Re: Boatable

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Adding Mirror "Lake" to your "boat all the Yosemite lakes" quest?

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ttilley
Adding Mirror "Lake" to your "boat all the Yosemite lakes" quest?

That one is Z Ol Stick N Fedders fault. I really had no thought of doing that...
only took boat to places kinda "needed" it... not just for fun USUALLY...
but yeah, it's his fault... so off we go... and it IS FUN.
We may have some troubles with Lost too... and Starr King...
but I suspect we will try at some pt... at least inflate and take a picture...

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For the record...

It's something like:

: 47/170
Stick N Fedders : 42/170
JKW : 41/170

But who's counting? It's not a race.



Boat on

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chick-on
For the record...

It's something like:

: 47/170
Stick N Fedders : 42/170
JKW : 41/170

But who's counting? It's not a race.



Boat on

So... I haven't been counting... Yet..

But seriously.. I've boated 41 lakes? Wow! I would not have guessed! Ok... Gotta update the trail quest map from this weekend and read that list of lakes!

All of this... So fun!!!

Hopefully it will be boatable after this winter!

Looks boatable now....

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Looks fake to me. Need third party independent confirmation for it to count.

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basilbop
Looks fake to me. Need third party independent confirmation for it to count.

aint nobody got time fir dat

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Not Mirror Lake :-). Also, the first one, not boating. Doesn't count!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2016 05:38PM by basilbop.

It counts!

But we will do again with u!!

But it was SOOO fun! We definitely surprised a few folks! But we were trying to be low key.

One couple came down to chat with us twice. Said she was surprised we carried it in so far... I said we'd only walked a mile and a half... We'd boated over 40 lakes in much more remote areas of the park last year alone.

I mean, the boats got carried over 50 miles one trip, so the gentle stroll to Mirror Lake was nothing! Hehehe!

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basilbop
Not Mirror Lake :-). Also, the first one, not boating. Doesn't count!

Was in boat... there was "water" beneath...


Ideally wanted boat in Upper Pool ...


But Lower pool had water... so... Mirror Lake : check

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Another active boater here - just another dirt bag, slack water, lake fisherman for the past 2 - 3 seasons, a proud owner of the Klymit LWD, complemented by an Alpacka Ninja paddle... A cool backpack toy at ~3 pounds total.
So far, have only put in at ~27 Yosemite Lakes, maybe another 5 - 6 here in Mammoth, another 20 or so misc Sierra...plus 25 or so in the Sawtooths too. BTW, Never have tried the umbrella sail technique as of yet...any tips? How about a sea anchor? Any thoughts there too?

Anyway, just a big shout out to Klymit's customer service dept. My LWD raft had sprang a leak end of last summer - (the small butt chamber), and wrote to Klymit, I enclosed a few pics of where it burst, hoping for a send-it-in fix thing (would gladly pay something?) as it is not that new anymore. Well, they said early models (like mine) had some issues and they are sending me a new one free. Wow!
Super impressed - thanks Klymit!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2016 11:39PM by markskor.

What is the saying?

Don't try this at home...



Z Old Stick n Fedders did have a neat sail trick:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?17,81601,81619#msg-81619

Umbrella... yeah... um... use both hands?
Seriously... if just for fun... the best boating is prolly obliviously very early morning...
when the lake is calm with great reflections... before the winds have started up...

This has more or less been our MO in 2015... did it so many times...
One of the best when Two Birds and a Short Lady were all together... was at
Roosevelt... where we literally boated the entire length of Roosevelt...
and then floated back... that was great fun... or simply hike to from wenst
z wind is coming... and let the wind carry you.

If you want a sea anchor I highly recommend the "blue bomber"... the
flyweight design Flypacker Raft. It's guaranteed to slow you down... to the
point everyone else with a Supai Matcat or Flatwater will just boat
circles around you giggling... you could tie a rope to it and stay still for
hours in gusting winds...
We didn't try it though on account Z Old Stick N Fedders no longer allows
me to be in charge of any rope. (not my fault it was on auto-tangle mode!)

Anywho... yeah... I'm not much help... but I have fun doing it.
Have fun out there... we def. have LOTS of plans to try knocking off more
of the 170 named lakes in the park (grumbling didn't throw the boat in
in the past when visited them with boat in pack... grrrr!)

Have fun


o... I think your boat is in this picture:

Think JKW is in it... blop is in the Blue Bomber...
On beloved Loch Tablae... April 4, 2015

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For a sea anchor... seriously... if you really want...
I think very easily... 100 ft. of cordage (you can find a LOT of superlight superstrong stuff)
(ok 100 prolly overkill... but I'd go with 60 just in case..)
And a two litre bottle...
secure two litre bottle to boat... (using the cord)
fill two lite bottle with water from said lake
toss bottle into water.. watch it sink...
float

in that order more or less give or take a flipper

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/2016 06:50AM by chick-on.

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chick-on
One of the best when Two Birds and a Short Lady were all together...

Short Lady?!?!?!?!

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chick-on
o... I think your boat is in this picture:

Think JKW is in it... blop is in the Blue Bomber...
On beloved Loch Tablae... April 4, 2015

That was our friend's Klymit-designed Ruta Locura pack raft. Same design, lighter materials. I liked laying down in it, but it didn't fit me well for me to paddle.

My little Supai Canyon Flatwater II fits me well.

I've noticed most of these outdoor companies have excellent Shriner service! Yay!!

Thanks for all insights from the Pink One.
A bit confused though about a few other minor, boat-related items.
1) I notice in the many armada pictures shown that you guys do not seem to use a single kayak paddle..(You use two small paddles?)...why? I carry the Alpacka Ninja...two carbon fiber paddle blades with two powder coated aluminum poles. The single paddle arrangement is light, folds up small/ is carried strapped to backpack, along side of my fishing pole tube. https://alpackarafts.com/product/ninja-paddle/ ...seems to work better than two short paddles.

BTW, do you characters ever use your rafts for fishing? My raft enables me to reach/fish areas of the lake otherwise not easily accessed. YMMV.

2) Yes, those Sierra mornings, on the lake with no wind is ideal, but for me, the raft usually is used later in the afternoon...after the hiking part of the day is over. Wind may be your friend in one direction but hard to stay in one spot long enough to fish it properly...get blown out very fast. A 2-liter bottle and a long cord (as stated) would work OK, (also a rock tied to a line), but recall someone was telling me about a parachute type sea anchor dragged behind...any thoughts there?

3) A bit worried about dropping/losing stuff when out on the water, so I usually "tie in" (short cord) my fishing rod, paddle, and day pack to various places on the ship...you?

4) What do you use as a PFD? For me, my blow-up MontBell pillow...http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?p_id=1124290
Thanks for all help.
mark

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markskor
1) I notice in the many armada pictures shown that you guys do not seem to use a single kayak paddle..(You use two small paddles?)...why?

Basilbop, our friends E & A and Chick-on all use paddles from Supai Adventure Gear. Also carbon fiber, aluminum shafts. Basilbop and I bought one set with just the hand shafts, the other with the 5-piece shaft for easier packability. We tried both. I ended up liking the maneuverability with the hand paddles. And my ability to scoot when necessary, as well (both arms in sync). And NOT getting wet from the drips when the full-shaft paddles crossed over the boat per stroke! Our friends E & A, avid kayakers, started with the full-shafts. They ended up frustrated with getting wet (we tried various water stoppers on the shaft, but hey, you're gonna get dripped on) and the twisting of the boat when pulling only on side. Frankly, they started out with two Klymits and two Ruta Locuras, but after a few trips with us, and trying our Supai boats, ended up getting the Supai MatKat (for him) and the Canyon Flatwater II for her. Control of the boat and seating position for them ended up being key, as it was for me. YMMV! Hand Paddles are 8 oz, boat is 1.5 pounds. 2 pounds for my kit! Yay! Oh, I also like the ability to easily temper the pressure in my boat with the Supai valve system.

Getting wet may not sound like a big deal, but given our elevations, our gear, the way we push the seasons... well, we try to avoid getting wet as much as possible.

None of us (E, A, Basilbop nor I, fish. Chick-on used to fish, but do not know if he fished from the boat.)

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markskor
3) A bit worried about dropping/losing stuff when out on the water, so I usually "tie in" (short cord) my fishing rod, paddle, and day pack to various places on the ship...you?

The hand paddles are tethered to the boat. Nothing else is usually tied to the boat.

The packs are usually well balanced and low in the boat with our legs on the outside. So far, very secure, no issues. Knock on wood. Only time I got worried was on Vogelsang Lake last year and the winds were kicking up rather large waves by the time we were across and well, I didn't want them any bigger! But we were still fine!

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markskor
4) What do you use as a PFD? For me, my blow-up MontBell pillow...http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?p_id=1124290

Well... see... we discussed it. If we were really concerned, we would semi-inflate our ThermaRest NeoAir XTherms and wrap them around our torsos and secure with our jacket. This is an old trick we learned about on Backpacking Light. We have not done this. What we do... is stay relatively close together. We usually have minimum two boats, often three out at the same time, and we try to stay together.

We have considered the super light PFDs for snorkeling, but... nixed the idea so far. If we were on whitewater... different story!

Have fun out there!

I'll add these tibdits...

Yeah, I have fished a lot of Yosemite Lakes in the NW Quad with the boat...
Kibbie, Gravel Pit, Vernon, Laurel, Eleanor, Mercur, Many Island, Swamp...
(tis true... a number of these lakes no longer have fish... but what a bird to
do? (in my defense... I wasn't sure... and Swamp and Mercur def. had fish in past...
and Mercur had fish when I was there once... no doubt)
Anywho... ya... it was kinda fun... but had to be super careful not to
puncture the boat with the hook... and such...
I quit fishing many years ago ... won't go into the reasons...

The oars are definitely tied into the boat using cordage... although someone
my wife on a Kendrick Canyon lake was successful in losing one of JKW's
oars... o well... at least we both had boats there and I could come and
tow her back...

As far as PFD... yeah, we haven't used... but you could very easily have a
dry bag inflated for use... so that may be an option... as JKW stated..
we stay close ... honestly though, I am more worried about hypothermia
and losing my pack than anything... especially since we have carried
our packs along a route a few times now... Kibbie, Merced, Rock Island,
Upper Sunrise... to name a few... it's a lot of fun..
O.. did that in Branigans too... never felt unsafe...
So... in conclusion... may consider a inflated dry bag... for PFD protection...
actually used that method in swimming thru Muir Gorge with my pack.
It worked a treat.

The buddy system works well... and is fun... I was a bit worried about
the wife on Edna last year... it's "scary" deep and would have been COLD.
I told her not to go out toooo far... (of course I had to go around the Island myself tho)




It's a LOT of fun

Have fun!

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Want to say... JWK and I were chatting earlier this week and both agreed
how much more we grown to love some lakes after boating them...
Merced Lake was one of them... It's a really nice way to get a different
perspective....

Here is basil and JKW touching Merced Lake wall... (they were 2nd and 3rd)

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chick-on

Here is basil and JKW touching Merced Lake wall... (they were 2nd and 3rd)

Ahem... was this the wall that Basilbop and I touched with bare hands as opposed to your "paddle" touch??? That paddle gives you added reach!

If you go by skin contact, we were first and second.. and I'm not sure you did it at all... hehehehe....

Cool info...good discussion - thanks.
FYI, at this point in time, my summers hike to fish... and these rafts (as now weight has come down to something manageable - ~ 3 pounds total raft and paddle) make fishing the high lakes a real treat. Agreed, it is fun! BTW, I have never portaged (carried a backpack) in the raft...interesting.

Lakes fished Yosemite using the raft...Givens, Johnson, Royal Arch, Buena Vista, Hoover, two of the Chains, Breeze, Merced, Washburn, Edna, both the Harriets, Bernice, Voglesang, Upper Townsley, Hanging Basket, Ireland, Emeric, Kuna, Spillway, Smedberg, Benson, Rodgers, Both Cathedrals, middle Sunrise, Lower Ottoway, and Adair.
I can completely understand those who choose not to fish...(more for me!). It does take away much of one's hiking time. There is that learning curve in order to do it right, and can get a bit expensive too. I use a spinning rig on the lakes and chuck 3/8 Z-Rays - (the bigger lure for bigger fish theory).
A bit surprised we have not crossed paths.
thanks again,
Mark aka markskor (admin HighSierraTopix.com)

Very cool. Nice lakes way out there to boat. Did a few on Enda trip late last year...
(Harriet and Turner ... and WL 9911 and 10005) ...
On that trip with the wife... very typical... we saw ONE person (and a horse) ...
once we were in Yosemite for those 3 days... off trail... it is rare to see anyone...
So... it's not uncommon to see very very few people...
So even with WELL OVER 100+ days for many years in a row now... it's not surprising...
Some would say I have an aversion to trails... but I would just say I
am curious what is over there...

w/r to fishing... caught Cutthroat in Hanging Basket..
def. you can easily get a nice little rod and reel and spinner setup good for Yose for fairly cheap...

Have fun fishing!
o... there were gill nets in Obelisk Lake... I think I saw a sign this year stating the lakes...
But I have seen... Virginia, Roosevelt, Middle McCabe, and Obelisk now... from sitting here
just thinking... (which is sometimes dangerous)

Take Care!

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markskor
BTW, I have never portaged (carried a backpack) in the raft...interesting.

Before this year, I never have either... But it sure does open up options and makes boating some lakes much less painless if you are still trying to cover territory. In an early trip this year, we finished 5 days of hiking by getting through very intricate XC to the northeastern shore of Kibbie. Then we put our packs in the boats and paddled our way to the outlet, got out, packed the boats and scooted down the trail to the trailhead. Given where we dropped into Kibbie, if we couldn't have boated across the lake, the hike around would have taken us MUCH longer. MUCH. Very handy!

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markskor
Lakes fished Yosemite using the raft...Givens, Johnson, Royal Arch, Buena Vista, Hoover, two of the Chains, Breeze, Merced, Washburn, Edna, both the Harriets, Bernice, Voglesang, Upper Townsley, Hanging Basket, Ireland, Emeric, Kuna, Spillway, Smedberg, Benson, Rodgers, Both Cathedrals, middle Sunrise, Lower Ottoway, and Adair.

You have many I don't have yet... but Basilbop and I do have the Vogelsang-area lakes, including Boothe, Evelyn and Upper Fletcher...But chick-on has yet to get them... hehehehe. We'll probably be fixing that this year.. But you should feel free to needle him a bit.

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markskor
A bit surprised we have not crossed paths.

I am not that surprised you and Chick-on have not crossed paths yet... he is a rather elusive bird. Definitely prefers off-trail traveling, and if he senses people about... might just choose to steer clear...

I am still amused that Basilbop and I ran into him one year several weekends almost in a row (this is after Basilbop and Chick-on had "met" on this forum, but didn't really know each other) early season at BOF entrance and at various points in the Tuolumne area. One time, Chick-on was hiking with his wife, and I with my hubby, Basilbop, and we ran into each other and thought "what the heck is someone else doing out here now?" Turns out we both kinda thought the other group was a bit nutty. And I think we were all right. We're nutty about Yosemite and the Sierra!

Seeing all these threads of your guys boating adventures makes me want one! Have you guys boated the lakes in the Lewis Creek area or Townsley?

-Kevin

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KevinD
Seeing all these threads of your guys boating adventures makes me want one! Have you guys boated the lakes in the Lewis Creek area or Townsley?

-Kevin

Basilbop and I have boated Boothe, Vogelsang, Upper Fletcher, Townsley, Hanging Basket and Evelyn.

We've all done Emeric together.

Based on the spreadsheet, that's about it in the Vogelsang/Lewis Creek area... so far!

Just wanted to say thanks again for this discussion! Other than my regular hiking buddy, (BTW, a truly despicable lout and will gladly trade him for one of yours?)... have met very few who carry, (or even appreciate having) a raft along on their backcountry travels. Prolly explains why we have not crossed trails, as I (we) too regularly eschew the well-traveled paths, but have yet to encounter another rafter anywhere back woods Yosemite. Maybe we should not tell the others how fun?

Just a few more "raft related" thoughts...
Even though these are serious watercraft - well-designed and weight-rated - mine comes with the important caveat: Slack Water Only! These rafts are not meant for running white water or to be used in big waves.

Additionally, how we use the rafts differs. You seem to use them primarily to cover miles - you wear boots/long pants/carry packs along...rafting seemingly to avoid difficult terrain...very cool. I now understand why you opt for double paddles and getting your rafting done early mornings...Sierra glass/ no waves. You also seem to prefer the "multi-boat armada" approach for group safety...makes sense there too.

We use our rafts primarily for fishing...EG, Benson, Hanging Basket, or Edna... where steep granite walls limit easy shore access. Additonally, I fish in shorts, not really caring about a few paddle drips....single kayak paddle...no backpack. We fish mostly afternoons after the hiking is done, but usually will stay over a day too if in a prime fish area. - yes, we do get wet some using a single paddle.

Just quick a warning about wearing shorts and rafts...we were out at the Woodchucks (Shaver Lake/Wishon area) last year fishing...hit one (intentionally un-named) lake mid-hatch and the fishing turned amazing. I was constantly being dragged along all day by 15 inchers...most would jump once or twice and then spit the single hook lure (no trebles, especially when using rafts!)...hundreds of hits that day. Unfortunately, forgot about the sunburn issue @altitude and even though wore water shoes, my ankles ate it...developed humongus blisters even w/ sunblock...had to miss another trip immediately afterwards.

Also, as fishermen, protective and anti-social, we usually fish far apart - alas no buddy system - which explains my PFD question.

Moreover, cannot stress the importance of always tying off the raft when it's inflated and you are not in it - lakeside...one gust of wind and gone. At Convict Lake I learned this lesson the hard way...a 3 mile lesson.

Finally, I checked with my usual hiking buddy - an ex-SEKI backcountry Ranger (Roaring River) who has a copy of the offical rafting rule book. He says that JKW's paddle touch at Merced does not count - hands only. Also, about lakes Vogelsang area...

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"But chick-on has yet to get them... hehehehe. We'll probably be fixing that this year.. But you should feel free to needle him a bit."

...consider it done!

Raft safe!
Mark

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markskor
(BTW, a truly despicable lout and will gladly trade him for one of yours?)

Hm.. tempting pitch.. but no.. For my part, as much as I get needled by Basilbop and Chick-on, I think I'll keep them as hiking buddies! We have been having a bunch of fun adventures (including this weekend, which will hopefully get posted someday soon).

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markskor
Even though these are serious watercraft - well-designed and weight-rated - mine comes with the important caveat: Slack Water Only! These rafts are not meant for running white water or to be used in big waves.

Same with ours - flat water use! We have had the wind create some waves for us, and frankly, I think I found my personal limit on Vogelsang... I was worried I was getting tossed close to the point my pack getting knocked out! Definitely didn't want that!

And we have to carefully avoid everything from twigs and pine cones to rocks. Can't afford a gash in the main tube when you only have one tube! The floor is another story and though you'll get wet, we have found we can make it to shore...

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markskor
Additionally, how we use the rafts differs. You seem to use them primarily to cover miles - you wear boots/long pants/carry packs along...rafting seemingly to avoid difficult terrain...very cool. I now understand why you opt for double paddles and getting your rafting done early mornings...Sierra glass/ no waves. You also seem to prefer the "multi-boat armada" approach for group safety...makes sense there too.

I don't think of us using the boats to primarily cover miles. It seems like we've been covering a lot of miles in order to hit lakes so we can boat them. Just to boat them. Depending on the entire trip and time and conditions, we take everything we have and boat across the lake and continue on. However, I think our preferred (and probably still dominant method) is to dump our gear, boat like mad (and any island in a lake needs to be circumnavigated, preferably resulting in an interesting GPS track design) having fun and lazing about. I think we have developed a taste for lunching, when possible, on the lake. Sharing food and drinks and just putzing...

We have found that winds/waves that would cause Chick-on issues with the Blue Bomber are not a real concern with the Supai craft. We can slide across the water relatively easily...

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markskor
Unfortunately, forgot about the sunburn issue @altitude and even though wore water shoes, my ankles ate it...developed humongus blisters even w/ sunblock...had to miss another trip immediately afterwards.

The three of us always try to remain fully covered, even in summer, when boating, even if it's warm. We have all had boo-boos in the past with sunburn and have no wish to repeat them! Gotta definitely watch the gap at the ankles!!!

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markskor
Moreover, cannot stress the importance of always tying off the raft when it's inflated and you are not in it - lakeside...one gust of wind and gone. At Convict Lake I learned this lesson the hard way...a 3 mile lesson.

Yah, we learned quickly to tie the boats down! We use the paddle leashes to do this. Chick-on lost his boat briefly to the wind at Saddle Horse (Blue Bomber) and his pack (not in the boat) fell into the lake! Sadly, he lost yet another camera and I think a radio that day.. Never underestimate the wind!

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markskor
Finally, I checked with my usual hiking buddy - an ex-SEKI backcountry Ranger (Roaring River) who has a copy of the offical rafting rule book. He says that JKW's paddle touch at Merced does not count - hands only.

Just want to clarify, in case the wording here is unclear to those joining late... Chick-on touched the Merced Lake wall with his paddle and claimed "first!"... Basilbop and I touched the granite wall with bare skin - not just with the paddle - first and second. So, Chick-on's "touch" doesn't count! Ha!

Enjoy!!!