Today is day 764 of our two-week Covid-19 quarantine. I'm currently experiencing a dull ache behind the eyes and a feeling of listlessness. It's been quite a while since I last went fishing or hiking or snowshoeing or anything exciting. My consumption of random trail mixes has also increased. It's not a great combination.
To say that we are living in strange times is probably the understatement of the century.
Finding Your Endurance
I've figured out that there's an endurance sport for almost every 'outdoorsy' person, mountain, desert or water, there's certainly one for you. But here's the thing, fly-fishing is most certainly not on that list, or so I thought.
A while back, Jacob and I went out into the high country, possibly a bit earlier than we should have. See, there was plenty of snow this past year and it took the rivers a little while to go down. As much as we both thought we knew what 'high water' meant, alas, we did not. It was much like coming to grips with the fact that east coast mountains are not the same as actual mountains. Swallow pride, move on.
Read moreDiscovering Cutthroat and A Little More
If you drive around in the mountains a bit from our house, follow a Forest Service road for a few miles, you end up in a canyon with a perfect little river flowing through it. It's mostly become our 'go-to' escape, given its closeness and exceptional beauty. But, who am I kidding, almost everything here is perfectly splendid.
We decided on a quick trip in the middle of the day right when the temperature had gotten too hot to work anymore, and a little extra elevation was necessary. We hit the river just as the afternoon rainstorm did it is monsoon season after all.
If you've been a follower of this little blog of ours, you've probably noticed that I've misplaced my enthusiasm for it. Maybe it's the adjustment to a new place, lack of motivation, too many rod bags, too little adventure, or perhaps basic laziness. I'm still trying to figure it out.
Read moreColorado, Thanks For Having Us
I had great plans to capture every moment of our move across the country, from wonderful images of the Mississippi to the fields of Texas to all the wonder of New Mexico. But, what is it they say about the ‘best laid plans?’
I’ve woken up to the warm Colorado sunshine for the past few mornings. I’ve wandered among the cedars and shared a beer with friends not seen in months, but as of yet, no cutthroat. Ah, well, those days will come.
It’s a bizarre thing to see your whole world reduced to a few measly boxes and even more stunning to see your whole business fit in the back of a little Subaru. It’s a reminder that things are just that, things. The important stuff will make it and the rest will move on to someone else. That being said, I wouldn’t trade any of those things for this view I get to see every day.
Read moreLand + Water + Ups and Downs
Taken in GSMNP, partially funded by the LWCF
As with all things US politics lately, the Land and Water Conservation Fund and its renewal have been no different. As of Sunday, the program expired. I was pretty bummed, wildly confused, and, as OIA (Outdoor Industry Association) put it, I felt LWCF'ed. I tried to put something together yesterday, but I was still too angry and didn't want to bring a mess load of politics into this space.
If you still don't know what LWCF is, it's a program that takes non-taxpayer money from drilling royalties and helps to fund our wild places and give us clean water. If you live in the US, you've most likely benefited from this program, it's active in almost every county in the country. So, losing it was a pretty big deal.
Read moreBe a Patriot for Our Wild Places
Happy Fourth of July, everyone!
I'm sure most of you are finishing up your early morning fishing trips and getting ready for a fun night filled with food, a good brew, and camaraderie with your favorite people. I've got my beer on ice, all my kale chopped up and veggie burgers ready to hit the grill!
But, I took a few minutes out of my day to speak up for the most American resource our country has, wild places.
I urge you to do the same. Here are a few things you can do on this holiday (and every other day) to help our greatest treasures.