Non Yak and About a Month Old--Backpacking Henry Coe Park

I was telling this story to Bill and Anglo on the bean surfventure.  Finally got the pics.

The plan: Henry Coe Park labor day weekend
Target Destination: Jack Rabbit Lake 13 miles in 13 miles out with contingency plan of Kingsburg pond at the halfway point if we needed to stop early.

We parked our rig at the ranger station off of highway 152 near casa de fruta, paid our permit fees and split down a switchback trail through a small valley.
First stop in a creekbed about a mile in to make gear adjustments.
The squad....Mario, Rob, Hippie Mike


We left that spot and Rob was on a serious pace, we told him to slow down but dude was pulling well ahead of us.  He's about 20 yards ahead of us cruising through a dried up creekbed when he screams out Wholly **** and jumps back about 3 feet.  We catch up to him and there's about a 3 foot rattler in striking position. The ensuing conversation/argument/scene was like a page out of Lord of the Flies....the snake, despite having 2 hippies arguing to save its life, did not survive.  We finished the remainder of that trail and pulled out to a fire road. 3 miles done.

We found some shade and pulled off the boots to change socks.

This spot was elevated over a little valley about a hundred yards deep right behind the guys.  As we're all sitting there shoeless we heard branches cracking and a sudden rush over leaves down there.  2 seconds later a boar starts squealing and struggling with a little growling mixed in.  As if running into a rattle snake wasn't bad enough we just heard a mountain lion ambush a freakin pig.....crazy ****.

We got our packs on quick and got on our way. The next 1.5 miles was all uphill on a hot, dusty fire road, 20% grade according to the sign.  It was a bitch but we made it.

We stopped for lunch, Rob stripped and took a nap, Mario navigating.



Hippie Mike turned into a medic, Rob got his feet patched, moleskin is the ****.


We made a brief stop at the trail head for Kingsburg and decided we were good to go so we pushed through.  I wanted to go to Missisppi Lake but was outvoted.

Oristimba Creek Bed, 25 lbs of gear and food.....15 lbs of water.  heavymutha


Jackrabbit Lake



Camp....I didn't mind the extra 5 pounds of tent, the others, they decided they didn't want the extra weight.


And they paid for it....Rob had one of these bad boys slip in his bag and bite him in the nuts.  Dead Center of the pic, fire ant the size of a finger nail.


The next morning we got up and fished.  You'd expect a lake miles and miles out in the middle of nowhere to produce at least one decent fish for a meal but the lake is loaded with dinks.....It would be jerky, maccaroni and freeze dried vegetables for 3 days. Yum.



The fish were there in good numbers though.  Those weeds pretty much choked the shoreline but the fish were holding in obvious structure.  I'm pretty much the only one of us who knew what they were doing so I set everyone up with a texas rigged berkley powerworm and showed everyone how to flip. Worked out excellent considering they brought 8' telescoping rods with monster spinning reels and 20lb test line. For the couple hours we fished it was about a dozen fish per rod.

Mario got bored of pitching worms and catching fish so he starts experimenting with random lures. He ties on some of the most F' ed up contraptions I've ever seen, spinner baits with no skirts, a little cleo with a 2 oz pyramid sinker in front fo it so he could cast it further with his 30lb rig.  Then he pulls out a crankbait, a sinking model.  I told him its probably not the best choice since the lake has weeds growing out about 10-12' from the bank accross the whole lake but he proceeds.  Me and the others moved further up the bank to work a tule bed.  As were pulling out fish after fish we call over to him to put a worm on and come over to get in on the action.  He says hold on, then says he might need some help.  So he walks over and says he got the crankbait snagged his shirt. (told him to hang tight while I grabbed the camera)



I asked him what the **** happened and he said he was pulling it out of the weeds and it slingshotted back at him....I asked if he felt the hook bury into his back, he didn't feel anything and said to stop fucking around and just get it off his shirt. 

Barb was in deep



I told him I have good news, bad news and a personal thought on the matter.

Good news, I know the two methods of hook removal.
Bad news, I've never actually had to perform the procedure.
Personal thought, it doesn't surprise me that he's the first dumbass I have to remove a hook from.

Backwoods medicine. Have a seat the doctor will be with you in a second.


Wood Spoon = Pain Killer


Cut cut here, snip snip there, here a snip there a snip, everywhere a snip snip. 



I cut off all the exposed hooks on the treble then explained to him that I can wrap a loop of line through the hook and brace the eye while yanking it out or I could pass the hook all the way through his skin, cut the hook then thread it out.  He was against ripping anything out so I had to thread the hook all the way through.  It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, the treble was really small and skin is tough ****.  I was able to get the tip of the hook through and hold it in place with a set of nail clippers while clipping the last hook off.  I used the needle nose to grip the hook tip then pull it out in one quick shot. Some alcohol swabs, advil and a warning to never ever do that **** in my presence again and he was good to go. 
Probably the gnarliest thing I've ever had to do on a fishing excursion.

We hung out till noon, had lunch, a quick dip in the lake, made water, then packed camp and headed back to Kingsburg Pond so Mondays hike wasn't so long.  We did the hike in about 4 hours and arrived here for the final day of camp. 


Same size fish except this time they went crazy on topwater for me.  Good stuff.  There was alot more bugs and spiders at this lake than the other so we had to deet up.  For the second day in a row I was glad I had my tent.  Right before sundown I was cozied up in it and hippie mike got stung by a bee.  I used my snake bite kit to remove the poison but he said it still hurt.

We packed up in the morning and split, on the trail back to the main fire road we came accross a couple boars that eyed us real quick then tore off back into the bushes. A couple miles into the trek home and a truck on the fire road came up behind us.  Rob had enough of the hiking so they gave us a ride back to the station.  It was an adventure I would repeat but only to a better destination.  For the amount of effort it takes to get out there, jackrabbit sucked

Great report, AG.  Shoulda Roleez'd a yak in there.   

  Nice adventure!  Good thig that boar happened by in the wash when it did, that cat was probably sizing you guys up before it came along! 

Coe is hot, steep and truly wild.  Glad you all survived more or less intact

Man, that brings back some memories. I haven't been back in there for years. Thanks for the great report+pics Art!
PK

hilarious!  I forwarded the report to one of my coworkers.  he took his fiancee to Coe that SAME weekend for a two night hike.  He thought he was being all hardcore traveling 18 miles roundtrip from the HQ... until he saw your report.   

Looks like a lot of fun, thanks for sharing.

Art,

Your reports are great, I always enjoy them,

Thanks

Dale L

Classic report AG! Your buddies w/ the huge rods are hilarious. Looks like they're going perching. What happened to the REI Hobitat tent?

Z

Yeah.  I thought I was bad, I had to get a $5 zebco spincasting rod from walmart cause its the only packable 2 piece casting style rod I could find to pitch jigs with.  I didn't pay any attention to their gear till we got there and Rob unveils the telephone pole spooled with 30 pound line of an unknown vintage. I particulary like how he's highsticking a 14 oz bass and there's no bend in his rod at all.  Mario and Mike had telescoping 8' rods that were lighter action and not that bad but their tackle was a joke.  Mario was such a weight nazi about the backpacks so I didn't have a problem letting him know about the 3 pounds of worthless crap he brought along.  Earlier I had told him to tie direct with a loop knot instead of using a snap swivels but he didn't pay attention. Later I appolgized for giving him crap about the swivels, I didn't have the foresight to think about the quick disconnect capabilities if someone was stupid enough to play dodgeball with a ure full of sharp hooks. 

The Hobitat is probably gonna see early retirement....I lust bought a cabover camper for my truck  

 

great report.   I am going to send this to my Coe Packing Buddies. 
you guys had plenty of excitement on that trip. 

I went in to Mississippi earlier this year and was similarly disappointed.   Long distance for smallish fish.    I suspect the fire might have had an adverse effect on the lakes.