Peaking over Big Kern Lake into Little Kern Lake and the canyon we will wind our way down for the next few hours on our way back to the Pack Station. Want to join a trip? Visit our website for more info!
As the season wears on, and temperatures begin to dip, the difference between human and animal activity is notable. While we take a few more minutes to slide out of our sleeping bags, the river is busy gurgling, mist rising off its surface, the beaver is collecting sticks to support his lodge for the winter, the coyote is yipping to rendezvous with his mate, the lady bugs fly to hibernate en masse on dead stalks of seasonal grass, and the deer are getting restless, waiting on a storm to send them down to lower elevations
For those that can bear the crisp mornings and evenings, August and September is a great time to come enjoy the wilderness. The fishing is still on, and the wildlife becomes more active with cooler temperatures as they prepare for the winter.
Meet Boppy: Though the shortest, and possibly roundest of our mules, Boppy is also one of the most lovable and hard-working. A favorite of past wranglers, she willingly submits to partner yoga and can even be ridden if you’re in a pinch. Although she gallantly charges any gate repeatedly if she sees a snack in your hand and only occasionally tries to lay down and roll with her pack on, we still love her. #bops #acroyoga
Ever have those vacations where you are more tired at the end of your break than the beginning?
Those vacations are good, but we'd argue that spending more time to slow down, take a breath and enjoy quality time with yourself or those around you are the ones you are really going to remember with great clarity and fondness.
At Golden Trout, we aim to provide that environment for our guests. We offer trips that take care of all the planning, cooking, and cleaning. That way you can fish for hours or lie on this beach and read the book that has been on your shelve for six months. Whatever it is, don't rush.
”The water is always changing, not to sound like the Pocahontas soundtrack, but when we leave and return a few days or a week or two weeks later, the water will be different. The runoff will be higher or lower, the debris will have shifted and created different flows and eddies, and the fish will be holding in different spots. It is a new game. But what you can count on? Nice fish, and lots of them. It's a marvel at how many fish are in this river." Takeover from, @chuckstokke, a fly fishing guide and the token prankster on trips
Rarely are we offered the chance to separate ourselves from our cubicles, planners, and news feeds to spend a few days on a trout stream winding through canyon in the deepest part of the wilderness. When we are offered the chance, and we accept it, do we ever regret it? It is a privilege for us to service the Upper Kern River and one of the goals for our trips is to foster a deeper appreciation for the Wilderness and facilitate an experience that lasts in guests’ memories for a lifetime.
After arriving to camp and unsaddling or unpacking all of our animals, we turn out the mules and most of the horses to pasture. If unfenced, we picket one mare, known as the “bell mare.” Mules will often attach themselves to a mare and will rarely wander too far from her of their own choice. This often results in a dramatic entourage of mules following their queen.