Alaska adventure, Mid to Late August, 2019 - Hope, Seward, Homer, Kenai, Kenai Peninsula, AK

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Glacier near Whittier

Passing through Anchorage we stop at the Marsh Bird Sanctuary.  There are only a few ducks swimming along the stream and ponds surrounding the boardwalk.  We also notice very few birders which should have been an indication that this is not necessarily the best time to visit.

San Antonio Creek, August 11 - 13, 2017

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“Bad weather makes for good photography”.  One of the many statements uttered from my landscape photo instructors.  Bad weather is promised; rain most of the day Friday and Saturday with partial clearing on Sunday.  How much rain, who knows, somewhere over a half in is promised in Jemez Springs.  I’m going higher so I’m expecting more.

Rio Guadalupe, July 14, 2017

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456 AM comes around early every day for me.  That’s the time I programmed my clock radio to wake me each morning for work.  We want to get an early start on the river so I didn’t change my wake-up time.  This morning I got right up; not the usual lie in bed for an additional 10 to 15 minutes readying my brain for work.  Today we are back to fly fishing, the first time since our weekend on the San Juan this past February; too long.

San Juan River, NM, Feb 10 – 11, 2017

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The ‘Juan’ as my fishing buddies call it ‘is the place to fly fish in New Mexico’.  The San Juan is unlike any NM river I have fished to this point.  My usual fishing ‘rivers’ or ‘streams’ generally don’t qualify as rivers back in the Midwest.  Most of the rivers or streams in the Jemez Mountains and Pecos Wilderness can be forded with ease; many times without even getting feet wet.  The San Juan is different.  Even though it is somewhat cloudy from runoff, the two days we were there I could tell from the color of the water; deep blue/green in places, the river is big and deep.

West fork of the Santa Barbara, July 15, 2016

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I’m on my own today.  My hiking, fishing and photo buddies are busy so I have the choice of deciding where I want to go today.  I have a few places on my list so I feel the need to check one of them off.  Santa Barbara River in the northern portion of the Pecos Wilderness is my choice for the day.

Fishing the Rio Puerco, July 1, 2016

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We have been looking forward to this trip for many weeks.  The fishing the first two times Byron and I went was phenomenal.  Two years ago I even caught a couple trout without ever having practiced casting.  Last year Mark came along, at the end of the day he wanted us to leave him behind so he could fish through the night until someone dragged him home the next day.  We weren’t certain his wife would have appreciated us leaving him there so we took an unhappy fly fisherman home with us.  I am excited at this trip because I want to see how I do on this river.  I have been able to catch a consistent one to two trout each time out so my expectations are higher.

Rio de las Vacas May 30, June 3, 2016

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Looking back over the past several weeks I have to admit that I’ve have been too busy working so I decided I have to take advantage of the holiday and get out for a hike.  My usually enthusiastic hiking, fishing, photo buddies are all busy so I am on my own.  My destination is the Rio de las Vacas in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness.  The las Vacas has been on my to-do list for the past year.  I enjoyed my exploratory hike’s scenery and wonderful small, but deep river so much that the following Friday I talked Mark into going there for a fishing trip.

My $200 fish, April 16, 2016

And I didn’t even keep it!

That’s my guess at what I have invested in a fly rod kit, ancillary fishing equipment, and licenses.  If I really think about it, it is probably more but $200 is close enough.  Besides this is an investment in my well being.  I have been hiking, photographing and just getting out for the past several years.  Most of the time I am with fly fishers, this year I joined them.

Dilemma, January 29, 2016

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My predicament has been a long time coming…  I looked through my earlier postings and see that it started around 2012 with a hike in the Jemez Mountains, the Rio Cebolla in particular.

I have been day-hiking on and off for the last 25 or so years.  I have been enjoying my hikes through New Mexico with different friends and coworkers; occasionally on my own much to my wife’s apprehension.  During the first years it was enough to get out just hiking.

Valles Caldera, Sept 11, 2015

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We’re hitting the Valles Caldera one last time before it becomes a part of the National Parks System.  We visited the Caldera several times this year when the Preserve started issuing a limited number backcountry passes to the general public on a daily basis.  We like the open area of the San Antonio valley for both hiking and fly-fishing.  We don’t know what if any changes will come of the transfer of ownership.

We know not to expect fall colors, based on previous years they are not due until sometime in mid October.  Since our deluge in July we have gone back to a drier than normal August and first part of September.  We are certain the rivers will be down so we are prepared to make this a photo trip.

Rio Puerco, July 17, 2015

The Rio Puerco; Byron and I have been looking forward to returning here since we got back home from our visit last year.  It is a long hike, approximately five miles, but that makes the fishing and photography all the better.  We only know of a few other diehard fishermen or women that will make this hike for the opportunity to land wild cutthroats in a pristine river valley.  Last year’s visit was the first time I gave fly fishing a try, and was successful at landing a few trout.

Rio Mora, July 3, 2015

It’s the Fourth of July weekend so we are expecting lots of campers, along with campers come fishermen and women.  Since Mark and Byron don’t like to share fishing locations we anticipate hiking some distance to get to a long, empty spot on the river.  This really works into Mark’s plan.  He and Byron have fished the Mora several times and never made it upstream more than a mile or so.  Those of you that have been following my blog know that they rarely make it more than 20 minutes upstream from the last people they see before they have to stop, put together their gear and start fishing.  This time Mark’s goal is to make it to the confluence of the Mora and Bear Creek somewhere between one and a half and two miles upriver.

Valles Caldera, a week later (June 5, 2015)

The Caldera draws me/Byron like a magnet.  We were here only two weeks ago but we have to go again.  The people working the desk recognize us from our last visit telling us what kind of water levels and fishing conditions to expect. A few people are signing up for the back road passes but there are still passes available.

Valles Caldera, May 22, 2015

The Valles Caldera Preserve, (VC) has recently been incorporated into the National Parks System.  Operating under the new government entity has brought new fees and new access.  Byron suggested we visit before throngs of people take advantage of the new system.  To find out more about the Valles Caldera go to http://www.vallescaldera.gov/

San Antonio Creek - May 8, 2015

We are off to the San Antonio Creek for a fly fishing and photography expedition.  The San Antonio Creek is accessible from multiple locations in the Jemez Mountains.  It parallels State Road 4 from La Cueva, NM to Battleship Rock where it merges with the East Fork of the Jemez River then turns into the Jemez River.  There are multiple pullouts along SR 4 for picnicking and fishing.

Weather transitions, April 24, 2015

As usual spring weather is unpredictable.  If you live in the New Mexico you know spring is synonymous with wind.  As we plan our hike we are watching for wind.  I have seen my fly fishing buddies battling the wind and it usually makes for a very long day.

San Pedro Parks Wilderness Area, Rio Puerco, June 20

San Gregorio Reservoir

After hearing about the good fishing from one of our co-workers Byron and I decided to make the drive to the San Pedro Parks Wilderness Area.  It’s an easy but slightly long drive, divided highway almost the entire way until you turn off on SR 126 in Cuba.  We went on a Friday to avoid whatever crowds there may be, once we hiked past the San Gregorio Reservoir, about ¾ of a mile in, we didn't run into anybody until we were hiking back out mid-afternoon...

New Year 2014 Hike

Pecos Wilderness

January 1, 2014

We had to get out of our respective houses this day!  Neither Byron nor I are big college football fans so we threw out the prospective date of January 1 for a hiking/photo and or fishing day.  We did both, Byron fishing with his new fly fishing rod and I did the photography.

More Jemez Mountains

A couple weeks after our trip to the East Fork of the Jemez River Byron and I decided to return to a different part of the mountains.  He wanted a different stream to fish and I wanted a different area to photograph.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jemez Mountains



Rio Cebolla valley



A few weeks ago before snow was promised a coworker, Byron, and I decided to go for a day hike up in the Jemez Mountains. He is a borderline fanatical fly-fisherman and has tried to recruit me to be a like minded fly-fisherman. To this point I have resisted. We get along fine on our hikes, he fishes and I photograph whatever gets my attention. We both have a great time!

We went up to the Rio Cebolla just north of the Seven Springs Fish Hatchery. The hatchery grows cutthroat trout which live in upper portions of the Rio Cebolla.

We hiked and fished approximately 2.5 miles up the valley, I’d guess 3 – 4 miles of stream, with all the twists and turns it takes. Byron caught four brown trout (catch and release) and I shot dozens of images. All we saw that day were two other fly-fishermen.

It was cold that morning when we arrived, the outside car thermometer said 19!  It warmed up to the low 50's by the time we stopped for lunch.  You can see ice along the edges of the stream in several of the images.



View around Gilman Tunnel



On our return trip back home we went by way of the Gilman Tunnels along the Rio Guadalupe.  The tunnels were created in the 1920’s for a logging railroad.



View around Gilman Tunnel



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for stopping by,

Mark