. We ate a snack and then went to fishing.
Mike showing off one of his many catches
I tried a spinner at first and just had a few bites, but when I switched to the Kastmaster like the other guys, I started bringing them in as well. Decent sized cutthroats were fun to catch, a dark pink species I had not seen before. The midday sun seemed to slow down the bites, but when I threw it the lure over a shaded area I landed a few more. After a while we gathered up and started back down the trail. It seemed we had more purpose getting down with a quicker pace, though now it was warm and we were mostly in shorts and T shirts.
The canyon was still beautiful, now in the direct overhead sun it looked different, so seemed new. I looked for mountain goats on the cliffs but did not see any. One lone moose grazing on the edge of the Lower Lake as we passed by gave us our best wildlife show, save the osprey and one bald eagle.
Moose grazing at edge of lake
Three hours and seven miles later we were back at the trailhead, hot and thirsty. I never pack enough water for these hikes, but have learned to conserve well. After 14v miles, my feet were sore, and I had a small blister on one heel. I must need new hiking shoes. It didn’t matter because I had a great day on a great hike with great friends. We caught a few fish, a little sunburn and made some great memories. Sign me up for the next one!
When I was in junior high/high school I would spend a few weeks in this part of the world around Alpine, Wyoming as part of a summer camp run by the Buford Foundation. Many of my siblings did as well, and no doubt these experiences helped drive our love for the outdoors. The camp has evolved from those early days and is now known as Camp Confidence (www.campconfidence.org), and Joe was in the area as part of a summer work crew when he was able to take this day to explore. I never walked this particular trail, but after seeing how well they did fishing I hope to some day.
