Washington Trail Blazers

Azurite and Golden Lakes

Al Gove, Seasonal Chairman

August 23-24, 1947

Another two-day trip for this one, and no easy jaunt, I assure you. As we had to go to Arlington to get our cutthoat, it was decided to make up two parties, one going in Saturday, Aug. 23, to secure or build rafts on Delta and Otter. The other party to go in Sunday, the following day, with the fish. Accordingly, Saturday morning Don Fletcher, George Barker, Clare Carlson Jr., with visitors Al Carlson, Lou Gehring, Bob Silver, and Bob Holdridge set out for Delta Lake, where some were to remain, while the others went on to Otter.

Sunday, Art Hemstad, Dale Kellerblock, Al Gove, and visitors Ted Ahl and Paul Glantz drove to the Arlington hatchery, arriving around 1:30 a.m. Securing 5049 fry, they then set sail for the trail and the lakes. By the time the parking place at the beginning of the trail was reached, it was 5:00 a.m. The temperature of the cans, three in all, was checked and finding that it had risen only slightly, they then started up the trail. Tempering the fish was done half-way between Trout and Delta lakes. Delta lake was reached at 8:30 a.m., where the Saturday night party had a slightly over-sized raft (about 50 feet, to be exact) ready. After paddling about half an hour, it finally moved out in the lake. We beached it on the other side, followed the outlet of Otter up to the lake itself, reaching it at 10:15 a.m. The temperature of the cans was one degree lower than that of the outlet.

George Barker was putting the final touches on his raft as we arrived. The fish were loaded on and Barker, Don Fletcher, and Bob Holdridge paddled down the length of Otter and climbed up to Azurite Lake along with Carlson, Jr., Al Carlson, and Lou Gehring. Azurite was planted and they went on to Golden Lake, where the remainder was dumped as the fish were beginning to turn bad. Estimated loss was around 600.

The return trip was made in the dark all the way from Delta out to the cars. The Sunday party left Otter 3:40 p.m. and reached the cars at 8:00 p.m.