Hiking In the Rockies

This is going to be a new addition to the blog that will highlight the hiking activities here in Southern Colorado and will feature a weekly hike and pictures from my good friend Dennis Shepherd. Dennis leads hikes each week and is a well known local expert on the area trails and flora and fauna of the surrounding mountains. They meet at the visitor's center in South Fork most mornings at 9 a.m. and everyone is welcome to participate. He also has a youth program and that is a great addition to the area.  I will start with this weeks hike and also include past hikes as space allows. So kick back and enjoy the adventure as Dennis tells us about this weeks hike.

DENNIS___We started out at Silver Pass at 10500 ft. and  had lunch on top at an elevation of 11600 ft. over a distance of about 2  miles.  The trail is in good shape with only a few trees down on the  trail.

As always, the views were magnificent, very  little smoke from the Windy Pass fire and none from the West Fork fire (YEA!).  As you can see the wildflowers are out in full force for our  pleasure..............

I didn't see the bull elk but everybody else  did, he was in velvet.  On the way to the Silver Pass we saw a doe with a  TINY fawn, couldn't have been very old.

Wayne will be leading a hike Monday for your  enjoyment, meet at the VCPL at 9AM, bring lunch water and  raingear........

The Last Gunfight in Dodge City

This story has all the drama of a good western but none of the charade as usually seen in a gunfight. My great grandfather, who was an attorney in Dodge City before the turn of the century and a close acquaintance and lodge brother to Wyatt Earp, witnessed the last gunfight held on the illustrious Front Street in broad daylight.

His office was down town and so he was present when the feuding began on that day. We believe it to be somewhere around 1889 and it included two gentlemen who got in an argument at one of the local saloons. That in and of itself was not unusual but gunplay was. In fact, he told that most of the violence done there in Dodge was done by the local law enforcement and that included Wyatt Earp. The television and movie depictions are far from the truth of the actions of the sheriffs of that day. He related to his son and my dad that Wyatt was just a close shave ahead of the law himself and ran a lot of the corruption in town. The usual method of dealing with unruly people was to sneak up behind them and use a blackjack or pistol over their head. This caused many serious injuries and deaths to those arrested. He said that Wyatt was not dumb enough to get in gun fight when there were other methods to deal with criminals or drunks.

But back to the last gunfight. It seems that two men got into an argument and it escalated to the point that there were threats made. Both men went home and returned with their guns and proceeded to square off about 25 feet apart. Blazing away at one another, neither one could hit the other and so they soon ran out of ammunition. At that point, all the men poured out of the saloons and beat the men up severely and told them that if they ever returned they would be beat up again. So ended the last gunfight on Front Street.  

Some of the problem that day was most likely the drunken state of the men involved. And yet another reason their aim was so poor was most ppl of that day and age didn't really attend to proper cleaning of their guns and often times when needed for killing a snake or varmit, the guns had rusted shut. Some of that was due to the lack of good solvents and gun oils like we have today and some of it was just plain lack of a need for a gun.  

The famous story bout the cowboy who saw a rattlesnake and drawing his gun from his pack, it refused to shoot. So he threw the gun at the snake and rode off. Anyone who has carried a pistol can tell you that riding a horse with a gun is not comfortable at all. And the rains and snows and dirt storms the average cowboy endured would have ruined any gun.  

This is not to say there was not gunplay at times because we know there was. But most of that was back shooting as no smart man would let his enemy have any advantage. Shoot first and ask questions later was the motto of most of the lawmen of the day.  

There was much violence in those days and it took a firm hand to calm that down and keep it from getting out of control.  

Lake Fishing for Rainbow Trout

Today we began by going to find my cousin and his family as they are here in South Fork for a vacation. They were heading out to fish at one of the area lakes so we followed them up there. Megan, their daughter caught a trout almost immediately on a power bait type rig and then the rain started in and we could tell that it was not going to let up anytime soon.

So we all loaded up in our vehicles and we went our separate ways to run errands in the neighboring towns while it rained. Paula and I returned in late afternoon and had a nice home grown salad and grilled pork chops all seasoned from the herb garden we grew this year. Good seasoning makes all the difference in the world on meals and I so appreciate Paula's expertise in adding just the right touch of flavor.  

I had to go to choir practice then at 6 but as soon as I got out, we headed up to one of the lakes. Paula put on her trusty Renegade fly in a #12 and a clear plastic bubble about 4 feet above that. I sat down with some of the new Gulp brand bait. It resembles a pea and is a plastic scented bait. These are all food grade material and totally biodegradable. I wanted to see if the bait worked as my cousins kids wanted to try that tomorrow. These pea shaped baits are superb both in texture, their ability to stay on the hook and no mess. They feel like plastic and you can catch multiple fish without the bait coming off or losing it.

Both of us were immediately into fish and Paula caught and released about 8 while I caught my limit of 4. She quickly filled our limit out to 8 total and we cleaned them right there on a rock. I chose to filet them and leave the skin on and grill them with Rosemary and Thyme over low heat. This will be mouth watering I am sure and I cant wait to try that later this week. While you can freeze trout, they are best when fresh caught and cooked. I prefer mine grilled now days and by leaving the skin on and cooking skin side down, you save the moisture in the meat. The fish were both hatchery fish and older fish as two had the whiter meat of being just stocked and the other 6 had the pink meat of fish who had been in the lake for some time and been feeding on the fresh water shrimp.   

Cooper the Yorkie fetched in all the ones we kept and that's the funniest thing I have ever watched. Who would have thought a Yorkie would fetch fish? The accompanying picture shows what he looked like on the trip home. He is covered with fish slime and scales and smelled so bad. As soon as we got home he had to have a bath so I could  stand him sleeping on my bed tonight.  

As I had expected, the fishing is phenomenal right now with the lower crowd numbers due to the fire over the last month. There are less lakes to fish in to be sure as the fire burned around some of them and there is a danger from falling burned trees now. But the other lakes and streams are putting out a bumper crop of fish to the people that are here. Don't delay your trip due to the fires now as they seem to be abating and there is no smoke in South Fork at least. OF course it can start up again, but that's true of storms in the south or other weather factors across the nation. Be aware of your surroundings and be safe.  

Brook Trout in the Rockies

The day began with some internet access to the Colorado Division of Wildlife concerning some licensing issues and after getting that straightened out, Paula and I went up in the mountains for some Brook Trout adventures. We found some tiny tiny tiny streams and I was able to catch and release 26 fish during the day. We didn't fish very long but the streams were full of fish. One place on Cross Creek the water was no more than 15 inches wide in a lot of spots and yet the trout were there hiding under the overhanging grass and under the banks. Most of this water is shallow but somehow they hang on throughout the winter seasons and are there to catch all summer long.

The fish ranged from 6 to 8 inches and one was just over 10 inches so although not huge, they are eager to bite and it makes for a fun day. One good thing about this type of fishing is the banks are level grade and you don't have to wade so people of varying abilities can fish easily.  

I didn't walk more than about 200 feet from the road today and it was a gorgeous day. Cooper enjoyed the fishing about as much as I did and he got to fetch in a few fish and chased them all over the shallows in the larger sections as I reeled them in. He ended up soaked to the bone and swam several deeper sections. Not your typical Yorkie I guess but I didn't raise him to be a house dog and he thinks he is a golden retriever at the least and a human at the best. All I have to say is, "I got one", and he comes running down the bank from wherever he is.  

All in all it was a fine day to be outside and the weather cooperated until about 2 pm when the rain showers formed up and we decided to head down to town. The fish are definitely biting wherever I go and all the people I talk to say the same thing. Today I was using a Royal Coachman in a size #16, divided hair wing fly. This is a fail safe pattern for any stream here and I can catch fish on it any day of the year, I believe.  

The brook trout were not big but current regulations let you keep 10 of them if you so desire. Pan fried 8 inch brook trout defy description in quality of taste and I would encourage you to get out and find these eager fish and have a nice shore lunch.  

There is nothing quite as good as a fresh caught brook trout over an open fire. You can bring a pan and all the fixins or do like I do and suspend them over the flames with a long green willow branch through their gills. They will grill up a wonderful and succulent meal. By leaving the skin on while they grill, the meat remains moist and has a nice red, almost salmon like flavor and color. More on this will follow in the blog about fishing a hidden lake last year and the great meal we had on the shore.

Time is awastin as they say, so get out there and find the beauty and pleasure in the outdoors wherever you are.  

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Cooper the Yorkie fetching a Brook Trout

Texas Shadows

The evening Texas skies run red across the pallete of my mind,

Gentle breezes blow carrying the sweet scent of sage and mesquite to my senses.

The waves lapping against the shoreline of the lake, a reminder of days long past,

Days of happy reunions, lakeshore gatherings and streamside picnics in the mountains.

Who will walk these shores with me, who will succor my soul, gather me in their arms and give rest for my mind.

I will look unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

kk

Continental Reservoir Trout

From l the reports I am getting, the lakes here seem to be producing lots of trout. Continental is full of water this year and everyone doing well there using needle fish lures in brown trout patterns and others. The guys in the RV park here went up today and got their limits fairly easily. They use boats and troll and so I have no information as to bank fishing although I think that you can do well from the bank also. Beaver Reservoir near South Fork also producing fish now. Big Meadows remains closed due to the fire and Shaw and Hunter were most likely burned too much to let people back in safely.

The red meat is from the fish diet of mainly freshwater shrimp and I have been known to sample fresh caught fish much as you would eat sushi. Honestly its better than salmon. I would not recommend this to anyone else however, due to possible parasites in the meat.

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Rainbow Trout caught today.

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The REAL old West.

Over the next few days, I hope to relate to all of you, the stories I heard on my grandfather's knee about the early days of Dodge City, Kansas. His father and father's brother came to Dodge City and got off the train there at the end of the railroad to begin a new life. They were both around 19 or 20 years of age and surrounded by the most written about characters found in all the famous gunfights and Indian wars on the Great Plains.

We will find out about the real gunfights on Front Street that he witnessed along with his relationship with Wyatt Earp and others including some newspaper accounts mentioning both my great grandfather and Wyatt Earp at the same meeting.  

This isn't the fairy book version that some publish but only eye witness accounts and recollections from someone that was there and knew the men and women who later became legends. 

So come along this week and maybe learn a little bout how it was a way back when.  

kevin

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Fishing the South Fork of the Rio Grande

Yesterday broke smokey and hazy due to the forest fires in the area and it just hung around all day. We were invited to a house party at my dear friend Susan's house. The picture below shows the view off her back deck and the evening turned out perfect. Everyone showed up with their favorite drink and snack and we had great fellowship around the tables out back.

My friend Phillip picked up one of Susan's rods and started fishing and I watched him for awhile but he had no luck. There was a 2.5 inch rainbow trout color rapala on the pole and I did see some fish follow the lure. When he put the rod down I could not help myself and immediately got the rod and started casting.

The water is extremely low for this time of year and I could see the fish chase the lure in the calmer waters but they would not hit it. Pulling out a trick used in the past, I began a rapid retrieve with a pause then a hard jerk to make it seem like the minnow was escaping. This brought about jolting strikes and often if not hooked the first time they hit, the fish would come and hit it again on the same retrieve. This shows the importance of changing your tactics if you are not connecting on fish on a certain day. I walked up the bank along her property and in about a half block length of river, I caught 14 brown and 1 rainbow trout. The biggest was 16 inches and the smallest 10 inches. It only took me about 30 minutes to catch and release these fish so they were really biting. I think the low numbers of fisherman here at the present time has helped the fishing as there is leas pressure on the fish now.

The water is warm and so care must be taken when releasing fish to get them back in the water as fast as you can.

Some buddies also reported fishing one of the lakes here this week and 10 guys got their limit in about one hour. NOW THAT is some fishing fun. These are stockers for the most part and put in those lakes for that purpose.

Don't let a little smoke get in your way of fishing this summer. There are some great deals on cabins and motels and other activities here now and still 1.81 million acres of forest to enjoy. And that's just in the Rio Grande National Forest. This was an excellent place to fish as I could stand on the grassy bank and not have any uneven surfaces to navigate. I always keep that in mind when I want to fish and its a great example of access for anyone. The rains have begun and I think that will only help the fishing with a little color added to the streams and rivers and lakes. Come on out and let the fun begin.

South Fork of the Rio Grande, South Fork, Colorado.

Fishing up toward Creede Today

Today brought about more welcome showers in the mountains around South Fork and Creede and it was a nice cool day to be outdoors. I drove up toward Creede and did some target practice on the public land in that direction. I had bought a new .22 rifle and wanted to see how it shot and get the scope sighted in.

On the way back, I stopped in some Gold Medal Water and fished for about an hour. As I exited the truck I was surprised to see a large number of Green Drake flies buzzing around me and landing on my shirt sleeve. Stepping into the water I immediately was into fish and had fun with the browns that came to my hand. Most were in the 14 inch range and just a tad too large to keep if a person was fishing for supper. In that section the limit is two fish, twelve inches and shorter. I have talked about this before in a previous blog but if you are wanting some good eating trout, I suggest the local area lakes or the brook trout from the small streams high up in the mountain. I have learned to get a huge amount of pleasure from catch and release fishing now and most of the time its all about the strike and not actually keeping fish.  

The picture was taken from one of the bridges along the river and it shows the low water levels being experienced at this time. This section is usually a great raft ride with white water and as you can see, there isn't much there now. There are rumors that the Rio Grande Reservoir is under some kind of construction or repairs and maybe they are holding water for that activity. That and the drought is sure to have had an impact.  

However, the fish are still in the river and streams even if they are low. The low levels allows a person to wade much easier but takes a lot smaller fly and more careful presentation. The water is gin clear and the fish can see a long ways and will spot you if you are not careful.  

Today the size 14 Green Drake on top with a Pheasant Tail nymph in a size 10 did the job and 7 gorgeous browns graced my attempts, being released to fight another day.  

The fires continue to be a concern no doubt, but if you are wanting some first rate fishing, don't be afraid to come out and enjoy it. The activity is far from town and from the best parts of the river and you will be safe if you choose to fish here. I can connect you with motels or lodges and some good fishing spots if you want to contact me.  

Rio Grande River