If It's Good For The trout, It's Good For Me...

I love winter. I love everything about it - watching snow fall, playing in the snow, even driving in and shoveling snow - everything. Winter snow does make fly fishing more challenging, though, as the fish are generally feeding only on nymphs and dry flies are rare. However, if it's good for the trout, it's good for me and so perhaps my favorite thing about winter is knowing that snow will transform into beautiful, clear mountain trout streams in summer.

So I'm patient, welcome winter reverently, and look for ways to enjoy the snow.

This has resulted in our family enjoying snowmobile trips into the cabin in the winter. We're not aggressive snowmobilers and use the machines mostly for transportation into the cabin and then shuttling tubes and sleds up the hills as we play in the snow. We've been renting our machines for years from Glen, Laurel, Jared, and all the great people at Big Pine Sports who consistently treat us right.

We eat, watch movies, tube, sled, snowshoe, and generally chill out. The kids enjoy bringing friends and we all enjoy the beauty of clear, warm(er), late winter days. Of course a great day on the mountain always seems to end with drive-in burgers and shakes at T-Cee's in Fairview.

Below are a few pictures from our January and February trips this winter. I have also included below our first video compilation using the awesome Flip Video.

Chilling at the end of a great day in January 2009. From left: Erianne, Griffin, Sydney, Ashley, Lori, Cameron, and Joel. We were sorry Mason, Allie, and Jeff couldn't make this trip.

Ashley, Sydney, and Lori enjoying the sun on the deck.

Cameron and his friend Joel Gassman posing after a snowmobile ride.

Me waiting patiently for Gooseberry Creek to come alive again with trout rising to summer's return.

Every year one snowmobiling trip ends with building a snowman. The snow in February was so soft we made him relaxing on his back rather than standing up. Surrounding the snowman are Ashley, Sydney, Dave, Gabby, Griffin, Cameron, and Jeff.

Sydney wondering what's up with that? (In the summer this sign is well over Sydney's head)

Lori enjoying some snowshoeing near the gate to our cabin.

Sydney and her friend Gabby Baker on the deck of the cabin.

Griffin and his friend Erianne Avery enjoying the sun.

We love the Flip Video. This is our first attempt to create a movie from our video clips. Notice the great cinematography of Ashley riding on the back of my snowmobile as she shoots Jeff zooming on the saucer and Griffin wiping out on the improvised snowboard/sled.

First Fish

We spent a Saturday at our cabin recently to enjoy the beautiful fall colors, ride the four-wheelers, and just relax. Lori and Sydney (beautiful girl on the left below) and I were accompanied by my brother Gary and three of his children - Maisie, Gannon, and Sadie. We enjoyed their company and had a wonderful day.















Sadie wanted to catch a fish so she and I went to Gooseberry Creek in search of one of the beautiful cutthroat trout that call it home. The creek is small but the fish are eager - and so was Sadie. The excitement in her face is evidence that it's the little things in life that bring happiness. Her thrill was surpassed only by my happiness in seeing her have this experience.