Hey there, Colorado. Nice to see you again.

After driving 30 or so hours across the country, stopping at a few “must see” truck stops, surviving a blown air conditioner while driving through Arkansas heat, and dropping off a few rod socks in Albuquerque, we finally made it to Durango, Colorado.

And I think it may be even prettier than I remember.

Despite the 80 degree days, the signs of fall are everywhere, especially in the crisp morning air and the changing aspen trees.

True to character, we chose to fish in the backcountry as our first trip out.

There’s something about driving up the mountain, watching your thermometer go down, noticing the change in scenery; moving from desert like views to cool, crisp, mountains decorated with pines and aspens. As the road wound back and forth we kept second guessing ourselves about the pull off. It’s been a year since we’ve been here and weren’t sure that we’d remember. Turns out we did, it really was like coming home, we knew it as soon as we saw it.

The day was filled with brooks and cuttys, more than you could count, but with colors and markings impossible to forget. It ended with a waterfall and a pool full of trout, warm sun on our backs and cool water splashing on our faces. I decided right then and there I could stay in that spot forever and be perfectly happy.