Diamond Lake 2006

Every year my family meets at Diamond Lake in the southern Cascade Mountains. Our family has been coming for 48 years. Not every one, every year, but at least a small group makes it up every season. There have been many intersting memories created here, from celebrations of job announcements to wedding announcements. This lake holds our family near and dear. The fishing has been down right awful the past several years due to the Tui Chub that have taken over the lake. Because of the Chub, the lake and its ecosystem is sick. This year the lake is being drained by 8 feet and the process for removing the fish from the lake has begun. This winter the lake will be poisoned and all the fish will die. The lake will be restocked in the spring with trout....and hopefully a few more decades of good fishing will resume and a healthier lake will return. I learned that this is not the first time Diamond Lake has to be poisoned to remove the trash fish and to help restore some balance to the ecosystem. Some time in the 50's the same thing had to be done and it was successfull, as far as I know?
At 5:30 am, our human alarm clock went off. Being such a nice morning, we got up and carted our human alarm clock with us for a stroll up to the lodge for some hot chocolate and coffee.








My parents have a deer problem back home. My Aunts and Uncle thought a perfectly fitting gift for Dad's newly renovated back deck would be their own concrete deer. Ha ha?! My dad named it Damn.










Alex doesn't know what to make of Damn...or my Aunt maybe either?











Before I knew it, Alex had joined the crew and was signed on as Cabin Boy, arrrrggggg!












Shaun, Alex and I went for a walk down to the fish hatchery outlet part dealy of the lake. The lake is being partially drained this year in preparation for a "clean up" of the trash fish that have taken over the lake and compromised its health. The mosquitos are really bad.