09/01 - ?? - Grand Slam of Great Western Lakes

[El and Bill]

The info on Jackson Lake has sure been helpful. We'll definitely plan more time on the lake than originally intended, Jay. Knowing we can have unlimited anchorage and lots of good places to hook, with a good ramp and storage nearby makes all the difference.

The fishing info is most helpful -- both for the fishers amongst us but also for the importance to the ecosystem. Thanks, folks.

We're in Oak Harbor, swinging on the hook, after a nice dinner ashore last night with C-Cakes folks. We will probably pull from the salt water on Thursday am, scrape green off the bottom, and head to Yellowstone. Perhaps launch into the lake Friday evening, then head to Colorado to snag two grandkids and return to Yellowstone with them Sunday night. Looking forward to seeing the rest of you Yellowstone lovers -- and will sure miss Jim and Joan up there.

[JamesTXSD]

[JamesTXSD]

[Yellowstone]

Jim B - sorry you and Joan can't join us at the gathering in August. Hope to see you on the water sometime. About your "big bucket" theory of how the lake trout got into Yellowstone Lake, at first I was somewhat skeptical, but it is a reasonable analysis. I always believed that the
lake trout have been in the lake longer than since 1988. But without some kind of speciman showing a longer life cycle, it is very plausible.
The NPS planted six different species of fish in past years in the big lake, including Atlantic Salmon, mountain whitefish, and rainbow trout, but they obviously didn't take hold. Just today three fellows returned my cargo canoe after 5 days in the Southeast Arm. They had fish hard during this time, and had a few strikes. At the lagoon camp, they found many, many small lake trout in the shallow water, which reinforces the possibility of the dump bag bringing them in from Lewis or perhaps Heart Lake. There are only six air miles separating Lewis from West Thumb, and with a low divide between, I wouldn't be surprised in all the smoke and confusion, the helicopter pilots were paying attention to drainages with the fires everywhere.

In 2003 I spent four days in the South Arm with a retired fishery biologist who has a very sober analysis of what is in store for the Yellowstone Lake cutthroat. He believes that every species has an end point in its life cycle, which may be triggered by a host of variables. His informed opinion is that the east slope cutthroat evolved under special conditions that had to be met to remain viable. Suddenly, catastrophic fires damaged sensitive spawning grounds reducing the critical mass necessary to maintain the species. Disease is now present. The black cormorant has increased significantly (a very adept predator on spawning cutthroat), man has over fished the lake for decades, and now comes the lake trout with its demonstrated capacity to raise havoc. Put together, the cutthroat may be doomed. I hope not. But the spawning counts keep dropping, and unless a reversal occurs soon, it may be too late. Understand I'm speaking with the difference between preferring and predicting. John

[flrockytop]

Making final prep to embark on this journey and have a question about communications. I figure everyone has marine VFH but what about other coms do people have FMRS, GMRS, Ham ?? I know Thataway is a ham and I will have ham 2 meter and of course cell. Just wondering what I need to bring to "hook up" with others?

Thanks
Roger

[Hunkydory]

Roger

VHF and cell phone for us except for really remote cruising then we purchase a set amount of minutes and time for our sat phone. Cell phone coverage on Yellowstone Lake is very spotty except for West Thumb. Jackson Lake good coverage most of lake. Have used cell phones on Flaming Gorge and Lake Powell, but can't remember just how spotty. Can't imagine really needing anything more than what you have.

Jay

[flrockytop]

Thanks Jay,

I was mainly talking about keeping coms with the other c-brats especially since there maybe some simultaneous land travel in doing "The Grand Slam" and possible enroute communications.

Roger

[El and Bill]

Since few are hams, the best communications en route and between the lakes will be cell phone -- on Yellowstone, cellular is basically out except a few spots (like Jay says, West Thumb is about it). We've had a great time in Yellowstone (with two of the grandkids) -- cool evenings and delightful days. See you guys soon.

[flrockytop]

[SeaSpray]

We plan on leaving the Sacramento area on Sunday - unless we get antsy and leave early. I am planning a leisurely drive and stopping anywhere that looks interesting (have never been able to do that before). We will probably arrive Tue. the 19th or the 20th.

Steve

[Hunkydory]

We plan on arriving early afternoon on the 20Th.

Wishing you a safe and pleasant road trip Roger and Steve.

Jay

[El and Bill]

Fires are mostly out in Yellowstone now. One smaller one was near the marina and causing some smoke visibility problem, but mostly cured now. The others were closer to Cody, and big smoke from them -- helicopters, fire crews, bombers -- the whole 9 yards, but they did a good job and Mother Nature largely finished them off with a good soaking rain near week's end.

Now back in CO, to return the g'daughters for school, and then head out maybe Wednesday or thereabouts to get back to Halcyon.

[flrockytop]

We are making progress. We left Pensacola around noon on Wed and got to Monroe, La the first night. We didn't feel like cooking so we got a roasted chicken from a local grocery store. The chicken didn't exactly taste fresh. We had the rest for lunch on Tuesday. All was going well until about 4pm, then Mary Jo started getting really sick. At about the same time one of my alarms on one of the trailer tires went off and showed the pressure down to 14lbs. When I could pull over and check sure enough the tire was low on air. I changed the tire and we headed on to Texoma Lake. By the time we got there Mary Jo was really feeling bad and was not up to assisting getting the the boat and RV into the very tight RV site. It took me getting into and out of the RV about eight times checking that all was well and I wasn't going to hit anything. Wed morning she was much better. We launched the boat and cruised round on the lake for a couple of hours. We left there around noon today and are now in a campground at Guthrie, OK. We're almost half way there. Our location can be traked by clicking on the TRACK ME HERE link in my signature.

[Hunkydory]

Roger

Though bad enough, good to hear Mary Jo's bout with the chicken bug ended as soon as it did.

Before you posted had already checked your progress on the SPOT map. Amazing how well the campground your in tonight shows up on the sat map. Also noticed you had taken a boat ride yesterday. It is interesting to follow your traveling progress.

See ya in a few days,

Jay

[Yellowstone]

Folks - We will be on the lake sometime Wed. p.m. (20th).Reserved slip
B8 - See you soon. John & Edna