Did this hike as a first solo of the year.
After stopping at the Verlot ranger station and being told it wasn't recommended without an ice axe, decided to go for it anyway.
As someone previously had posted, this isn't any easy little jaunt. The north side of the ridge coming off Gold Run pass had a lot of snow just over the lip. The snow was pretty soft as I didn't get to the top 'till around 3pm, so easy enough to carefully kick in steps for a ways till the trail reappeared. After heading down and across a rocky slope, lost the trail traversing a snowfield. The map showed the trail following Tomyhoi creek on and off through the meadow above lake, so basically boonied down the snowfield next to creek (not recommended) down onto the flats. (I went to the west of a rock outcropping, basically down a waterfall.) I didn't realise until the trip out that was definitely the wrong way to go, but with nothing but snow, who's to say. Found the trail as the flats meet the woods again, and much of it was actually streambed as the weather had warmed considerably, lots of runoff. Once on the trail down through the woods was nice, but tricky at times when trail again opens up and flirts with creek on and off for awhile. Finally at the bottom i dropped my pack at what seemed to be the only feasible campspot. Nice, right by the creek, but much more work to get down the logjam to the lake, only to skirt the shoreline(accomplished at times doing the limbo under hanging brush, praying my handholds wouldn't break off, laying me into the water), to the one spot suitable for bank fishing, a little gravel bar next to a creek coming in on the west side of lake. This seemed like a decent campspot, and found a decent but seemingly ababndoned route higher up the hill to it from my camp, still alot of bushwhacking.
Once settled in on the shore, my first toss out with a dick nite wee ,made it all better.Landed a 6-7 brookie immediately, and feeling positive, threw him and 3 other litlle fellas back before landing dinner, about a 12 incher. Good enough for tonite.
Sat morn, the 4th, headed back over from camp to catch a 13 incher and a couple 8 and 9's. Plenty for breakfast and lunch. Continued to toss same little lure into the early afternoon, and didn't go more than about 20 min. at a clip without landing soimething. All Brookies. Half the time, I could see 'em hit the lure. Good fishing. Had the lake to myself, but def a bear of a hike.

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