Onion Valley Campground

[roby]

This is not a kayak report, but I thought it would be fun to share.

My two boys, 11 and 8, and my brother-in-law and his nephew, camped at Onion Valley Campground this past weekend. The campsite sits at 9600 feet just west of Independence and north of Lone Pine.

The leaves just turned and it made for some beautiful scenery. There was still a bit of snow on the mountain peaks and the creeks were still flowing.

Our plan was to hike 2 miles to Gilbert Lake and Flower Lake, a gain of about 1300 feet, and fish for trout.With kids in tow, it took about 2.5 hours just to hike 1.5 miles. The elevation was tough on the heart and lungs. We made many snack stops - and heard a lot of complaining, but we ended up at our destination.

At both lakes, the brookies were plentiful. They bit the mice tails and the bubble and fly. It was non-stop action for pan-sized trout. Even though the trout were small, it was fun on 2lb test and an ultra-light rod. The colors on the brookies was phenomenal.

We ended up staying two nights at Onion Valley Campground. On our last day, we hit up Taboose Creek for a dozen trout. It was the first time for any of us to catch trout from a creek.>>

Overall, a trip to the Sierras in the fall is becoming an annual event since the scenery, tranquility, and fishing is just amazing.