Backcountry Travels

I recently caught up with Monty Currier, Environmental Scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Serving the Northern Region, Monty’s duties include Aquatic Education (Fish in the Classroom) /Public Outreach, Fishing in the City Program, reservoir research and fish stocking allocations for Shasta, Tehama, Modoc, Lassen, Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino, Trinity, and Siskiyou Counties. Also the district...
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I recently spent a morning with Justin Kroeze, Hatchery Manager II at the Moccasin Creek Fish Hatchery. Established in 1954, and one of 13 trout hatcheries managed by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), this is a designated hatchery for Region 4, and depending on the State’s budget, produces between 200,000 and 500,000 pounds of trout yearly. Please join me...
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There's a tiny locomotive on display in Chester, CA that was used from 1910 until 1914 to construct a dam on the North Fork Feather River, creating what is now Lake Almanor. Also used in the construction of nearby Butt Valley dam, the locomotive – named the Eureka – was of the “Dinky” line of engines and it spent over...
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According to visitation statistics from the National Park Service, a record five million people experienced Yosemite last year. Of these visitors, nearly 75% opt for the fair-weather months – many to see the majestic waterfalls – and most don’t venture outside of Yosemite Valley. Breaking things down, only 3% of all Yosemite visitors make the trip during the months of...
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Bordering Plumas and Lassen Counties, between the small northern California towns of Westwood and Greenville, Keddie Ridge separates Lake Almanor and Mountain Meadows Reservoir. Also known as Ridge World, this is a seemingly forgotten piece of remote California backcountry, situated precisely where the Sierra Nevada ends and the Cascade Range begins. The nearest town is Greenville located in Indian Valley, native...
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Sitting at 10,338 feet/elevation, south of Red’s Meadow just off the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), Lake Virginia nurtures a healthy population of golden trout. And nearby Purple Lake is a high quality rainbow trout fishery. This article chronicles a rainbow and golden trout backpacking trip to these awesome lakes located in the Ansel Adams Wilderness of the Sierra Nevada. Our trailhead...
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