Hazel Creek Advice

[lexfly]

I am planning a backcountry trip to Hazel Creek for weekend of Oct 24th. Taking the ferry across and have reservations at site 83 for Saturday nite & figured to stay at 84 or 85 on Friday. It has been a few years since I’ve done a backcountry trip and I’ve never been to Hazel Creek. I’m just looking for any pointers on flies to use, food storage, etc. so I can maximize the enjoyment of the experience. I understand there used to be carts to help take your stuff up at the trailhead. I was wondering if this is still true? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thx.

[Speckleman5]

I think you may have that misunderstood. You can bring a cart and use one but I dont think there are any there for you to use.

[old tom]

Haven't been in several years, but under the prevous owner of the marina, you could rent carts from them. Never done it so I don't know the price. But there are none at the trailhead.

IMHO, site 84 is much nicer than 85. 85 is right on the trail. But if you can get a reservation at 83 for both nights, I'd do it. I'd rather fish than spend time breaking down and setting up camp.

All Park Service sites now have a cable hanging system for your food. Use them. If you use them to hang your pack too, hang your food separately. Mice are as big, if not a bigger problem than bears as far as food is concerned. They have no qualms about chewing thru a $200 pack to get at a bagle. I've heard of food bags that are reinforced with a wire mesh of some type - but I've never seen one. Might check around at your local backpacking store.

Keep a watch on Byron's fishing report for flys - he's usually right on.

[Gypsy]

This is my two cents on the mice. This is a proven method, I have used in camping, and my previous job working at remote cell towers. Double bag everthing in vacum seal bags (bought at Wal-Mart or anywhere) the big kind you can reuse and seal with a vacum cleaner. Then line the outer bag with moth ball crystel sacks (also at Walley World) these are small sacks (1inX2in) and they do not dissolve like moth balls (as fast). If you do not use vacum bags your food will have a bit of a moth ball taste, it is better with the vacum bags. Mice and snakes hate the smell, and the vacum bags last forever if you take care of them. Give it a try.
For your expensive cork buys some of those womens hair bands (the things like rubber bands but not rubber bands because mice chew rubber bands and rubber bands dry rot) and some metal screen (door screen) and wrap your rod with one moth crystel sac in the screen and secure it with the bands. Mice love your cork. You can also place a few sacks inside your tent at night (at the openings and coners) this should keep them out. If you are worried about the storng smell yourself, you can buy lavander sented sacks they work but not as good so i would use them in the tent and the strong ones for my food and pack.
If the mice are as bad as I have read, these cheap tricks will work. Nothing is perfect but this has been the only thing I could find to protect my stuff in the past and it has protected some expensive electronic equipment.
Again just my 2cents

[lexfly]

Thanks to all of you. Not that we're planning on bringing the kitchen sink I had just heard that about the carts. And I have had the problems with the mice on past trips so appreciate the ideas on how to keep food from them. We have reservations at 83 for Saturday nite, but there were only 2 spots for Friday (3 of us) so we will have to move on Saturday. I'd rather not move, but it sure beats sitting at my computer working! Thanks again.

[Chuckwalla]

We use these and don't have any problems:

http://www.armoredoutdoorgear.com/

[Labrador]

Originally Posted by Chuckwalla

We use these and don't have any problems:

http://www.armoredoutdoorgear.com/

Yeah I use the same for a few years now. Even folks with the Ursacks get chewed into and robbed. I haven't had a single issue with this thing in two years. I did have a mouse climb up on my shoulder around the campfire, but that is unrelated. Those things have hearts of lions.

[old tom]

Thanks for the link and endorsement on the ratsack. That sounds like what I heard about. Gonna get me one of them.

[hw3]

Sorry this is late, have not been on the site for a while. Hazel Ck is magic. #14-#16 stimies in yellow and orange usually all I use this late in the year. Others swear by yellow humpy, and while they probably would not hit a hopper, using one as an indicator w/ BHPT Prince or CJ should work. Lots of flies, rhodadenderon eats them. 6 or 7 tippet. Tight fishing further up; chance for Smokey Slam on Cold Spring. Too late now, but Cabela's has a game cart that we have used and works well. Can get abt 100# in each of two (2) tupper ware 55 gal boxes, and strap on each half of cart. Helps to have removable handle of big thick dowel inside alum pipe, attach with U clamps so it hangs out over each side of handle and both can push cart. Usually try to get as far up as Bone Valley; last of trail to there is not old RR bed like to Sugar, but is well worth the extra 3/4 mile or so. Skip Watson

[lexfly]

Thanks for all the great information. Unfortunately, we ended up changing plans and camping at Elkmont. I was pretty disappointed as I've always wanted to do the Hazel creek trip, but it looks like it will have to wait til Apirl. Thx again.