Bob Patton wrote:

Last fall on Sassafras I felt like it was time to get out. I thought I knew
there was a trail uphill from the creek, toward the ridge top. Spent
probably half an hour pulling myself hand-over-hand up the hill only to find
no trail and no sign of one, so had to slide all the way back down and make
my way back down the creek in the gathering dusk.

That reminds me ... I passed the S*ss*fr*ss Trail on my second time
out there, and it seemed a long way from the creek. :-) Do folks use
that trail for accessing the creek, or do you just rock-hop. I didn't
know the trail was there when I hit the creek, and I wound up just
crawling and wading my way up.

The images are marvelous - especially those of the mountains. There's a lush
sensuousness there that you just can't find in any other mountains. Thanks
for taking the time to post.

Thanks for taking the time to read the whole thing. :-) "Lush
sensuousness" is an apt description.

By the way, there are some very nice fish in BS, especially if you
slide/roll/crawl down the slopes into one of those inaccessible canyons. I
spent probably three hours last fall casting to a trout that must have been
18 inches (got a pitcher of 'im!). While working the pool I noticed a
humongous yellowjacket nest on a vertical wall of rock about four feet away
from me, head-high. Fortunately, we negotiated a live-and-let-live
arrangement and they didn't bother me. But the next day there was a spin
fisherman standing in that very spot throwing hardware into the pool. Hmmm .
. . ethical dilemma. Do I tell the guy about the bees? Do I ignore him? Or
do I fling a rock at the nest? (I guess that's a trilemma?)

Check to see if he's packing and if not, throw the rock. If he is
packing, warn him about the yellowjackets. :-)


Chuck Vance