The Summer of Fishing Begins!

April 12^th

We were anxious to see the kids and the grandkids, so we boogied down the road from Jim and Bren’s and headed for Denver.  It was great to see everyone with lots of overdue hugs and kisses. We caught up with all the goings on, doctor’s appointments, etc.

We had decided to spend the summer in Colorado, camping in our motorhome and fly fishing. To that end we bought an inflatable kayak, fishing equipment and several books guaranteed to clue us in on where to go and how to fish the many streams and lakes all over Colorado.  Based on Jim’s research, we did a LOT of fly shopping at Charlie’s Fly Box (Charlie's Fly Box), Bass Pro Shop, Sportsman's Warehouse and....online. It’s incredible how many different flies, in different sizes, in different colors, in different stages of development are needed to “match the hatch” that is happening on the particular river or lake of your choice. Then when you get there, the fish don’t hit on them anyway, no matter how many you try and you wind up with your old faithful, the black woolly bugger!

Before we left Denver, Jim (and sometimes Billy) went on several day fishing trips on Clear Creek (which flows east along I-70 from Loveland Pass down through Golden, alongside Coors Brewery and on through Denver) and on the headwaters of the South Platte in Deckers ( in the mountains west and south of Denver).

We started our summer journey on Antero Reservoir. Antero is southeast of Fairplay in South Park. It is the 1^st reservoir on the headwaters of the South Platte. Antero is known for its big trout and Jim caught several.  I don’t think we were ever skunked. This time of year it is very nice there, except for the occasional windy day (waves and whitecaps) and twice a week snowstorms! Antero pictures  There is absolutely not a bush to be had, much less a tree, so the summers are hot and dusty. Right now though, with the view of the mountains to the west, still capped with snow, it is a beautiful sight. Also, the numerous shore birds, Canada geese and white pelicans break up the monotony. The bug hatches were numerous and intense, so the swallows were there in the hundreds. No mosquitoes yet, thank goodness! Needless to say, Yaqui, our cat was incredibly entertained by all the activity going on outside her window.

While at Antero, we took a day trip to Spinney Reservoir (rumored to have some of the biggest fish in the state but we got skunked) and stopped for a late lunch at in Hartsel, CO. While the town is nothing more than a whistle stop, the Highline Café serves up a pile of skin-on homemade french fries along with ½ pound juicy buffalo burgers that are SOOO GOOD. One of those little places worth driving miles out of your way to visit. Oh, and they have PBR on tap for a buck, can’t beat that.

We stayed for about 10 days and then went to Buena Vista for Mother’s Day. (Info on Buena Vista) We stayed at a really nice place, Mt Princeton RV Park (RV park info) to do laundry and charge our batteries and take really nice long, hot showers! We had dinner at the Eddyline Brewery (Eddyline Pub), sampling their many microbrews and eating gourmet pizza and wings. Come to find out, they had been exhibitors at the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival for several years and won “Best of the Fest” for 2010 and 2011. Blues and Brews was one of our favorite festival venues as vendors, small world! Monday we went and soaked at Cottonwood Hot Springs (Cottonwood Hot Springs). Tuesday we had lunch at K’s Dairy Delite, in business since 1955. Not as good as the Highline Café, but OK. We restocked our refrigerator, the fly box and went back to back to Antero for a few days.

I mentioned that we had bought an inflatable kayak. It is a Sea Eagle Paddleski.  (info on Paddleski) What a great boat! It seats 2 people and gear, is so easy to get into and to carry. It takes about 10 minutes to inflate and fits into the back of the jeep. I love paddling it. As I am not nearly as obsessed with fishing as Jim is but enjoy being out on the lake with him, I do a lot of the paddling, which is ok with me.  I can’t wait to get it down to San Carlos and paddle the coastline on the sea down there.

On the 21^st we headed over to Tarryall Reservoir. We’ve written about it before as it is one of our favorite places. The fishing the 1^st day was great, Jim caught his limit. I’ve caught a couple but it has been cold and the wind has been insane ever since! To escape, we took a day trip down Hwy 9 toward Lake George and spent the day fishing the South Platte around the Happy Meadows campground.  What a beautiful section of river! I’d really like to spend a few days there. We’re here until the 31^st, the wind is supposed to calm down soon. We don’t have strong enough internet to post the blogs from here so these will all go out at the same time once we get back to Denver to restock and regroup.  Tarryall pictures (We actually left Tarryall a couple of days early because the wind started up again! I am so done with wind that blows so hard you can’t close the door!)

The Journey Continues

We left San Carlos March 27th and had a wonderful 2 weeks visiting friends and family in Arizona.

We stopped off for a few days in Tucson and stayed with our dive buddies Steve and Lynne. They have a beautiful old house in north Tucson, close to the river. Their landscaping is early 1800’s Arizona desert and includes a date palm that has a cactus growing out of its top. They have named it “What’s the Point”. Lynne is an amazing artist in an unusual medium. She is a gourd artist. She creates unique and beautiful pieces of art. Check out her website, www.LMEastdesign.com. We also had a great time visiting with her parents, Don and Lillian, who we met while diving in San Carlos.  Their house reflects their diverse interests and achievements. They are avid rock hounds, talented musicians, world traveling videographers, silversmiths and the list goes on and on.  What a fun visit. Tucson pictures

Phoenix was the usual whirlwind stop visiting friends and family. Jim’s youngest daughter Avanlea transferred with Sprouts Market and is now living in Sacramento, Calif. so we didn’t get to see her. Our little grandson Jack was definitely the hit of the party. He is 1 ½ yrs old and on the move all the time. We got to spend a whole day with him, momma  Melanie, poppa  Travis and had a great time.  Pictures of Jack We even managed to squeeze in a visit with long time dive buddies Jodi, Gary and Cindy. They regaled us with descriptions of their recent dive trips and future plans.

Next stop, Camp Verde, Az., just a couple hours north of Phoenix to see Jim and Sandie. They are more old dive buddies who showed up in San Carlos over spring break and we had such a good time together we had to continue the party a little longer. Camp Verde is an old Arizona town (Info on Camp Verde) with lots of history and still has that old west feel.  Jim owns a jewelry and collectables shop in downtown Camp Verde called Laid Back Jewelry. It is a very cool store with lots of old Indian jewelry, turquoise & silver plus he has a lot of western collectibles. Take the time to stop, say hello and check out his restored 1953 Chevy pickup which is generally parked out front. Or on his website at  www.laidbackaz.com.

Sandie is going to college to get a degree in photography and jewelry making. Her website is www.laidbackaz.net.  She is creating some amazing designs in copper jewelry not to mention building an impressive portfolio of photographs.

We were there during the full moon and went to Montezuma’s Well, which is an ancient spring filled oasis. (Info on Montezuma's Well). The Park service had a huge telescope set up for viewing the moon and Venus. It was very cool. We had dinner in one of the most unique restaurants I’ve ever been in called The Horn. Rumored to be one of the oldest restaurants in town the food and ambiance were delightful.  Pictures of Camp Verde. There are a lot more places to explore in the Verde Valley like…..Sedona, Jerome and Montezuma’s Castle to mention a few.

 Easter Sunday found us driving north out of Camp Verde, heading for a spot on the map north of Gallup, NM. (GPS:  N 35° 37.881’ W 108° 57.813). We could actually plug the co-ordinates into our Tom Tom. However, Google Earth is the coolest (Link to Google Earth) Dive buddies we met in San Carlos, Jim and Bren, (does it seem like we have a lot of friends that are divers?) are building a house on 80 acres there. This acreage was part of a coal mine that was restored by the mining company by simply burying many of the structures on the property. They have found septic systems, concrete pads and basement substructures that they have been able to incorporate into their new construction.  When they aren’t there, they have a house north of Window Rock, AZ. We had a great time visiting them and hiking the mesa on their property.   Camp Davis

We also took some day trips. We spent one day at the Navajo Museum in Window Rock; here the history of the Navajo is interestingly documented in displays, essays and photographs, especially the conflicts between the settlers, the army and the Navajo inhabitants. Museum pictures.  Check out their website: Navajo Nation Museum .......

And then we went to Hubbell Trading Post which is the oldest active trading post on the rez and a National Historic site. It was an important part of history in the area. They have a great exhibit in the visitor’s center. It is an interactive panoramic pictorial history of the Hubbell family, famous visitors and the Native Americans who he considered his friends.  The website (Hubbell Trading Post) has great pictures and history. Trading post pictures …..

And of course no visit to the rez would be complete without a trip to Canyon de Chelly,   (Canyon de Chelly website). The canyon is a national monument and it is also an active Navajo community. This is unique among monuments in the southwest. It is amazing to be viewing the ancient ruins in the canyon while watching Navajo people going about their business nearby in much the same manner as they have for centuries. Canyon de Chelly

We are heading to Golden for a much overdue visit........