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  1. #1
    Senior Member pgibson's Avatar
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    Hard Rock Creek and Upper Hazard Lakes Idaho

    So the idea for a trip above McCall Id came up a couple months ago from Trout, but his plans changed so he could not make it. I asked around and Idahomutt was able to take a couple days off late last week so we meet up early Thursday in Boise and drove the couple hours to the trail head into Hard Rock Creek Lake.



    We hiked the 2 miles into the lake through knee beep grass, amongst burned trees. The area had been hit by a fire a few years before, but was starting to recover well.

    In about an hour we crested a rocky hill to see the lake in front of us.





    We got out the fishing gear and tried, with no luck, for a couple hours. We decided to hike the one mile over the hill to Upper Hazard Lake and check it out.

    Along the way we hiked through fields of wild flowers.





    We found a spot that looked promising for hanging along the outlet stream.



    It even had some fire wood gathered for us already. A short while latter a group of groundlings arrived and where looking for a spot to camp, they settled for a spot at the edge of the lake next to the trail.

    We fished the lake for a bit but had no luck in this one either. After dinner as the sun was beginning to drop I tried the lake one more time while IDMutt hiked around the hills above camp a bit.


    I still could not get any fish to pay my flies any attention but the mosquito's would not leave me alone for a second. After a bit I heard some whistling from the hill side and looked up to watch one large buck after another marching down the valley at the side of the lake.

    We kicked back for a bit once we got a nice smokey fire going that put the mosquitoes down. As the light fades we both dropped back into our hammocks and passed out to the sound of the nearby creek.

    As the sun crested the ridge we packed our gear and were on the trail back to the lower lake hoping to hit it early enough to catch the fish feeding. We quietly made our way past the grounglings that were still trying to sleep.


    Rested the tree people were on the trail with the sun, we had gotten up, eaten, packed and were on our way.





    The breeze was a bit strong and had the lake kicked up a bit more than looked good for fishing, but after a while I finally landed a small brooky. But while IDmutt went for my camera that I had left with my pack he flipped out of my had and like a shot was gone back into the lake.

    We decided to hit the trail back to the car and get to McCall in time for lunch.

    The 2 miles few by with most of it down hill. for the first 3/4 miles I carried the Dixon Roller Pack as the trail in spots was very rocky and steep, but after that I switched back to rolling and then we really picked up the pace. Rolling down hill on nice open trail was a cruise.





    In no time at all we were back at the car and on our way to McCall for lunch at a freinds deli, followed by ice cream and a drive down the river canyon home. Not really planned that way but car to car was about 24 hours and just a bit longer with drive times. it made for a nice trip, I wanted to have caught more fish but like we decided it was good to be out on the trail.
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  2. #2
    Senior Member bigred72's Avatar
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    Nov 2009
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    Looks like I need to head north. Great pics and trip report!!!
    Bigred

  3. #3
    Senior Member pgibson's Avatar
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    Thanks BigRed, come on up any time would be happy to hike into some lakes with yah.
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  4. #4
    Senior Member gargoyle's Avatar
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    Sa-Weet Paul, I'm always impressed with the grandeur of your corner of the world. You didn't go swimming? EXCELLENT PICS!
    Ambulo tua ambulo.

  5. #5
    Senior Member pgibson's Avatar
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    No swimming, still way to early in the spring up there to do any swimming That water is just barely warmer than ice water. Another month or so and the shallower lakes will be ok for a swim.
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  6. #6
    Senior Member TOB9595's Avatar
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    What a great trip PG!

    Hmmmm
    Slipped out of my hand and darted like a flash back into the water.....JUST before a pic could be taken....
    What do you take us for????
    Hahahahahaha
    Tom

  7. #7
    Senior Member pgibson's Avatar
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    Yah and it was as long as my hammock too.
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  8. #8
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    Beautiful area. Snowmobiled that area a lot. Have never seen it without snow. I need to get back out west, sometime soon. Thanks for the pics.

  9. #9
    New Member outkastblast's Avatar
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    Paul,

    I'm still bummed I couldn't make that trek with you. During my family reunion in McCall I convinced some of the fam to do a day hike. We were aiming for a leisure stroll on a 7 mile roundtrip journey with elevation gain of only 400 feet. We never did find that trailhead (can't remember the name) but found a sign for Snow Slide Lake. It said it was 2 miles, so we decided to do it. Well, in that two miles, it's an elevation gain of over 1,900 feet! Hardest hike I've done in a loooong time, but the lake is gorgeous. We might need to try to sneak back up there before the warm season is over, eh?

  10. #10
    Senior Member Poppabear's Avatar
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    Great trip report and pictures and the is some really beautiful country. Thanks for sharing.
    Terry

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