It was time for a fishing trip and we couldn’t go too far from the house (waiting for the bank to approve the short sale) so we headed up Highway 410 over Chinook Pass and into the Naches River valley. The area is filled with clear mountain streams rumored to have decent trout fishing. Our angling success was hit and miss, but we enjoyed the heck out of exploring the streams and the area.
Our little home dwarfed by Mount Rainier, peeking out from behind the clouds.
Our first target was the Little Naches Campground about 20 miles down from the pass. We tried to squeeze into a camp slot, but after a few attempts and reminders of the horror of getting stuck between trees in Montana, we headed back upstream to the Pleasant Valley Campground on the American River. It was tight getting settled into Pleasant Valley, but we pulled it off and got a sweet spot. We had no hook-ups, just power from our solar panels and 65 gallons of fresh water in our tanks. There was no cell phone signal and zero chance for TV. Thankfully we got one country music station on the radio…we were “out there”. After being tucked under the shade of the trees for three days, our solar system struggled, but we were very content.
We thoroughly fished the American River both upstream and downstream of the campground and got skunked. Where were the gullible mountain trout we were seeking?!? We did see a few dozen Chinook Salmon that were spawning and laying eggs after their long swim from the Pacific, up the Columbia River, making a left turn up the Yakima, and another left turn up the Naches River. It just amazes us how these fish trek 450 miles through several dams and up 3,400 feet in elevation. We tried not to disturb them so they could complete their mission and pass on their robust genes to the next generation of Chinooks.
Wednesday morning we awoke to the start of a splendid day. The few campers that had shared the area with us the night before were packing up and leaving. We had the entire campground to ourselves for almost 36 hours with only the sound of the rushing river! We joked about “owning” our river-side retreat. Our little dog was able to run free and we could prance around the woods naked or go skinny dipping… if we wanted to… Just two other camp slots were filled by the third evening but we still felt like we had our own private sanctuary. By Friday evening, the campground was full. We dream about the upcoming “off season” and the opportunity of having other secluded places all to ourselves.
Late on that quiet afternoon we drove back down to fish the Little Naches River. I ended up getting 4 or 5 rainbow trout and 2 cutthroat trout, 3-7 inches long. They were beautiful fish that recklessly smacked a grasshopper fly. Ah, gullible trout are so much fun!
On day three we planned to hike up to Fife Ridge, but couldn’t find the trailhead. Instead we had a leisurely 2 mile stroll through the woods on horse trails. There was still plenty of the day left, so we decided to do a bike ride. We rode over 25 miles and nearly 1,000 feet up the Bumping River road to Bumping Lake. The road followed the river and allowed us to scope out potential fishing holes. The lake was really pretty and begged for us to come back with the kayaks.
After a quick break from the bike ride, we grabbed the fishing gear and headed back to the Bumping River. We chose a good spot and worked our way up river. Arleen caught a 6 inch rainbow trout. I hooked a couple, but didn’t land them. We had trouble crossing the swift river, but managed to stay on our feet by locking arm in arm. The Bumping River had a few gullible trout in it, but surely, we could find more.
On our last full day at Pleasant Valley, we decided to drive up to Chinook pass and hike to the Dewey Lakes. Mount Rainier was out in all his glory. Like many things that massive and majestic, pictures don’t do it justice. The hike ended up being 7 miles and part of it was a loop around Naches Peak. On the east side of the loop there was quite a bit of snow and meadows filled with lush grass and “spring” flowers. When we got up to the saddle, we were treated to an amazing view of the lakes below us. About 45 minutes later I was standing in the cold water of Little Dewey Lake and catching brightly colored brook trout left and right…a gullible trout mother load! Arleen tried her luck on Big Dewey Lake and caught the largest trout of the day…a seven inch “monster”. The grasshopper fly was totaled after getting nailed by 30 or so trout! What an awesome day…
On day number five we moved 20 miles down the valley to “Squaw Rock RV Park”. We were glad to have electricity and get out of “conserve” mode with water and waste, but we still didn’t have a cell signal or TV. We backed the trailer to within a few feet of the river bank and were very happy with our new home. Arleen did the laundry and we both tried to stay cool in the 90F heat. We drove roughly 15 miles further down the valley to the town of Naches to eat some good food, restock supplies, and fill the truck with go-juice. We lingered at the restaurant to take advantage of the good 3G cell signal and catch up on emails and make phone calls. By the time we got back to the campground the temperature had cooled and there was a river out the back door that supposedly had trout in it. I fished until the sun went down and got skunked. Moving, setting up, doing laundry, going to “town” to resupply and find a good cell signal, and fishing as the goes down is a typical day in our new life…outstanding!
I fished the river behind the trailer shortly after the sun came up the next morning and got nothing. Maybe somebody lied about the trout?!? Later that afternoon we went to “Boulder Cave” ( http://www.nachesvalleychamber.com/info/bouldercave.html ). A short 3/4 mile hike ends at a cave with a small stream running through it. We “canyoneered” down the stream with towering cliff walls on both sides. Arleen’s route selection was sometimes questionable, but she managed to stay on her feet and only got a small cut…a good day for her!! We stopped at “Gold Creek Station” for food on the way back. I had honey bbq ribs with garlic mashed potatoes and Arleen had beer battered prawns and garlic mashed potatoes. We were both very pleased and topped it off with fresh blackberry cobbler…yum yum!
It’s no wonder that Arleen manages to damage herself all of the time!
(She is climbing over the tree in the upper left corner. The pictures are in order.)
On our final full day in the Naches River Valley, we got up early (~6:00am) and headed up the valley to fish the Little Naches River. The fish didn’t cooperate…I only managed to catch one small rainbow trout. On our way back to the trailer we stopped at Boulder Cave and nearly had the area to ourselves unlike the zoo it was the day before (a Sunday). We lingered in the cave with our headlamps and enjoyed the cool cave air. Later that evening I gave the Naches River in our back yard another shot to prove that it had fish in it. Sure enough, it does! I caught about 10 fish and had a few others on the line. Most were 4-6 inch rainbow and cutthroat trout, but I also caught an 8 or 9 inch mountain whitefish and the real “monster” of the trip…a 20 inch, 4 or 5 pound bull trout. It was a tough battle while standing in the swift current and using an ultra-light rod with four pound test line. I briefly admired the endangered fish and then sent it back to rule its section of river.
View from the back window of the trailer Fishing the Naches River in our “back yard”
We really enjoyed the Naches River Valley. My favorite stream was the Little Naches. It was just the right size, had plenty of room to cast flies, interesting water to fish around every bend, and willing trout. There are lots of hiking trails around Chinook Pass and in the valley. There are a couple side roads that are good for cycling, though I’d avoid busy Highway 410 which has minimal shoulders most of its route.
Lesson learned: We discovered the limits of our solar system. On day three in full shade at Pleasant Valley, our batteries struggled by evening. If the batteries weren’t fully charged, we wouldn’t be able to get the slides in for departure. The solution…hook up to the truck. We let the truck’s engine charge the batteries for 30 minutes the morning we left. That provided enough juice to charge the batteries and get the slides in. This simple solution will get us through short winter days, shady camp sites, and dreary weather.
Our view at Chinook Pass on the way back to the house… a little freaky when being pushed downhill on a curvy road by a heavy trailer!
We plan to be at the house for about a week. With any luck, the bank will ok the short sale of our house and we will hit the road for good. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers. An extra special thanks to our neighbors, John and Cindy, for looking after the house. John…I love you man!
