Any day hunting or fishing is better than any day at work, correct? Well, here is a little story about a trip from some 20 or so years ago.
Seeking a bit of adventure my brother in law, and son persuaded me to take a “shortcut” to the fabled Frying Pan river. They did a map recon and decided that the “best” way to get there would be by going through Leadville, and over the mountains via Hagerman Pass. I looked at the map, and thinking that it shouldn’t be a problem since it was the middle of August… ~ Best laid plans of mice, men, and Paramedics~
Off we went on our adventure, west on Interstate 70. I should have known something was up when we were delayed at the Eisenhower Tunnel when a semi jackknifed and blocked the freeway for more than two hours. Once again on our way I took the exit to Leadville. The talk was all about which fly to present to the university educated trout that resided in ” The Pan.”
Turning west we admired the beauty of Turquoise Lake as we headed higher in the majestic rockies. The warning sign said use caution closed in winter. Heck, it was the middle of August… Soon the “road” became one lane with the occasional turn out to allow for two way passage. Trees became something to look down at from the road. Snow drifts close to fifteen feet high bordered the roadway. The vehicle became stuck several times and getting going again was an adventure in itself.
~ see pictures at~ http://search.msn.com/images/results.aspx?q=Hagerman%20Pass%20Colorado&FORM=BIRE
I remember thinking how glad I was that I had three boxes of ammo for my Ruger 41 magnum if emergency signaling became necessary. Four hours into the trip up the pass I became convinced that it was no shortcut at all. I mean, after all, our company for the most part were Bighorn Sheep, and Elk. My son even said that he saw a bear but I seriously doubt that any bear would be dumb enough to go to such a place.
Finally, we were at the summit, and could see seemingly forever across the Roaring Fork Valley. The trip down was nearly a vertical drop. I attribute that fact as the reason we didn’t get stuck again. Even disk brakes will heat up on that drive, and I didn’t want to frighten my fellow adventurers by telling them that the reason I was taking the turns so fast was because I had no choice! When I saw paved road ahead I nearly lost my breath the relief was so great. I stopped so we could relieve ourselves, and a Ram looked at us like we were fools to even try entering his domain. ( I will try to upload a pic of him taken by my son.)
Normally, a trip to the Frying Pan took about three hours travel time to get there from Arvada. We had left at 0530, we arrived at 1830. Just in time for the evening hatch and the fishing was fantastic.
If you are ever in Colorado, fish the Frying Pan. Just don’t take “shortcuts” to get there!
Conservative Libertarian Outpost 