Hi families,
Here’s a recap of what we’ve been up to!
7/12
We started our day with some much needed rest. The group whipped up some delicious banana cinnamon French toast with chorizo on the side. After our daily mindfulness class, we all dipped in the reservoir nearby to help us wake up and get ready for the epic day ahead of us. With tunes blasting in our loaded van, the kids saw the vastness of the wild western plains as we drove further into Northern Colorado. Purple and blue wildflowers lined the roads as we saw pronghorn, elk, and deer fill the expansive plain ecosystem that we drove through. Many kids saw their first true western towns out here that haven’t changed much over time. As we got closer to our lake destination, the snow packed mountains grabbed our attention leaving beautiful views from the road of the canyon.
Once at the lake we walked down to the inlet stream to watch our target species for the day spawn in the calmer shallower waters. Arctic Grayling, a beautiful fish that’s a part of the salmon family charms anyone that sees it with it’s sail-like dorsal fin that shines like a galaxy of stars. Back at the lake within kids first casts, we were hearing hoots and hollars to grab our cameras and snap photos of each kid’s first grayling on the fly. Over 70 of these rare fish were caught, with moments where four people were hooked up at once. Smiles lined all the kids’ faces who didn’t expect to be catching such a prized species on the fly when they started that day. With the sun falling, leaving an orange imprint on the valley, the group got together and played a game of soccer while cheeseburgers cooked along the lakes’ shore. The epic day left kids grateful and eager for bed as many dozed off in the van before we could even make it back to camp.
7/13
With three full months of summer off for many of these kids, it can be easy to save big trips and adventures for “another day,” here on this trip, that’s not how we roll. With an early wakeup, a quick cereal breakfast, and packed day bags, the van was already chugging along toward another day of memories before the clock had hit 8am. We entered the park from the Southside and started driving toward our destination in the north end of the park. We weaved along hairpin turns and meandered through different valleys and canyons as we climbed higher and higher into the park. Along this part of the day, we were essentially car surfing the confidential divide. We pulled over at some pullout and snapped a few group photos in the chilly weather sitting at a cool 12,000 feet of elevation. Considering that most of the group is coming from sea level, these peaks and views are something that the guys don’t get to see everyday. After seeing towering bull moose and herds of elk we arrived at our next stop for the day: Fern Lake.
We hit the trailhead climbing about 5 miles over some pretty steep terrain. The guides have been so impressed with the groups’ growth and skill as hikers. They have all been crushing it and embracing the daily challenges of difficult hikes here in the park. Once we arrived, the lake was something out of a fairy tale. Booming peaks packed with snow circled the lake. The gin-clear aqua water was frigidly cold from the snow melt. The fish were rising for bugs throughout the whole lake – it looked like it was raining. The lake was loaded with the endangered state fish of Colorado; the greenback cutthroat. The boys all caught several while crossing off a new species from their fishing bucket-list. Some really big fish were caught, as some kids broke their personal best and “had the best day of fishing ever”. After our downhill hike out, we enjoyed some wildlife traffic jams of monster mature male elk with huge racks. Back at camp we had fried rice, dumplings, and ice cream to cap off another day the boys won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
7/14 -
An early wakeup allowed the group to finish up our preparation for the upcoming three night, four day backcountry in Tonahutu Creek that we were lucky enough to start. The boys were a lot more comfortable with this backcountry after already having one trip under their belts. We started our hike with a steep climb into the burn scarred area of the massive fire that devastated the park and nearby towns. We reached our campsite shortly after we started, as our first day’s hike was only two miles (a piece of cake for these guys, even with heavy packs). After our lunch a big rain storm gave us a chance to catch up on some much needed rest, as we all got the chance to take a lovely backcountry nap. Once the weather passed, the group all darted off to different areas of the big meadow to fish. The small meandering stream held tons of fish as rods were bent over and happy shouting filled the area of the meadow nearby our campsite. Baby Moose and their mamas came to say hello to us in our campsite as we cooked our first dinner of our second backcountry. Cheese tortellini is delicious but it sure as heck tastes better after a day of fishing and carrying heavy packs. The groups fished again after dinner to find similar success catching small brook trout on dry flies. When the sun dipped behind the mountains, we all went to bed before 9pm to prepare for the larger day of hiking ahead of us.
7/15 -
It is such a nice feeling to wake up and go to bed naturally with the sun and the stars. That is what we have been able to do this trip, especially during our back countries. As the sun hit our tents we woke up and got water boiling to start our oatmeal breakfast. After breakfast and going over the plan for the day, the group got to fish the morning hatch in the meadow for the fish who woke up hungry just like we did. After fishing we packed up camp and got on the trail up to our campsite five miles further up the valley. The weather changes rapidly at elevation in the backcountry and we got to experience some of this as we took some breaks from the rain (and even hail) along the trail. The hike was steep and wet, but the group held their heads high and cheered one another along. The group encouragement and friendships that have been sparked during this trip is incredible to watch as guides.
We rewarded ourselves with a luxurious backcountry nap as we reached our home for the next few days. Afterwards some hung around camp to chill while others went off to the creek that ran through our site and fished for pretty Colorado River cutthroats in pocket water. With fish eating, the bugs swirling, and fireworks of wildflowers lining the river banks, the scenery alone was enough to call it a great day of fishing. Back at camp we had backcountry chicken, cheese, rice and bean burritos to celebrate after a long day of hiking. The private valley that we were situated in for our campsite was one to remember. Crumbling boulders stacked along the mountainside on one end while mature deep forest green pines swayed in the wind. A deep and whooshing meandering snowfed stream cut through both as the wildflowers and tall grasses swayed through the valley with the wind. A massive boulder the size of a house sat right next to our tents, left behind by a glacier millions and millions of years ago. It was a beautiful place to be able to call home. We ended our day with a meditation and our evening circle reflecting on the joys that can be found in completing difficult things.
7/16 -
The next day we woke up with the sun for a full day of adventure ahead of us. Prepacked day packs from the night before and a quick oatmeal breakfast allowed us to hit the trail early to get to our final day of alpine lake fishing for the trip. We saved the best for last in both beauty and quality of fishing as the day was straight out of a dream. As we entered the snow-lined valley where the lake sat, we saw a black bear stroll up the mountainside, a rare sighting considering there are only about 30 in the entire park. As we were walking along the lake to get our spot to set up, we could see massive cutthroat trout swimming along that we hiked all this way up to target. Once rods were set up, the memories began to be made. The lake was surrounded by peaks of 13,000 foot mountains that had more snow on them than any other place we had seen before. The healthy pine and spruce trees lined the water’s edge showing us a glimpse of a truly pristine and relatively untouched ecosystem. Marmots yipped and screamed just like the kids did as the water splashed and their rods bent over with beautiful fish on the end of the line. These fish in this lake were massive. Every kid caught their personal best cutthroat, with many kids confidently saying again that it was the “coolest” and “best day of fishing of their lives.”
Each kid had the luxury of a snow-packed summer mountain peak in the background of their photos. We certainly made some screensaver moments today. We got off the lake before 1pm to avoid the severe weather that can turn on a dime at that high alpine elevation. Naps were followed by more fishing in the nearby stream. The meadow in the canyon had three massive bull elk grazing in it. Our campsite was utter serenity and one that nobody really wanted to leave. Before dinner each kid went to their own spot near camp and took 15 minutes of silence (it’s easier without phones) to reflect on this backcountry and this experience so far. Mindfulness and reflection is something we have been really trying to instill with the group and they have been responding incredibly to it. We capped off our last backcountry meal with thanksgiving stuffing, mash potatoes, and turkey. For sunset we climbed up some boulders in the rock field and took group photos as the sun dipped below the valley line with our music in the background. The days keep just getting better and this one was one that the kids were nearly speechless about. The trickling of rain and stars sang us to sleep as we said our evening reflections in our tents to avoid getting wet.
7/17
It was a bittersweet day to end our last backcountry. Our final breakfast with the group was filled with laughter and excitement as we were prepared to “make our way back to civilization.” Once camp was packed up, we crushed our 7.5 mile hike in just over 2 hours. The feeling of taking your hiking boots off after a long backcountry into different shoes is an incredible one. The boys enjoyed this but enjoyed the trip to the ice cream stand even more as we celebrated a 16th birthday and the end of the trip’s last backcountry. After a nice lunch we moved camp to Sun Outdoors where we showered (to feel human again), did much needed laundry, and hung out by the pool and hot tub for the evening. We played some ultimate frisbee at camp and enjoyed a celebratory pizza dinner for Michael’s birthday. Back at camp we did a fire and enjoyed some s’mores to end the night. Over the next few days, the boys will be completing their watershed cleanup at some local rivers, moving camp to fish the famous Colorado River, enjoying a full day out on the water with Cutthroat Anglers and hang out at the Silverthorne Recreation Center for our final day.
We couldn’t be having a better time! Until next time…
The guides and the guys
