Boy was he right. It was beautiful and so peaceful. Though we took a wrong turn off the freeway and made a few pit stops, we arrived excited to see what nature had in store in for us for the weekend. We rented a cabin that would sleep 8 of us. We packed all kinds of food, drinks and snacks and were ready to have a great time.
Here’s some history about Convict Lake:
In 1929 the resort was officially established as Convict Lake Camp and owned by Bill Garner. Prior to that the resort area was referred to as Raymer’s Camp. Ownership was passed to the Wenger Family in 1962 and to the current owners 1982. Click here to see an old brochure from the Convict Lake Camp days.
Convict Lake and Creek are so named as the result of an AMBUSH encounter here September 17, 1871, where a group of inmates escaped from prison in Carson City. Sheriff George Hightower eventually caught up with the convicts and a shoot out took place. Robert Morrison a Benton Merchant, Mono Jim and other posse members encountered the convicts on the present Convict Creek, then known as Monte Diablo Creek. In the encounter Morrison and Mono Jim were killed and the convicts escaped to be captured later in Round Valley. The towering peak above the lake was re-named Mt. Morrison and the smaller one below it Mono Jim.
The Indians are said to have called Convict Lake Wit-sa-nap bearing this legend. “The streams which flowed from the mountains were supposed to be filled with Pot-sa-wa-gees, water babies, who lived in spirit, but were visible to the eye, having the face of an Indian child and the body of a fish. Hi-na-nu was a wise and good man, whose spirit the Indians reverenced, and to whom they looked for guidance in earthly matters. However, he was endeavoring to capture the Pot-sa-wa-gees as they traveled up stream. When the sources of the streams were reached the water became so shallow that the water babies were in great danger of being taken by their pursuer. They prayed to the Great Spirit for aid, and in answer he caused the waters to flow up hill and to join the waters flowing down from the mountains, uniting in one large, deep lake, wherein the little spirits found safety —Wit-sa-nap, the Convict Lake of to-day.” Sierra Club Bulletin Vol. IX, San Francisco, CA, 1915, Mrs. A.A. Forbes. (taken from Convict Lake’s website)
Once we arrived, we settled in, decided who was sleeping where then decided to explore our surroundings. Muffin loved being in the great outdoors! It was very convenient in that our cabin was right next to the General Store. If we had any questions or needed to purchase anything we forgot or souvenirs, it was right there! We knew we wanted to fish so we had purchased gear/rods, pretty much everything needed to fish and thanks to my Hawaii raised husband, we were in good hands. Just an FYI, you can rent/buy fishing equipment once at the lake as well. You need a get your fishing license before your trip or at the lake. We hiked from our cabin a ways to an area that looked nice. We set up our chairs and decided to catch some fish. We were told that a few times a year, the lake gets stocked with fish (trout) and during certain seasons, there are derby’s where visitors can enter a contest to see who can catch the largest fish at a chance to win a cash prize. It was fun watching everyone fish. For some, it was their first time!
There are so many things to do while at Convict Lake. You can hike, fish, horseback ride, and even rent boats! I hope you get a chance to visit this beautiful place!
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