Tag: jackson meadows

Wouldn’t ya know we  have another terrible drought year with nil rain all winter, but when it does rain, its on the Memorial Day weekend.  My first campout this year.  Oh well, I love weather anyway.  I find it fascinating.  Plus it really only rained a lot on the first day and nite.  Also made for beautiful cloud formations.

I had my lucky site #34 however, with regard with to the fishing… not so lucky.  I got skunked.  Zilsch.  One strike is all with four days of fishing from both the kayak and from the shore.  What worked last fall, yielded natha this time around.  But trolling in my kayak early in the morning while the lake was smooth as glass and the sunlight beginning to spread across the lake and the only sounds were my paddles hitting the water and the sounds of a wide variety of birds singing …. was  absolutely delightful.

Next year I will book it after Memorial Day weekend.  Way too many people.  A huge group of friends (not mine) from Reno took up almost the entire loop I was in .  Probably 30-40 kids and 20 dogs, all running thru my campsite on their way to the lake.  Baseball games, horseshoes, and some other thing that just seemed  to make a lot of noise.  They did paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, biking endlessly around the campground loop and splashed around in the freezing water while the outside temp was about 60 at best.  Little kids sure can handle the cold.  Anyway, it was kind of fun to see everyone enjoying themselves so I let it be.  Kate loves the sound of children playing, for me … eh, its ok for a while.  But Monday after everyone left and only two other campers in my loop… it was awesome.  So quiet and peaceful, I was sad to leave on Tuesday.

First day I got there I was lucky to have a break in the rain while I got my camp set up.  But shortly after it started raining again and continued thru the entire night.  I thought the lake was going to rise and take away my kayak.  That was a useless worry.  Metal roofs really allow you to listen to the rain, which is nice … for a while.  The next morning it did stop, I went fishing, and Kate arrived around 11.  Rain off and on, so we played Qwerkle inside when it was too wet outside.  Took a nice hike up Passe Creek which is running just great right now.  Waterfalls look terrific.  Saw some bizarre mushrooms that look like the formation of pods from the “Invasion of the body snatchers” movie.  Kate brought  dinner of some amazing shrimp and lemon linguini pasta dish.  Wow, it was amazing.   She left early the next morning since Memorial Day is a big weekend at the cemetery so she had to work.  We only live an hour and 45 away so its rather convenient.

This trip I got to try out three new addons to my old RV (now known as Doug).  A Goal Zero Yeti 150 and two Boulder 15 Solar panels.  Worked great keeping Doug’s batteries charged and recharging my laptop so I could finish Game of Thrones Season 4.  Also in electrical, I installed numerous LED lights throughout which gave off more light and took a lighter toll on the batteries.   For heat, since Doug’s heater is extremely temperamental not to mention a power drawer, I got a Mr. Heater Buddy … which works off LPG canisters and totally kept us warm while it was in the 30s outside.

Anyway, here are the photos..

Biggs

Long way path to the lake, Dogs headed home to my RV in the background.

Pass Creek

Ben

Pass Creek

Pretending…

some really wierd looking mushrooms, spores .. whatever.

New fallen tree over the path to the lake, makes it a bit more interesting.

Ben relaxing while I have my PBR

Pass Creek

For Ben chasing sticks tossed in the water … the bigger the better.

October is probably the best month for camping and fishing.  Empty campgrounds, hungry fish, nice cool weather, fall leaves and low lakes providing lots of shoreline exploring.  East Meadows campground was in its final week with only one other camper sharing the whole place.  The camphost had long gone, dogs could run free and it was so quiet and peaceful.  Until it started raining around 2am Wednesday morning and didn’t let up till the afternoon.  Lots of wind too.  So much, so that I had to take up the awning for fear it would rip.   Temperatures dropped to high 30’s or low 40’s.   For that rainy Wednesday we stayed in the RV and I finished two books and started a third.  I loved it.

Kayak fishing was the best ever.  I started fishing Tuesday morning and within 60 seconds of tossing out my trolling rig with a worm on the end, I had a fish on.  The strikes were constant.  I fished two hours on Tuesday, three on Thursday and just one on Friday, the day I left.  I caught 16 trout and took home 13.  Sizes ranging from 15″ – 12″.  No monsters but a whole lot of action.  I use a SEPS dodger with a worm about 18″ behind.  I have a specific area of the lake where the fishing is consistently awesome.

The East Meadows campground on Jackson Meadows Reservoir is now closed for the season, but the adjacent campground, Passe Creek CG is left open all year, so weather permitting (until it snows) I hope to make at least one more trip up there.  As seen in the photos the lake was down the most I have ever seen, but still beautiful.

When I first arrived at East Meadows campground

Top left my RV and bottom right my kayak. My short hike from home to boat.

Ben’s favorite friend to chase.

Always great views from my favorite campsite

Couldn’t decide which was better.

Large expanse of hard sand offered Biggs and Ben a great place to stretch their legs and run.

Ben

Ben swims along side while Biggs and I are in the kayak.

Mud hens

Biggs chasing Ben

Best Friends

After the rain

After the rain

Sierra Buttes in the background, looks like a volcano

On a hike around the lake.

Jackson Meadows, site #34 with just me and the dogs 9/2-9/5.  However, this time I was able to bring my kayak, on my new trailer.  It worked out great!  Tried trolling with a flasher (dodger) by SEP’s.  With a worm on the end, it was awesome.  Silky smooth lake in the mornings.  So much fun to glide along, looking at the scenery and waiting for the strikes.  On Friday, last day, I went out at 7:30am, back at 9:30 and had caught 8 trout.  Three of them I released since I only want to keep those over 12″, plus the limit is five per day.  Total caught whole trip 12, kept six.  Dogs stayed in the RV while fishing.  Then we went for a boat ride, with Boggz on board and Ben swimming alongside, which he loved.  He could easily swim across the lake no problem.  Also got a lot of reading in and hammock time.  A very good trip.  One more time for East Meadows campground (10/13-10/17) then it closes and i will be going to Pass Creek, which they leave open during the winter.