Wild Rainbow Trout Frenzy - Latest Update!

Hi Everyone!

Fishing season has opened on the lake and it has been excellent!

One blue boat reported that they caught and released 73 fish over the course of the day.

What works?

Just about anything!

Carol has even suggested to Tom that he spend less time in the office area and more time on the water!

Whoaa!       Bless us oh lord for these our gifts..........

Therefore, and with great where-with-all,  but strictly in the interest of helping his guests out, Tom has been out trying and perfecting new techniques, he has even been using salt water lures that imitate shiners to great success.  You Sportsmen and women are buying the first part of the last sentence right?

I think each of us should pause for a moment and thank Tom for this small sacrifice he makes for us.

. I'm jealous

. and I'm envious

. and oh man, oh man I can't wait to jump in a blue boat, zip past Cougar and turn due north by Roland, turn over my left shoulder and see the lookout cabin high atop Sourdough, then see Desolation and the jagged spires of Hozomeen up north. This is one of my favorite spots and moments when it all triangulates together like this.

Try an egg sucking leech slowly trolled - really almost any large wet flies or streamers are being hit!

Rapalas!

Fat 19 inchers have been brought in.

So!

Get excited! Plan ahead!

The fish aren't just biting on the Ross Lake mainstay - the ubiquitous bingo bug!

Dohhh!!!  I am itching to get back out there and get some photos of you catching some fat Wild Ross Lake Trout!

Maybe next week.

-       -        -        -       -

"Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am...a reluctant enthusiast...a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it's still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forest, encounter the grizz, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to your body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: you will outlive them."

Author:

Unknown, but much appreciated     Edward Abbey

Dear Tom, Are Bears Good Swimmers?

Dear Tom,

I could have sworn I saw some bear swimming out at the log boom one time.

Is that allowed?

Looking forward to my next visit,

signed - Bewildered in the Lowlands

Dear Bewildered,
We are a family resort as well as a fishing resort located in the middle of a national park so please be respectful of others.


Sunburn can be painful here in the North Cascades.


In June the beautiful clear waters of Ross Lake can be cool from glacier and mountain snow run off, and like diving into Puget Sound down in the lowlands, Bewildered, it is useful especially for the young and skinny to have a layer on.


Regards - and we look forward to your next visit!


T

Ross Lake file photo

Ross Lake file photo

Did Anyone Mention That Fishing Season Opens July 1?

No seriously? Have they?

Ross Lake Resort Photo 2009

Dear Tom, Can we drive to Ross Lake Resort? Sorry No. Ummhh, ahh, well, let's see, how do I answer this?

It is a truth, all roads don't lead to Ross Lake Resort.

The Hozomeen Road ends miles to the north.

The dam road is not accessible by vehicle that hasn't been barged in first.

Except. well there was this one time when everyone was surprised many, many moons ago by a couple of wild and crazy guys.

By the way,  Carol politely but firmly suggested that they could check their own darn tire pressure after their snickering request for full service.

Ross Lake Resort File Photo

She forgot to ask them what kind of mileage and speed they got hitting the head winds on Diablo!

I imagine it was a bit like driving west on I-80 across Iowa in a 63 VW Camper on a warm summer afternoon. 

Except perhaps for the water splashing over the hood.

Click on Ross Lake Resort File Folder

Also, here is an image one of the resort's regular guests provided. See - no roads!

I'll provide the photographers name forthwith.

Psssssssssttttttttt!!!!!!!!!

Guess what happens on July 1st????

click on picture

Jeff Whiteside knows how to fish for wild rainbow trout on Ross Lake.  He studies the trout, their feeding habits, the lake - basically he studies everything.  

And then he adjusts his fishing style and technique to the environment and situation he is in - that's called being smart, intuitive, sensitive - he is a craftsman.

Many that fish these waters are like Jeff - fishing to you represents more than just passing time. 

Fishing is more than a hobby.  It challenges you, it stimulates creativity  - it is a cerebral awakening.

At the end of your fishing session, when you step out of the blue boat in front of your cabin, you may not have caught the fish that you see in your mind's eye. But you know one thing with absolute certainty..........

......... you've won.

Haven't you.

You have developed a 'sense of place' about the North Cascades, North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake.

We lead short lives,  we need to reward ourselves with a connection to these experiences, to these special places, with friends, with family.

We welcome you back to these beautiful waters.

New Updates for Kayakers and Canoers

Just a couple of quick updates:

A new phone will be set up in the next week at the site of the new boat dock for calling the resort for portage service.  This will eliminate the need to hike up to the top of the road to Ross and call the resort when you need to transport your kayaks and canoes.  That is excellent news for everyone and is quick response by Seattle City Light helping everyone enjoy their experience in the North Cascades.

Thanks SCL!

Also Pete from Vancouver wrote asking for information on where to park when he comes up to kayak for a week later in the summer.

Good question!

The official launch point for canoes and kayaks is over at the Colonial Creek boat launch  There is a parking lot there for everyone visiting the lakes in that manner.

Tom mentioned that yesterday afternoon was the biggest haul of the year and all went smooth.  Basically the only difference is that there is one more lift of everyone's gear.  But things are running well.

Warning - The Previous Post is Subliminal Messaging - Warning

This is the blog police.  Disregard the previous posting it is a serious attempt at planting a message in your brain that you will have no control over.

To de-program yourself:

Stick your right arm straight out in front of you thumb pointed up.

Press thumb forward

fishing season opens soon

• Keeping elbow in same position and as a pivot bring hand back toward ear - stop at the 2 o'clock position
• Keeping elbow in same position and as a pivot bring hand forward to eleven o'clock position
• Repeat on count of one bring hand back to 2 o'clock say out loud two -three
• Forward to 11 o'clock on count of one say out loud two-three
• repeat 
• repeat fishing season opens soon

Repeat over and over for 5 minutes and you will slowly begin to deprogram yourself - it is important to establish the count of one-two-three

If still confused watch the opening 15 minutes of 'A River Runs Through It' until deprogramming is programmed effectively. (no wait disregard the last half of this last sentence - after the italics) because fishing season opens soon

Psssssssssttttttttt!!!!!!!!!

Fishing season opens on Ross Lake soon.

Tom's Advice Column - Happy Fathers Day!

Mackenzie Anderson and Odin Oakley-Barnett Clean Wild Trout

Dear Tom,

My daughter, who has visited Ross Lake almost every year of her life,  just "graduated" from middle school.  When she walked out on stage I was stunned with her beauty.  I saw how she carried herself and how much in her I saw of her mother. I looked over at my wife and saw the same smile and glow.


And then I saw her new dress .... and how short it was ............... and all I could think of was what I was thinking when I was 14. 


My buddy sitting next to me, whose two daughters recently graduated from college looked at me out of the corner of his eye. 


Two simple sounds emanated from deep within my throat.


"UH- ohh!!!"


You would have expected a pal to render sympathy, instead over the next 30 minutes all I heard was "chuckle, chuckle, chuckle", a few snorts, one guffaw, and multiple "he he he's".


Do you have any advice from your lofty perch high in the North Cascades?


Sincerly,
Bewildered in the Lowlands
________________________


Dear Pau  Bewildered,

When I went thru a similiar situation with my daughter, I obviously turned to many of my good friends for advice as well. Oddly enough, many of them had the same reaction as your good friend.

What got me through it was the internet. A friend gave me the name of a company back east that sold designer women's clothing for concerned parents.

I searched for months on the Internet but couldn't locate it. The futility of this research distracted me so much I forgot about everything else, and when that happened I realized I felt better, less stressed out.

The dot com out of Freeharbor, Maine was called something like L.L.BBurqua.

Bewildered -  for the next four years you control NOTHING!

Only your wife and daughter have control, and to be blunt - the only thing you can do is accept that.

So! Take up fly fishing like so many men before you!  Over the next 4 years you will end up with a quiver of rods, a few reels, dozens of wet flies, hundreds of dry flies, fancy waders, a float or two, designer polarized glasses, goofy hats with big bills stuck with flies, lures and maybe even a few beer bottle caps like those soccer fans.

I suggest you spend more time up on Ross Lake with your pals!

It is the only way to keep your sanity and your last shred of dignity!

What ever you do don't take any advice from friends that don't have daughters.

Good lord, be a man and run from this situation.

He he he!


T.

We have seen the Tug Boat many times next to the Dam! Can you tell us what the story is behind the Tug Boat and why it is here?? Also why it is buried in the ground?? Thank you!! Ron

As depicted to me without verification from either the NPS or Seattle City Light

It was a dark and stormy night, Captain Tom was trying to save the villagers from a fate.....

Many years ago when Sasquatch frequented the shores of Ross lake....

The tug boat mentioned in the earlier post is a piece of living history of Ross Lake. It plied these waters for many years before age, codes and history caught up with it.

It is really a very simple explanation as to how it found its current resting place.  Cost.

The tug needed a complete overhaul It was no longer able to ply the waters of Ross Lake without upgrades required by necessary regulations.  It sometimes hauled or might have been required to haul passengers.

To meet the latest codes would have cost more than what the returns justified. To move it further down the road perhaps near the power house was tricky, and in reality space was limited.

Also old boats would have to be stripped of paint etc. a difficult undertaking in the current location.

So from what I've been told. A common sense approach was taken.  Partially bury that beautiful old girl alongside the road, and surrounded by a small protective berm, where everyone could see it on a daily basis and it could be monitored regularly by staff from Seattle City Light.

A piece of history kept where it belongs.

Wet Spring?

Summer is here in a few days.  Here is another reminder of what awaits you as the summer progresses.

Suuummmmertime and the Livin' is Eaaaaasy

Well,  down in the lowlands the spring has been wet.

Grass has been growing at a fast clip...... ha! Sorry about the lousy writing!


Long summer days mean more growing time.

But there just isn't much time spent cutting grass on a floating resort.

Go figure.

Well maybe a few patches get out of control.

The nurse logs supporting these cabin are a part of Ross Lake history.  These are a few of the old growth trees that had to be cut down when the dam was built. As the water began to fill the reservoir that is now Ross Lake, loggers constructed floating platforms for housing and work stations and used the felled timber for supporting, floating the structures.

As the water rose up the steep sided canyon, the platforms would be floated over to what ever area was closest to the loggers.

When the logging was completed the founder of the resort bought the buildings - the floating camps - and Ross Lake Resort was born.

Question from a reader: So what happens 50-60 years later and these logs wear out?

Well, the simple answer is they don't really wear out.  They perhaps get water logged, and as additional weight is added to the cabins when they are remodeled and modernized new supports may have to be added.

Question from a reader:  Do you mean more trees are cut down?

No of course not! That wouldn't happen.

Tom and Will are both good divers and when more floatation is required they add pre-made floats.

Question from a reader: Huh, dude you mean totally like my old coffee table from college - a big wooden spool that held wire, or my old end table - an empty keg of beer - way to function man, LOL?


No of course not!  We use something a little less 60's & 70's old timer and quit trying to disguise your age and yourself with expressions from different generations!

Statement from a reader:  TMI and quit trying to be so gnarly you old f...!


Hey! Knock it off Son or no allowance this week and stay out of those old photo albums!

Here is a picture.

These plastic barrels are filled with water through a precise measurement process to achieve as close to neutral buoyancy as possible then Tom and Will drift them into position using their own form of navigation and lift techniques - sort of a Ross Lake Resort version of GPS and applied physics.  They sort of guess to see what works best.


Using an air line from a compressor they then pump the new floats with air forcing out the water until poiinnnnnggggggggg - the cabins are floating nice and high and as level as possible.

Pretty cool - especially when you have been in the water for as long as they have been. Tom and Will I mean

If you drive up on the haul road you may see the old tugboat buried in the ground.  Next to the tug is the next generation of floats.  Large black pvc pipe sealed on both ends and with valves for the air and water these will take the place of the white plastic in the future and will be less labor intensive.

An innovative suggestion by one of the regular guests created this new concept.  We all have a vested interest in the history and future of the resort even if it doesn't include beer keg end tables.

USA vs. England Soccer's World Cup

photos © Paul K. Anderson

Okay, ok, I'll get to the point about why I am writing about a soccer match on a fishing resort blog in a moment.

I spent part of the late morning and early afternoon watching the USA tie England - whoops I meant to say ENGLAND TIED THE USA - in first round action of the FIFA World Cup from South Africa.  The Copper Hog Gastropub in downtown Bellingham was our venue

I played rugby for about 25 years, I don't understand the nuances of soccer. I am about as close to being a soccer player as maybe a ballerina is to being a belly dancer.  Well, I don't think that came out the way I meant,  But what the heck.......

So I'm sitting there enjoying the soccer action, my friends, and people watching and I started thinking about how much in common fishermen have with soccer fans.

I mean I have seen some crazy bandanas on fishermen and weird zinc oxide concoctions to ward of flies, skeeters and sunburn over the years.

There are many fishing hats out there with either flies or small lures snagged to them.

And I have seen some innovative knots and slings piecing together creels or holding together fishing nets.

And most fishermen I've met seem to be fairly patriotic.

Haven't we prayed to the fishing gods at least once, "please -  keep the dang fish on the hook & don't let it flop away?"

And like these knowledgeable English fans - who think they dress a little more sophisticated than the average USA fan, aren't they sorta like fly fishermen??

And haven't you secretly hoped that your buddies - or at least the wife and kids - would greet you back at the cabin like this when they see the size of those wild Ross Lake Rainbows you just brought in?

"Yeaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh, were having fresh trout for dinner tonight wooooohooooooooooo!!!!"

click on photos to enlarge.

Admit it Dad's and Grandpa's - don't you do this quietly inside your chest every time your kid or grandkid hooks a wild fish?

Sportsmen - it doesn't matter......

its the same the whole world over,

it's the poor what gets the blame,

it's the rich that get the glory,

ain't it all a bloody shame!


-from an old rugby song.

New Roof on Gas House

Hey Everyone!

When you pass the gas house look up and you will see the new roof installed by Mark (Dad on right) and Adam (Son) Bloom

Mark has known Tom since the early 70's and has come up every year since to fish and vacation with the family.  He has also made countless trips to help build and do repairs.

I asked Adam how long he's been coming up here and he said "well, since I've been born!"

Puts it in perspective eh?

Dad Mark, teaches business courses at East Wenatchee High.  He owned a construction company and has passed those skills onto all 4 sons.

In essence, it's obvious that all 5 men in the Bloom family know which end of the ball peen hammer  hits the thumb!

Great job you guys!

Meet Ralph Leitner and Family and Friends

photos this post all © Ralph Leitner
Great shot Ralph! It says it all for your family - you, paddling, your favorite hike here up - Desolation
and Ross Lake!

“Sea kayaking is about journeying. Sea kayaking is about exploring. Sea kayaking is about sharing experiences and memories with others. There is more to sea kayaking than just paddling.”

Pete Dingle

Ralph and his family and friends have been coming up every year to paddle these beautiful waters since the early 1990's.

Ralph first visited Ross Lake and the North Cascades in the 1970's when his Boy Scout Troop hiked 50 miles from the Canadian border down the Eastbank Trail to a gravel road that is now highway 20.

He returned with his troop to paddle 50 miles on Ross Lake,  the seed was planted - he was hooked.

He and family and friends have made it back every year since 1993 when he brought his 2 year old up here camping.

Ralph's favorite hike is the Desolation Trail up to the lookout.  One year camping out next to the cabin he met a group from the North Cascades Institute.  They were having one of their famous field seminars where they were studying the beat poets and writers who frequented these beautiful peaks and valleys in the 50's and early 60's.

What could be better - hanging out with family and friends watching the sun set over the Pickets and North Cascades listening to the words of poets and writers of several generations - Gary Snyder, Jack Kerouac, Philip Whalen, and most recently Tim McNulty - wow.

The jagged spires of Hozomeen.....

"Hozomeen, Hozomeen, the most

beautiful mountain I ever seen...... '

Jack Kerouac, Desolation Angels

Thanks for sharing these memories, family traditions and adventures.

"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing- absolutely nothing- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."  -- Kenneth Grahame - from the Wind in the Willows

That Dang Pumpkin

I swear - no kidding - a couple of weeks ago and before the resort opened, I rode in front of that goofy looking, lopsided grinning,  sinister pumpkin and the blue boat gave a little shudder.

It was twilight - I looked over at that thing - and it was looking awfully non-chalant about everything - but then I noticed that the Pumpkin's eyes seemed to be following me.

Next time you are up here, ask your kids and see if they don't notice the same thing.

The'll be watching - so will that dang pumpkin.

At least it will give you and the better half some time to enjoy a glass of wine sitting in one of the Adirondack chairs in front of your cabin.

The kids can stare back all they want - I don't think that beast cares.

All I can do when I see it staring back at me is shudder.

Maybe I'l go over and grab a slice of pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream, ride by that thing and chomp down.

We'll see who shudders then!

A Most Excellent Resort Opening Day

Hi Everyone and welcome to opening day of Ross Lake Resort 2010.

Today went better than any one could have expected.  The guests are excited to be here, the staff are all happy, Seattle City Light, the National Park Service and the contractors did an amazing job preparing the new boat dock and spur haul road.

It's going to be a good year.

So!

What happened????

Seattle City Light brought in a half dozen guests on the morning high speed boat and another 10 in the afternoon.  Ross Lake Resort had a small tractor with a flat bed trailer waiting.

Per the Ross Lake Resort tradition of the last 60 years -  everyone loaded everyone's gear onto the trailer and it was all hauled up to the upper boat dock on Ross Lake -  where again everyone helped each other load onto the Ross Lake dock and then into the shuttle boat for the trip over to the cabins.

Do you remember your first visit here and the process you went thru to get to your cabins? Do you remember the reaction of your friends on their first visit?  Well it's much the same.

Only more interesting!

Seattle City Light contractors started pouring cement into the footings for the large dock today.  The National Park Service small floating dock worked fine.

Granite Construction began working on the head scarp today. (The area of the cliff where the rock slide began).  They will be blasting, loosening, drilling, stabilizing, grouting -  probably until October.

These guys are pro's and know their business!

Portaging is going to happen - canoes and kayaks will be carried by the paddlers up to the truck turnaround.  Ross Lake Resort can haul gear up on the flatbed trailer but not the canoes or kayaks.

But hey it's only about 100 yards - argh, argh, argh!

That's nothing for these North Cascades adventurers.

It was a most excellent opening and thanks to all of the guests who rode in and the few that are hiking in from hiway 20 as we speak!!!

There are guests sitting out in front of the cabins in the Ross Lake Adirondacks enjoying the late light.

. . . . .   and the tradition continues. 

Portage Service - Important Please Read

Ross Lake Resort Will Provide Portage Service With Limitations!!!!!!!

There is no phone at the new dock and you cannot access the power house.

THE ROCKSLIDE IS VERY DANGEROUS AND THERE WILL BE BLASTING ON THE CLIFF FACES ABOVE TO STABILIZE THE ROCK!

Portagers - In June you will be required to send someone up the 1.5 miles of gravel road to phone the resort and request portage service.  (Because of all the variables and potential for delays, as of today you cannot call ahead and schedule a portage pickup).

You will then carry your gear, and canoes or kayaks up approximately 100 yards to the point where the resort truck will pick you up.

Boats and motors will not be picked up because of the weight issues.

In July - still TBD - a driver may be stationed at the lower lake between the hours of 10:30A.M. - 1:00 P.M. and again at 3:30 P.M. until 4:30P.M. to provide portage service.

Ross Lake Resort Opens June 10!!!!!!

Yeeeeeee haaaaaaaaaaaaa!  Sorry about that outburst!

The resort opens June 10th as scheduled.

Here is the latest for guests of the resort.

Seattle City Light will pick you and your gear up in a high speed 7 passenger boat at the usual location - the dock on Diablo.

Park and unload as usual where you see Ross Lake Resort Parking.

You will unload at the new passenger dock west of the landslide.

The resort truck will pick up all guests and their gear after a short hike - for transport up to Ross Lake.

Our thanks to Tammra Sterling of the National Park Service for providing us with the information and new haul road map.

One more thing to add!

Everyone at Ross Lake Resort cannot express and thank enough the staff of the National Park Service, Seattle City Light and the contractors who all have worked feverishly since March to provide for the safety of visitors,  and for developing an innovative solution to the rock slide conundrum.

We are fortunate to have such a fine partnership.

So this summer when you are sitting in front of the cabins or riding up lake in one of the blue boats and you see staff from the National Park Service or Seattle City Light - give them a wave and thank you.

They appreciate the beauty of the North Cascades and this magnificent lake as much as you do!

Extra, Extra Read All About It

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