Craig Ewing's "Space"
A Description Of 10,000 Feet, 2013

Friday, July 19th --
We -- my brother, our friend, and I -- woke up at 2:00am, ate breakfast, finished packing our gear, and left our
friend's place at 3:10.   We reached the trailhead at 6:45.   This year, it did not snow as much as the previous
year, so we did not have a problem crossing the creek like my brother and our friend experienced in 2011 and
had to go to another lake.   However, we speculated that it had rained quite a bit the previous night because
there was a lot of standing water, pools, etc. at various locations that did not usually exist along the drive and
the trail.   Also, we got somewhat wet while hiking when we brushed against grasses, branches, etc. and water
splashed on us.   But it was okay because it helped us stay cool.
We crossed paths with eight people while hiking.   We arrived at the lake at 10:10.   As usual, we went to our
typical campsite but two people were already camped there.   So, we went to one of the other three campsites
that are located at the lake.   It was okay because the second site was large enough for our two tents.   (My
brother and I shared one tent while our friend slept in his tent alone.   They determined that it was the best
scenario since our friend snores SO-O-O loudly.   Ha! Ha!)   Also, we discovered later that trees had fallen
over our belly boat (float tube) launching area and we found a better launching area near the second campsite.
We set up camp, were very anxious to get on the lake, so we started fishing right away -- at one o'clock --
without eating lunch.   My brother and our friend got in their belly boats but I couldn't do it because the boots
that our friend loaned me were too small for my feet.   So, they flyfished from their boats while I fished with
spinning gear from the shore.   While we fished, four men arrived at the lake.   They set up their camp at the
third campsite which is near our favorite campsite.   We finished at three o'clock, ate a late lunch, and napped
until 3:45.   Afterwards, we went fishing again.   While we fished, our friend and I got water from the spring on
the side of the mountain.   We finished fishing, ate dinner, and got into the tents at 8:05.   The primary reason
was because rain was threatening and it sprinkled for about 15 minutes starting at 8:10.   Being tired from
getting up early, the hike, and fishing, we were done for the day.
Fish Caught: Our friend -- 6 (Chernobyl Ants and Adams dry flies); my brother -- 6 (Chernobyl Ants and
Adams dry flies); Me: 2 (red-and-white daredevils)
Planes: 51
People: 6 (and 1 dog)

Saturday, July 20th --
My brother got up at 6:15 and I got up at 6:25.   I walked to the entrance of the lake and scared two deer that
were there.   (I also scared myself when they darted away!)   I took several photographs of the landscape.   At
8:00, our friend woke up.   We ate breakfast -- instant oatmeal and breakfast bars.   Our friend had trouble
with his (bunson) burner.   It turned out that one or more of the pipes were plugged.   Eventually, he solved the
problem.   It was a good thing because our breakfasts and dinners depended upon the burner working!
At 9:30, we started fishing.   My brother stated that he usually did not have much success if he started fishing
before 9:00 or 9:30.   At 2:15, we stopped.   We had a lot of success, although as usual we had many hits by fish
when we did not hook them.   We estimated that whenever we fished at this lake, we caught one fish for every
seven hits that we got.   I had one problem prior to fishing.   When I was putting on the boots over my waders,
the sole for one of them broke off.   So I simply put the sole between the boot and the flipper.   Later, the other
sole broke off.   My friend later informed me that the boots were about fifteen years old.   No wonder they
broke!   While we were fishing, a man who was day-hiking/fishing with his dog arrived at the lake.   The four
men who arrived at the lake the previous day left at 4:30.   They might have gotten wet during the hike because
there was a small storm passing along the trail at that time.   Also, there were two other small storms between
2:30 and 2:45 plus 3:40 and 3:55.
This time while fishing, I noticed how many more dead trees that there were on the mountains around the lake.
It turns out that the pine beetles that were killing lodgepole pine trees on the western slope of Colorado had
arrived along the eastern slope.   I cannot express how sad I was to realize it since it meant that unless the
upcoming winter had weather that dropped down cold enough and long enough to kill the beetles, probably all
of the trees would soon be dead.   Speaking with my brother and our friend about it later, I said that I
estimated that all of the trees would be gone in seven years.   My brother estimated that it would happen
sooner -- in two years.   Please! Please! Please!   Let this winter kill all of the pine beetles!
Fish Caught: Our friend -- 10 (Chernobyl Ants and Adams dry flies); my brother -- 6 (Chernobyl Ants and
Adams dry flies); Me: 4 (Adams dry fly, Rainbow trout streamers)
Planes: 48
People: 1 (and 1 dog)

Sunday, July 21st --
My brother got up at 6:20.   I woke up when he got up but went back to sleep.   I woke up later, as did our
friend, at 8:05.   Wow!   Maybe I slept longer because it had been windier the previous night and I frequently
woke up because the tent was flapping.   One thing that we remembered was that there were either no
mosquitoes or fewer mosquitoes whenever the wind blew.   So, we didn't mind the wind.   I walked down to the
lake and waved at my brother.   When he did not respond that he was going to return to the shore (in order to
eat breakfast), our friend and I ate.   Around 9:10, our friend and I went fishing.   While I was fishing, my pole
came apart twice.   (It was constructed with four pieces and I only had one of the pieces in my hand when it
came apart.)   Our friend and my brother had a bet where our friend said that it would happen after noon that
day.   It first happened at 11:40am.   So my brother won the bet.   Ha! Ha!   While we were fishing, three day-
trip men arrived at the lake.   We finished fishing around 5:30 and ate dinner.   As usual, my brother went to
bed around 8:30.   That is his usual routine every day at home.   Since the sky was clear, I stayed up to see the
night sky.   I saw the nearly full moon; stars Vega, Arcturus, and Spica; the Big Dipper (Ursa Major); and
Saturn.
Fish Caught: Our friend -- 10 (Chernobyl Ants and Adams dry flies); my brother -- 13 (Chernobyl Ants and
Adams dry flies); Me: 6 (red-and-white daredevils, stone flies (hellgramites), woolly worms, Rainbow trout
streamers)
Planes: 48
People: 3

Monday, July 22nd --
My brother and I got up around 6:45.   As usual, our friend slept in.   I teased him about sleeping so much
during the trip.   (He was sleeping about eleven hours every night and also napping for about two hours every
afternoon.)   He explained that the reasons were because he was tired from -- (1) Taking care of his father
during the past year until he passed away about one month before our trip; (2) Working on his rental
properties and selling his dad's home; and (3) Preparing to sell his house and buying other property.   I did not
realize that he was enduring all of those issues and later apologized to him about teasing him.   After our friend
got up, we ate breakfast and they went fishing for the last time.   I stayed behind and prepared some of my
things for the hike back down the hill.   After I finished, I joined them on the lake, this time in my belly boat.   I
did not catch any fish but I had a few hits.   My brother caught one fish and our friend caught two fish.   As
usual, they used only Chernobyl Ants as the leading flies and Adams dry flies as the trailing flies.   They
finished fishing around 10:15 and I finished about 15 minutes later.
Afterwards, we ate some granola bars and breakfast bars while we packed up our stuff.   They finished quickly
and waited for me to finish.   (I think that it took longer for me to do it because I am too much of a perfectionist
and wanted to pack as efficiently as possible.   Sorry, guys!)   At 12:05, we left camp.   When we reached the
point of the lake where we would turn to go down the trail, I walked to the lake.   My brother and our friend
knew what I was going to do -- say 'See you later, Dad!', so they started walking while I stood there.   It gets
more and more difficult to leave my favorite place in the world.   Maybe it was magnified during this trip
because I had not been there for three years.
The walk back to our friend's truck and the trailhead was nice and uneventful.   We crossed paths with about
eight people in their 20's who were on a 5-day hiking trip to both another lake and "our lake".   When I
reached the point where I was about one mile from the end of the trail, I decided to walk the rest of the way
without stopping.   And I made it!   But wow, my shoulders hurt!   It's a good thing that I have some sheepskin
pads to put between my shoulders and my backpack's straps or it would be REALLY painful!   While I waited
for my brother and our friend to arrive, I took some photographs of the surrounding mountains.   There were
some trees that had been killed by pine beetles, but the devastation was not as bad as the mountains
surrounding "our lake".   During the drive through the mountains, I took some more photographs of the
mountains.   Most of the mountains were green with pine trees.   Others were either black or brown from pine
beetle kill and/or trees burned by a recent forest fire.   As my brother stated, "If the trees weren't killed by
pine beetles, then they were killed by forest fires."   But even with this situation, you know that I'll go back
there next year!
Fish Caught: Our friend -- 2 (Chernobyl Ants and Adams dry flies); my brother -- 1 (Chernobyl Ants and
Adams dry flies); Me: 0
Planes: 7
People: 8

Epilogue -- There were many different types of flies hatching during the trip.   At one point, our friend and I
counted up to six simultaneous hatches.   They included mayflies, cadisses, red-and-black (flying) ants, 2-inch
stone flies (hellgramites), and tiny black midges.   There were even butterflies -- white ones, yellow ones, and
Monarchs.   For the first time that I ever noticed, there was "seaweed" growing in some places in the lake.   I
noticed it because I caught one fish, it dove down, I paddled over so that I was straight over it, gently pulled
the line until it got free, and when the fish came to the surface, it was covered in about one pound of seaweed.  
Wow!
On Saturday, my brother, our friend, and I all had fish on our lines at the same time.   (That was the only time
that it happened during the trip.)   Two trees at our favorite campsite had red tape around them, indicating
that they were killed by pine beetles and needed to be cut down because of the potential of them falling down
and possibly hurting or killing people.   The tape read "Killer Tree".   On "the glacier" and the "snowfield",
there was no snow at all.   That indicated that less snow fell that year than most years.   My brother pointed
out that it was the same situation during 2012.   Last, most of the time when we would bend over to do
something (eg, fill a water bottle), when we stood up, we would get a head rush.   That has always happened
whenever we go to "our lake", but it is something that I do not remember until I go there and it happens again.

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