Roam With Friends

Category: Fishing

Rocky Mountain National Park, Part One The West Side

We have visited numerous national parks and I am always left wondering, “can a person ever spend enough time in such a place of wonder?”

We spent five days in Rocky Mountain National Park in June 2019. The second longest amount of time we have spent at any national park (Yellowstone remains the longest time we have spent). And I still walk away knowing that we failed to cover so very much. The only saving grace for me is I know Rocky Mountain National Park is a park we can and will easily re-visit.

East vs. West

We stayed on the west side of the park at Winding River Resort so the majority of our activities seemed to be on that side. I have no scientific research but it feels to me that the majority of visitors to Rocky Mountain Park enter from the east side, through Estes Park. I know when we went over to the east side it seemed more crowded. I can say that the west side of the park is home to moose and that is the primary reason for our visit. Today’s post is about our experiences on the west side.

West Side

We started our time on the west side at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center where we were given advice on hiking trails and fishing. We selected an easy hike, the North Inlet Trail. Wildlife sightings is what we sought and what we sought advice from the rangers on. Well, wildlife sightings is what we found. We saw marmot, deer, snakes, and even moose. We hiked the North Inlet Trail about 1 1/2 miles when we noticed how late it was getting to be. Afternoon had left and we were approaching evening when we turned around to hike towards home. We never made it to Cascade Falls (it was another 2 miles further). Our most memorable moment on this trail was when we noticed three bull moose staring down on us from above the trail. We attempted to pass them by walking softly forward. However, the moose had other plans as they started running down the hill straight for the trail. So, we decided to quietly but quickly back up just trying to create as much space as possible. The moose crossed the trail and started feasting on the marsh side of the trail and then the three moose started getting aggressive with each other! We were treated to such an amazing show on our first night but we did decide we had seen too much excitement and quickly maximized the diversion to get out of that area!

Our second hike on the west side was the East Inlet Trail. My dear friend Harry came to visit us from Denver and after we enjoyed a great lunch at the local Snack Shack we took off hiking to Adams Falls and beyond. The trail to Adams Falls was a bit crowded. A lot of people turned around and returned after the falls but we kept going. We ran into a group of artist painting in a clearing. I have never been an artistic type but those women on that day inspired me to come home and purchase watercolors. I have yet to take them hiking with me but I still think that is in my future.

We headed to Coyote Valley Trailhead for dual purpose. Wayne and Jackie (who joined us for part of our trip) set out to flyfish while Olivia and I hiked from Coyote Valley Trailhead to Bowen/Baker Trailhead. Olivia and I started off on a defined trail and them we ended up on a different type of trail. Maybe it was a social trail or a game trail? I am not sure but we soon found ourselves wondering through trees, meadows, and crossing the Colorado River four or five different times. As we hiked, the fisherman were working their own way up and down the Colorado River. Olivia and I spied more moose and Wayne and Jackie did catch wild trout.

Bowen Gulch to Never Summer Wilderness was our final hike on the west side of the park. Never Summer Wilderness is actually not in the national park but it is in the Arapaho National Forest. We hiked the trail toward Parika Lake for a few miles before turning around and heading back. While the environment seemed likely for wild animal sightings we did not have any on this trail.

Overall, the river was full from spring thaw. The water was running swiftly. Jackie, Wayne, and eventually my cousin Dennis had a great time attempting to catch trout. They had enough luck to consider it a successful trip.

We started completing and collecting Junior Ranger Badges years ago when we first started visiting national parks. This visit was no different. Olivia completed her program and visited the Kawuneeche Visitor Center to get sworn in. These visits are always fun, the rangers take valuable time away from their other duties to make each child feel special. They each vary slightly based on the rangers individual personality. At Rocky Mountain National Park, the ranger took her own hat off and put it on Olivia’s head! It was a wonderful moment. But as different as each one is, they also share something very similar. They inspire the kids and adults alike to be better, to do better, and to protect more. I am thankful she has not grown out of this.

The west side of the park met every expectation that we had. We had more moose sightings than I could ever write about. We went hoping to see one moose and came home seeing dozens of moose. In fact, in our feature photo, the one of us in front of the Rocky Mountain National Park sign, a moose was walking out of the trees and walking directly to us. We had one eye on the camera and one on the moose just to see what his next steps were going to be.

Come back later and check out our east side activities.

January 9, 2020
Winding River Resort, Grand Lake Colorado
Colorado has so many amazing options for camping that selecting the right spot can be a challenge. To help us whittle it down we started listing the non-negotiable we wanted in a Colorado vacation:
- mountain views
- mountain lakes
- hiking
- fishing
- moose
Moose? Yes, moose. We knew the first four items on our list would be easy low hanging fruit to grab but moose; in Colorado? Everyone we talked to told us about elk in Colorado. Even some big horned sheep. But, not so much chatter about moose.

As we started our research. I found an article online that talked about the increase in moose population in Colorado specifically in an area near Grand County. The Kawuneeche Valley is suppose to be home to a significant moose population. So that lead me to brainstorming with my dear friend, Leslie, who lives in Colorado. I asked her if she felt I could see moose in Colorado and she clued me into Winding River Resort in Grand Lake Colorado. Leslie told me that she had a friend who visits Winding River regularly and she always has photos of moose encounters.

We learned that Winding River Resort is a few short feet away from Rocky Mountain National Park (you can literally walk into the park from the resort) and equally close to the Arapaho National Forrest. On the grounds of the resort is a ATV rental shop. Within a few short miles away are three mountain lakes: Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain Lake and Lake Granby. There are other smaller alpine lakes in the national park as well. The icing on the cake for us, was Winding River Resort offered us full hook-ups.

Booking:

Booking at Winding River Resort was easy as a phone call to the resort. I explained to the reservation taker that my goal of seeing a moose. She explained that the moose enter the resort in the back by the staff area so she was going to put me as close to them as she could. A quick look at the campground map also showed that we were right next to a lily pond. Perfect!

Our dates:

We planned to spend an entire week at Winding River Resort; June 10th to June 16, 2019. We were in spot 93. Our rate was $60/night but we did have to pay an extra $10 child fee.

Getting There:

To arrive at Winding River Resort from Denver, we had two options. Option 1: Travel north in I25 and take our 35 foot camper through Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. Option 2: Take I-70 west 40 Highway north through Berthoud Pass and Winter Park. Trail Ridge Road is a 48 miles stretch of road from the east side to the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. It reaches elevations near 11,500 with a grade between 5% and 7%. Trail Ridge Road is narrow, with minimal shoulder and pullouts. Weather conditions on Trail Ridge Road change quickly.

Berthoud Pass is also a mountain pass that reaches elevations near 11,300 and steep grades (6%). We also found wide lanes, with well established shoulders. The biggest difference between the two passes is the traffic. Trail Ridge Road is in the park and is a huge tourist draw. So, we opted to take Option 2 and travel Berthoud Pass while pulling our camper.

Finding Winding River Resort was actually very easy. Just north of Grand Lake, Colorado a quaint mountain town with a population under 500 residents. Almost directly across from the Kawuneeche Visitor Center of Rocky Mountain National Park right off highway 34 was county road 491. A mile down the road, across a little bridge, was Winding River Resort, right on the banks of the Colorado River.

Upon arrival, we found a cute sprawling resort. We were welcomed to the ranch by the horses that call the stables their home, just to the left of the entrance. We checked in a the general store/office just to the right of the entrance. We were surrounded by evergreen trees and mountains. Our first impression of the resort; we had found a piece of Colorado heaven. We easily found our site, which was a dirt site that backed up to the Wapiti Lilly Pond (which we were so excited to find actually had water and lilly pads during our visit). We were a little disappointed to find out that our neighbors had parked their RV a little caddywhompus which caused us to be a little askew. Thankfully the resort staff, problem solved and helped us get into our site.

Our first Moose sighting happened after we had been on the property less than 10 minutes. We checked in, drove to our site, quickly assessed that our site was odd (thanks to said neighbors mentioned above), drove back up front to request help, and as we drove back to our site to wait for assistance, we passed by the lilly pond a second time in a matter of minutes. There, in the Lilly Pond was a yearling female moose munching away. We quickly named her Lilly and we would learn that she visited the Lilly Pond every single day during our visit. Gosh, and I was worried about seeing a moose. Goal met in less than an hour!

After setting up our camp, we headed to the Kawuneeche Visitor Center. We have found that asking Park Rangers for hiking and fishing recommendations usually pays off. The Rangers recommended a hike called the North Inlet Trail which actually started in Grand Lake. The Rangers told us that moose sightings had been reported around dusk on this trail.

We managed to find two moose on our first hike, both were a field and a river away but we were able to respectfully visit them. As we were hiking back to our vehicle, I was leaving our first day very happy. Three moose sightings in one afternoon! This vacation, this location, was better than I ever could have imagined. As we walked back, a tad after dusk I suddenly became weary of predators watching us. Moose were not the only animals in the area and my husband, who was hiking behind me, kept stopping which kept putting me up front alone. Just as I turned to “school” him on proper mountain lion safety, I looked up and found a large bull moose staring down at me. Seriously, I about peed myself! But there was no time for such things because as soon as I caught my breath at stumbling onto a bull moose, I realized he was not alone. There was not one but three bulls directly above us!

The rest of our time at Winding River Resort, was just as idealistic as our first day. Every day we experienced moose. And elk. My favorite experience was waking up early to find our campground full of moose. My cousin had gotten up early to walk his dog and found a huge surprise, moose everywhere. Thankfully he came and immediately woke me up so I too could experience it. We learned during our vacation that moose strongly dislike dogs. It is in their DNA from years of fighting off the cousin of the dog; the wolf. That morning as the moose were running free around camp, I just kept thinking our being there all started with my cousin out walking his dog and coming up on a random moose out grabbing a morning bite to eat. Our week at Winding River Resort was nothing short of perfect. It was the best balance of activity and relaxation. We enjoyed quiet time and we also had moments where we were joined by friends. Besides my cousin, who moved to Riverton Wyoming joining us, we were also visited by our dearest friends Jackie and Harry. Harry loves Grand Lake and loved driving up from Denver to spend the day having lunch at the Snack Shack on the lake and hiking to Adams Falls.

We rented a Razor from On The Trail Rentals, which we were very satisfied with. We got lucky as On The Trail opened for summer rental on June 15, which happened to fall on our last full day at the Resort. We took the Razor and spent an afternoon exploring Arapaho National Forrest which is adjacent to the resort. During our rental time, we learned a lot from my cousin about dry camping on public land and we were able to see numerous camping sites full of boondockers.

We spent a great deal of time wondering around the town of Grand Lake. Whether you are visiting in the summer or winter, this town is a mecca of outdoor activities. We enjoyed ice cream at one of the ice cream shops. We found the locals to be friendly, engaging, and so willing to share their beautiful home with us. We enjoyed shopping in all of the downtown shops. We were even able to find a pizza restaurant/bar (The White Buffalo) to watch The St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup.

The Short Chic and her daddy even braved the frigid cold water of Grand Lake to SUP. We warned The Short Chic over and over again about how cold the water was but she was convinced she was not going to fall in. Wayne, on the other hand, was positive he was going to fall in. I am happy to say he never fell in and unfortunately, after 50 some minutes of perfect SUPing, The Short Chic did fall into that water. I have never seen someone fall in and jump out of the water faster than she did!

After consulting with Park Rangers and the owners of Kirks Flyshop, Wayne spent several days wetting fly line in streams and lakes in the area. Unfortunately, we were on vacation and visiting during the summer run-off so the rivers were running high and fast and the alpine lakes were still pretty frozen. Thankfully, he learned how to manage the water and was still successful at catching fish. This is a huge accomplishment for him as we come from an area that mostly has stocked rivers and catching a wild trout is something to send a post card home to Dad about!

Winding River Resort had several amenities that deserve to be highlighted even if we did not partake in them. First of all, this is a campground that allows campers and non-campers to spend time together. They have cabins for rent as well as pioneer covered wagon! They have equestrian sites; full hook up sites that come with a small corral for your horse. Many of the other campers we saw, bring their fun with them to Winding River Resort, that “fun” maybe ATVs or they may be horses, or fishing rods in our case.

Horses are a big deal at Winding River. You can bring yours or rent one of theirs. They have organized trail rides, pony rides, hay rides, and even sleigh rides in the winter. They have chuck wagon dinners and chuck wagon pancake breakfast, ice cream socials, square dancing, and even Cowboy Church. We spent time walking around the Animal Farm playing with all the baby farm animals. If organized activities are not your thing, there is pickleball, basketball, frisbee golf, volleyball, horseshoes are all available on the property for your enjoyment. Oh yeah, let’s not forget that the Colorado River is right behind the Animal Farm.

Every minute we were in Colorado at Winding River Resort and every minute we spent driving home from our Colorado we just kept saying to ourselves, “wow, that was amazing.” We selected this place in hopes of seeing a moose. I had no idea or expectation that we would see as many moose as we did.

I hope if you are looking for a Colorado adventure that is a little bit quieter and a little (a lot) less crowded than say…Estes Park…we hope you will consider booking a stay at Winding River Resort.
December 20, 2019
Knob Noster State Park

Every year we have a goal of visiting 5 different Missouri State Parks, which earns us our Missouri Camper Award. Some of those five are parks we visit every single year: Watkins Mill State Park, Weston Bend State Park, and Wallace State Park. But, we also like to explore and try new things (isn’t that part of the love of RV’ing?) so I also look for a couple of new parks we want to visit. Knob Noster State Park has been on our list of places to visit for the past couple of years and we finally made it there Memorial Day Weekend 2018.

Located an hour east of Kansas City in the small town of Knob Noster, we found ourselves arriving just about the time we felt like we left home. Knob Noster is home to Whiteman Air Force Base so by coming here, I really hoped to catch a glimpse of the B-2 Stealth Bomber, which is permanently housed at Whiteman AFB.

This trip came days before we departed for our two week family vacation, so we were really hoping for a quiet weekend before we sat off on an adventure. As we rarely roam without a friend or two, this weekend was no exception.. Our friends Josh and Vickie and their two children joined us.

Camp Life:

The campground loop is long and weaves between completely shaded sites to full exposed to the sun sites. Primitive sites are sprinkled throughout the loop and next to electric sites. There are 70 total sites at Knob Noster SP.

In addition to the campground, there is also a special use area with two group campgrounds that are available to nonprofits, weddings, family reunions, and other approved groups. One of the parks even has an in-ground swimming pool!

Each night and day that we were visiting KNSP there were ranger led activities. We attended an owl program Friday night after settling into camp. We attended a ranger led nature walk the next day and on our last evening we attended a ranger led program that discussed the history of the park.

Interesting History:

Knob Noster State Park actually started off as part of the National Park Service. Construction began on the future state park in 1936 as part of the employment relief service and with a goal of turning marginal land no longer suited for agriculture into a recreational area for Kansas Citians and nearby residents. Ten years later when construction was completed in 1946, the National Park Service transferred control to the Missouri State Board.

Our Time:

As we prepared to come to Knob Noster State Park for the first time we heard from many people that the hiking at this park was exceptional. We ended up hiking the Buteo Trail and the Discovery Trail. We found wild plants, animals, cliffs, streams, and lakes. The Buteo Trail has a fun water feature to cross and it takes you around the Buteo Lake. We heard that the Buteo Lake is home to fresh water jellyfish and beavers, but we found no evidence of jelly fish.

We heard that the town of Knob Noster had a farmers market on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, there were only three vendors at the farmer’s market so we finished in like six minutes. Fortunately, we decided to wander around downtown and found ourselves a few antique shops and a few other cute shops. We even found an ice cream place and Josh proved to everyone that it is never too early in the morning for ice cream!

One of the evenings during our visit we traveled over to Clear Fork Lake to catch the sunset and do a little bit of fishing. We did not catch any fish but the sunset that night was beautiful! I added returning to Clear Fork Lake to my next time list. I think this place would be beautiful space for an evening picnic.

Sunday afternoon we welcomed visitors, my brother and niece arrived. One of the small pleasures in life is to enjoy a grilled hot dog and the company of loved ones. As we sat around our campsite, following the shade from spot to the next we actually had a B-2 fly overhead. By the time we heard the noise, the bomber was long gone but man, it was so loud! Maybe next visit we will actually get to see a B-2 fly over. Maybe, but they are stealthy.

March 26, 2019
Campground Review: Monster Lake Ranch, Cody, Wyoming

Monster Lake Ranch Cody, Wyoming

Dates of Stay: Monday May 29-Wednesday May 31, 2017

Six miles south of Cody, Wyoming on Highway 120 with the Absaroka Mountain Range to the west and the still visable Big Horn Mountains to the west sits a relatively small 10,000 acre Wyoming ranch called Monster Lake Ranch. The name of the ranch comes from it’s namesake a nearly 200 acre lake on the property that is stocked with it’s namesake monster sized trout fish of all breeds. Monster Lake is a world class flat water fly-fishing destination to avid fishermen and even hunters.

While the word may be out about the fishing at Monster Lake, their little unknown secret is the plethora of lodging options from traditional teepee’s to cowboy camps, from glamping tents to brick and morter lodging cabins, to four full service RV hookup sites. We looked at our other RV options for our stay in Cody. They included a KOA and two local campgrounds. We selected to stay at Monster Lake Ranch because this location offered us a quiet alternative at a cheaper rate than any of the other options. Based on our experience during our visit here, we would book this campground again and again.

Check In and The RV Sites:

Mid Afternoon the caravan of travelers pulled into Monster Lake. The office manager was on her first week of employment and still figuring things out. She told us we were the only guest on the ranch, welcomed us to explore the ranch as much as we were interested (she only requested that we shut the gates after we went through them), directed us to the RV sites and sent us on our way.

The sites are a short walk to Quick Lake, the second lake on the property and near the homes the ranch staff live in. We found 30 and 50 amp service as well as sewer and fresh water. The sites are graveled. In the interest of full disclosure, the sites themselves were nothing fancy. In fact, they resembled a gravel parking lot. We lined up three in a row and set up our camp.

The Rest of the Ranch

Of course there is the namesake lake, Monster Lake on property. It actually sits to the east of the main office and needs to be driven to. In addition to that lake there is also a second smaller lake, Quick Lake, closer to the entrance of the ranch. The men were advised to use sinking line on their rods and they were able to get some practice casting in at Quick Lake before their big day of fishing.

We know there is a restaurant and a bar on the ranch, which I believe are called the Bliss Restaurant and The Cutthroat Saloon but I am not totally positive of that. They provide guest the opportunity for a meal or a cocktail without having to go into Cody. Unfortunately, both were closed during our stay. Sadly, there is no outside signage to indicate its existence nor were we handed any type of information on Ranch amenities upon our check in. We did camp next to two staff who work in the restaurant who did confirm there was a restaurant and we did see an outdoor cooking area so I am assuming some of the food served is cooked over a large open flame. It seems as if we started our vacation about four days too early of that magical June 1 summer start.

Very much like fishing, hunting experiences are also available on Monster Lake Ranch. Bird Hunting as well as a pistol shooting range and a rifle shooting range are available on property. The pistol range is by the office and near the restaurant. The rifle shooting range is some distance away but you can actually see some of the targets from the main area of the ranch. No one was on property shooting while we were there. I do imagine there would be a chance you could hear the short range shooting from the RV sites but the wind does carry sound differently so I am not sure.

Several of the ranches different types of lodging are located near Quick Lake. Five total traditional teepee’s, two one bedroom cabins, two three bedrooms, as well as a cowboy camps. The cowboy camp is a remote rustic wooden cabin. They also have canvas wall tents on platforms around the property. As many of the lodging is rustic there is a shower house close to the main office. Members of our group did visit the shower house and reported that it was clean and nice.

What would a ranch be without animals? Well, thankfully we really don’t have to find out because this ranch has animals; both wild and domestic. Quick Lake had geese on it; even babies. The ranch has llama’s and horses. The male horses were separated from the mare’s and colts. The kids loved watching the horses. We also saw plenty of wild animals: antelope, mule deer, pheasants, prairie dogs, meadowlarks, rabbits, and magpies. The ranch also has two, three or four hour trail riding adventures available.

As we roamed the ranch, it became very clear to us. We had come to this place to fish but each of us were having a great moment on a ranch in Wyoming. Speaking for myself it was nice to feel small. The ranch maybe small for Wyoming standards, it felt huge to me. The wide open range allows you to see forever in almost every direction you turn. Even though it is a working ranch we hardly saw any people. Knowing that our next stop on this vacation is Yellowstone National Park and the crowds that attracts, we enjoyed the seclusion Monster Lake Ranch afforded us.

The Local Area:

On our second day at Monster Lake Ranch, we said good luck to Wayne as he went to fly fish on Monster Lake. The rest of us headed into Cody to catch up on laundry at the local laundromat and lunch at a local restaurant: Millstone Pizza Company. We enjoyed pizza and sandwiches, cold drinks, and the kids enjoyed playing in the arcade. That afternoon, each family selected a different activity and we went their separate ways with the plan to meet back together for our first community meal that evening. We had planned for three community meals during our two week vacation and the first of those was happening at Monster Lake Ranch.

Our Ranch Experiences:

As the day began to settle and we started finding our way back to the ranch from our afternoon of sightseeing, we noticed the clouds were building and the sky was darkening. We were able to enjoy a quick Wyoming rain shower. The clouds were impressive and so was the rainbow. Wayne’s fishing guide for the afternoon, Mike, offered to take us to see a site he said would knock our socks off. As he escorted us to parts of the ranch we would not have visited by ourselves, he did warn us that we had to be cautious of rattle snakes Mike escorted us to Cowboy Camp and carefully walked us to the edge of a rocky bluff carefully avoiding all snakes as we went. During our trip, Mike told us that the some of rock on the ranch has petroglyphs from Native Americans but we would surely encounter snakes so he would not recommend us exploring alone.

After our ranch tour, we were able to enjoy a campfire as the ranch hands had come by and made us a fire ring and supplied us with firewood. We enjoyed a community meal of hot dogs, chili, all the fixin’s, and ended it with s’mores and board games.

After dinner, Wayne decided to organize and put away his fishing gear. He also thought it was a good time to flush our black tank. So with water running into our black tank, he wondered away from the water to his fishing gear. The rest of us were completely pre-occupied with the campfire until two things started happening simultaneously. Wayne started yelling at The Boy to pull the black tank lever and we noticed water coming off the awning. Wayne had literally left the water running, which filled up the black tank, filled up the toilet, and with no other place for the water to go was coming out the vent on the roof of the camper! The Boy pulled the black tank valve and water poured out of the hose. Everyone was quick to assist us but no one wanted to open either door to the camper. I think each of us feared the camper was full of water.

Thankfully we had minimal water in the camper. Just a small area around the bathroom. Weeks after the vacation is over, we are still teasing Wayne about his method for flushing the black tank. I do hope he has learned to not walk away or try and multi-task during this chore.

Disaster adverted, mess soaked up, we spent the rest of our last night at Monster Ranch around the campfire and enjoying the stars. There is very little ambient light to interfere with stargazing out on the ranch.

Recommendations:

We left Monster Ranch with only a few recommendations. We loved the seclusion and the ample space available at Monster Lake Ranch, and I am not sure referring to the RV sites but to the feel of the entire ranch. The RV sites are located right next to staff housing, which was not problematic but it did feel as if the RV sites were an after thought. Like, we have this extra staff housing that we are not using so we can rent it out to the public. Monster Lake Ranch has taken a lot of care to make other parts of the ranch a meaningful experience and it would be nice if they put that same thought into the RV sites.

Throughout our planning and visit with Monster Lake Ranch, we could not help but notice that the staff in the office at Monster Lake Ranch changed frequently. The person who confirmed our reservations was not the same person who checked us in. The office manager who checked us in told us she was brand new and had no idea we were coming until we were in her office. Thankfully she was able to find our reservations and was able to seamlessly provide us with service. Sadly, when we called back a few weeks ago, there is another brand new office manager. Obviously we consumers don’t necessarily need to know the inner workings as long as the workings keep working but in the mean time, make sure you make reservations, keep the documentation, and confirm your appointments.

Monster Lake Ranch has made one massive change since we made our visit in May 2018 and that is their web presence. We have noticed they have updated their website. The new website is easy to navigate, is appealing, extensively offers information on all of the services available at the ranch.

Conclusion:

We spent two nights and a few days on the ranch. Sadly Wayne had little lunch in the fishing department but we found a place of solitude. We found a place where the animals still roam. We found a place where the wild pheasants woke us in the morning and the meadowlarks sang to us every evening. We found a place with beautiful views both during the day and the night.

If you are interested in fly fishing or bird hunting then this is the place for you. While Wayne did not have much luck he still hopes for a chance to return and catch one of those monster trout that swim in monster lake.

If you are like us, passing through Cody on your way to or from Yellowstone National Park, Monster Lake Ranch offers you a haven from the hustle and bustle and the crowds. A peaceful place to stay before or after a visit to the national park offers that balance we often seek during our vacations. At $35 a night, Monster Lake offers you something no other campground in Cody offers; wide open space.

August 4, 2017
The Adventures of Betty, Roxie, and The Rockwood: That’s WY!

Do you ever hear a song that speaks to your soul? The one you turn up a little louder every time you hear it. You catch yourself humming along to it even when it is not playing. This summer that song for me is Highway Vagabond by Miranda Lambert. I can’t get it out of my ears…

I wanna go somewhere where nobody knows
I wanna know somewhere where nobody goes
Following gold lines on the ground, northbound, southbound
There’s something ’bout the way I feel when the wheels go round and round and round

Highway vagabonds, living like hippies
Moving right along to the next big city
Okay, jump off the exit
Truck stop, rest stop, next stop Texas
Caravan like a wild west show
I don’t care, man, as long as we go
My way
Get off one and get on the other
Highway, vagabonds

For us, the next stop is not Texas. It is Cody, Wyoming and I did feel like we were caravaning like a wild west show. Partially because we were caravaning. Three big trucks pulling three big travel trailers down Highway 16, also knows as Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway, that goes up and over Bighorn National Forest. Partially because we were heading west to a town made famous by a man who made wild west shows famous. Partially because we were on no time table and we found ourselves leisurely wandering from one destination to the next; just like a vagabond.

We took one highway to the next winding our way to Monster Lake Ranch just outside of Cody, Wyoming. Pulling into Monster Lake, I did feel like we were somewhere where nobody knows and we had found a place that nobody goes. But, that really isn’t true. People do go to Monster Lake. It is known for its world-class fly fishing and bird hunting, which is exactly how we ended up landing there. But, in the moment of being there (the only guest on property) it did feel like we were in a secret location. A place just like Miranda sings about.

Fishing at Monster Lake has been on my husband’s bucket list for a couple of decades. His father and uncle have raved about the monster trout they caught on their trips out there and he wanted his own shot. We offered to let the group go ahead of us and we would meet up but they all decided that Cody had enough things to keep everyone entertained and when we found out they had RV sites we quickly made plans to stay three days/two nights at Monster Lake, 8 miles south of Cody, Wyoming.

On our only full day at Monster Lake Ranch, we each went a different direction and experienced different things. So, go find that Miranda Lambert song, turn up the radio, and follow along as we walk you through our time in Cody, Wyoming.

Monster Lake Ranch (Wayne’s Cody Experience):

Visiting the wild west sounds fun, but for some of us, visiting it is simply not enough. If you want an activity a little more hands on for a chance to call victory of the wild in the west then Monster Lake Ranch is where you should go. If your bucket list includes bird hunting, fishing, trail riding, pistol or rifle shooting on a beautiful, scenic ranch surrounded by mountains, then this is the place to visit.

Monster Lake Ranch is a 10,000 acre working ranch with a nearly 200 acre lake stocked with monster sized cutthroat, rainbow, and brown trout. When I say monster size, I mean easily 6 pounds, often over ten pounds, 15 inches or more girth, and shy of two feet long. These are the type of fish you dream of catching. Monster Lake is a private lake. The price to fish here is steep: a half day rod fee is $150 and a full day is $200. Guided trips are available starting off around $450 for a half day. You can bring your own personal water craft, rent one from Monster Lake, or the guide will take you out on a drift boat.

Before I even went, I got some advice from my uncle and my dad who had fished Monster Lake before me. They recommended a five or six weight rod, full sinking line, and 2X leader and tippet. My Uncle Dave even gave me a large box of flies that I have never fished with before. I was also able to purchase an “old” fishing raft hat he had previously used at Monster Lake.

The night we arrived, three of us spent a few hours casting into Quick Lake, which is significantly smaller and at the entrance to the property. We found ourselves casting the full sinking line into the wind, which proved to be a game changer for my fishing buddies and I soon found myself the solo fisherman the next day.

I started off deciding to do the full day unguided trip. I took my all made over for monster sized trout rods and my “new to me” inflatable fishing raft with foot flippers to maneuver the lake. The guide, Mike, met me early that morning and actually repeated all the advice my uncle had given me. Mike then gave me a few top water flies, a quick Monster Lake entomology lesson (that is life cycle of bugs in case you wondered), a quick layout of the lake, a few specific casting techniques for this area, he even told me what birds to look for, and sent me on my way.

I started casting. I started to notice a few of the signs Mike had told me to look for. I saw a few insects and I mean a few. I saw a few of the birds he mentioned. But the birds could not find the few insects that showed up. Which also meant there were no fish showing up. I kept casting.

Around lunch time, my wife called to check in. I was feeling pretty discouraged. I was not sure if I was missing the signs or they were not there to see or if my technique was off. My wife could not give me any advice on the fishing but she did one of the most important things ever; she told me to call Mike and hire him as a guide.

By early afternoon, Mike was back. I was out of the inflatable raft and in his drift boat. He took me all over Monster Lake. He had confirmed that my technique was right on. Man, that was a relief! A few hours later I threw a dry fly (afternoon fishing the insects come back and lay eggs) close to one of the few rising fish we had seen that day. I saw him take the fly so I set the hook. This was my moment. After nearly a full day of discouragement I was so ready for this!. As soon as he took the fly, it felt like I snagged a log. He took the fly straight down, shook his head twice, and I felt the line go slack. I stripped the line to check my fly and I was surprised to see it was still there. But then on closer inspection I could see that my hook was nearly straight. Total defeat. Fisherman 0 Trout 1.

Shortly after this near miss, Mike and I called it quits. Mike was super discouraged that the insects had failed to show up that he volunteered to take me back out the next morning. I went back to the RV to ice my now sore arm. Mike felt pretty badly I had a crappy day of fishing so he graciously offered to show my family around Monster Lake. He took us back to Cowboy Camp. We walked up to a huge cliff and watched a storm move in. A giant rainbow appeared over Monster Lake Ranch that evening. I had hoped that would mean a better day of fishing in the morning.

The next morning, Mike and I hit the lake fairly early. We only had a half day to fish because we were packing up and heading to Yellowstone. I wish I could say that our second morning was more successful than our first. The weather was perfect; sunny, hot, not a cloud in the sky, with little to no wind. The rest of the group called it perfect, the first nice day of our vacation. But those perfect days make the worst days for trout fishing. I am pretty sure I am the only person who has ever come to Monster Lake with the hopes of catching a monster trout and who walked away with nothing but a sore arm from all that casting.

Buffalo Bill Center of the West (The Master’s Cody Experience)

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We decided to tour The Buffalo Bill Center of the West while in Cody. The cost of admission was pricey ($19 for adults and $12 for children ages 6-17) but the admission covers two consecutive days to the museum. This museum is huge and you could definitely use two days to explore the entire thing. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West houses six different museums in one building: Buffalo Bill Museum, Draper Natural History Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum, Plains Indian Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, and McCracken Research Library, as well as special time limited exhibits. We explored all of the museums but not the library. The exhibit was closed for set-up during our visit. I’m embarrassed to admit, but as we entered the center it dawned on me that this was the first real museum the kids had ever ever really been in. Our biggest worry was what the kids would think and how they would behave. We were pleasantly surprised – they were both well behaved and they both LOVED it. When I asked the kids what their favorite part was they simply said “all of it!”

We started our exploration in the Whitney Western Art Museum. Each painting was tied to a number and you had access to headphones and recorder that provided a recorded information on the artist and the painting. The kids loved this – they walked around the entire art area typing in the numbers and listening. We loved looking at the paintings of Yellowstone knowing that was the next stop on our road trip.

After the art museum we explored the Cody Firearms Museum. This was amazing; truly a sight to see. Sadly I didn’t take any pictures of the guns because there was just so many it was almost overwhelming. There were guns of all shapes and kinds. Guns from years and years ago to present. My husband and I really enjoyed this area. During our time here, we kept thinking about our loved ones not on this trip with us. I know my father-in-law would have also been fascinated.

Next we journeyed through the Plains Indian Museum, which was probably my second favorite area. Looking at the items the Indian people made and the details in these items were fascinating. My girl loved the baby carriers the Indian people made and transported their babies in. My boy enjoyed learning about the Bison and all the things the Indian people used from the Bison. Bison have become his new favorite animals.

Next we explored the Buffalo Bill Museum. We traveled through this section very quickly because the kids were anxious to get to the Draper Natural History Museum. There were many interesting things I never know about Buffalo Bill and his life; he was really quite accomplished. The Natural History Museum was probably where we spent the most of our time. There was an area you could see the animal habitat and see what they eat, touch their horn or antlers, and touch their hides. There were all sorts of animals in this area from chipmunks to elks, to bears. The kids really like this.

Overall we really like Buffalo Bill Center of the West. There was a great deal to see and I’m sure we missed plenty in our short visit. If I had the opportunity to go again I would and I would want want to explore my two favorite areas more thoroughly – the Plains Indian Museum and the Cody Firearms Museum.

Old Trail Town (The Taylor’s Minus Wayne’s Cody Experience)

During our visit we got to help Old Trail Town celebrate it’s 50th anniversary of being in business. They gave us a gold sticker to wear around for the day. We even left our anniversary sticker on after we left. Old Trail Town is more than a collection of historic buildings. Although it is exactly that; a collection of old buildings. You will also find relics throughout the restored buildings that give you a glimpse of what life was like for early western settlers. My ancestors were not western settlers but I recognized several antiques that my great grandparents had in their homes.

Old Trail Town collection has 27 buildings, which date from 1879-1901, one hundred horse drawn vehicles, as well as extensive memorabilia from the Wyoming frontier and Indian artifacts. Some of the homes can be entered and others you can’t. Several homes had beds in them. We can’t help but wonder, were people really that small? My husband and I have a king sized bed and when I am looking at the beds in these homes, I am shocked at how small they look! Have we supersized our entire lives?

Three of the buildings located at Old Trail Town are buildings used by “The Hole in the Wall Gang” which Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid were apart of. You will still find bullet holes in the door of the saloon. I think I need to do more research on my wild west villains. I kinda need to admit I thought Butch Cassidy was a good guy, maybe because Robert Redford was in the movie and he can’t possibly be a bad guy, right?

In addition to the buildings and relics, several historical figures are buried at Old Trail Town including Jeremiah “Liver Eating” Johnston. Maybe you have seen a movie also starring Robert Redford? Jeremiah Johnson? It is one of my favorite western movies. I think I just realized how infatuated I am with Robert Redford. Anyway, after the release of the movie, Jeremiah Johnston was relocated from his pauper’s grave in California to Old Trail Town. Robert Redford even served as a pallbearer in the largest burial service in the history of Wyoming.

Ticket prices to visit this attraction are $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids 6-12 years of age. My parents took me to Old Trail Town on my first visit to Cody. I would not say much has changed. It remains a place where the wild west lives. Even if it is contained to two acres.

Buffalo Bill Dam (The Todd’s Cody Experience)

The Shoshone River runs right through Cody, Wyoming. Six miles west of town, on the way to Yellowstone, you will drive through a series of tunnels and then pass the Buffalo Bill Dam. It was built in 1910 and was the highest dam in the world, at that time. We also found it interesting that the dam was originally built with no reinforcing rebar.

We found ample large space parking in the parking area just west of the dam and visitor center. We were greeted by a man driving a golf cart who offered us a ride up to the visitor center. He told us after the 9/11 bombings they put up barricades and no longer allow parking close to the dam. We would not have minded the walk, but the gentleman driving us was a treat to spend time with.

On the way into the visitor center we learned that the water level was as low as it has been in the past 20 years. At the visitor center, we wandered around outside. The sound of the water rushing through the spillway is loud. The sun bounces off the falling water and created rainbows. The water on the other side of dam is calm and quiet. We lingered outside to enjoy the views.

Inside the visitor center we watched a movie about the making of the dam. Our daughter was fascinated by the number of people injured or even killed during the building. I think the movie made a huge impact on her. We got our national passports stamped and walked back to our truck. There are a few artifacts on the way to/from the parking lot to the visitor center; namely a ball plug and a hydraulic valve.

Sadly, we were in Cody just days before the start of their summer season which meant that the nightly rodeo’s Cody is known for had yet to start. I do wish we had been able to attend a rodeo but we picked our dates to beat the large summer tourist season at Yellowstone National Park. Life is certainty about balancing choices.

We spent two nights and a few days in and around Cody. We enjoyed the “down” time before our next stop. Thanks so much to the staff at Monster Lake for helping make our time in Cody what we had hoped it would be.

July 30, 2017
Fishing in The Great Smoky Mountains

I consider myself a fly fisherman. I’ve been fly fishing for roughly 15 years, my dad and uncle taught me in the cold clear water of upper Lake Taneycomo, just below Table Rock Dam. I don’t consider myself a great fly caster, but I’m a really good fisherman. Like my dad, I can cast just good enough to be an extremely successful fisherman. We can usually go anywhere in Missouri or Arkansas and catch a ton of trout. We normally fish in tailwaters or trout parks. I know… trout parks are not REAL trout fishing but that’s the trout fishing we have available in our area. Here in our tailwaters and in our parks I’m a really good fly fisherman. I know where to go, what to use and how to fish. I research and study techniques and equipment, 90% of the time, I’m successful at catching trout. I’ve taught several others how to fly fish. I tie nearly all of the flies I use. Even the guys I fish with use the flies I tie and they catch a ton of fish. In my world, I can hang with the best of them. I make it look easy. I feel like I’ve mastered my craft. That is until our visit to the Great Smoky Mountains.

Like any fly fisherman worth their salt, I did my research. I put Google through its paces, I looked up non-residence licensing requirements, I searched for where to go, what flies to use and how to fish them. I poured over online fishing reports and where to find local resources all in close proximity to where we were going to be staying in Townsend, TN. My online searches lead me to the following conclusion:

There are 1,001 places in or around Townsend, Tennessee to fish.

Armed with that knowledge, I moved onto Plan B; wait until we got to Townsend and talk to the natives. From where we set up camp at Big Meadows Campground, the local fly show was less than a mile away. At my first possible opportunity, I headed to the Little River Fly Shop.

I walked in and was immediately greeted by a couple of the guys working in the shop. This is a tourist town, so I didn’t really even have to explain my situation; they talk to 50 guys a day just like me. The first question they asked me was if I was planning on fishing inside or outside the national park. As they explained, fishing outside the park in the Little River in July was a challenge because of the tubers floating down the river, plus it required an additional $30 for a Tennessee trout stamp. A trout stamp isn’t required when fishing within the national park. They also explained to me that the trout in the Little River were stocked Rainbow Trout and most of the fish within the boundaries of the park were Appalachian Brook Trout. So, that made my decision easy, I can catch stocked fish at home, I wanted to go after the native species, so I told them I’d fish inside the park.

Now that we determined that, he focused in on where inside the park I should go. He brought out a map, and being totally unfamiliar with the area, it took me some time to get my bearings. He started marking up my map with some yellow highlighter and telling me everything I needed to know. I was on information overload! I walked away from that conversation with a few simple guidelines: first; the higher you go the better the fishing is. Second, wild fish spook easily so presentation is everything. Third and finally, keep moving, cast a few times and move upstream. Armed with my new guidelines, I bought some flies, a Tennessee fishing license and I walked out feeling ready to go.

My first venture fishing in the Park was on a hike with the family. I brought along the fly rod and we started hiking up the Middle Prong Trail and fishing the Little River. This trail has a steady rise in elevation and for the most part, the Little River runs right along the trail. Although there were numerous places that had very easy access to the river finding a good spot to fish proved to be difficult. Due to the heavy rains the night before, the water was rushing through this narrow river. I stopped in a few places but the water just seem to be running too hard to get a drift going and forget wading; the rushing water and extremely slick rocks made it difficult to keep any sort of footing at all. After nearly falling in the rushing water more than a few times I gave up. I was done. I did enjoy the trail and the hike very much. The Little River is a beautiful stream and full of little water falls.

I did realize that fishing in the mountain streams were a whole lot different than where I usually fish. I fish in wide, deep, slower moving tailwaters and streams. These require a long casts and a good long drift. Usually, you can stand and fish in the same spot for a long time. The river beds where I’m from are often sandy, gravel or rocky bottoms that are fairly easy to stand and move traverse. In contrast, the mountain streams are narrow, shallow, and fast moving. The rocks in the river bed range from pebble sized to boulders. Most have been rounded smooth by thousands of years of erosion and they are slick. I know rocks in water are usually slick, but these are crazy slick. Round rocks and river slim make walking in the river downright dangerous! Or, you could be walking along on some rocks and all of a sudden you can step into a crack that can swallow your entire leg. I learn rather quickly that mountain stream fishing is totally opposite of fishing the way I fish.

Casting in a narrow mountain river requires extremely short casts. The guide at the Little River fly shop said to make about 3 casts in a spot then move upstream. In this fast narrow river, that takes approximately 30 seconds. The features in the river that hold fish are short and with the fast moving water a drift is over in seconds. So you are constantly casting and moving. The problem is, if you are not used to moving over that type of terrain, it can be extremely difficult.

I gotta tell you I was kind of surprised at the difficulty I experienced in fishing in the Smoky Mountains.

The next evening, the whole crew went for ice cream. I was standing in line behind a guy that I could tell, just by looking at him, he was a fisherman. So, I struck up a conversation with him and sure I was right, he was a fisherman! He said he’d grown up in a town near by and had been fishing the Smokies all his life. While we ate our cones, we talked about: fishing, fish, and trout. By the time the cones were gone, we had plans to meet up the next morning and go fishing. His name is Brandon Carr, he’s a softball coach with a passion for fly fishing and the Smoky Mountains. Some of you might find it odd that I made plans with a relative stranger to go fishing but my gut told me Brandon was good people. My gut is seldom wrong and it was not wrong about Brandon.

In the morning I met with Brandon and we took the short drive to the Middle Prog Trail head, exactly the same trail that we had hiked and “fished” a couple of days before. (By the way, there is nothing cooler than riding into the mountains in a Jeep!) We parked the Jeep and started hiking up the trail along the stream. Now, I’m not the fittest guy in the world but I’m no couch potato either. I try to stay active by doing a little jogging, bicycling and we like to hike. But trying to keep up with Brandon took serious effort. What was cool about hiking with him, was that it was like having a person tour guy for the Smokies. I learned a lot of history about the logging company and how they used the stream and other resources available to them to move giant logs from the top of the mountain to the bottom. We even paused a few times to look at different artifacts left behind by the loggers such as an old Cadillac and some rigging that helped anchor cables for moving logs. Most of which I would have missed if he had not pointed them out. As Brandon effortlessly bounded up this trail, I was happy he was doing all the talking and so I could just concentrate on keeping up. I’m not exactly sure how far we hiked, but I’m pretty sure it was close to three miles before he even suggested we wet a fly. Just like the guy the fly shop said, the high you go, the better the fishing. We also talked about what flies to fish, how to rig the flies and how to fish them. Pretty much exactly what the guys at the fly shop said. I was surprised to see how different the stream looked compared to the just two days before. The water was much clearer and the stream had slowed considerably. With the water not moving as fast, I thought that traversing the stream would be easier, boy was I wrong.

I started to cast and move, like I was supposed to… and wham, I caught a snag on the other side of a large pool and lost my flies. I survey the damage and discover I needed to retie my tippet as well as the flies. As I go to snip my 6x tippet off the spool, I realize that I can’t see it. Now I know I’m getting a little long in the tooth and it won’t be long before I’ll be needing to carry around reading glasses with me everywhere but that time has had not yet come for me. Well, not until THAT day. By this point the sun was up, it was a bright sunny day, or as far as I could tell it was… The thick forest canopy was filtering out some of the sun light. I don’t know a lot about the spectrum of light that the sun emits, but I can tell you that the forest filters out the light that allows a human to see 100% fluorocarbon tippet. As I went to tie on my tippet, I could see the leader, but the tippet just wasn’t there. I could feel it but I couldn’t see it. It was like it was under some sort of evil spell of invisibility. I guess it was pretty obvious that I was struggling, because eventually Brandon came over and help my tie my flies on.

With my rig finally being good to go, I was ready to get back to fishing! I got back in the water, because that’s is how I knew to do it (and how we do it back home…in the water. I struggled to keep my footing on the rocks, making my casts and moving. Pretty soon, I began to realize that between the hiking and wading I was exhausted. Every time I’d look up to see Brandon, he’d be way up stream. Which is good, because I didn’t want to slow him down and I didn’t really want him to see just how badly I was struggling at just standing! I decided to rest a little and just watch Brandon fish. I was amazed at how he moved along the stream and fished. Not in the water like I was attempting to do but on the rocks, pausing to cast in the shallowest of features and moving quickly. Brandon’s not a small guy, but he leapt from rock to rock with the grace of a mountain goat. I was amazed at how quickly he could cover the stream and moved onto the next feature to find fish in places that I thought couldn’t possibly hold anything. I also having trouble keeping my leader from being sucked back through my eyelets. In my tailwater world, we use long leaders 7 1/2 to 9 feet to get the fly deep into the water column. As I watched Brandon fish, I noticed that the leader he was using was much shorter and his dropper was not nearly as dropped as mine was. I also watch how he was moving along the stream, not in the stream but on top of the rocks and along the banks, not in the water like I was trying to traverse the stream.

I decided that I had to just stop and reassess what I was doing and how I was doing it. Against my better judgment I cut the flies off my line. I completely retied, fortunately for me, the sun was a little higher in the sky and I was able to see my fluorocarbon tippet well enough to tie my knots. I also tried to move on top of the stream and not in the stream. I fished features, that I thought couldn’t possibly hold fish… and then it happened, I got a strike. And another. And another. Finally I hooked up! I caught a wild native Appalachian Brook Trout. It was one of the most beautiful fish I’ve ever seen. It was small, only about 5 inches long, but to me it was a prize worthy of mounting! I’ve never worked so hard to catch a fish in my life. It was well worth it!

I’d also like to say thanks again to my new friend Brandon Carr for letting me tag along with him. He’ll never know how much he taught me about the Smoky Mountains and catching wild native fish in mountains streams.

Happy Fishing!

Wayne

November 2, 2016
Camp Katmandu

Just south of where Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska meet right on The Missouri River near mile marker 486, is a small campground called Camp Katmandu. You won’t find this campground in any Good Sam directory or even with a Google search. Camp Katmandu is a private campground and so are the invitations to visit. We recently accepted our second invitation to camp at what is affectionately called “The River” by our good friends Meg and Jeremy.

For the past two decades members of Jeremy’s extended family have worked hard to evolve Camp Katmandu from farm land to a weekend fishing spot to a family campground. Fishing was and remains central to this camp. Several members of the extended family have belonged or do belong to fishing clubs and participate in catfish tournaments. The weekend of our visit the family was getting ready for their annual community fish fry and Wayne volunteered his extra two hands to help skin the Buffalo and Catfish they had caught.

There are approximately twelve full service hookups at Camp Katmandu; eleven of them are used by members of the extended family. They leave their campers there from spring to fall each year and visit “The River” every weekend they can during that time. Most of the “regulars” have built wooden decks/front porches for their campers. They have also built themselves some “extra’s” that make camp life a little sweeter: a boat ramp, a large boat dock with fish cleaning stations and a live well, a community bathroom, an outdoor shower, an octagon shaped porch swing with a campfire ring in the center, as well as a community food shack.

Given the close proximity to the Missouri River, most everything at this camp is move-able or designed to withstand flooding. And it does flood here. In 2011 the entire camp was submerged in flood water for the summer, just ask Uncle Bud and he will proudly show the water line in the cook shed.

Food is central to so many family gatherings and at Camp Katmandu it doesn’t seem to be any exception. The family shares at least one meal a day but often multiple meals. They select a main dish and each family adds to the community meal. My friend Megs joked that as one meal finishes they immediately begin talking about and planning the next! Moments are made as members sit around and cook, eat, and even clean together sharing stories and laughing as new moments unfold right before their eyes.

You never know what you will see or find at “The River”. Family members tell us that you never know what will come floating down the river, or what animal you will catch site of. We passed the time eagle watching and a fairly large water snake picked the boat ramp as a warm resting spot during our stay. I was even treated to a boat ride upriver to an L-dyke to see the jumping Asian Carp.

Sometimes the unusual sites you see are not animal related; sometimes they are human. On the weekend of our visit, we encountered a man canoeing down the Missouri River. He told us as he approached camp that he had been on the river for 66 days on a quest to set a new Guinness Book of World Record for the longest solo kayak or canoe trip. He had started in Montana at the headwaters of the Missouri and was headed to the Mighty Mississippi and ultimately The Gulf of Mexico! Adventure Aaron might have thought he had found a public campground but in fact he found Camp Katmandu. Extended family members offered up space for a tent and a home cooked meal to Adventure Aaron. We are all watching his journey and you can follow him too on Facebook!

I realize that most of you will likely never visit Camp Katmandu, that is not the purpose of this post. The purpose of this post is to introduce you to another type of RV lifestyle. One where members of a group (in this case a whole extended family) enjoy each others company and decide to build a place so special that they return to it over and over. The families at “The River” may not be roaming and exploring new places together but they are group camping with multiple generations and they are creating a love for the outdoors, nature, and camping that will influence future generations. That is what we have in common and I think that is something we can all buy into.

Thank you, Camp Katmandu, for opening your campground and your lives to us!

September 11, 2016
Our Very Close Encounter With A Black Bear

This is a story that will now live forever in our family memories. I know our daughter, The Short Chic, will be passing this down to her kids and grandkids and retelling this story throughout her life. This is the story of the time we went hiking and almost got eaten by a bear in The Smoky Mountains.

As our time in The Great Smoky Mountains was coming to an end, I had hoped for one final hike in Cades Cove. All week I had read the “warning” signs of bear activity in the park. Abraham Falls was always on that list. Abraham Falls was also on another list: that of great fishing places in the Smoky Mountains. Wayne was hoping to catch a fish, I was hoping for a bear sighting, so we set off to hike Abraham Falls on our last day in Townsend.

The entire crew traveled to the welcome sign and the majority of them bid us adieu so they could hang out at the campsite and rest. Wayne, The Short Chic and I headed to Cades Cove. Going into this hike, we were a little ill prepared. We had eaten breakfast but had not had lunch. We did not pack snacks (because we were not hungry when we set out). We did not realize Abraham Falls was a 5 mile hike round trip (2.5 in/2.5 out). We did pack several water bottles but if I am honest, I carried in more photography equipment than anything. I give you this background information so you will understand that after hiking the 2.5 miles into Abraham Falls we were HANGRY and to make matters worse, The Short Chic talked nonstop about having ice cream for lunch the entire hike!

The Abraham Falls hike terrain is rocky, uneven, and generally follows the Abraham Creek although the creek is often not accessible due to the terrain of the forest. Wayne took his fly rod and practiced catching wild Appalachian Brooke Trout any chance he could access the creek. The path dipped and climbed as the terrain did and it took us through moments of no shade/full sun, to the coverage of dense tree canopy and full shade, as well as up and over a rocky ridge. Several times the path took us over offshoots of the creek where we walked over wooden log foot bridges.

The falls were a welcome site after hiking 2.5 miles! Numerous hikers had shed their shoes and clothing (yes they had swimsuits on underneath their clothing) to wade and splash in the water below the falls. The Short Chic had fantasized about getting wet in the water the entire hike and as we walked up to the waters edge the first thing we saw were dual water snakes! Wayne may have spent some time fishing there but The Short Chic and I got no where near that water and kept a diligent eye open for any additional reptiles during our short stay!

We chose not to linger for a long time at the Falls, we still had 2.5 miles to go to get back to our car and it was getting late. I think we began our return around 2:45-3:15 p.m.. The Short Chic started making up songs about food on the way back and first Wayne attempted to hush her but I had the thought that it was approaching dinner time….not just to us but for animals as well. We let her sing at the top of her lungs just to make our presence known. We also hiked in a very specific order: me, The Short Chic, and Wayne just in case any predators were eyeballing us and looking for our weakest member.

After we passed the ridge line and about 45 minutes into our return I notice some wild blackberries growing along the trail. You should all know that I love wild blackberries and was so hungry that I started picking the berries and eating them right there on the spot. I did notice that the berries were small and most of the larger ones where not yet ripe. As I picked berries for myself, Wayne picked them and gave them to The Short Chic. Wayne spied a larger ripe berry just an arms s t r e t c h off the path and he decided to reach and pick that one berry.

I never saw her. I heard the noise first. Then I heard Wayne yell. He saw her. He heard her. Just as he was about to reach that berry, a black bear who was hiding in the blackberry bush let her presence be known by woofing at him. As I turned back up the trail, there was my husband doing some Fred Flintstones thing with his feet, trying to run but yet not being able to move. I see the people who were behind us on the trail turn and run one direction and others who were in front of us run away from us. We were left to defend our ground and ourselves against this bear not knowing if the bear was going to charge us or not.

I grabbed The Short Chic’s arm and swung her around me. I stood as close to my husband as I could and in what felt like hours (but really was only a few seconds) we realized that bear had no interest in charging us; she wanted Wayne to leave her berries alone!

We moved safely up the trail. I am no judge of distance but we put enough space between that bear and us so that I felt safe. Ironically, that bear was completely hidden in the dense forest prior to letting us know she was there but after she gave us announced herself, we watched as that bear shook the living dickens out of the trees and the berry bushes. As the trees were shaking, we stopped everyone who was walking on the trail and explained there was a bear right there and I could see people up the trail hiding around a bend, their numbers growing as well.

As we stood in safety waiting for our hearts to stop racing and for us to feel strength in our knees the next part of this story occurred. A baby bear walked down from the hill, crossed the trail, and went into the trees to the bear who woofed. The realization that we inadvertently had been standing/hiking in-between a momma bear and her cub hit us like a ton of bricks.

I think Momma Bear had been shaking that tree to knock the berries to the ground so Baby Bear could eat them with ease. A few moments after the Baby Bear joined the Momma Bear the shaking ceased. A few minutes later, both bears walked back onto the trail. Momma Bear never looked at us, she looked up the trail in the opposite direction of us but that Baby Bear turned and looked right in our direction. I had carried all of that camera equipment just hoping to spy a bear and here I was on the same trail and total strangers had to suggest taking photos!

Momma Bear and Baby Bear walked up the trail away from us. In fact, just as they were reaching the bend with all the hikers hiding they turned to the forest and walked off the trail to not be seen again. It was as if time held still. I have no idea how long we all stayed in our safe spots before finally one of the hikers behind us came around the bend. I signaled where the bears had left the trail. He made it by safely so the masses decided to get finish the hike and get off the trail.

The Short Chic never got her ice cream for lunch. By the time we got back it was nearing 5:00 p.m. and time for dinner. We met the rest of our party at PawPaw’s Kajun Kitchen in Sevierville on Wears Valley Road for some of the most amazing cajun food I have ever had. As we told our friends our story of the bears we guzzled sweet tea and munched on boudin balls and catfish. There was a lady sitting behind me who kept advising me on the menu so I struck up a conversation with her. Turns out she was the owners Momma visiting her daughter from New Orleans. Her accent was thick and she was a delight! I gave her every opportunity to take credit for raising such an amazing cook but she never once did. We ended the night with the white chocolate bread pudding and left that place happy that the bear did not eat us so that we could enjoy such amazing food!

September 2, 2016
Bennett Spring State Park
Bennett Spring State Park is one of our most favorite camping spots in the state of Missouri and we tend to make a yearly pilgrimage to visit the river stocked with fresh trout. Trout fishing season opens March 1 and goes until October 31 and fish are stocked daily throughout the season.

Bennett Spring State Park has a total of five campgrounds with a grand total of 189 camping sites available. The majority of their sites are basic, or electric sites but they do have 48 sites with full service hookups. This year we opted to stay in Campground 1, the full service campground located closest to the river. We selected our campsite and made our reservations online through the Missouri State Park Camping Reservation System six months ago.

Campground Basic/Review:

The last time we stayed in Loop 1 was approximately 8 years ago in our vintage Argosy. The loop had more and bigger trees than I remembered. I did notice that the row we selected had our campers facing North, with the doors and awnings facing West and the slides to the East. I thought to myself, in the heat of the summer, the long hot afternoon and evening hours would effectively render our shade producing awnings useless. Luckily, spring is upon us and the temperature highs were in the mid-seventies and the lows in the upper forties. I did make a mental note to look at the orientation of the map the next time we select a campsite online. Each site came with a completely level concrete pad, a fire ring, a picnic table, and a post with a hook. Some of you might think that is for trash or even a lantern but we fisherman know that post is for our wet waders.

Fishing Report:

Our four night stay at Bennett was primary to let the trout fishermen release some stored up cabin fever. The river was slightly low due to the lack of rain in the area so far this spring, but was a welcome relief from the damaging floods that occurred this past Christmas season. The fishing was great! We had no problems meeting our daily limit. My dad, Allen and I all noticed that the average trout seemed much bigger this trip than in the past and most of them when caught, had some seriously full bellies. No doubt the trout were eating well this season. We discussed theories on why the trout were bigger and we were able to track down a hatchery employee who did confirm for us that in fact the trout are bigger this spring than normal. He informed us that three things were contributing to the larger trout:
1. They had a surplus supply of trout that they held over from last year. This means there were fed in the beds all winter long.
2. The superintendent of the park made the decision to feed the river all winter. In years past the fish left in the river at the conclusion of the season were left to fiend for themselves. This resulted in skinny, “snake” like trout.
3. The fish are always a little bigger in the spring than the late summer/fall when we normally visit.
Local Community:

We did have a couple of interactions with the larger community during our stay. Allen had a small issue with his hot water and received quick and efficient service from Glynn’s Mobile RV Repair. Glynn came to our campsite and resolved his problem super fast. If you need emergency RV service while at Bennett, give Glynn a call.

We also visited our friends at Hidden Valley Outfitters, they are a full service campground literally right across the highway from the state park. Besides camping you can book float trips from HVO and they will take you up stream and you raft or canoe your way right back to the campsite. We stayed with them and took a canoe trip with them last summer. They also have a wedding chapel on sight.

We had a “quick” lunch at Hillbilly Burger which is located in the park. We had cheeseburgers, french fries, and their fried mushrooms. The fries are hand cut. Their mushrooms were good. The service was the slowest thing imaginable. We would have entertained the idea of ice cream but honestly we had to wait so long to order and for our food that by the time we were done with our meal, we were really done. I would also say it would have been nice for them to have at least given us our drinks while we waited for food.

Park Services:

Since Allen, my father, and I went down before our wives and daughters showed up, we visited The Lodge, a restaurant in the state park for several of our meals. As soon as you walk through the door, you’ll be greeted with a friendly face and we’ve always had great service. We visited The Lodge for breakfast once and supper a couple of times. The food off the menu is served hot and plenty of it. They always have a small fresh salad bar available as well. On the weekends they set up a buffet with more than enough choices including baked and fried chicken, catfish, baked pasta, fresh veggies, and mashed potatoes. Of course they have a selection of home made pies if you save some room.

The epicenter of the park is the general store. You can buy everything from daily fishing tags and waders to pork rinds and wind chimes. There is a full service fly shop, bait and tackle store as well. They sell Bennett Spring souvenir coffee cups and giant stuffed snakes. If you need it, they probably have it, if you don’t need it, they probably have it anyway. As always in the park you’ll get friendly service with a smile.

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Be sure to walk around the rearing ponds at the hatchery. You can even take a tour, or do what we did, asked one of the park employees a bunch of questions. They seem more than happy to share their knowledge about the park with you. And brings some quarters with you so that you can buy some fish chow to feed the fish.

There also a Nature Center and several hiking tails you can visit as well. There is other lodging available in the form of cabins and hotel room and a swimming pool that’s open during the summer months.

Hopefully it is easy to see why Bennett Spring State Park is one of our favorites. We did enjoy our time at Campground 1 and will be making advanced plans to visit it again. I will leave you with this short video. The flat roads at Campground 1 allowed the girls to practice their bicycling skills, I am happy to say that soon both the girls will be wheelin’ around a campground near you!
May 3, 2016
Fly Fishing At Montauk State Park

When most think of trout fishing they think of exciting places like Colorado, Montana, or maybe even Tennessee. I am pretty sure Missouri is one of the last places people would think of. I am here to assure you, there is amazing trout fishing right here in the great state of Missouri.

Missouri State Parks operates three trout parks in the state: Roaring River State Park, Bennett Spring State Park, and Montauk State Park. This post is about our time at Montauk State Park.

Montauk State Park is located just outside of Licking, Missouri. From Kansas City, that is a 245 mile drive southeast, from Springfield it is a 110 miles east and slightly north, and from St. Louis it is 140 miles southwest. The drive is longer than we would make for a two day weekend so we usually add a few vacation days and stay for at least three-four nights on trips to this park.

The park is a state park so camping fees are very reasonable (approx $25 per night). There were no full hookups so we camped in an electric only site. Missouri State Parks offer an online reservation system that allows you to see photos of each site. When we camp in an electric only site, we always try to select a site close to the water source in case we need to refill during our stay.

Setting up and settling in was relatively easy. We took a tour of the park and hiked around exploring the spring that feeds into the river. The Park stocks this river each night with trout. The fishermen like this river for fishing because they say there is more space to fish in, which means a less crowded fishing environment, and larger fish to catch.

The women judge the campgrounds by the campsite and the activities available to keep the young non-fishermen kids entertained while the Dad’s, brother, and papa spend hours each day fishing.

The Campground:

I wish we had brought our bicycles. We opted not to bring them as we were visiting the Ozark Mountains and honestly felt we would be required to bike up and down hills all day long. On the contrary, the park is relatively flat. At first inspection, it seemed that the shower rooms were really far from our campsite, but in actuality they were only a short walk away.

We lost all cell reception a mile or so before we reached the entrance to the park. We noticed there was wi-fi available in the park but we could not connect to it. We had no TV reception but that was not a big deal. Our electric box kept blowing the circuit but a quick call to the camp office and someone came out and replaced it for us. (We learned later it was not just a maintenance man but actually the park superintendent!) On Day 3 of vacation the superintendent came back to our site to fix the “broken wi-fi” which we had no idea was located between our two sites. As soon as he fixed it, we could once again interact with the outside world (still no cell service).

Our camp space was huge! The staff were nice host. They even came by and cleaned out our fire ring while we were visiting. My only complaint is that the trash dumpster was located right in our site and since the fish cleaning station was closed for repairs, there was a lot of fish parts going into the trash dumpster. Unfortunately, that made for some pretty foul smelling air. Our buddy, The Superintendent, did tell us that the dumpsters get emptied and washed out three times a week. That did help the later part of our stay but there was two days of unpleasantness to get through!

Camp Activities:

Each night of our stay the park had a scheduled event. One of the events, a candle-lit bat tour, looked like a lot of fun to us. However, we never managed to make it there. I do wonder, are we the only people who lose track of time when camping?

Hiking:

There are hiking trails at Montauk State Park. There was a short hike to the spring as well as a Lake Trail. Both of these hikes were easy and the short people in our party loved hiking them. We passed the hatchery, the lake, and we saw a variety of wildlife even during the short hikes.

We did convince the kids to hike the Pine Ridge Trail despite it having a rugged label. The Pine Ridge Trail is listed as a 1.5 loop trail. I think our girls were finished before we even hit the 1/4 mile point. That is when the complaining started. By the time we were 1/2 of a mile into it, the girls’ complaints were getting more desperate:

Short Person #1: “Mom, I think there are ticks on my socks!”

Mom #1: “No, honey, those are not ticks, that is dirt. You are fine, let’s just keep going!”

Short Person #2: “Mom, there are ticks on my legs and they are crawling all over!”

Mom #2: “There are no ticks, you are fine, stop complaining!”

Big Brother #1: “Those are not ticks, you are sweating and it is tickling your legs.”

By the time we reached the 3/4 mile point, it was obvious to all of us adults that in fact we had walked through a nest of seed ticks and they were hungrily crawling up our bodies at a very fast pace! We could no longer brush the short chic’s (aka our daughters) complaints off as just whining! We rushed through the hike as fast as possible, went straight to the showers to wash as many off of us as possible.

In case you have never seen seed ticks before, I found this photo online. Those might look like oil spots on the jeans but in fact they are seed ticks. It took us hours to remove all we could find. And if that were not enough of a vacation time commitment, it also required a trip into Licking the next morning to visit a laundry mat so we could wash all clothing (including our shoes) to really make sure we had eliminated them.

And as if this were not enough, I should also say that we not only were eaten alive by the seed ticks but we also encountered more than our share of spiders, spider webs, and apparently mosquito and chiggers. Our bodies were covered in bites and required weeks to recover from being the main course at the human buffet table.

Swimming:

There is no swimming allowed at Montauk State Park. Or wading for any purpose other than fishing. Or canoeing. The sole purpose of the river at Montauk State Park is for trout fishing.

However, with that said, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways is very near to the state park. A short drive outside the park will lead you to Tam Vat, or other areas on the river perfect for swimming. I should warn you, the water at Tam Vat is near to the spring and therefore it is cold. Very cold. That of course, did not stop our short people from playing in the water.

Sight-Seeing:

My mother has a first cousin that lives in Licking, Missouri just a few miles from Montauk State Park. He invited us to go exploring with him and his family on our second day of vacation. We arrived early and the girls were able to assist in doing chores of their animals before we headed out of a day long trip.

The first part of our tour was a very personal one for me. The first place my second cousin took us to was my Great Grandparents grave sites. My mother has longed to re-visit this place as I think the last time she was not yet in kindergarten. In addition to the cemetery, we also drove past their former property. Some of the land has been redeveloped into a shooting range, so maybe the landscape has been altered but I can say it is not at all what my four year old brain remembered.

After we chased my Mendenhall family roots, the cousins took us to Alley Spring and Alley Mill. The mill is a 100 year old grist mill near a natural spring that pumps out 81 million gallons of beautiful turquoise water a day. The water feeds into Jack’s Fork River and Current Rivers.

The Mill is not functionable but many of the tools used to grind flour 100 years ago are still located inside the mill and are available not just for viewing purposes but we were able to open them and explore how they actually operated. What is funny about Alley Spring is that as I am standing looking at the beauty of this bright red building surrounded by turquoise water, I got the largest sense of de ja vue. I knew I had never been there before so it took me a few moments to realize, I had seen this building before; on an old calendar hanging in my growing up home!

A nice hiking trail surrounds the spring and leads you along the river’s edge. The rocky bluff to the right of the river is full of small caves that our short people enjoyed poking their noses (as well as whole bodies into).

After Alley Spring, we headed to a public access area on the Jack’s Fork for a mid-day swim. The water was perfect! Clear as you can imagine, crisp and cool but not cold and frigid! The short people had so much fun jumping off the log embedded in the river. We watched people cliff dive into a deep pool right across the river from where we were. What a wonderful day to spend a summer day!

After our swim, we headed in another direction from Eminence, Missouri to visit Rocky Falls. Rocky Falls is a shut-in, a narrow passage way or a constriction in a waterway. Rocky Falls is on the Current River and has a steep cascading waterfall that empties into a deep pool of water. People from all over flock to the area to sit in the water, slide down the rocks and just enjoy this geological space.

The short people loved it! The mommies were very disappointed that we did not bring our swimsuits! Instead we settled for cooling our toes, our feet, ankles, and maybe even calves in the water. If Rocky Falls had not been 2 plus hours away (one direction) from our campsite we might have returned to play another day!

Alley Spring, Rocky Falls, as well as Round Spring, Big Spring, Blue Spring, and Welch Spring are all located within minutes of Eminence, Missouri and are all part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. They are surrounded by National Park Services and have many campgrounds. This area is also part of the United States Bicycle Route System (Highway 76) so watch out for bicyclist as you visit this part of the state!

The Fishing:

Despite the fun we had exploring a part of the state we had never visited, the men folk never left the state park. They came all this way to fish and fish is what they did!

They got up early, they fished until the bell rang in the evening. They caught large fish. They caught small fish. They kept some fish. They threw back some others. Lines got tangled. Daily limits were met.

Other odd things happen when you least expect them to. The Husband ran into baseball friends of ours at the lodge one day. They were down to enjoy the canoeing on the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers and happen to come to the lodge for dinner one night. The Husband invited them to try trout fishing and they did. (Is it harder than it looks? I promise you should keep trying!)

We caught enough fish during our four days of fishing to host a fish fry on our last night. Threat of storm did not prevent us from enjoying the freshly caught trout.

To summarize, fathers taught sons a few lessons. Students might have out-fished their teachers. Best friends shared more than a few frustrations and developed a deeper appreciate for how tough it is to get the fish with a little mouth to open up and bite the tiny fly. But as our time at Montauk State Park came to an end, everyone agreed that the any vacation that includes trout fishing is a good vacation!

March 9, 2016