She Who Must Be Obeyed and I have been on the road for the better part of the past 10 days, heading north to home country in Montana and exploring some nifty territory ‘down south’ in Wyoming.
This was one of those combination work and play excursions (mainly play for SWMBO and work for me) interwoven with some great time spent with newlyweds Kaitlyn and Jake in Livingston and Jess in Bozeman.
A few random thoughts from 10 days on the road –
Maybe Rivers Need a Rest Now and Again, More so Than the Winter Season
Even with sections of the river opening back up over the past couple of weeks, it was a damned strange experience to see the Yellowstone (through the bulk of the Paradise Valley) empty of fishers and boats during what would have been some prime cool, cloudy days in mid-September.
The pain induced by the river’s closure duly noted, one can’t help but wonder if we don’t love some of the great, and vastly popular, Western rivers to near death during the season as those of us involved in the (fly fishing) industry try and squeeze every last possible trip out of ‘the season’ before the tourists get too wrapped up in football and other distractions back home.
We’re still among those who agree whole-heartedly with the closure and restrictions placed by Montana’s FWP and found the discussions surrounding the entire event damned entertaining to say the least as the chicken littles scrambled to position themselves (and maybe even bolster their fundraising).
Among several points of interest, the flurry of chatter challenging Montana Ag’s long-standing water rights has settled a bit, though the subject will likely be stirred to the fore at some point sooner rather than later.
Maybe highly trafficked rivers really do deserve a rest during the season…
Damn, That Mini Tech Fast Felt Good
As a matter of choice and driven by a spirited discussion crossing southern Wyoming on the way back north, we decided to partake in a tech fast (fast as in abstain from…) of sorts, at least minimizing exposures to ever intrusive social media in particular, though regular posting here on Chi Wulff lagged a bit.
Put your damned phone away for an evening or two this next week and turn off the blasted TV. There’s a big world out there best experienced by immersing yourself in it (not in social media).
How About Those Bighorns?
SWMBO and I spent some time on the way home exploring the Bighorns – some of the finest and most impressive country we’ve seen in a long time.
The drive over from Cody to Sheridan is nothing short of spectacular and needs to be on your list to see at some point; there are some slot canyons on the Western side that are as breathtaking as you’ll see anywhere. We were lucky enough to catch 4 inches of new snow on top too; the season change is upon us.
Viva Wyoming.
