Creekside Conversations

Asshole Driver

2008-03-17T10:02:23Z

I imagine that title is going to cause some interesting search strings to show up in my analytics folder!

This definitely has nothing to do with fishing but is something I would discuss with a buddy during a day on the river. I left the house this morning and was making the short drive on a residential street (30mph) before turning onto a state highway. I saw an older Explorer approach a stop sign on a side street up ahead. I thought "they are going to have to hit the brakes hard if they're going to stop in time". That was my mistake as they had no intention of stopping and it was me who had to hit the brakes. The asshole barely slowed down at the corner and pulled right in front of me. I hit the horn and threw a hard scowl through their dirty rear window. It ended up being the usual situation... they were in such a rush that they nearly cased an accident only to be one car length closer to their destination. So, if you are a woman who lives near Kingston, WA and drives a dirty white Ford Explorer, I think you are an ass.

This Explorer is driven by an idiot!

Deconstructing Your Cast

2008-02-12T11:30:14Z

I have always thought I have a pretty good cast. Sure, I have my bad days when nothing works. I can't get the fly where I want it to go and when it does get there it is all wrapped up in a knot. But there are also days when everything seems to be working well. When just thinking about where I want the fly to fall has the ability to make it happen. I'd like to say there are more good days then bad but that would probably be wishful thinking.

My casting is good enough to see me through 90% of my fishing. I don't get away much anymore but most of my days are spent in a kick boat on the Missouri River. I can usually get my line out where I need it but every once in a while I'll get out of position and will be unable to pump up a long enough cast to reach a rising trout. I love fishing out of the kick boat but it can be pretty unforgiving. I don't have an anchor so if I blow a cast I am soon drifting past the fish with no way to get back to it.

As I mentioned, I don't get out fishing much anymore. I am here at the shop six days a week and that doesn't leave much time to get out of town and onto a river. So, I am looking to give Coastal Cutthroat a try. We have them all over Puget Sound and they are easily accessible. They are in very shallow water and close to shore so you can work a beach just by wading and casting. Still, the Sound makes for a big body of water and it would be good to have a longer cast.

With all that in mind, I signed up for a series of three casting classes this month. They are designed to work on our basic form as well as develop a double-haul. With luck I will end the month with a better & more efficient cast and have the ability to throw out a long one without having to work up a lot of false casts. Our first session was last night and I think my cast was worse at the end of the hour then when I walked into the building. That is not to say that it was a waste of time. Actually, it was just the opposite. The problem is that I need to quit doing several things that are now second nature and try to build in better habits that just don't feel natural right now. The instructor came by and commented that I already had a pretty good cast. He then suggested that I'm using too much wrist and am trying to overpower or "pop" the cast. The next time by he noted that I could probably cast more efficiently by dropping my arm a little and trying to relax my arm and shoulder a bit. Next he suggested I make my forward cast a little higher. Finally, he noted that my Winston was a little on the slow side and wants an easier more subtle cast.

So, by the end of the hour I was trying to stiffen my wrist and forearm, lower the rod, cast higher and slow everything down. Basically, I had improved myself right into a shit cast. Nothing felt right. Nothing looked right. And I kept finding myself falling into old rhythms and motions. Now I know the instructor is good and that you often have to deconstruct a cast, or golf swing, before you can start building a new and improved version. Still, it was a little disconcerting to feel like I was twenty years younger and fishing a fly rod for the first time.

Next Monday we are going to work on hauling. There was a short two day period a couple years ago when I was able to double-haul a little and cast a nice long line. Since then it has been like the proverbial rubbing of the stomach and tapping of the head for me. I can get one half of the motion going but flail with the other. The result is usually me standing there with fly line coiled all around, and over, me.

So there you have it. In an effort at self-improvement I have actually made things worse. I just hope that I am able to follow-through with the rest of the process and am able to pick through the rubble of my current cast and find the pieces needed to construct a newer and better cast. I'll let you know how it goes.

Not Everyone On The Missouri River Practices Catch & Release

2008-02-04T19:13:42Z

Z took this photo of a bald eagle having a trout lunch last summer.

Roasting Your Own Coffee -- Part 2

2008-01-30T08:11:38Z

I did roast some coffee last weekend. I had a couple pounds of a nice Kenyan bean that I wanted to try. However, I realized just how messy our garage (where I roast) is and I decided not to take any photos. That would be too much like airing my dirty laundry. So, I will do my best to describe the hot roasting action well enough that you can get a good idea of the process. You can also click over to Sweet Maria's website for more info. They have some great tip sheets that are really helpful.

The first thing you need to know is that you don't have to spend a lot of money in order to get started roasting. I began by roasting coffee in a hot air popcorn popper. There are models that work better then others so I read what Sweet Maria's had to say and then bought a popper on eBay. I then needed to do a simple modification to the popper in order to use it for coffee. Basically, I needed to extend the roasting chamber in order to keep the heat and beans in. I saw where some people had used soup cans but I decided to use the chimney from a hurricane lantern. A quick trip down to our local hardware store solved that problem. They had exactly what I needed. The chimney was a little loose when I fitted it into the top of the popper so I folded up a sheet of aluminum foil and molded it around the bottom lip. After that, it fit perfectly.

The air popper worked great but had a couple of obvious issues. First, you can only roast 3 or 4 ounces at a time. That may not be so bad if you're only trying to satisfy one or two coffee lovers. However, as we often give it away as gifts, it made for some epic roasting days in the weeks before Christmas. The other downside is that the poppers are noisy. After a while listening to the thing roaring away can get a bit tiring. Other then that, an air popper is a great way to try out roasting without investing too much money, time or energy.

Last year I decided to once again give coffee as Christmas gifts but wanted to make the process a little more efficient. I couldn't afford a big electronic roaster so I decided to go with another popcorn popper. I found that a lot of people have good luck roasting a full pound of coffee in Whirly-Pop stove top poppers. You know the kind... they are the ones with the crank that turns a little stirring paddle. I saw that Sweet Maria's mentioned that there is a stainless steel version that does a better job so I order one from their website. The only modification I made to the popper was to drill a small hole in the lid that would fit an instant read thermometer. Once that was done I was ready to start roasting.

First let me say that some things you read imply that you can roast in your kitchen if you have a good vent hood over your stove. Don't try it! The coffee puts off a very pungent smoke as it roasts and your house will smell like it for days. Fortunately I knew that from the air popper days so I set-up out on our deck. I started out using a Brunton butane burner as my heat source. It worked really well for a couple batches and then the BTUs would drop off. After that it would be a fight to get the heat high enough to do a good job of roasting. It was getting expensive to switch fuel cans every two batches so I knew I needed to find another option. I'm pretty sure a decent propane camp stove would work well as long as you have a larger fuel tank that will provide a consistent heat for a longer time. For now, I popped back down to our local hardware store and bought a $17 electric hotplate.

Next you need to assemble the rest of your tools. It is good to have a reasonably accurate scale so you can weigh out the beans for each batch. You will also need a heat-resistant spoon handy so you can did into the roaster and visually inspect the beans. A digital timer is helpful for keeping track of the roast and for aiding in maintaining a consistency from batch to batch. Finally, you need a way to cool the beans as quick as possible. They are very hot coming out of the popper and will continue to roast until you can get them cooled down. Some folks have made coolers using fans and colanders. Others spread the beans out on baking sheets. I pour them back and forth between a stainless steel bowl and a large colander. There is often a lot of chaff still in the beans and the process of moving them from one bowl to another will give much of the chaff a chance to blow away.

Now the last thing to consider is the coffee itself. I know there are many places you can source your green beans from, including eBay, but I have always used Sweet Maria's. They have an extensive list of beans and it can be a bit of a challenge to pick just one or two. I read through their cupping notes and pay attention to their suggested roasts. I worked in downtown Seattle during the late 1980s and cut my coffee teeth on Starbucks and Stewart Brothers. I think that is why I am more attracted to darker roasts. I get that you can better taste the essence of a coffee at a lighter roast but I found it very hard to pull the beans off the heat in time. Most every batch of mine starts edging towards french roast because that is what I like. I am getting better at it most of my beans end up being darker then they should.

So, you now have everything you need and are ready to get started. The first thing I do is to weigh out one pound of the green beans and have them staged in a bowl that is easy to pour from. I then start the heat under the popper/roaster and watch the thermometer. Basically, you want to dump the green beans in once the temperature hits about 400F and adjust the heat so that it doesn't drop below 300F. I am having a problem with that and I think it is because our garage is so cold right now and the electric hotplate doesn't respond as quickly as gas would. I have learned that I need to get the roaster up to about 450F before pouring the beans in. I have also started pre-heating the beans a little so they don't go in cold. Currently I am doing that by adding them to the roaster for a few minutes while it is in the initial heating process.

As soon as the roaster reaches the target temp I pour in the beans and start the timer. Sweet Maria's will give you and idea of what your roasting "curve" should look like. You will have an idea of how long the roast should last and when the first and second cracks will occur. It is a combination of timing, heat and listening for the cracks that will tell you how the roast is progressing and when to remove the beans from the heat. After a little experience you will notice that the beans start putting off more smoke and the stirring gets easier as they start a crack. As you get close to your desired roast you will want to dip the spoon in and take a look at the beans. The last stage of the roast can move very quickly so it is a good idea to visually inspect the beans. Once they look like you imagined, immediately pour them into a bowl and start the cooling process. As I mentioned, the quicker you cool them the quicker you stop the roast. Being lazy with the cooling can easily allow the beans to reach a roast that is darker then you wanted.

Once the beans have cooled you will want to put them in a bag or container that will allow them to vent. They will put off unwanted gases and you should let them sit for at least 12 hours before use. Even with the slowness inherent in using the electric hotplate; I can usually get two batches roasted in about 30 minutes.

So there you have it. A quick idea of how easy it can be to roast your own coffee beans. I know I have left a lot of details out of this so I encourage you to click over to Sweet Maria's website and read through their help sheets and cupping notes. Or, if you want, ask me a question in the Comments section and I'll do my best to provide a quick answer.

Good Luck & Have Fun!

Roasting Your Own Coffee -- It Is Easier Then You Might Think

2008-01-30T08:07:13Z

Okay, so this really has nothing to do with fish or fishing. Still, it is a pretty cool thing and does allow you to source your coffee from organic and/or fair trade producers. I have been roasting my own coffee for a couple years but just got back into it last November. We ordered a bunch of green coffee beans and roasted it for Christmas gifts. It doesn't take a lot of money to get started. However, if you feel so moved, you can buy a pretty expensive home unit with programmable roasting profiles.

I am still low-tech and roasting in the garage (it puts off a LOT of smoke). I hope to spend a couple hours at it this weekend and will try to get some photos of the process. With luck, I'll be able to put together a post showing the equipment and giving you much more detail. So, tune in next week if you think coffee roasting sounds fun! In the mean time, check out the Sweet Maria's website for more info. I buy all my beans from them and have received nothing but great customer service.

Scientology Moving Into Montana

2008-01-24T08:30:26Z

I know someone who lives with a guy who does landscaping for several of the Hollywood Scientologers. He says that they have purchased over 2000 acres outside of Great Falls and are building a compound & space port.

I Have No Response...

2008-01-24T08:31:14Z

Video ==> Montana & Idaho fishing trip - Sept. 2007

2007-12-12T15:59:38Z

Montana & Idaho fishing trip - Sept. 2007

http://creekside.fish-camp.net/2007/12/12/video---montana--idaho-fishing-trip--sept-2007.aspx

Wish I Were There!

2007-12-12T12:28:57Z

Early morning on the St. Joe River.

Belt Creek - Monarch, MT Sept. 5, 2007

2007-10-29T13:17:01Z

Sorry, I know this is about a month late. But, as Z says, I've too much to do and too much time to do it in. Without any more delay...Belt Creek!

We left the house early and drove through Great Falls on our way to Belt Creek. As you leave the city the area looks like it is flat all the way to NoDak. Before long though, you drop down a hill and enter some beautiful forested county. The road goes right past Sluice Boxes State Park. We have heard that there is some fishing to be had here.

Sluice Boxes State Park

We turned at Monarch and found our way to our friend's place on the creek. Now that we knew where to go, we got back in the car to find a place for breakfast. We drove out to The Lazy Doe but they were closed so we ended up back in Monarch and the Cub's Den. The meals were decent and the price was pretty good. The bacon, however, was great!

After breakfast we made the short drive back to the creek. Steve has a great piece of property there. It is over 70 acres with a nice cabin and Belt Creek slicing through near the road. We quickly got our gear together and then crossed the creek and began walking downstream along an old railroad grade.

Z walking along Belt Creek.

We walked for a few minutes and then headed over to the creek. I went just a little bit further while Z started casting into a nice looking stretch. Unfortunately, the "nice looking stretch" didn't produce anything. However, I got right into the fish. A beautiful cutthroat took my stimulator after just a few casts. Right after the cutt I landed a couple small rainbows and then a larger 'bow.

The water level was a bit low but we still had a lot of fun fishing all the way back to the cabin. We both caught a lot of fish with almost all of them coming out of fast & broken water. It was a hoot with the 3-weight but I was wishing by the end of the day that I had taken my bamboo 1-weight.

Z casting on Belt Creek, just below Steve's cabin.

We called Dad that evening as we were passing through Great Falls. His timing was perfect, we pulled up to the house to find a hot BBQ and a seasoned tri-tip roast ready for the coals.

Coming up next... a windy afternoon on the North Fork of the Blackfoot.

A History of Bad Decisions - Part 3

2007-10-02T09:40:55Z

This one took place on a climb in the South St. Vrain Canyon just outside of Lyons, CO. I was living with Z & Tiny E and we were climbing a lot. Z was big into putting up new routes and he got me involved as well. On this particular day I was out with Z and Vino. We had made the steep hike up to the top what would be a new route. We set up an anchor and I rapped down to clean loose rock and start planning on the lines the climb would take. Once back on the ground, I tied in and started climbing on a toprope. I looked for gear placements and marked bolt locations with chalk. I rapped back down with the drill and put in the one bolt needed to protect a move down towards the bottom. Finally, we all gathered at the bottom of the route and I tied in for the first ascent. The route took the one bolt and a few pieces of gear with a little bit of runout near the top. It is not a classic line but was still fun to go through the process.

The rest of the story is that I almost put myself in a really bad situation as I started one of the rappels. It was probably right at the start of the day because I think I was just putting my shoes on. As with most climbing shoes, these were extremely tight and I would keep the laces loose right up to the last minute. I wouldn't tie them until I was ready to start a climb. Anyway, I had put my shoes on and was starting to setup my rappel device. Right about then someone mentioned that I still needed to tie my shoes. I sat on a rock, tied my shoes and then walked over to start my rappel. The anchor was a long one and difficult to rappel from. The edge of the rock was rounded and the anchor ended 2 or 3 feet below the edge. Since it is hard to climb down that sort of anchor we had also added a pair of aiders that allowed us to step down to where we could start the rap. So, I step up to the edge, turn around and start climbing down the aiders. At the bottom I reached over to grab the rope and started to step out of the aiders and start rappelling. At this point my brother or Vino asked if I didn't want to actually run the rope through my Tuber (rappel device) before leaving the aiders. I looked down and realized that had I left the aiders, the only thing holding me up would have been my hands. I climbed back up to the top and took a few moments to calm down before trying again. I realized that the mistake was made when I was reminded to tie my laces. My mind shifted it's focus to the shoes and never went back to making sure I was ready to rappel. I knew I started to run the rope through my Tuber but didn't recall that I never finished the process. It just goes to show that it is worth the time to stop just before a dangerous activity and do one final safety check.

Z, I don't think I've embellished too much. Let me know if you remember it differently.

Next time... A couple quartz crystals keep me from taking a big dive off a classic granite dome on the Sierra Mountains.

An Unknown Woman, A Hail Mary and Living Younger

2007-10-02T09:42:54Z

I don't normally plug my laptop in at home since I spend so much time with it at work. However, I had left it out last night and decided to turn it on this morning as I sat on the couch watching the news. I checked my email and found kind of an odd note from a woman I have never met. That in itself is not so unusual. The strange part was that this woman was not telling me how to combat erectile dysfunction or wanting to pass on a "secret" stock tip. Apparently this woman had briefly met a guy out on the Olympic Peninsula and was hoping to track him down. She had emailed me through shop's website so I guess she thought that I might know who he is based on the business I'm in. Unfortunately, I couldn't help her.

Her email got me thinking about a few things. First, how she was interested in this guy enough to email a complete stranger to ask if I might know him. Years ago, when I was much younger and single, I threw up a couple hail marys in the hopes of getting to know someone. In my experience, the effort was almost always a horrible failure and usually ended in a crushing embarrassment. I truly wish that the woman who contacted me has much better luck.

The second thing that struck me is how odd it is that this person is not already in a long-term relationship. (edited to add: Who am I to assume she is not in a relationship? Maybe this guy just seemed really interesting and friendly.) I realize that statement is out of place considering the circumstances so let me explain. I know a little about this woman as I plugged her name into Google this morning. Her note looked legit but I wanted to make sure that she was a real person and not some guy in Nigeria doing a little data mining. The Google links took me to a professional listing/bio and her blog. Assuming you can trust what you read on the internet (I know!) she is successful, adventurous and has a lot of interests. She seems like she would be fun to hang out with.

The third thing that came to mind was that she is interested in a lot of the things I used to be (prior to becoming middle aged, fat and lazy). Her blog contains stories and photos of fishing, diving, climbing, food, beer and international travel. She does say she enjoys Cirque du Soleil but I'm trying not to hold that against her. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that she proves that there are interesting people out there. I just need to be a little more open to meeting them. I'm the kind of guy who barely knows his neighbors and has lived by the phrase "never make eye contact".

This weird little exercise I've been going through today has me thinking that there is at least one more step to go through before I can start to become the guy I used to be. First, I quit my corporate job and bought my own business. Now, I am eating better and getting more active. The third step seems like it should be to open up more and try to meet new people. I will never climb again and gave up on diving many years ago. However, Nancy and I do sail and are getting back into paddling. I may never be 35 again but maybe I can at least act like I'm an interesting 40.

So, I would like to thank K for emailing me this morning. Your note got me thinking and that is never a bad thing. I also hope you find your Cape Flattery guy. I will keep my eyes open for a white truck.

The road to the Missouri River - Sept. 2, 2007

2007-09-25T13:12:06Z

I flew from Seattle to Boise on the morning of Sept 2nd. Z and Tiny E picked me up at the airport and took me to a great Mexican restaurant in a small community between Boise and Nampa. I had a couple Negra Modelos along with some fantastic cabrito tacos. It was a great way to start our trip. We spent a few hours at the house talking fishing and places we might want to go before heading over to the Capt's for a rib dinner. The consumption of ribs was only exceeded by the downing of malt beverages so Z and I needed to get back to the house to sleep for a few hours prior to our scheduled midnight departure. Our plan, one of the few of the trip, was to leave in the middle of the night so we could arrive at Craig mid-morning on Monday.

Sleep was difficult but we did manage to rest up for several hours. Apparently, we each wandered down to the living room to see if the other was awake. Unfortunately, we never did it at the same time. Still, alarms went off and bags were packed in time to hit the road at midnight. The moon was fairly bright that night and we had a nice drive. At least it was nice for us... less so for one skunk and two birds who tragically crossed our path with little advance warning.

We stopped for a while at Craters of the Moon to stretch and do a little star gazing. Z pulled out the binoculars and tried to teach me a little astronomy. I think we were right around the ID/MT border when dawn arrived. As the morning brightened we could see that there was still quite a bit of smoke in the air from nearby wildfires.

A smoky dawn near the ID/MD border.

Seeing the sun rise made us realize how hungry we were getting. After a quick look at the map, we decided to pull into Dell, MT and see if the Calf-A was open. Sadly, we were just too early. We have been told by people in the know (our father and his fishing buddy The Deacon) that the Calf-A puts up a great breakfast. Another quick check with the navigator showed that the Melrose Bar & Cafe was the next logical option for a fisherman's breakfast. We pulled into Melrose and parked in front of the cafe. A sign said it was open but everything looked pretty quiet. We walked in only to be told that the place wouldn't be open for another hour or so. Once again, we had to do the walk of shame back to the car. At this point we decided just to drive into Butte and eat there. Surely, it would be easy to find a place open for breakfast in a town as large as Butte!. Actually... not so much. We exited the highway and drove into downtown Butte sure that we would have several options to choose from. It turns out that they have a lot of Irish bars but few cafes that open early. We were starting to think it was going to have to be a McMorning when we finally found a restaurant open down near the interstate.

Mid-morning had us crossing the Missouri via the new bridge at Craig and making the turn north along the frontage road. A few minutes later we stopped the car at our Dad's place.

Morning on the Missouri River.

Next up... the 3wt sees some preliminary action on the Missouri and strikes fear into the cutthroats of Belt creek.

Scheffy's Motel & General Store - Avery, ID BEST PLACE

2007-09-19T14:24:58Z

Scheffy's Motel and General Store is located in Avery, ID right on the St. Joe River. The store is the usual collection of food, fishing and camping items along with a small menu of hot snacks. The real bargain here is over at the motel. Scheffy's has converted some old Milwaukee Railroad buildings into comfortable lodging for the sportsman. The buildings and some of the furniture are a bit dated but everything is clean and comfortable. All are two-bedroom units and include cable TV and a kitchen stocked with basic dishes, pots and pans. Our room also had a couple day beds in the living area along with a very modern heater. At $80/night (that was for two people in Sept 2007) Scheffy's offers a great deal for a family or small group out fishing for cutthroat on the St. Joe or enjoying the many miles of snowmobile or mountain biking trails.

Coming Attractions.... Trip Report from the Missouri River, Belt Creek, NF of the Blackfoot and the St. Joe

2007-09-17T12:45:49Z

Z fishing for cutthroat and rainbows on Belt Creek (near Monarch, MT).

Baja, boats and beaches...

2007-08-16T09:21:08Z

I'm planning a return to the Gulf of California. Here are some photos from the last expedition. More on the new trip later.

Paddling into Loreto, Baja California Sur
Christmas morning, 1995.

A wrecked trawler beached on Isla Angel de la Guarda

The long crossing back from Isla Angel de la Guarda to Bahia de Los Angeles

Paddling into camp on Isla Carmen

Christmas Eve on Isla Carmen. Dinner consisted of pasta with fresh clams and some real cheap tequila.

Whatcha Doin' Mister?

2007-05-30T14:22:59Z

N had a meeting in Bellevue today so she left the house shortly after dawn. I got up an hour or so later and decided not to make coffee since I was the only one home. I figured I would stop by Central Market and get a cup on the way to the shop. I pulled into Central along with another truck and we parked not far from each other. I noticed the other driver was an attractive woman in work clothes. I assumed she was working on one of the road construction projects here in Poulsbo. I immediately went into a typical male fantasy mode where I was sure that she was noticing me. She was probably looking at my nice lightweight Carhartt work pants and fishing shirt with the sleeves rolled up just right and thinking "I'd like me some of that". I strode into the coffee shop sure that all the chicks were checking me out. I ordered my usual Americano and waited in a short line for it to brew. I picked up my cup at the counter and walked out to the truck still feeling like a million bucks. I pulled the keys from my pocket and unlocked the door. For some reason I looked down as I was getting in and noticed that my fly was open. I'm not talking about part way open... I'm talking about all the way to the stop.

Makes me think the women weren't looking at me with lust in their hearts after all.

A History of Bad Decisions -- Part 2

2007-05-24T16:16:05Z

This one could have been real bad. My brothers were in for a visit and I wanted to introduce them to my new found passion of rock climbing. Neither were very interested in climbing but did agree to drive with me to the Leavenworth area to give it a try. We ended up at a place that was very popular with beginning climbers. We may have done a little top-roping on one side of the road and then moved to the other where there were some more difficult routes. As I recall this particular route starts out as a wide crack/chimney and then turns into a small hand crack. At the top, you have a sloping foot stance and a decent under cling for your hands. You have to hold onto the under cling with one hand while reaching over the top of a little bulge feeling around for the hand hold on top. Once you have it you can release the under cling and do a little sloping mantle move over the top.

I had climbed this route several times on a top-rope. However, for some unknown ego fueled reason, I decided to solo the climb (without rope) with my brothers sitting at the bottom watching. I made it up to the last move and had set myself to reach over the top for the last hold. In a blink of an eye both hands came off the under cling. The stance is one where you are pushing up with your legs in order to lock you hands/arms in place. As such, my legs pushed me up and away from the rock as soon as I lost the handhold. This wasn't a very long route so I figure that I was falling from about 30' to 40' off the deck. That would have been enough but what made it worse was that the landing was definitely a "killer". There was a large block of stone at the base of the climb and it had a sharp exposed edge right in my fall zone. Landing across it would have a devastating effect on any person's spine.

My mind blacked-out as soon as my fingers peeled off their hold. My brain started working again a couple seconds later when I found myself hanging from a rope lower and off to the side from where I had lost my grip. I had no idea how I go there and still to this day can not remember what happened. According my younger brother, my legs started working as soon as the fall began and I essentially walked across the face of the rock as I was falling. I traversed the 10' or 12' to where a rope had been placed and had simply grabbed it and hung on. According to Z it all looked so controlled and easy going that he thought it was no big deal. I don't even recall seeing the rope but I must have and my brain remembered where it was. The other part to this is that my friend Rob had placed the rope earlier in case we wanted to climb this route. Instead of setting up a top-rope and walking away he had for some reason tied the rope off. That meant that it didn't just run through the anchor, dropping me to the dirt, when I grabbed it. Just another little detail that kept me from splitting open like an over-ripe melon right in front of my brothers.

Up next... tying my shoes nearly causes a much longer fall.

A History of Bad Decisions - Part 1

2007-05-11T11:46:52Z

I have made more then a few bad decisions in my life. A handful of them turned into life or death situations. So, in an effort to provide a little community service (no, this was not court ordered) I will relate them to you. As you read this series of postings always remember...THIS COULD HAPPEN TO YOU!

Many years ago I was young, stupid and attending a university in central Washington. One weekend my roommate had some friends over and they had decided to do a little small stream fishing not far from town. This was several years before getting into fly fishing so we were all using lures. I was poor and didn't have a lot of gear so I borrowed a Mepps spinner to use with my old Wright & McGill pack rod. We drove out of town and started up a dirt logging road. After a short distance we parked and spread out along a short section of the creek. I picked a bit of water that had a shallow riffle in front of me but was a little deeper along the far bank. I was casting to the roots of a tree that had been exposed by the creek. At some point I hooked a root and was unable to shake it loose. This, my friends, is where the trouble began.

I really didn't want to lose a lure that I had borrowed from someone I barely knew. This led me to decide to cross the creek and try to retrieve the Mepps. The creek was quite shallow for most of it's width and I didn't think that the cut along the far bank was very wide nor very deep. I figured I could easily walk across the riffle and simply lean over to the roots and pop the lure loose. Everything was going according to plan until the very last step. I was just over an arms length away from the lure and took another step in order to reach it. Before I knew what happened I was in water over my head and had an underestimated current pushing me into the cluster of roots. I was holding myself up with my arms and trying to keep the current from pushing me under and into the root ball. I was tiring quickly and realized I pretty much had one chance to get out of the mess I was in. I was scared that I would be too weak to keep my head above water if my first attempt failed. I couldn't go in any direction except up so that is what I did. I made one big effort to push myself up and lock my elbows so I could swing my ass around and get it set on one of the exposed roots. From there I crawled over to the bank and sat down to wait for my strength to return and my pulse to slow down. I don't recall how I got back across the creek but imagine that I was much more careful in choosing a place to cross.

I learned a few lessons that day.
    Never risk your life for a $3.00 lure.
    Even a small current can undercut a bank and be very dangerous.
    As much as I love the water, there is no "safe" section of river, creek, lake, pond, bay, etc. Water is very         unforgiving and you have to take it seriously. Never disrespect the H20!

Stay tuned for Part 2 where I try to impress my brothers by taking a big fall while rock climbing.

PCOBS High Sierra Basecamp - Lakeshore, CA

2007-05-07T05:56:00Z

These photos are from one of our year-end auctions. I'm not sure of the year. It must be either 1995 or 1996. I felt pretty close to a lot of these people for a few years. I would love to see them again sometime. ...