Annual Colorado Trip Dump 2010

Annual Colorado Trip Dump 2010

I arrived an evening early and our reserved campsite was unoccupied so I grabbed it and set up my tent for the night. The next morning I was sitting at the camp table with my back to the dead end road when I heard some footsteps. I turned around and looked up. Then I looked up some more. There was a moose right behind me. When it turned away I saw the little moose. I grabbed my camera and took pics as they headed behind my tent and toward the creek. Then the baby moose stops and takes a piss middle stream.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3414-1.jpg
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3415-1.jpg
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Camp. I didn’t get a pic of mikey’s new tent with closet and vestibule (the architectural kind). Just visualize it if you can.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3538-1.jpg
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3546-1.jpg

Dog days right here. It was a hot 85°f for two days.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3529-1.jpg

Nights were awesome though.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/0717-1.jpg

There were other camp visitors, too.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3629-1.jpg

I think they were the culprits. I left some beer out for them to go along with the beer nuts but the dog drank it.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/0729-1.jpg

Deer every five minutes.

On the road.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3419-1.jpg

In camp.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3693-1.jpg

Under cars.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3706-1.jpg

We ate good.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3689-1.jpg

There was some fishing, too.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3638-1.jpg

Mikey getting it on.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3426-1.jpg

Mikey fishing a nice bend.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3429-1.jpg

Evil old man rock wouldn’t give me a troot.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3428-1.jpg
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I’m off to look for feeding troots ie scenic driving.

I spot something on the steep hillside.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3592-1.jpg

Bighorns. They let me take about forty pics before going in the tree line.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3562-1.jpg
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Back toward stony pass and lost trail creek with finger mesa in the background.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/0664-1.jpg

Finger mesa.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3448-1.jpg

Above the reservoir.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3456-1.jpg

Confluence of ute creek and the rio.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3497-1.jpg

The rio grande reservoir.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3503-1.jpg
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In between my searching for troots I stuck a couple back at camp.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3633-1.jpg

Oh yea.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3643-1.jpg

Hey everybody!
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3652-1.jpg

But back to looking for troots.

The hidden moose pond.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3669-1.jpg

Fed by a spring creek, can you see it?
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3681-1.jpg

Behind the pond I find this.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3670-1.jpg

And behind the pond and down a steep hill I can see the river.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3671-1.jpg

This looks like one fishy place during low flows.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3675-1.jpg

That afternoon the rains came and came. It went from 85° to 65° The river woke up and I got some late afternoon action starting about 7:30pm.

Just wait until tonight.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3686-1.jpg

I find myself night fishing in a buzz of river activity.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/0732-1.jpg

Oh yea!
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/0734-1.jpg

A pic of me taking a pic in night mode. Didn’t work though.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/0736-1.jpg

All you can stick.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3692-1.jpg


On the trip back.

Part two for more troots didn’t work out as planned. It was 102° at the san juan tailwater and only a couple cars at abes. The flow was raised to 1150cfs. I didn’t see anyone fishing.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3743-1.jpg

The other side of the damn was where it’s at in this heat.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3741-1.jpg

Back to arizona and the world’s largest stand of ponderosa pine in search of troot. Trips to the black, white, and the lil co are done.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3832-1.jpg

20 some miles deep in the wht mtns to the black and the weather’s a bit off as usual. http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3763-1.jpg

The black is really low and black. Not a fish to be seen. Mikey’s favorite stream to take a spill in.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3767-1.jpg
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3769-1.jpg

I could live here for a couple weeks.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3773-1.jpg

On to the white and a ten mile loop through the res. If it looks fishy I’ll go get a permit and come back.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3814-1.jpg

Well the white is blown out from the storms.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3816-1.jpg
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3825-1.jpg


The only place that worked out was the little co at x diamond ranch.

I had the stream to myself all day and had a blast.
The stream was running high and cloudy and was on fire.
It’s a beautiful place and I hit it just at the right time.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3784-1.jpg
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3785-1.jpg
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I stuck a bow right off the bat nymphing.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3787-1.jpg

Then two more subsurface while several struck topside at my yellow/black foam indicator so switching to big yellow foam thingys with a hook .
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3804-1.jpg

They’re inhaling this thing.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3798-1.jpg

I tried out a toon hopper I had just got for the san juan.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3808-1.jpg
This thing got brutally tortured by every fish in its path.
I only caught one bow on it though. The browns just attacked it.
It was hilarious. I never had so much fun on foam flys I never use.
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/3801-1.jpg

Had a great time.

What a phenomenal looking trip. Great looking fish and wonderful pictures.

Ben

Absolutely brilliant photos, I really enjoyed seeing them; and reading your post! It's a big country, what a beautiful area.

thanks for sharing your trip with us!

Mostyn

Epic post. The diversity of wildlife is amazing.
Looks like the "troots" were cooperative, even if the chipmunks weren't.

Thanks everyone. It was fantastic as usual. I added the humor to lighten it up. http://users.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/tipshades.gif

Wow, that place is beautiful.

Thanks for the trip pics.

awesome pics and piece jeepster. i could see exactly what you called "evil old man rock". hilarious! thx

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brooktrout

awesome pics and piece jeepster. i could see exactly what you called "evil old man rock". hilarious! thx

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Thanks brooks. Glad you can see the evil old man. Some can’t. It looks just like that in person until you get real close. Scary.

Excellent pics and troot porn Jeepster !!!!!!! ;) Figured the Whites would be getting all the rain while Tucson is depraved, hot, and humid (once again..."Dry Heat My Ass") !!!!!!! :wtf: