Looking for fishing while backpacking suggestions.

[Modest_Man]

Headed out this week for a few days backpacking. Anyone know of any good backpack in lakes or trails along rivers? Looking for something around Hood, Jefferson, or on the coast. 20-40 miles round trip. Need to be able to get to the trail head (I.E. snow level). Snow on the trail is ok...

 

[OnTheFly]

Hiking in the snow is an easy way to get lost. GPS might help. Try Duffy Lake.

 

[eggs]

Look into hiking Fish Creek on the Clackamas.. hike only ever since 06 floods wiped out the road and several lakes 8-10 miles up w/ a creek to follow the whole way!

 

[Modest_Man]

Look into hiking Fish Creek on the Clackamas.. hike only ever since 06 floods wiped out the road and several lakes 8-10 miles up w/ a creek to follow the whole way!

This sounds promising but more for a day hike. I'm assuming it got washed out in lots of places and you just follow the old road bed? Next day I've got off I might have to go check it out. Could you take a mountain bike on it?

And I'm fairly experienced with snow travel, and am well equipped to spend a few nights in the snow if we get up that high. I'm kind of old school and use a map and compass and triangulate though, never been a fan of GPS. Guess I just haven't gotten lost enough to really feel a need for one yet!

 

[troutdude]

The Marion Lake basin, near Jefferson, may be passable now.

 

[Modest_Man]

Yeah I've seen a couple reports on Marion Lake for this year. Seems like the snow is mostly gone. I was up there last year and the trail I took got NASTY as it wound its way through the path of that fire once you go past Marion lake. Super dusty and just dead trees around.

 

[troutdude]

I didn't know about the fire area. I used to go to Marion annually some 25 years ago. It's a beautiful place, and I thought you might like it. And Lake Ann has some nice brookies too!

SAY WHAT? SPELL CHECK DOESN'T RECOGNIZE "BROOKIES"? LOL

 

[Modest_Man]

I think the fire was in 2003 and in 2006. Burned a LOT of the area.

 

[Modest_Man]

I just got off the phone with the Detroit Ranger Station. The basin is still under plenty of snow and some of the lakes are still iced over. The Duffy Lake trail head just became accessible this week, the whole trail is still under snow. This is just what I was told.

I'd be all about it if the trails had diamond blazes on the trees for hiking in the snow, but they don't. And I don't feel like wandering off trail in the snow.

I'm going to head up to Hood and hike Badger Creek to Badger lake. That is snow free for the first seven miles (12 miles total), and the road to Badger Lake is still under several feet of snow so there shouldn't be many (if any) people at the lake.

 

[Drew9870]

Jamie,

Square Lake is a hike in lake, 4 mile round trip, lots of healthy Brookies. It is kinda close to Suttle Lake but on the opposite side of the road.