After backpacking in Devils Postpile, I headed to the town of Mammoth Lakes, then drove up the long grade to the Mammoth Pass Trail, where I dayhiked to check out McLoud Lake, one of the few places where you can supposedly catch a Piute Trout, but I never got a bite. But the lake was pretty, so it was all good.
After grabbing a bit of fast-food lunch down in town, I headed south, up the hill to the Mammoth Lakes themselves. These lakes were extremely touristy and popular because they were easy to visit, so I was mentally prepared for crowds, especially after being in the backcountry for a few days. Just the same, I had read that one of the rare lakes in the High Sierra that harbor the elusive Piute Trout was up there: McCloud Lake. I wanted to give it a shot, even though the rare status of the species meant that it was strictly a Catch and Release situation.
Anyway, I got to the trailhead and ate my lunch in the parking lot next to Horseshoe Lake. The Mammoth Pass Trail began there, and the short side spur to McCloud Lake was only a half mile away. Easy hiking. While I sat in the car, the sky grew dark. I heard some thunder, and then it began raining, soft at first, then harder. Soon it was pounding down, and I heard the staccato sound of hail on the roof of the car. Boy, was I glad I stayed inside to eat! Suddenly, a crowd of hikers came running down the trail. Most of them were already soaking wet, and only a few had ponchos. Kids were shivering with the cold as they hunkered down under the tiny roof of a trail kiosk. They were the ones who ran the fastest, but had no keys to the cars, so had to wait for the slower adults. They showed up eventually, and everybody crammed into the cars, but it was too late for everyone as they were drenched. Yes, there was a bit of drama at the trailhead that afternoon.
As always, the storm dissipated in a short while and the sun came out once again. Typical Sierra weather. I got out my daypack, stuffed the Tenkara fly rod inside (plus my fishing license) and headed out for an easy stroll to the lake.
I arrived at the lake in no time at all. It was a bit breezy after the storm, with small wavelets heading east, directly toward me. This made fishing difficult, as there was poor visibility for me, and what would the fish do? Probably hide down below in the depths, I figured. Plus, with Tenkara, the line isn’t very long, and casting a tiny light fly upwind was a near impossibility. Off in the distance, in the lee of the western shore, was a nice calm region. This looked like my kind of spot, so I decided that the best way to get there was to circumnavigate the lake. A lake as well-fished as this surely had a fisherman’s path, and I set out to follow it.
As I circled the lake, I noticed that it seemed quite shallow near the shore. What kind of trout would be swimming at such a depth, I wondered. I put on my polarized sunglasses to reduce glare, but nothing helped. I never saw a single fish. Sure, I found a few nice spots to fish from, and I tried valiantly to cast my line, but I received no love whatsoever from the wily Piute Trout. They’d probably seen every kind of fly, lure, and hook in existence by now. There was no way to fool a fish that may have already been caught (and released) several times in a row. “Trust nothing!” would be the advice the granddaddy trout would give to the fingerlings.
Just the same, the views were fine, and the clouds really set off the photos of the lake. At least I can say that I caught a few great photos that day. And I’m releasing them here, exclusively on this webpage. Enjoy!
I finished the walk around the lake in an hour or so. I wasn’t in a rush, after all. But after that, I put away the fly rod and headed back to the car, an easy downhill hike.
Back at the car, I threw the daypack in the back and began to drive to the next adventure. But not before buying some dinner in town. Mammoth Lakes is a great place to visit, with plenty of opportunities to spend your money. I bought some fast food and hung out at the restaurant, reading my book and texting photos to friends and family.
I only had an hour’s drive to reach the next trailhead, so there was no rush. I drove slowly and let everyone on US 395 pass me by. Why not? I was operating in Full Vacation Mode, and life was good.
For a topographic map of the hike see my CalTopo Page
For LOTS more photos of the trek see my Flickr Page
Up to “Mammoth Lakes August 2023”
hikingtales.com 