Oh Man!

Stuck in the Mud

So, sometimes things just don't go so wonderfully! Today I took a man and his nine year old son out fly fishing. The morning was pretty great with the young man catching his first fish on a fly rod on his own. After a stellar hambuger in town we headed up on the Boulder Mountain after some bigger fish. It was raining a bit and I figured it was starting to die down a bit so we should be okay.

W.R.O.N.G.

Here is a shot after Mike (The Quiet Flyfisher) and I got the Explorer out of the mud:
(By the way this was hours after getting stuck and the storm moved out.)

Moral of the story:

Don't drive on certain roads after a significant un-forecasted Boulder Mountain rain storm.

You'll notice it required chains to get out and a hefty pull from Mike's Suburban.

I suppose the best part will be the stories the young man will be able to tell his friends at school when he gets back. I can hear it now, "I went to Utah, caught my first fish on a fly rod by myself, and GOT STUCK IN THE MUD!"

Thank goodness for great friends that will drive up a muddy road to help you out!
Thanks Mike!

Life Reflected

This week has been interesting to say the least. My wife's grandmother passed away and the funeral is tomorrow. We are in Northern Utah for the funeral but, I wanted to continue to post on this blog to keep you informed. (All two of you that read this!)

As I have reflected on the life of Andrea's grandmother I have realized that this life often requires a ton of work. Her grandmother worked very hard to raise a family and support her husband on the family farm all to have to leave that farm and move to the city for the last years of her life because the family farm was sold and her health declined to the point of needing to be closer to family. Sometimes, I believe, things that mean the most require a ton of effort. Last Saturday Mike (the Quiet Flyfisher) and I went to a stream where we normally don't guide but wanted to try out with a client of Mike's and his son who were on their way to Salt Lake. As we fished it required more effort to catch this little guy:

The effort was worth it to snap the photo. The size wasn't as important as the experience. Plus, it was a beautiful place.