Road Trips
3 Mar 2010 by derek, 6 Comments »
I really like taking road trips – there doesn’t even have to be a reason, but most of my destinations have cold water and the promise of trout. The promise of a road trip is what you know, what you don’t know, and what you’ll experience in the process. I hesitate to even call a road trip a “process” because that puts a label on it, something that defines it. The best road trips are beyond definition, but always undertaken with at least an idea of what’s coming.
What’s your idea of a great road trip? Where have you gone lately? Where are you going?
One of my favorite road trips is one that allows for a leisurely pace. It can start with fishing a high Sierra desert mountain river early in the morning when the banks still crunch with frost and there's no other angler to be seen. After a good three hours of casting, hooking, and hopefully landing a few sizeable brown trout, eating a shoreline lunch. Then, after lunch having that extra time to unexpectedly stop to explore a small stream at 9,000-plus feet, finding that you and your 3 wt. rod have walked into a late fall hatch and a brook trout feeding frenzy that “prevents” you leaving until the sun dips low and the falling air temperature signals it’s time to head back. That’s a pretty great one-day road trip in my book! (And more typical of my road trips as I don't yet take too many multi-day trips…yet.)
That does sound like a great trip – I've traveled through the Sierra's in California, but not fished. I've heard that the Truckee is a lot like the Yakima.
I'm all about the road trips in life. I have two sorts, the somewhat planned and the carefree and careless type. I often go alone, so I'll load up the SUV as a mobile camp and start to drive. Sometimes I'll flip a coin –go East, go North—style and see where I end up. Sometimes I'll drive 2 hours, sometimes I end up in Montana (I live in Idaho)
I always let my family know, "Hey, I'll be gone for 3 days….or 12 days" and just go. They are used to it =)
I get what you're saying about the process, no labeling needed, but there is 'something' to it, that defies definition.
Sometimes I just call it, the ultimate freedom with a bonus of fly fishing.
My last great road trip was last fall. After tying flies all day at the Gates Saturday Faire, Lori and I packed up and headed north. We had only two things planned – a one night stay at a B&B in Selah, Wa. and Tickets to the DMB concert in the Gorge (my birthday present from Lori).
The owners of the B&B were really nice folks, he being a phone guy like me, his wife being a retired Labor and Delivery nurse. Needless to say, there was no lack of conversation material. We mentioned that we ran a fly shop and guide business and they suggested we take the "canyon road" to Ellensburg instead of the interstate.
We followed their advice and took the road less traveled. We saw deer and big horn sheep as we traveled along a very pretty stretch of the Yakima river. Stopped in at Red's Fly Shop and picked up a new anchor rope for the Dutchman drift boat. We found a place to stay in Ellensburg and moved on up the road to the Gorge Ampetheatre, where Dave Matthews put on an incredible show.
End Part I
Part II: Returning home the next day, we stopped in Yakima at a tribe owned fruit stand to pick up some famous Washington apples. The elderly Indian gal behind the counter said "you're having a girl" – not so much as a question, but as a matter-of-fact statement. We told her that we weren't finding out until the baby arrived. She just smiled a funny little smile.
Upon returning home I sat down at the computer and posted a blog article about our trip : http://blog.riverwoodfliesonline.com/?p=622 . A couple days this fella named Derek Young posted a comment about the article and a new friendship started – one that will last a lifetime I'm sure. Derek and I have since colaborated on some new fly designs and consult with each other on a variety of topics aside from fishing. We actually got to fish together for the first time a few weeks back. I've shown him my river and look forward to getting back up to the Yak for a trip.
You just never know what a road trip will lead you to.
P.S. – The elderly Indian lady was right on the money – Hadlee Shay Carpenter entered our life on November 10th. A beautiful baby girl.
One of the best road trip's I took was one that took me to Idaho Fall's. It was a 8 hour journey one way. All to be done in two day's. Left the great Burg of Ellen with much anticipation at what was at the end of my journey. Could not ask for better company. I was joined by the best gal any one could ask for, my Wife. Just a leisure drive through Wa. Id. Mont. At the end was Hyde Drift boat Co. With my brand new Hyde. What a great reward.