~The Rankin~

What first appears to the naked eye  as "just another creek," holds in its depths secrets anxiously awaiting to be discovered.  Meandering through Cedar Pass, far below Kennedy Peak, alongside Winter's Camp, through Rankin, reflecting Pennock far above, and on through Middle Meadow...this creek carries snow run-off rushing quickly to where it needs to go in early Spring. This raging water offers liquid gold to ranchers who jump at the chance to turn meadows into tall grasses. Under its depths, hide Rainbows, Browns, Brook Trout, and many hybrid breeds- a fisherman's dream. The valley is rich with quartz that has enchanted many to take their chance in the cold mountain water with a gold pan to see what treasures and riches it hides. Private places, such as this, exist in fewer and fewer parts of the world every second, which makes this serene, solitary stream a sanctuary for a very lucky few.