OUTDOORS NEW MEXICO

Ice Fishing Tips & Tricks from Matt Pelletier of Fish Enchantment

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:40:00 +0000

Winter has arrived in New Mexico and thick sheets of ice have formed on many lakes providing anglers with an opportunity to keep fishing in a whole new way.

Ice fishing is a sure fire cure for the winter blues and when properly done can be fun and fulfilling too.

And if there’s one rule to ice fishing it’s that there's no such thing as being over dressed.

To enjoy an ice fishing expedition one need only follow these simple tips and tricks.

Wear layers so you’re always ready for the worst but can peel off clothes as weather permits.

Some days you could start out looking like the kid in "A Christmas Story", bundled up with so many layers you could hardly move. But by the end the day you might be wearing a short sleeved shirt and heavy layers of sunscreen!

A typical ice fishing outfit might include a layer of thermal underwear underneath a set of sweat pants and sweatshirt. Top that off with heavy, waterproof, pants and jacket.

To protect your cheeks and nose from the elements wear a thin balaclava over your face.

A fur hat with ear flaps or a thick knit cap will come in handy as will a good pair of thick, warm, gloves.

If you lack this kind of clothing shop the snow-boarding section of a sporting goods store.

Make sure you wear a warm pair of waterproof boots, preferably without laces, they tend to freeze up when wet and are a real pain to untie.

You’ll only need one pair of breathable socks if you have sufficiently warm boots. Too many socks and your feet will sweat which will eventually result in cold feet and a miserable angler.

Next you'll need a pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes from the bright conditions.

Optics with fog inserts or goggles are best for blocking wind and keeping your lenses from fogging.

Also bring a pair of hand warmers, they also double as a great way to ensure the wax worms in your pocket don't freeze!

Before going out on the ice one should obtain the following safety equipment.

Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, a Hypothermia expert at the University of Manitoba in Canada, teamed up with the Discovery Channel to create instructional videos posted on YouTube that show how to get out of the water if you fall through the ice.

Watch “Survival in the Ice – Part 1” on YouTube before you head out on your first trip.

It’s even wiser to buy or build a pair of safety spikes that can be carried with you and used to stab into the ice and pull yourself out if you do fall through.

Even something as simple as a couple of sharpened screwdrivers hanging from a string dangling around the neck will do the trick.

Always carry a long length of good rope with you too when out on the ice. Tie a loop on one end large enough for someone to slide over their head and arm so you can use it to pull them out.

These simple tools and some knowledge can save your life.

Another situation that presents itself during ice fishing is the potential for a bad slip and fall.

Alleviate this possibility by getting a pair of ice cleats that slip over your boots.

They’ll make a huge difference when fishing on slick ice.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need them and are without, stretch an extra pair of socks over your boots to gain some extra grip.

You’ll also need an auger of some sort so you can drill a hole through the ice to fish through.

Some people will use a battery operated power drill with a long, fluted, wood drill bit to start a hole

Some bait and tackle shops at lakes like Eagle Nest rent ice augers and other equipment for ice anglers to use.

A hand auger will work for thinner ice but once you start fishing through 20" of ice you’ll quickly want to upgrade to a motor driven auger.

As for finding the fish; it helps if you know the structure of the lake you are fishing in advance.

Fish eat all winter long, finding them can take one hole or may require making “Swiss Cheese” of the lake.

Move around a lot, if you don’t get a bite within twenty minutes; drill more holes!

Once a hole had been drilled you'll need an ice scoop to clean out the slush and keep it clear. Plastic scoops work fine but a metal scoop will last forever.

For fishing gear a regular spinning rod will work but you can get a short ice rod combo for under $30.

These 18 to 30-inch long rods allow you to stay close to the hole so you can see what you’re doing.

You’ll want something to sit upon and a five gallon bucket with a swivel lid for a seat is ideal.

These buckets hold plenty of gear inside and with the addition of one of those bucket organizers from the hardware store there’ll be plenty of pockets for stashing tools and gear on the outside.

The next thing you'll need is a means of transporting all your gear across the ice.

There are lightweight sleds that you can buy or build your own from a plastic, concrete mixing bin from the hardware store.

And if the winds are howling you might want to consider getting a portable ice shack.

One great thing about a shack is it blocks the sunlight over your hole allowing you to see further down into the water.

And in clear, shallow, water you'll be able to see the fish and how they’re reacting to your bait and you’ll be able to make react quickly.

It’s a great way to watch as fish take your rig.

As far as fishing tackle goes the lightest line, 2-14 pound test, should cover everything from Perch to Pike.

Use a lighter line when fishing small jigs or bait and heavier line when jigging bigger lures.

You can jig, twitch the lure up and down, with a variety of lures like Kastmasters, Swedish Pimples, Dynamic HD Ice, crappie jigs, and plastic tubes like Gitzits.

You can add a piece of bait to a lure too or just fish it by itself, try a little of both and see what happens.

Live baits like wax worms, meal worms, or night crawlers are worth trying too.

Sometimes fish respond better to plastic synthetic baits so make sure to carry plastic worms, nymphs, and grubs just in case.

A hook setter like The Jawjacker is a great piece of equipment as it will set the hook when the fish bites ensuring it’s hooked even when you’re not standing over the rod at the time.

Okay now that we’ve got the gear covered, it’s time to head out to a lake.

Try Eagle Nest for starters and then follow up on Fish Enchantment’s online fishing forum at http://www.fishenchantment.com/SMF/ for more tips on where and when to go.

At Eagle Nest Lake illegally planted pike are threatening the popular trout fishery and anglers are now required to kill or keep any they catch and catch as many as they can in an attempt to reduce their numbers.

A trout fishery's worst nightmare, Pike.

Always check the ice thickness before going out on the lake and stay away from weak spots like pressure ridges and open water.

Remember you proceed at your own risk every time you step out onto the ice.

If the ice looks really thin, throw a big rock onto the ice. If it doesn’t go through, drill a hole in shallow water to test the thickness of the ice.

Five inches is an accepted safe starting point for many in the angling community while the state of New Mexico uses nine inches.

For more information on ice fishing check out the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/index.html for plenty of helpful tips.

Now get out there and catch some fish, ice fishing is a great experience if you’re prepared.

Vaughn, New Mexico -A Long, Strange Trip Indeed

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:11:00 +0000

As the last rays of the sun disappeared over the snow-covered horizon a wave of dread washed over me.

A lumbering snowplow had just passed us, headed south on US 285 with a long line of vehicles crawling behind it.

We should have turned back then but every chance to cross the snowed over median looked like a trap.

And in the descending darkness the windblown snow swept across the highway, obliterating the slim ribbon of pavement, replacing it with a sea of grey.

We kept crawling along in our little station wagon, the front wheel drive and new tires maintaining a firm grip.

The Suzuki’s mighty defroster hummed away while a new set of wiper blades kept the windshield clean.

It wasn’t the car I was worried about, it was the other drivers as we passed one forsaken vehicle after another, off the road, in the ditch or buried in the median.

Their emergency blinkers marked a path through the darkness and then the interior of our car began to fill with a blinding light.

A low-slung pickup sporting fat tires and bright fog lights was bearing down on us from behind.

I turned the hazard lights on and got as far over to the right as I dared.

The pickup rode up on my tail, its piercing lights flooding the interior and then they suddenly disappeared as the vehicle veered sharply off towards the median.

I looked in the rearview mirror and saw the truck askew of the roadway, its headlights rapidly fading in the darkness.

There was no stopping to help as it was all I could do to just keep rolling.

A chained up and opportunistic tow truck driver would be making the rounds and plenty of money off this stretch of road all night anyhow.

I thought then of my oldest brother, Eric, the one who taught me how to drive in the snow when we were growing up back east just north of Boston.

I fondly remember doing “donuts” in the snow packed parking lot of Zayre’s in his old Rambler after a good snow storm.

I learned then that just a slight tap of the brakes and a twist of the wheel would send us spinning out of control and howling with glee.

I guess the pickup driver behind me didn’t.

We tentatively motored on and were soon buoyed by the sight of a dim halo of lights far off in the distance above what had to be the town of Vaughn.

A remote railroad hub, the community of about 500 sits out on the lonely, windswept plains of New Mexico providing a haven for road weary truckers, isolated ranchers and, when the weather sours, stranded travelers.

Running due south across the state this two lane, separated highway functions as the state’s primary route for the shipment of low-level radioactive waste to an underground, desert, repository outside of the town of Carlsbad known as the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).

That’s where we were we had headed on Christmas day, my wife and I, to Carlsbad and “Christmas on the Pecos”.

It’s a southeast New Mexico tradition where homeowners on the Pecos River put up elaborate Christmas light displays for visitors to enjoy.

We had a blast!

The weather had cleared and we made a visit to the Carlsbad Caverns that morning and were now heading back, much later than we planned.

The severe snow storm that had just ripped through our state was at our backs as we covered a couple of hundred miles of open road that sunny afternoon

Just two days earlier the same storm had dumped record amounts of snow on the plains and high desert towns of Vaughn, Roswell, Artesia and Carlsbad, bringing them a white Christmas.

The storm had stalled down there and we were forced to leave a day later than planned to give it time to clear out.

As I was packing the wagon to go I was thinking of the Texas family that had been trapped by the same storm days earlier on a rural northern New Mexico road as they tried to make their way to a ski resort.

The family spent two days buried under deep snow drifts snow in their GMC Yukon and almost suffocated to death.

They weighed heavily on my mind as I loaded up several sleeping bags, pillows, a couple of jugs of water, a small propane heater, a pint of whiskey, some trail bars and playing cards to our travel gear.

But as we rolled out of Carlsbad and crossed a hundred miles of cleared blacktop under sunny skies the day of our return I had no idea we were going to need them.

We skated into Vaughn that night atop a sheet of ice with the wind howling and the snow flying.

It was a surreal scene as we passed dozens of idling tractor trailer rigs crowded into a convenience store parking lot, the blowing snow illuminated by the lone street light and the big rigs belching smoke.

Up on a slight hill across the street the lights of a two story hotel and its adjacent 24-hour diner beckoned.

We pulled into the driveway only to encounter a deep snow drift and several abandoned vehicles blocking the way.

But there was an opening and we went for it, cresting the top of the drive with just enough momentum left to slide to a stop under a big pine tree.

We were parked off to the side of a circular driveway in front of the hotel, out of the way and on level ground.

“I think we’ll be staying here for the night,” I said to Wren who nodded in agreement.

But it turned out there wasn’t any room at the inn; they were booked solid with most of the rooms reserved for the railroad workers they catered to.

And none of the other motels in town we called had any vacancies either.

We had arrived too late, the little town and its limited number of hotel rooms was flooded with stranded travelers.

We talked to the driver of a shuttle van for the railroad crews in the parking lot about our options and she suggested if we wanted to chance it we’d better get going before the state police closed the highway.

We talked it over and agreed there was no way we were going to take a chance on making it another 150 miles under these conditions.

We were just going to have to suck it up and ride out the night in our car.

In the crowded diner we heard how the weather was fine that day until the sun set.

Then the melted snow on the roads froze up as the fierce plains winds kicked in, stirring up the snow and sending it adrift.

We wondered about the surly mood of the townspeople too and discovered they had been dealing with stranded travelers for days now and were now low on supplies and patience.

We went back out to the car and prepared to settle in for the night.

Wren wiggled into her bag, reclined her seat and was asleep in no time.

I sat sipping a beer and reading my novel.

The windows soon windows misted over from our breath and I was reduced to just listening to what was going on outside.

The shuttle van came and went every now and then, its lights barely visible through the fogged up window.

A front end loader arrived at one point to clear the lot, its back up beeper chiming while the engine roared with each scoop of the bucket.

I took a walk at one point passing the diner and noting the clock inside showed it was 3:30 in the morning.

It was eerily quiet now that the wind had died.

I looked down the hill at the convenience store parking lot and saw one of the last of the tractor trailers quietly leaving.

I would wait for the dawn, dropping off to sleep in the front seat, my feet warm in a pair of old sheepskin booties and a thick pair of wool socks, a sleeping bag draped over my head.

The sun rose with a vengeance, raising our hopes and dashing our fears.

A beer truck was unloading at the convenience store, the driver apparently unfazed by the road conditions.

He said the highway was a sheet of ice for about ten miles out of town and then turned to clear sailing all the way.

Wren used the prepaid, emergency cell phone we carried to notified work she was going to be late and we took off to cover the last hundred and fifty, uneventful, miles of our trip.

In retrospect we should have known as we headed south into Vaughn that Christmas day that this was going to be one of those trips.

As we had neared the town, the skies clouded over, the road became slick and we saw giant snow banks lining the shoulders.

Then we came across a heavily bundled person stoically riding a scooter down the lonesome highway, miles from anywhere, just putting along, little rings of smoke blowing out the tailpipe.

We just looked at each other and kept on going and by the time we’d passed through town the road and the skies soon cleared as did that eerie feeling.

Days later I would overhear my wife talking on the phone.

She was telling her sister that everyone should have to spend a night sleeping in their car during a snow storm in a lonely, little, town like Vaughn.

After all isn’t that what living in New Mexico is really all about?

Snow Means Sledding in Northern New Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Jeff Roybal, 18, of Santa Fe takes a run at Hyde Memorial State Park during a December 2011 outing.

After a recent wave of bountiful snowstorms swept through northern New Mexico the sledding season is in full swing and just in time for the holidays.

“We’ve seen a lot of snow up here lately and the sledding has been great,” says Joe Cristopherson, Superintendent of Hyde Memorial State Park in the mountains just above Santa Fe.

The park boasts a couple of 100-yard sledding runs where adults and kids armed with plastic saucers, toboggans or rubber inner tubes can have a ball whisking down the hill.

No metal sleds or dogs are allowed on the sledding runs for obvious safety reasons, Cristopherson says.

A $5 day use fee is required per vehicle while the purchase of a $40 annual pass will provide unlimited visitation to any and all state parks.

Parents using the sledding run are asked to supervise children and encourage them to wait for others to complete their runs before starting down themselves.

Sledding can be accomplished easily with as little as a stout piece of cardboard but others may want to stop in at Cottam’s Ski Shop located inside the state park’s historic lodge and pick up a plastic saucer or toboggan.

Both cost around $20 and visitors to the sledding hill will also find hot chocolate and other refreshments available inside too, says Lyndsay Cottam.

The lodge features an outdoor patio on the backside where folks can relax and watch sledders coming down the hill.

And while store-bought sleds are convenient, it is the inner tube that reigns supreme amongst serious sledders in New Mexico.

Photo Courtesy of Tube Pro Inc. Makers of Commercial Grade Snow and River Tubes.

Inner tubes provide a slick and bouncy, old school kind of ride, and can’t be beat for bouncing off trees and other people.

“We have them on hand especially for those customers,” says Kris Griffin, manager of Discount Tire next to the Horseman’s Haven on Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe.

A rubber inner tube costs from $12 to $20 depending on the size and will provide hours of enjoyment, Griffin says.

And if you’re planning on doing some serious tubing, then there are a couple of spots in northern New Mexico that shouldn’t be missed.

The sledding hill at the Agua Piedra Campground in the Carson National Forest just north of Sipapu Ski Area is, like its brethren at Hyde Park, an old ski run.

One of the first ski areas in the state, the run at Agua Piedra provides cheap thrills in a forested setting on the banks of the Rio Pueblo north of Penasco, says Josie Lopez of the Sipapu Ski Resort.

The store at the ski resort off NM 518 also carries plastic saucers and toboggans as well as groceries and other refreshments, she said.

Sledding is not offered at the ski resort itself.

Those looking for a sunny, gently sloped meadow to sled will find just what they’re looking for on US Hill off NM 518 on the back road to Taos, says Kathy DeLucas, Public Affairs Officer for the Carson National Forest.

This location is a big draw for families because of its gentle nature and great scenery, she says.

Those venturing outside for sledding should expect to work up a sweat while having fun and thus should stayed hydrated, wear appropriate clothing and apply sunscreen too, DeLucas says.

And lastly, those new to the sport should be aware of the inherent rough and tumble nature of the activity and the effect that may have on children.

If You Go: Hyde Memorial State park is located of Hyde Park Rd on the way up to the Santa Fe Ski Area. The Agua Piedra sledding area is located off NM 518 on the road to Mora, just past the Sipapu Ski Resort. Take the highway to Espanola and turn off at NM 76 and follow up to Penasco and then NM 518. US Hill is located off NM 518 also but in the other direction on the road to Taos. An alternate route is following NM 68 out of Espanola, north along the Rio Grande, towards Taos and taking the NM 75 turnoff at Embudo and following to Penasco and on to NM 518.

Hockey & Skating at Los Alamos' Open Air Ice Rink a Real Winter Treat

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:14:00 +0000

It’s opening day at Los Alamos’ open-air skating rink and Andy McCown is thrilled to be the only one on the ice during the lunch hour session.

Why?

“Because I’m still a little rusty,” he says as he chops and glides his away around the regulation size rink.

McCown enjoys skating during his noon break from the lab and knows it won’t be long before he has plenty of company at the popular recreational facility operated by Los Alamos County.

“It’s even better on a cold, clear starry night when I bring my wife,” he says. “It can be really romantic.”

The rink at Los Alamos is finally open for the season, delayed by a couple of weeks due to emergency repairs to the flood damaged roadway in front of the complex off West Road.

But now the cool, shady canyon will once again resound with the slap and thunk of hockey pucks careening off the boards or the latest hit music drifting out of the facility’s sound system.

Bethany McBride, 18, of Los Alamos shows off a pair of hockey skates for rent at the recently opened Los Alamos County open air ice rink.

The rink is generally open seven days a week, all day long and well into the evening during the three month skate season, says Dianne Marquez, Recreation Program Manager for Los Alamos County.

“We have lots of public skating and one of the one of the largest youth hockey leagues in the state,” she says.

About 300 kids a year are usually enrolled each year including kids of all ages they play teams from Colorado and Arizona.

The Los Alamos High School varsity hockey team calls the rink home and plays teams from Taos, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho and Albuquerque.

Adults with some hockey experience and equipment can show up on Friday around noon or on Sunday and Tuesday evenings for pickup games.

Those just interested in just skating round can find plenty of times available on the schedule too.

Andy McCown, 57, a Los Alamos National Lab employee enjoys a skate during his lunch hour on opening day at the Los Alamos County open air ice rink.

There’s plenty of special events too, including an ongoing tradition on Christmas Eve, the Luminaria Skate.

Marquez says farolitos are arranged on the ice around the edge of the rink while colored lights are draped over the glass on top of the boards.

Staff members have found that a hockey puck placed in the bottom of brown paper bag with a small battery operated light works just fine, Marquez says.

Then all other lights at the facility are turned off and Christmas carols are played over the rink’s sound system while visitors enjoy an evening of skating and holiday merriment.

“It makes for a very special evening,” she says.

Hot chocolate and other beverages are included with admission, she noted.

The Los Alamos rink has been in operation since the 1940s when members of the former boys’ school there dammed up the creek to form an ice skating pond in the canyon.

Over the years the all-volunteer Los Alamos Skating Association made improvements, added buildings and other equipment including one of the original Zamboni ice grooming machines.

The machines invented by Frank Zamboni were designed to scrape used ice clean and then lay down a new layer of water to freeze and form a clean sheet of ice for skating.

The early model obtained by the skating association was mounted on a World War II-era Jeep and provided excellent service until a 1973 fire in its garage left it damaged.

Zamboni # 4 after the fire at the Los Alamos ice rink. Photo courtesy of the Zamboni Co.

The association wrote to the Zamboni Company inquiring about repair parts for the aging contraption and heard back from the company that the association was in possession of one of the earliest machines the company had ever built.

It turned out that the Zamboni at Los Alamos was only the fourth unit the company had turned out, way back in 1952, and it had toured with the Ice Capades before being replaced by a newer model, according to information about the unit provided by Paula Cooney, Brand Manager for Zamboni of Paramount, Calif.

Zamboni # 4 had ended up in the hands of an Albuquerque ice skating rink operator who would later sell it to the skating association of Los Alamos in 1960.

At the time the Albuquerque rink offered the Zamboni and other equipment to the association for just $1,500 but required all of it to be hauled off within a week’s time.

So a caravan of association members drove down off the hill in their pickups to Albuquerque where they loaded up the gear and then headed home at a snail’s pace with the lumbering Zamboni sandwiched between them.

Once the Zamboni Company discovered this early model, they asked to swap for it and then had it restored. It now rests on display at the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minn.

Zamboni # 4 restored to its original condition after the fire at Los Alamos ice rink in 1973

In the meantime the Los Alamos rink was taken over by the county in the mid-1980s and has since traded in the swapped model for a newer one, Marquez says.

In 2002 the county made improvements to the rink by putting in a refrigeration system which has vastly improved ice conditions, Marquez says.

The rink has skate rentals and a snack bar, offers skating lessons for youths and adults and rents the ice for parties or other special occasions.

For more information see the county’s website at http://www.losalamosnm.us.

If You Go: From Santa Fe take US 84/285 North to the Los Alamos turnoff at Pojoaque and take NM 502 to Los Alamos. Follow Trinity Drive through town to just past the hospital, turn left onto Diamond Drive and then make a quick right onto to West Rd.

West Rd. leads down to Los Alamos Canyon where the county's open air, ice rink is located.

Wildlife Display and More at CWW Feed Store

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:31:00 +0000

They were once a staple of many small towns across New Mexico, local feed and supply stores where one could find a decent pair of gloves, all sorts of hardware and some hay for your horse.

These days it’s a lot easier to find one of those dollar stores than an old fashioned mercantile, but there’s a still a few out there and even one that makes stopping by an exciting adventure.

Those who take the time to visit the CWW Feed Store and More in San Ysidro will find menacing mountain lions, snarling black bears and sneaky coyotes among the amazing array of mounted wildlife on display there.

There’s also the big wide head of a water buffalo looking down from a wall, a slinky leopard ready to pounce and the great curved horn of a rhino on exhibit at the busy store.

Store owner Connie Collis says the mounts are her late husband’s trophies from hunts all around the United States, Mexico and even Africa.

“It’s a great attraction,” Collis says of the wildlife display that spans two rooms inside the store. “But it’s also a tribute to him.”

Collis lost her husband Dave, 66, to a stroke last December.

“And this store, this community, has turned out to be my salvation,” she says. “We have made so many friends here over the years.”

Located off US 550 west of Bernalillo at the turn off to Jemez Springs, the store carries a unique line of cowboy boots, biker t-shirts, western wear and cowboy hats.

And of course, good gloves.

There’s an aisle featuring nothing but racks upon racks of nuts, bolts, screws, nails, hard to find mobile home parts, springs, cotter pins and other hardware.

Then there is the assortment of colored lariats, beautifully designed chaps, riding gear and even armored vests and protective helmets for bull riders.

“My heart is with the horses,” Collis says.

That’s where the riding arena, horse stalls and many animals boarded on the property come in.

And when she’s not at the store she can be found running the stables and riding program at Santa Ana Pueblo’s Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa in Bernalillo.

Born and raised on a small farm in Albuquerque’s South Valley along with her two brothers, Mike and Andy, Collis says she always knew she’d grow up to be a cowgirl.

Her upbringing included 4-H classes, involvement in FFA (Future Farmers of America) and riding with the Rodeo Club at school.

Her father, Charles Andrews, was a lineman at Sandia National Laboratories while her mother, Willene, worked as a store clerk.

But they also found time to tend a garden, can vegetables and raised goats, sheep and cows on their small farm.

And they kept horses too.

“I was very lucky to have had that kind of upbringing,” Collis says. “And you know my parents worked but they never missed a meeting or any event of ours. They were the greatest.”

Both have since passed on but would probably be proud to see how their daughter has carried on the family’s traditions.

Collis graduated from Rio Grande High School and went on to spend a year attending the Agricultural College at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.

But she discovered college just wasn’t what she wanted right then, she was a hands-on kind of gal who wanted to work.

Her first job as a young teenager was at a chinchilla farm where her mother worked.

Collis cleaned stalls and did other chores around the place and liked it.

She always wanted to marry a cowboy, too, so she did that next, after finding a good one.

The couple traveled, worked on some great ranches and had a lot of fun together, she says.

That first husband would then end up working for the Dunigan family on the sprawling Baca Ranch near La Cueva in the Jemez Mountains.

The ranch is now owned by the public and called the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

“It was his idea to open the feed store,” she said of her start in business over 20 years ago.

So Collis put her love of horses and the related culture into her new operation in the tiny community of San Ysidro, an old Spanish settlement on the Jemez River in the heart of Indian country.

“I was ready to settle down then but he wanted to continue with the cowboy life,” she says. “So he moved on and I kept the store.”

That would later prove to be a blessing.

Collis remained single for several years concentrating on her work, expanding the operation to include a horse arena and holding pens.

Then one day the Baca Ranch hunt manager, a man named Dave Collis, stopped by the store to pick up some salt licks.

The two became friends, then dated and would later marry during a hastily arranged ceremony on Ted Turner’s Armendaris Ranch outside of Truth or Consequences.

Dave Collis was guiding a federal judge on a hunt to cull older bulls from the ranch’s bison herd.

“And we got married over that dead buffalo with the judge doing the honors,” she says.

Collis would later go on to work at the Baca Ranch herself as cook during the hunting season from August through November.

“I absolutely loved working up there,” she says of the ranch’s near pristine beauty.

And what did the wealthy clientele enjoy the most for dinner, you might ask?

“White beans and ham, corn bread and banana pudding for dessert,” she says.

Visitors to Collis’ store will find a big, potbellied stove blazing away while the musky scent of leather from hand-tooled saddles and other gear adds to the store’s stimulating aroma.

And with the holidays coming, visitors will find any number of interesting gift ideas amongst the many items stocked on the stores shelves.

Just don’t be alarmed to find a mean old grizzly bear eyeballing you while you’re browsing the aisles.

If You Go: From Santa Fe take I-25 south to Bernalillo and US 550. Follow to the village of San Ysidro and look for the store at the turnoff to Jemez Springs on NM 4.

Latest San Juan Project to Limit Silt, Improve Fishing.

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:03:00 +0000

San Juan Fisheries Biologist for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Marc Wethington, helps direct the placement of boulders for another taxpayer funded fish habitat improvement project on the trophy trout stream.

The popular Braids fishing area of the San Juan River below Navajo Dam will remain off-limits to anglers until sometime in December as construction crews finish installing fish habitat improvements and sediment controls.

“It’ll be worth the wait,” says Marc Wethington, San Juan Fisheries Biologist for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF). “We should see immediate improvements to the fishing up here once they’re done.”

The Braids area features many small islands interspersed by channels where the water is shallow and the trout have only a limited number of places to live.

Improvements to the habitat there should increase the area’s trout holding capacity and angling success, Wethington said.

This island will be filled to help direct more river flow into the Braids area above where numerous pools are being created to provide more habitat for trout.

Flows on the river have also been dropped from normal levels of about 500 cubic-feet-per-second (CFS) to 350-cfs to allow heavy equipment to work within the riverbed.

Some anglers may like the lower flow as it opens up some areas of the river to easier wading and fishing.

So far in the recent weeks crews have completed much of the work on a new catchment basin at the base of Rex Smith Wash which is designed to retain and redirect storm runoff to prevent silt and sediment from washing directly into the river.

The retention pond at Rex Smith Wash is designed to capture storm runoff so silt and sediment can settle and the outflow is directed away from the river.

In previous years heavy flows from the wash were responsible for silting up the popular Kiddie and Texas holes and negatively impacting fish habitat there and further downstream.

At one time runoff from the wash used to flow harmlessly out across what is now the Texas Hole parking lot which was constructed by State Parks to accommodate anglers who pay a $5 a day user’s fee.

But after flooding threatened vault toilets installed there State Parks elected to construct a dirt berm along the edge of the parking lot to channel the wash’s flow directly into the river.

Silt and sediment from Rex Smith Wash dumps directly into the Kiddie Hole where it destroys fish habitat and degrades fishing opportunities.

The retention pond should now alleviate that problem and end a decade long effort to address it, Wethington said.

Work still to be done to the retention pond includes excavation of the hillside through which Rex Smith Wash flows so runoff can be better directed into the catchment basin, Wethington said.

Outflow from the retention pond will then be directed upstream into a heavily vegetated, marsh area where silt and sediment can settle and the water filter out before draining into the river, Wethington noted.

“The planning engineers on this project have extensive past experience in storm water control,” Wethington said of the pond. “I’m very confident in its design.”

But anglers will probably be more interested in another part of the project which includes remodeling the Braids area to provide more places for fish to live and anglers to stalk.

The foundation of a berm designed to redirect more of the river's flow into the Braids area will be backfilled and planted with native vegetation to appear more natural.

A mid-stream island is being built up and further out into the river’s flow to redirect more water into the Braids area and increase the depth.

Some side channels will be shut off and filled in while several existing islands will also be consolidated to implement the plan.

Numerous deep holes will then be dug out of the bedrock to provide future homes for fish and willows and other natural vegetation will be planted to return the area to a natural appearance.

“In a few years you shouldn’t even be able to notice the work we’ve done,” Wethington said.

The san Juan River below Navajo Dam in northwestern New Mexico, fall 2011.

The project is the latest of several habitat improvement projects on the river designed to enhance conditions for trout and anglers alike while also serving as a hedge against the possibility of lower water flows in the future.

Riverbend Engineering of Albuquerque and Pagosa Springs, Colo., handled planning for the project while AUI of Albuquerque is providing construction services with assistance from Aquatic Consultants of Albuquerque, Wethington said.

Wethington, a New Mexico Highlands University graduate, has been NMDGF’s Fisheries Biologist on the San Juan River since he joined the wildlife agency back in 1995.

Marc Wethington, 47, of the NMDGF lives with his wife and four kids on the river at Navajo Dam.

His work on behalf of the river and the public is commendable, says his boss, Mike Sloan, Chief of the Fisheries Division for NMDGF.

State Game Commission Chairman Jim McClintic also provided much needed political support to see the project through, Sloan noted.

The $350,000 project cost was funded in part with $250,000 earmarked by former Governor Bill Richardson’s administration. Another $100,000 in federal sport fish restoration funds was also used to meet costs. Those funds are generated through excise taxes on fishing tackle, motor boat fuel and other sporting goods, Sloan said.

Crews will be working long shifts Monday through Thursdays and are expected to finish well before their deadline of January 7, Wethington said.

Anglers are prohibited from entering through the closed area of the river during construction and will be ejected from the park if warranted, Wethington said.

The Braids area between Texas Hole and the Upper Flats is off limits until construction ceases in December.

Anglers are eagerly waiting to see the results of this latest San Juan River project, says Reel Life Fly Shop Manager, Toner Mitchell, who also serves as current president of the Truchas Chapter of the Trout Unlimited.

“This kind of a marquee project shows people we care about this resource,” he said. “And I think it’s going to make the Braids a whole lot more fun to fish.”

The San Juan River is New Mexico’s premier trout fishing destination bringing in an estimated $30 to $40 million annually to the state’s economy.

The river boasts an estimated 70,000 trout inhabiting the first four miles of river below Navajo Dam where catch and release and two flies only rules exist.

Thom Cole of Santa Fe shows off a typical rainbow trout anglers can catch on the San Juan River below Navajo Dam.

Angler survey results show the river sustains an average of 140 anglers a day who each catch just over a fish an hour averaging 16 inches in length. About 6 percent of those anglers report having caught a trout over 20 inches long, Wethington said.

If You Go: Take US 84/285 north to Espanola, continue on US 84 through Chama to the Dulce turnoff on US 64. Continue to St. Rd 539 and the turnoff to Navajo Dam. Follow across the dam and take St. Rd. 511 down to the river. An alternate route adds about 50 miles but shaves a half hour to an hour from the trip due to higher highway speeds. Take I-25 south to US 550 at Bernalillo and follow to Bloomfield. Then take US 64 East to NM 511 and follow to the river.

This story appeared in the Santa Fe New Mexican too.

Fish Sumner Lake While You Can This Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:34:00 +0000

Despite reports to the contrary, New Mexico’s popular walleye fishery on the eastern plains, Sumner Lake, has not yet been drained and could actually turn out to be a hot spot for anglers this winter.

“We’ve got plenty of fish here and they’re all bunched up by the dam,” says Sumner Lake State Park Ranger, Lewis Hancock. “People should get out here and go after them.”

The lake’s size shrunk considerably this summer due to the drought and irrigation demands but it still retains a large body of water on its southern end by the dam face where depth is about 20 feet.

The spillway and river below the dam also hold large numbers of fish that have passed through the outlet along with irrigation water, Hancock says.

Storage at the lake stood at about 2,100 acre feet the last week of October which is about 5-percent of its normal maximum capacity of 43,768 acre feet, says Carolyn Donnelly, Water Operations Supervisor for the federal Bureau of Reclamation in Albuquerque.

Due to the low level of the lake competent anglers should find fishing from the bank very productive, Hancock says.

Tom Witmer, 50, of Gallup was lured to Sumner Lake in mid-October by reports it was being drained and anglers could keep anything they caught. He wanted a walleye but caught this fine carp instead.

The best time of day to fish is in the afternoon when a slight breeze is chopping the water and anywhere off the southern shoreline in the area of the dam.

Large and smallmouth bass are still biting and walleye will remain active throughout the winter, Hancock said. The river below the dam is typically stocked with trout during the winter months too, he said.

The stilling basin beneath the dam at Sumner Lake is deep and wide and is known to hold plenty of fish from the lake and is regularly stocked with trout during the winter.

The state Department of Game and Fish issued a salvage order in early October allowing for the unlimited taking of sport fish at the lake after receiving reports that the lake was being drained.

The salvage order has since been rescinded, the lake’s level has stabilized and boats can take to the water again.

And with the irrigation season ending on Oct. 31 it should slowly begin refilling due to a steady supply of inflow, about 140-acre feet a day, from the Pecos River and other upstream water sources, Connelly says.

Charles Cook, 93, of Gallup found the turtles at Sumner Lake got to his chicken liver bait quicker than anything else which made for an entertaining afternoon nonetheless.

Some of that water will continue to be released downstream to keep the Pecos River wet for the benefit of the blunt nosed shiner, a fish native to the river and listed as a threatened species by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, she said.

And some will also be lost to evaporation and other factors but the lake itself should accumulate enough water over the winter to sustain the fishery and bank some water for irrigation.

But next spring when downstream farmers with the Carlsbad Irrigation District (CID) call for their irrigation water the fishery will be once again threatened.

And with yet another dry winter expected due to an anticipated second year of a La Nina weather pattern it’s not expected that Mother Nature will be coming to the rescue like CID did last summer.

CID which owns the stored water in Santa Rosa and Sumner Lakes on the Pecos River had left a substantial amount of water in both reservoirs this past summer to avert draining the lakes and destroying the fisheries.

But the district might not be able to afford to be so generous at the beginning of next irrigation season, said Dudley Jones, CID Manager.

“We’re talking about people’s livelihoods and survival now,” he said.

Another player in the mix, the Fort Sumner Irrigation District, has so far declined to participate in any low flow operation agreement in which they could contribute to a water conservation effort, Connelly said.

The Fort Sumner Irrigation District (SFID) is entitled to the stream flows from the Pecos River up to 100-cubic-feet-per-second but has no storage rights at either reservoir.

Thus that irrigation district typically asks for its due from the river while CID stores anything above 100 cfs that the river carries especially during spring runoff and the monsoon season.

But a lack of any measurable snowpack runoff last winter left Santa Rosa Lake and its downstream partner, Sumner Lake, in sad shape to start off the irrigation year and a sparse summer monsoon season did little to offset that.

Santa Rosa is now only holding about 9,800 acre feet, says Curtis McFadden of the Army Corps of Engineers in Albuquerque. That’s just about 4-percent of the lake’s 267,400 acre-foot peak capacity.

The rings around the tower at Santa Rosa dam and lake shows just how far the water has dropped this year.

The federal Army Corp of Engineers oversees operations at Santa Rosa Lake while the federal Bureau of Reclamation does so at Sumner Lake.

Thus it would appear that Santa Rosa lake could be in trouble along with Sumner Lake come spring if the winter proves to be as dry as it is being forecast.

Falling lake levels directly impact local economies and state park coffers.

Sumner Lake saw visitation drop from over 100,000 in 2000 to a low of 22,000 in 2004, a couple of years after the lake had been drained nearly dry by irrigators and the fishery was destroyed, according to the park’s most recent management plan.

A 1996 New Mexico State University Economic Impact study of State Parks determined that state parks bring in about $12 million annually to nearby communities.

This story appeared in the Santa Fe New Mexican too.

Fall Fishing on the San Juan River - Tips and Tricks

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:08:00 +0000

We were breaking ice that fall morning as we trudged through the marsh trail leading to the upper flats of the San Juan River.

And we were hoping we’d get one of the more favored fishing spots to ourselves because the fall is when this trophy, trout stream really grows busy.

It’s when long, warm, sunny, days draw droves of eager anglers to the river’s fabled, quality waters below Navajo Dam in northwestern New Mexico.

But with a little strategy, some patience and a bit of luck, a determined angler can still enjoy the best the river has to offer along with some solitude to savor it.

The first thing we did to improve our luck was to schedule our trip for mid-November when the weather might be a little more unstable but the competition’s a hell of a lot thinner.

September and October are typically some of the busiest months on the river but right after Halloween and with the passing of day light savings time, things slow considerably.

Our weather cooperated with several warm, sunny, days accompanied by clear, cold, nights while the river produced great midge hatches on the top end and fabulous Baetis outbreaks further downstream.

We had set out that Sunday morning to fish a stretch of the river between Cottonwood Campground and Simon Canyon where numerous habitat improvements had been installed in recent years and the dry fly fishing has been reported great since the work was done.

We hoped to get in on some of the action and parked next to an oil and gas rig just down the hill from the Dam Deli, Fly Shop and RV Park.

As we were putting on our gear a big Ford pickup sporting Colorado volunteer firefighter plates rolled up and parked right next to us. A couple of guys climbed down with their gear all ready to go and hurried off towards the river.

I called after them and asked if they thought there would be enough room on this side of the river for all of us and the big, beefy, driver just laughed back and said sure.

I was a little steamed at their jumping ahead of us like that so when we got down to the river and I found the truck’s passenger still standing there on the bank, I walked up to him and asked him again if he thought there’d be enough room on this side of the river for all of us?

That guy seemed to get it and assured me that they’d make sure that we all had plenty of room and added that they could cross the river too.

So we left behind several goods runs and hiked upstream a ways before we started fishing.

This was one of the few drawbacks of the San Juan in the fall, it can get crowded and competitive, especially on the weekends.

While we were fishing this side of the river we spotted a crew of four anglers on the far bank, hiking downstream.

I looked back and saw the driver of the Ford pickup had crossed the river and was just wading into the water to fish the tail end of a series of rock structures over there.

His view of the anglers coming downstream was blocked by a wide, sweeping, bend in the river and thick stands of tall, dead, grass.

The group rounded the corner and pulled up upon seeing him and then then spread out in the water above him, taking the choice spots and leaving him nowhere to go upstream.

I smugly returned to my fishing and felt a tug on the line, the reel began to sing and a trout ran off with my rig.

When I looked up again after netting my trout I could see the angler who had worked so hard to get ahead of us was walking off downstream. Just an hour later the crew that ran him off wandered away too, leaving us a huge expanse of water to play in.

And we were rewarded for sticking it out that afternoon with a long running, Baetis hatch during which numerous trout residing around the rock habitat improvement structures rose to the surface with regularity.

We found that the currents flowing over, around and between the boulders formed by these habitat improvement structures could be challenging to negotiate with a dry fly but the results are spectacular for those who do.

Many trout rose to the fly including numerous browns of various lenghths and some big rainbows too.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon glued to this stretch of water, moving and expanding our reach as we picked off one rising trout after another.

We discovered when the sun was on the water that a #22, Parachute Adams worked fine and could easily be seen. But when it became cloudy and the water took on a glare, a Blue Wing Olive fly sporting a dark, CDC , post was the answer, its dark silhouette standing out on the glassy surface.

And as the hatch waned, so did the sunlight, so we headed back to the truck.

It had been a productive day and other than a steady stream of drift boat guides passing through, we saw few other anglers in the area except for the initial mob that morning.

We dined that night at Navajo Dam’s newest café, a restaurant inside the Fisheads fly shop where the “Build Your Own Burger” is a good meal and not a bad deal.

We ended the evening by sitting around a crackling bonfire, having a beer and talking about old times while listening to KNX AM out of Los Angeles.

That night we slept soundly in doubled up sleeping bags nested atop thick air mattresses while our tents kept the frost at bay.

The next morning over instant coffee spiked with whiskey, we talked about the skimpy results we’d had during an earlier foray into the upper end of the river.

We decided to go back and give it another try.

But this time we would track down the state Game and Fish biologist stationed on the river, Marc Wethington, and ask him what the secret was to fishing the prolific midge hatches in the waters around the Upper Flats above Texas Hole.

Wethington, who does some guiding on the legendary river from time to time, shared with us his technique for capitalizing on the feeding frenzy that takes place during these upper river, midge hatches.

Wethington advised us against chasing those fish feeding off the surface because of the time consuming, technical difficulty involved and the limited success rate.

These fish are tempting targets, he noted, and some anglers love the challenge and special reward that comes from catching such heavily fished and easily spooked trout.

But at any given time, the vast majority of trout are feeding below the surface, he stressed.

We needed to concentrate on them if we wanted to be more productive in this stretch of water.

Wethington told us his typical set up for midge fishing during the fall is a basic black and red combo.

Any typical, black, midge pattern in size 22 through 28 tied below a similarly sized, red larva, Disco midge or Red Hot would work, he said.

Wethington said he prefers his black midges tied on a scud hook with a sparse, silver, wire wrap and a crystal flash wing tied in behind a black, dubbed head.

A red version of this same fly, referred to by some as a Disco midge, can also be used but with red thread substituted on the body and peacock herl used for the head. The silver wire wrap and crystal flash wings are used on this fly too.

And factory produced, red hooks wrapped in very thin, green, translucent micro tubing make for good red larvae while a red wrapped scud hook with a red bead head makes for a good Red Hot, he said.

Check the local shops for variations of these types of flies or whip up some samples of your own based on fly patterns found online.

And if the water is off-color, try substituting a small egg pattern in any number of colors for the top fly and use the other flies as droppers, Wethington said.

But the real key to fishing the upper water during these midge hatches is to keep the flies suspended off the bottom, up towards the middle of water column, where the trout are more likely to be feeding.

Many anglers make the mistake of using too much lead and dragging their flies along the bottom in these heavily fished upper waters, he says.

The use of a number 8, micro, split shot (0.06G) is essential for use in Wethington’s rig with the split shot riding about 10-inches above the top fly and the dropper fly tied about 10 to 12-inches below.

Tippet should be 6x or smaller.

The strike indicator is also important and it should be small like a Palsa pinch on or a small, Hot Head indicator which is placed another foot or two above the split shot and then adjusted for the depth of the water being fished, typically at about one and a half times the depth.

The bottom line is to use microscopic flies on light tackle and allow them to dead drift at varying heights through the water column, he said.

Wethington tied up one of his rigs for our rod and then offered one last bit of parting advice, strike early and often and at any sign of hesitation, stoppage or dipping by the indicator.

And use a gentle hook set by just lifting the rod tip straight up so as to not pop out the very small, barbless, hooks, he added.

So as we broke through the ice that morning, my partner’s rod was all set to go with Wethington’s rig and we were confident about trying it out.

We hiked through the marsh until we pushed our way through the willows and emerged just above the upper flats where we found a shallow, slow moving side channel to our right, a couple of islands dead ahead of us and the main stem of the river to the far left.

We were all alone and immediately set out for the islands where we had seen anglers enjoying some success a few days earlier.

My partner took up position where a channel cuts between the two islands and rolled his rig into the water where we could see trout feeding below.

The strike was immediate, as was his disappointment, as he broke off the whole rig with a mighty jerk of the rod.

My buddy, a bass fisherman, was livid, even more so when I told him we didn’t have any more of those flies or the little weights because I’d mistakenly left them all back on the hood of the truck.

I was only kidding but he didn’t know that as I made a big show of searching my vest pockets and mumbling about my stupidity.

I soon ended the charade and we had a great morning fighting trout in the upper flats of the San Juan River with our newfound knowledge of how to fish there.

And it was a beautiful, fall day. Warm and sunny with a piercing blue sky and very, few if any other anglers to distract us from our fishing on that weekday morning.

Tips and Tricks for Fall Fishing on the San Juan River:

Try to schedule your trip during the week but either way, the real battle will be the weather and your clothing.

You have to be able to accommodate extreme temperature swings and rapidly changing conditions. One minute it may be wet and windy and the next, sunny and warm.

Layers are essential, as is a fishing vest that can handle carrying some extra clothing.

At the very least a windbreaker or light raincoat over a fleece or wool sweater atop a thick sweatshirt should suffice. I like to wear a fleece vest too. Strip or add layers as required.

Bring along fingerless gloves to keep your hands warm and a warm beanie to pull over your baseball cap if it gets cold. Keep your feet and head warm as it is the best way to battle the cold.

Stash an extra change of the clothing back in your vehicle just in case you fall in, if you don’t, you probably will.

Wear polarized sunglasses so you can see through the water to the riverbed below and to also protect your eyes from the sun.

Thick, neoprene, waders are good if you intend to stand in one place for long as the San Juan is a consistently cold, tail water. The use of breathable waders will require a thick set of fleece pants or wool long johns underneath.

Those who like to hike and fish might be better off wearing a pair of hip waders over jeans with wool/synthetic long johns underneath. The San Juan River is easily navigated in hip waders during the fall due to consistent, lower flows.

Remember to wear good, thick, socks made of wool, fleece or neoprene and leave your boots loose enough to allow blood and air to circulate.

Force yourself to drink plenty of water as the climate here will dehydrate you quickly. Limit alcohol and caffeine intake, both contribute to dehydration.

Energy bars, trail mix, beef jerky, cheese, peanuts, apples, etc. are all good foods to carry and keep you moving and warm.

Back at camp keep in mind the sun goes down early and it might be easier to whip up a can of stew or some chili rather than to fire up a grill and burn some steaks because they’ll grow cold fast and won’t be as soothing.

Don't pass up any loose firewood you come across, grab it because there's nothing like a good campfire to warm those tired bones and lift the spirits as the sun drops behind the mesa and the day fades away.

Carry a headlamp for hands free lighting and don’t forget the extra batteries.

Bring your beanie cap to bed to keep your head and ears warm overnight. Wear your fingerless gloves too, so you'll be comfortable while reading in bed. Don’t forget a good book, reading lamp, extra batteries and plenty of pillows.

Guys should keep an empty water bottle inside the tent; it'll save them the hassle of getting up in the middle of the night to take a whiz. Just don't mistake it in the morning for your other water bottle, the one you kept under your bags to keep from freezing so you can make coffee in the morning.

Bring along your wool/fleece booties or slippers, they make getting up in the morning a lot easier and are more comfortable to put on than a pair of cold, hard, hiking boots. Keep those long johns on too for wandering around camp.

Pack hot cocoa, tea, instant coffee, non dairy creamer, sugar, a small cooking pot and a good sized coffee mug so you can have a hot drink in the morning to get you going.

I use a burner and stand that attaches to one of those, one pound, propane canisters. It lights up quick, burns hot and lasts a long time. My wife turned me onto this and I haven't used my white gas stove much since.

Eat a good breakfast while you’re waiting for the river to warm up. You won’t regret it come noon when the fishing is kicking up and your stomach isn’t. Hard boiled eggs, cheese, apple slices and beef jerky make for an easy morning meal.

If it threatens to snow or rain during your trip, don’t cancel, as the San Juan River produces some of its best fishing during inclement weather.

If nasty weather threatens, try to get there before it hits, be there when it does, then leave after it passes. Rent a room if need be and enjoy the fishing and freedom a fall, storm can bring to the San Juan River.

Elwood Cabin - An Incredible High Country Escape

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:54:00 +0000

It sits high atop the San Juan Mountains overlooking a wide meadow of lush grass and wildflowers, a 100-year-old, one-room log cabin from which the world seems a long ways away.

And on a summer’s eve, seated on the front porch of Elwood Cabin, one might hear sheep bawling in the surrounding woods.

A wisp of smoke might be seen curling up from the sheepherder’s camp hidden deep in the trees while the setting sun lights up the rusty colored mountain towering over the horizon.

Then the rain begins and amid the soft warm light of the cabin’s propane lanterns, visitors play cards across the red-and-white checkered kitchen table cloth.

Outside the thunder and lightning is of little concern to those sleeping inside this sturdy little cabin and the following morning should bring bright sunshine and steaming grass.

Now while sipping coffee on the front stoop a visitor might hear the cry of a hawk as it circles overhead and perhaps, finally see the sheep as they cross the meadow, their shepherd patiently watching from astride his horse.

And roving among the ever-shifting flock would be two Great Pyrenees; big white shaggy dogs whose job is to deter predators like coyotes, lions and bears.

Scurrying about the edge of the herd, the more familiar border collies will be quickly and efficiently moving the sheep at the shepherd’s direction.

One can learn a lot about sheep at 11,000 feet with little or nothing else to do.

And that may ultimately be the real beauty of this place, its ability to reconnect visitors with nature and perhaps, what is the real world.

Sitting in a saddle along the southern spine of the Rocky Mountains, Elwood Cabin was built in 1911 as a line shack for crews servicing a transcontinental telephone line.

The phone line has long since been abandoned, but today visitors can reserve a night at the rustic, Forest Service cabin for a minimal fee and enjoy scenery that rivals anything to be found at pricier lodges.

The surrounding high altitude countryside provides a backdrop that encourages contemplation and exploration.

Nearby is the ghost town of Summitville where gold was first discovered in 1870 and then mined until the early 1990s when contaminants leaking off site flowed into the local watershed and the government forced it to shut down.

A publicly funded water treatment plant now dominates the site as part of a federal clean up and its presence is a stark reminder of the hazards of unregulated, industrial, environmental, activity.

Other activities in the area include an abundance of wonderful drives across well-maintained, gravel Forest Service roads, none of which require four-wheel drive.

One can traverse the mountain and drop down to Platoro Reservoir which feeds the Conejos River and provides excellent fishing over many miles of open water. And the nearby town of Platoro, during the summer months, provides plenty of services including gas, food and groceries.

But after consulting a map or two, the area spans both the Rio Grande and San Juan National Forests, one might want to instead head the other way.

Maybe take a day trip down to Pogue Lake, an appealing, high country setting where a thriving population of cutthroat and brook trout will rise eagerly to a fly trailing behind a bubble.

Hiking trails also abound in the area but the thin, high mountain air might tax those unaccustomed to the altitude and its effects, so plan accordingly and acclimate first.

By day’s end, returning to Elwood Cabin may be the best part of visiting these mountaintops.

Upon opening the locked gate on the road to the cabin one might experience a sense of ownership that soon turns to communal pride of this public facility that anyone can enjoy.

Journals kept inside the cabin provide entertaining and informative accounts of visits by others who have stayed in the cabin and express similar views.

One wrote that her love for the cabin and its scenery was so intense that she got married and honeymooned there. She wrote of spending a day fixing up the cabin like it was her own.

Others wrote of making an arduous journey to the cabin during the winter months where an adjoining shed full of cut wood and the cabin’s little box stove made for a warm and comfortable stay.

But perhaps the most often mentioned items were those involving wildlife sightings ranging from deer, elk, bears, the resident marmot and, of course, the chipmunks, who make the cabin grounds their home.

Visitors should be aware that the road to the cabin is snowed in most of the year except for several months during the later summer and early fall.

There is no water provided so visitors must carry in what they’ll need, at least five gallons for a couple of people over the course of two or three days.

The cabin kitchen is well stocked with cooking and eating utensils and guests frequently leave behind other supplies like salt and pepper, kitchen matches and canned food.

All trash needs to be packed out and visitors should leave the cabin as they hope expect to find it.

The cabin features two bunk beds with folding frames and thin futons on the bottom that can be made into a small sofa. The top bunks are equipped with traditional mattresses which when placed on the bottom frame with the futon folded up against the back wall make for a cozy nest and good night’s sleep.

Those who would like to stay at Elwood Cabin can make reservations up to six months in advance on the website www.recreation.gov where one can learn more about it and other cabins available to the public.

To Go Box:

From Santa Fe one can reach the cabin from many different directions including by US 84/285 to Espanola and then take US 285 to Antonito and on through La Jara to the turn off to Capulin on St. Rd. 15. Follow to Forest Road (FR) 252 and Terrace Reservoir. Turn onto FR 250 and take for another 20 miles to FR 380 and follow for nine more miles to the cabin.

Those who prefer sticking to pavement can bypass the Capulin turnoff at La Jara and just continue on US 285 to Alamosa and follow US 285/160 through Monte Vista, Del Norte and then on to South Fork. Stay on 160 towards Wolf Creek Pass and take FR 380, also known as Park Creek Road, all the way up to the cabin. This same route can also be taken by those who want to travel through Chama and Pagosa Springs. The cabin can also be found by those coming over the mountains from the Conejos River and Platoro Reservoir by way of Antonito or Chama. Either way, it’s all good.

Grizzly Hackle Shortage Tied to Feather Fashion Trend

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:57:00 +0000

Toner Mitchell of The Reel Life Fly Shop in Santa Fe, NM says the feathers are flying off his shelves to feed a fashion trend sweeping the nation.

It’s a fashion fad that many fly fishermen hope will fade fast.

Fly-tying feathers are being snatched up at an alarming rate by hairdressers who weave them into their clients hair for a flashy new look.

The growing fashion demand has since depleted a limited supply of special roosters bred and harvested to meet the fly fishing industry’s needs.

A grizzly hackle rooster. Photo by Bluedun at Backyard Chickens.com

Now the feathers are hard to come by and expensive if found.

But Toner Mitchell, manager of the Reel Life Fly Shop in Santa Fe says he’s got a special order coming in and his longtime customers will get first dibs when the shipment arrives.

“I’m going to squirrel most of that away for my secret stash,” Mitchell says. “We’ll put the word out over the internet and let our regular customers know we have some behind the counter.”

And that’s what it has come down to as the solitary sport finds itself thrust into the fashion limelight.

The fad took off over the last year as celebrities, models and then the public embraced the fashion trend which employs the use of the long, slim, eye-catching feathers which are attached to their hair for a new style.

“There’s was a line of girls waiting to get them at a booth during Indian Market,” says Jesse Lee, a guide who also works the counter at the Reel Life. “She (the hairdresser) was getting something like $30 for a couple of feathers. What a racket!”

And of course the most popular fashion feather being used today is the one most widely used for western, dry-fly patterns, the grizzly hackle.

Reyna Robinson wears a single strand of grizzly hackle and a blue feather in her hair.

Those who tie their own flies to avoid paying up to $2 a piece at a fly shop used to be able to pick up a “100-pack” of Whiting’s grizzly hackle feathers for about $20.

And inside that package they would have found about a dozen long, slender, uniformly sized feathers which could produce about a hundred, dry, flies.

Dry flies are typically used by trout anglers to catch fish feeding on bugs found on the surface of rivers, lakes and streams. They are tied in any number of patterns to imitate different insects with the most popular for trout being the Adams dry fly.

And the Adams is heavily dependent on use of grizzly hackle in its production.

Now those same long, slender, 10- to 12–inch feathers that once might have been used exclusively to produce this very effective dry fly are being quickly and easily clipped into people’s hair and fetching up to ten bucks a piece.

These feather extensions --as they are called -- can last for months if cared for properly and produce a unique fashion statement that is very popular among the younger crowd, says Albuquerque hairdresser Reyna Robinson of Foxy’s on 14th Street in the North Valley.

“It’s different and unique” she says.

Noelle Dorrance, 22, of Albuquerque got some feathers attached to her hair during a recent visit to Foxy's salon on 14th Street in Albuquerque's North Valley.

And while fly shop managers like Mitchell might be inclined to put aside some of his supply of grizzly hackle for his regular customers, others in the business are more than willing to feed the fad.

“I’m happy to sell those feathers to anyone who walks through the door to buy them,” says Mark Sawyer, Manager of the Los Pinos Fly Shop in Albuquerque. “We are a retail store after all.”

And while business in the sale of grizzly hackle necks, saddles and packages of individual feathers was great for a while there the supply has since dried up, Sawyer says.

“I don’t think you can find a saddle anywhere in the state” he says. “They’re pretty hard to come by.”

The problem is the hackle industry only breeds so many of the highly specialized birds each year to supply the fly tying industry and when they’re gone, the feathers are too.

Now it remains to be seen how the industry responds to the sudden popularity of its products or if the fashion trend fades.

Mitchell said he expects to see an increase in the price of hackle and dry flies as well as a run on other fly tying materials as hairdressers experiment with other types of feathers due to the short supply grizzly hackle.

Various feathers typically found on a fly tiers bench are now part of a hairdressers inventory.

The country’s largest supplier of hackle, Whiting Farms of Delta, Co declined to respond to emailed questions about the issue and what, if any, plans were in the works for addressing their longtime customers’ needs.

Mitchell says Whiting’s sales reps have been pushing “fashion packs” that include other types of feathers they hope hairdressers will take to.

In the meantime there’s a brisk business for the highly prized grizzly hackle feathers on the web at sites such as eBay.

“I’ll admit I’ve thought about doing that too,” Mitchell says. “But I think I’ll just stick to the high road and keep my regular customers supplied.”

Mitchell says there has been one thing he’s liked about the feather extensions fashion trend.

“I’ve never seen this many good-looking, young women wander into my fly shop before” he says. “And that’s been kinda nice.”

Richard "Dick" Moffatt - A Life Well Lived

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 01:08:00 +0000

They were a couple of Vietnam vets who returned home tormented by demons from the war.

And they paid the greatest honor an old soldier like my Dad could receive when they told the audience at his memorial service that he had literally saved their lives.

But it wasn’t on the battlefield, it was here, back home in Las Cruces, where while working as a mental health counselor that my Dad was able to help them confront and control their demons.

One vet went so far as to say his anger was so deep that my Dad’s counseling not only saved his life, but that of his family also.

They were just a couple of “Dick’s Desperados,” a support group of military vets my Dad had formed in the Mesilla Valley to help each other deal with their war experiences.

Thus it was a fitting gesture that a military honor guard and his fellow soldiers were at the memorial to salute him for the selfless service that he had given his country and community.

Widow, Eleanor Moffatt, was presented a U.S. flag by two U.S. Army soldiers during Richard Moffatt's Memorial Service in Las Cruces on Aug. 27, 2011.

Richard “Dick” Moffatt died on August 3, 2011, after 83 years of rich and rewarding life during which he celebrated over 60 years of marriage, raised four good sons and found his calling in a career that allowed him to care as much as this big-hearted man could.

I was lucky to have spent several days at his bedside while he was hospitalized fighting the cancer that eventually claimed his life and discovered something only a dying man might tell his son.

“You are one of my greatest accomplishments,” he said with a wink of his eye and squeeze of his hand.

I figured he was speaking collectively, as he frequently did when talking about his four sons, making sure to never put one above the other.

But it was later that I realized just how proud he was of me, when after the memorial service one of the vets remarked about how much he spoke of his son, the journalist, and then asked, which one of us was he?

Now in the wake of his death, I see the memories of our life together, like little video clips, and realize how much he helped to shape and form me into the man I am today.

There was the trip as a teenager, by bus, from our hometown of Malden, just outside of Boston, all the way up to Mount Washington in New Hampshire, the tallest mountain on the East Coast and notorious for its nasty weather.

Dick Moffatt and his son, Karl, on a trip to Mount Washington in New Hampshire in the early 1970s.

We made the long climb to Tuckerman’s Ravine where I sat at the base camp with only a chipmunk for company crying out for my Dad who was somewhere out on the mountain enveloped in the low hanging clouds.

Like waves, the clouds washed in and then receded, exposing for a moment the grey, misty, mountainside.

And then I heard it, a faint “Hallo” echoing in the gloom. He had made it to the top.

It was he who stoked my love for the outdoors, something that is my primary focus these days as I photograph and write about New Mexico and the West.

I got to return the favor one day when my Dad asked me to teach him how to fly fish.

There was a beautiful, little, cutthroat trout stream off the High Road to Taos that I knew of where I took him one fine day.

There I watched as Dad crept into the thick streamside brush and used a bow and arrow cast to shoot a caddis fly into a swirling pocket of water.

Then I heard him laugh as he hooked a trout.

Beaming like a kid he extended his hand to show me a beautiful, little, cutthroat, ablaze with color.

Dad would later join the local fly fishing club but soon dropped out, having failed to find the camaraderie he was seeking and lamenting the snobby, elitist, attitude of some members.

I had tried to warn him about fly fishing, that it was a solitary sport and one in which some fishing buddies didn’t necessarily make for good friends.

Dick Moffatt's fly fishing gear will see action again someday.

Dad’s heart lay more with the common man, stemming perhaps from his small-town upbringing in the hill country of Pennsylvania where at the age of 18, having just graduated from Leachburg High, he enlisted in the Army.

He was trained to be a MP, a military police officer, and was shipped overseas to serve with the occupation forces in Japan.

He spent weeks traveling the ocean on an aging troop carrier and that’s where he learned to play cards, a talent he unveiled to two of his unknowing sons one evening at the kitchen table.

He took all of our spare change in a humiliating defeat and then returned it all the next morning.

That was just the kind of guy he was.

The war era colored my Dad’s worldview and his military service proved to be a defining experience in his life.

PFC Moffatt, left, and an unidentified Army buddy, Japan 1947.

I can only wonder how much of that played a role in my own decision to enlist in the Army and serve overseas.

My Dad’s pride in that showed through later when he made a contribution to the construction of a veteran’s memorial in Las Cruces in both our names; that way two bricks, one each inscribed with our name, unit and dates of service were laid out next to each other in the pavilion.

My Dad was a sensitive man with a keen, artist’s eye.

I’m blessed to have a great big oil painting of his, depicting a thunderstorm over the western plains, hanging upon my bedroom wall.

But it was his love of photography that really stuck with me.

His family photographs are cherished records of our upbringing and a historical record that I hope will be preserved and shared with future generations.

My Dad also instilled in all of us a love of reading as he exposed us to good books, magazines and newspapers during our upbringing.

Now I can’t sleep at night unless I’ve done my reading.

He taught us all a work ethic born of the Depression era and most of our family get-togethers over the years have revolved around one form of a work party or another, whether it be painting the house, building a shed or doing some spring cleaning around his place.

Our world will be a lonelier place without him, for he was the glue that held us together.

A Moffatt family get together at the wedding of Karl and Wren Propp in Jemez Springs, NM, September, 2007.

He was a prolific writer, producing a very popular, weekly, “Friday Gram” for everyone on his email list and before that, yearly newsletters with notes from his trips and other goings on in his life.

They made for good reading and provided a fine historical record of our family life.

He even wrote his own obituary which can be read in the Las Cruces Sun-News at http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/lcsun-news/obituary.aspx?n=richart-moffatt&pid=153266540 or the Pittsburgh Tribune at http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/obituaries/?mode=view&obit_id=214824 .

But most of all he managed to finish 18 chapters of his own book, a semi-autobiographical, wartime, account that I still haven’t summoned the courage to begin reading.

I felt that writer’s spirit when my mother, recovering from cataract surgery, had called for my help in looking through my Dad’s papers before the memorial service. We were looking for a journal of notes to his heirs and a list he had written of things he would miss when he was gone.

Like maybe buttermilk with a dash of ground black pepper, I wondered as I sat at his desk.

It was there that I felt his spirit envelope me like one of the many hugs he was so fond of giving.

And I feel that spirit in the kitchen too.

You see, my Dad was a line cook in college, at Kent State University in Ohio where he met my mother, a waitress, at the K-Shop Diner.

A Dick Moffatt self-portrait of he and his beloved wife, El.

And while we were growing up it seemed there was no meal my Dad loved to make better than breakfast.

I can remember him frying up eggs in a cast iron skillet, ladling hot bacon grease over a couple of sunnyside up eggs and watching as the clear, runny, whites bubbled up and cooked through.

Or flipping omelets, their underside a beautiful, crisp, brown with melted Velveeta cheese oozing out of the sides.

It’s my favorite meal now too.

He was a fun loving guy, a devilish flirt and possessed a great sense of humor -- traits I’ve tried to emulate with only limited success.

Dick Moffatt and son, Karl, share a laugh on a rare, snowy, Christmas Day at the family home near Dona Ana, New Mexico.

I remember when we were kids that he liked nothing better than to perch us atop his spinning barber’s stool and shave our heads until only a Mohawk remained.

Then he’d chuckle as he made us sweep up our shorn hair and called out, “next!”

The author at two sporting a Dick Moffatt Mohawk.

Once he took us all to a baseball game at Fenway Park, a long, rigorous, trip into Boston in those days, requiring numerous bus, trolley and subway transfers.

To avoid losing any of us he’d rope us all together, running the strand through our belt loops and towing us along, much to the amusement of the other riders.

At least that’s how I remember it.

And there are so many other memories that have come flooding back since he passed.

And questions that will now go unanswered.

This was my first birthday without a card from him in the mailbox and I knew then that he was really gone.

But in the end, there he was flirting with the nurses, demanding some real food and talking about how we’d get together again once he beat this thing.

We had planned on making it to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta this year.

And somehow I think we will, Dad.

Now that he’s gone, the thing I come away with most from having known this wonderful man is that he always strived to keep himself active, engaged and informed, whether it was through his weekly coffee klatch, meeting with his vets or doing some kind of research on the Web.

And my Dad always tried to be a good, kind, compassionate man, one who put his life to good use and in which he helped his fellow man.

And if his memorial service was any indication and my memory serves me right, he succeeded in doing just that.

Ted Turner's Vermejo Park Ranch - A Disneyland for Outdoorsmen

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:38:00 +0000

Matt Pelletier shows one of the many big trout that can be found at Ted Turner's Vermejo Park Ranch in northern New Mexico.

Guest column by Matt Pelletier of Fish Enchantment.

Have you ever dreamed of a "once in a lifetime" special fishing trip, an amazing, unforgettable, weekend where you caught so many fish your arms were sore for a week?

The kind of trip where there’d seem to be a bite at the end of every cast and you’d never see another angler on the water the whole time.

And on this dream trip you catch plenty of big fish, gaze out upon unmatched views and see a stunning variety of remarkable wildlife.

If so then you need to visit Vermejo Park Ranch where they are working hard to make these kinds of dreams a reality.

The ranch is located about 50 miles west of Raton, New Mexico and boasts just over a half a million acres stretching from Cimarron to Costilla.

It has 14 lakes and 30 miles of streams situated within its borders on the grassy plains and forests found in northeastern New Mexico and southern Colorado.

It’s one of the largest tracts of privately owned property in the west.

And If you go you'll find big, aggressive, Brook, Brown, Palamino, Rainbow, and Cutthroat trout lying in wait .

There’s also a good chance you might see bears and bobcats, herds of deer and elk or even spy an eagle perched atop a lakeside tree, patiently waiting to capture a tasty trout.

It’s a Disneyland for outdoorsmen.

The guest lodge at the private resort, Vermejo Rnach Ranch, owned by Ted Turner and located in northern New Mexico adjecent to the Valle Vidal.

One early May morning in 2011 my friend, Manuel Ortega, and I had the pleasure of driving through the electronic gate that leads into the ranch property.

I have only known Manuel for a couple years and during this trip learned something new about him, his great-grandmother grew up in Vermejo, so he was very excited to visit.

Seems her father was a ranch hand at the time and managed cattle near Costilla Reservoir.

Manuel said his great grandmothers’ house was located just below the Costilla Reservoir dam and is still there today.

When we arrived at the ranch headquarters we were greeted by staff members who seemed to be just as happy to see us as we were to see them.

They asked if we had any special requests, needs, food allergies, or any general question about the Ranch.

I explained that this was my third visit to the Ranch and my only request was to get on the water as soon as possible!

Manuel was just as eager to wet a line so they handed us our room key and we were on our way.

We unloaded our luggage in a nice, clean, room that had a window with a clear view of the road leading to many of the ranch’s great lakes; what a tease I thought, they must want you dreaming of fishing too!

The room featured a stone faced, fireplace and two beds built from varnished logs , topped with fluffy down comforters.

The room was also equipped with a sparkling clean, all white, tile bathroom with a walk in shower and antique fixtures that gave you the sense you were living back in the early days of the ranch, but in style, of course!

The dining room inside the resort lodge at Vermejo Park Ranch.

We then headed back downstairs to sit down to a delicious, buffet style, breakfast featuring smoked bacon, salmon, eggs made to order, hash browns, sausage, and delicious coffee.

It was great!

Before leaving we grabbed our pre-packed lunches the chef had prepared for us and topped them off the bags with chips, trail mix, candy bars, and drinks from the snack bar.

Now we ready for some fishing!

We pulled up to the Fish House where a ranch employee loaded a cooler full of ice in our truck to keep our harvested fish fresh. He then told us to pull up to the Battery House where he loaded our truck with freshly charged batteries and a boat trolling motor.

We were then officially "on the road" heading out into 920 square miles of pristine wilderness.

Our first stop was Merrick Lake, a catch and release only fishery where I've caught, and lost, some huge fish over the years.

My first trip to the Ranch is credited to my father who took me in 2004 and got me hooked.

The second time I visited the Ranch I paid for myself and my wife during a trip in which she caught all the big fish on spinning gear and all I did was lose fish after fish on a fly rod. You name it and I had problems with it on that trip, snapped lines, tossed or bent hooks, whatever.

Leah Pelletier shows off one of the monster trout she hooked and landed on a trip to Vermejo park Ranch with her husband, the author, Matt Pelletier.

Now three years later and with plenty more fly rod experience under my belt I was much more confident that I could handle anything these fish could throw at me.

And I was very anxious to chuck some big streamers out there so I could extract some revenge.

We opted to fish from the bank and started working the steep rocky shoreline and on my second cast my line darted off.

I set the hook and the drag started screaming.

After peeling out sixty feet of line while headed for the middle of the lake, the fish suddenly turned and came rushing back towards me!

I started stripping in line as fast I possibly could while running backwards along the dam in a desperate attempt to keep the line tight and the fish on.

Then the fish turned just twenty feet from the shore and took off again.

This time I started applying more pressure and all of a sudden the fish crashed through the surface and began thrashing about in the water.

I stood in awe from the display of strength she was exhibiting.

I employed some aggressive maneuvers by tightening my drag, palming the reel and holding my fly line tight with my right index finger so the fish couldn’t strip line from my reel as easily and I was finally able to net and release a nice, fat, 23-inch Rainbow trout.

For the next two hours we repeated this process of catching and releasing numerous 19 to 23-inch trout.

“What a way to start the day” I told Manuel.

“I know” he replied, “I just caught more trout over 20-inches in a couple hours then I have in my entire life!”

Matt's fishing buddy, Manuel Ortega, shows off a nice Brown trout he reeled in while fishing at Vermejo Park Ranch during a 2010 outing.

We were amazed by the size of the fish in Merrick Lake but were now eager to explore more of the ranch.

There are so many lakes on the property that it can be hard to pick a destination but we couldn't resist fishing Munn Lake after being told of a 11-pound rainbow that was caught by a 10-year-old boy just two days earlier.

We pulled up to Munn Lake to find the winds had picked up and snow was starting to fall, but that didn’t stop us.

We loaded one of the boats parked on the shoreline and launched into the high winds with ease, thanks to the 55-lb thrust, motor they provided us.

We trolled the lake for a while and caught some nice chunky Rainbows casting towards the bank by the dam.

Later, while taking a break for lunch back at the truck, we relaxed and watched outside as the dry, grassy, plains bent under the force of the wind.

Overhead the shade from passing clouds cast shifting shadows on the ground and the surrounding mountains, making for ever changing scenery.

We noticed that the mountain peaks lacked the usual snow pack one would expect this time of year and the lakes’ water levels reflected the dismal amount of snowfall received over the winter.

New Mexico's drought hasn't seemed to hurt the fishing at Vermejo Park Ranch .

Nonetheless, the fishing was still good and we decided it was time to try somewhere else, so we headed off to Bernal Lake where we found the water was gin clear and the fish easily spooked.

To deal with those conditions, I downsized my tippet from 1X/13 pound test to 5X/4 pound test. I did the same with my fly, removing the #4-3X long, 4-inch, black streamer and replacing it with a similar version of the same fly but only smaller.

I proved to be the right move as I soon to landed a couple of nice, 18-inch, Rainbow trout.

Being this was a fly rod only lake, Manuel had to use one for his very first time.

These weren’t easy fish to catch and Manuel was having some trouble getting the fly to them without spooking everyone in sight.

So we decided to take off for another lake were we both could throw the gear we were most familiar, and successful , with.

While en route to Lower Underwoods Lake we watched on the vehicle’s thermometer as the temperature outside steadily fell; just like the snow that was coming down and getting thicker by the minute.

It was obvious we were going to be in for a much colder fishing experience up here in the high country.

But as we arrived at the lake, the storm passed over us and then the clouds broke, as if inviting us to start fishing.

And within 30 minutes, I had caught 5 fish, all in the 18 to 22-inch range.

In one case a fish suddenly nailed my streamer and started peeling drag from my reel at an alarming rate.

I tightened down on the fish by palming the spool and my six-weight rod bent like I had never seen or felt it do before!

Then the fish came out of the water, thrashing its tail across the surface while shaking its head mightily in attempt to dislodge the fly from its mouth.

Matt Pelletier fishts a big one at Vermejo park Ranch.

After what felt like an eternity of fighting I finally netted a 24-inch Rainbow trout.

Wow!

This lake gave us tons of action; the fish were very colorful and healthy and they gave us a great fight every time we latched into one.

And Manuel was enjoying himself much more now that he had a spinning rod in his hands. And I was happy to know I wouldn’t have any more flies buried in my head from his back cast, so, I think it’s safe to say leaving Bernal Lake was a good choice at the time.

Then before we knew what was happening, another storm came in out of nowhere and in a matter of seconds the wind and snow had become unbearable.

It was getting late so we decided to wrap-up for the day back where we had started, at the dam on Merrick Lake.

This lake is the closest one to the lodge so it would allow us to get the most out of our last few hours of fishing on our first day. I'm sure we could have caught fish here all night but after catching several more twenty plus rainbow trout we finally called it quits and headed back to the lodge for dinner.

By then we were ready for a good meal, hot showers and some sleep to rest our aching bodies from a long day of battling big, hard fighting, trout.

Upon our arrival back at the lodge, an employee at the Fish House grabbed our cooler which contained 5 trout and asked us how we would like them cleaned.

A Vermejo Park Ranch employee at the Fish House's cleaning station prepares to filet some trout.

He gave us a number of options from filleted with or without skin, head on or off, personal sized portions or whole frozen fish; we both requested fillets and saw no need to create portions.

Then the same gentlemen quickly unloaded our batteries and we made the fifty foot walk to the main lodge for dinner.

We stumbled into the dinning room and noticed a table with the name "Pelletier" on a card so we sat down there and a friendly gal came up and asked us what we would like to drink and presented us with a menu.

The options were excellent but neither of us could resist the stuffed, bacon wrapped, bison top sirloin, with mash potatoes and green beans.

During the short wait we walked around the two-storied lodge gazing at the décor and pictures that told a story of the history and lives behind the Ranch.

The lodge features many game mounts, the most amazing of which we found to be the full body, albino, bull elk hanging over the bar.

In the same room a huge chandelier made entirely of elk and deer antlers hung from the ceiling, and another similar, yet even bigger , chandelier, could be seen hanging in the dining room.

The interior of the lodge is made up of exposed, wooden, beams which were harvested from the forest here on Vermejo Ranch, just like the wild game meat we were about to enjoy.

Before we knew it there was a juicy Bison steak on the table which turned out to be one of the best dishes I've ever eaten in my life!

As a matter of fact, every time I've visited the ranch the menu has been different and ended up being some of the best dishes I've ever tasted.

We went to bed well fed and awoke the next morning refreshed and ready for another epic day!

We repeated the previous morning’s routine of enjoying a fantastic breakfast and then had our truck loaded with a new cooler of ice and some fresh batteries for the boat.

Freshly charged batteries and trolling motors await guest who want to fish the many lakes at Vermejo Park Ranch,a private resort in northern New Mexico.

The day’s plan was to explore some of the other lakes we hadn’t had a chance to fish yet.

Upon arrival at Bartlett Lake we found the winds were already roaring so we decided to fish from shore.

This is the same lake my wife caught a monster Rainbow trout and I landed a beast of a Brown trout right off the shore four years ago, so I was confident we'd do just fine.

I decided to use the same rod I had been throwing the day before since I hadn’t had any issues with failed gear, hooks, leaders, and so on. I pulled out the stout, six-weight, “St. Croix Avid” rod rigged with a 9-foot “Wonderfurl “ leader with 1X tippet and started casting away.

After a couple casts I hooked up with a chunky bow and it was game on! This was going to be another great day, I thought.

While we were making our way down the shoreline I was shocked to see a massive bear in the direction we were walking.

I yelled over to Manuel, “Bear!” and he nearly jumped out of his boots. He quickly looked over his shoulder at me and said “where?” and I pointed and said “right where I wanted to fish, over there by the cattails”.

The bear didn’t seem bothered by our presence at all and kept going about his business as if we weren’t even there. Although the bear was preoccupied we decided we had better stay put and be content with the water in front of us.

We continued catching browns and rainbows for the next hour, all the while keeping a watchful eye over our shoulder for the nearby bear.

Finally we decided that we had enough and it was time to try and get a picture of the bear from the boat. All the while, the bear was moseying around and had wound up in an open meadow staking claim to every tree and bush in sight.

We launched a boat in no time at all, set the motor for high, and started towards the bear.

It was a large Brown bear and judging by the size I would say it was a male. We watched as the bear continued marking his scent on the pine trees near the shoreline.

We were hoping to get some pictures of him while he was standing on its hind legs, scratching, bending, and shaking these large trees as if they were toys.

This was the first time I ever got to witness the raw strength of one of these animals and I’ll never forget the display of power it exhibited.

Unaware of our plans, the bear went about his routine when it suddenly it turned on all fours and faced the forest, its nose was up, as if it heard or smelled something of great interest.

Then in a blink of an eye it took off in a full sprint and disappeared into the woods, leaving me to preserve the memory without the luxury of any pictures.

After the big bear chase and its disappointing conclusion we caught several more fish but we wanted to continue exploring more of the ranch so we set out for Adams Lake.

This lake is slightly smaller compared to Bartlett and has a reputation for not being as windy when the waves at Bartlett are roiling.

Adams Lake consists of rocky transitions, grass flats and some large logs in the water. There are also several patches of cattails along the bank. The lake is surrounded by Pine, Oak, and Juniper trees but they are set back far enough from the shore to allow for fly casting.

We wrapped up our Adams lake session after having landed many fish and decided to finish the day where our great adventure began, back at Merrick Lake.

While unloading our gear I suggested to Manuel that he should bring his fly rod along.

This would be a great opportunity for him to land his first fish on a fly and I couldn't imagine him leaving without having battled one of these monsters on the “long stick”.

He agreed and accepted the challenge.

This time Manuel didn’t even need any casting lessons and was quickly casting 20’ of line with ease, and that was all he needed to reach fish in this lake.

Within a couple casts Manuel had a monster trout hooked up and was in for a real battle.

Neither one of us knew it at the time but the drag on his reel was broken so after being hooked this fish took off for the middle of the lake with nothing to hold him back.

Manuel’s reel was well into its backing and the questioning look on his face seemed to say, “Is this supposed to happen?”

He handled it like a pro and after several long runs into his backing and many leaps that showed just how high a fish could jump; he brought it in to the net for me.

Yet another twenty plus trout and after a couple pictures, a quick release, and a big high five, we were back to casting.

And it didn't take long for Manuel to land a couple more trout on the fly and with a quick lesson on how to palm the reel to create drag, he was bringing in those big Rainbows like a veteran fly fisherman.

We continued catching fish throughout the afternoon but the time for our departure was drawing near.

Our last catch of the day occurred as we both hooked fish at the same time.

After netting my fish I managed to fit his fish into the net too and we were staring at 45-inches of mean, squirming, trout.

After grabbing some pictures we decided we were both exhausted and would be content with finally leaving the ranch.

What an amazing experience.

And a hearty thanks to Vermejo Ranch for taking such great care of us during our visit!

I look forward to returning to the ranch again this winter to stay in their newly built $8 million dollar Costilla Lodge.

Ranch employees tell us it rivals the headquarters where we stayed during our trip.

The ranch is offering a special winter rate of $250 per person, per night. It includes room, meals, and winter activities including ice fishing, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, sledding, tubing, wildlife viewing and the services of a guide.

For more info check out the ranch’s website at www.vermejoparkranch.com.

Matt Pelletier, 29, lives and works in Albuquerque along with his wife, Leah, also an avid angler. Pelletier is President of New Mexico Muskies Inc. and operator of Fish Enchantment.com

Cottages at Conchas Lake Make for Comfortable Stay Steeped in History

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:30:00 +0000

It may be one of state’s best kept secrets, the historic cottages for rent at Conchas Dam where guests can lounge under a big shade tree while gazing out over the lake on New Mexico’s eastern plains.

“It’s real peaceful here,” says Fran Gabel, who operates the Adobe Belle Resort at Conchas Dam. “And it’s got to be the prettiest lake in the state.”

The cottages, four duplexes built by Civilian Conservation Corps workers during the Great Depression served until 1999 as housing for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees stationed at the dam.

They have since been made available to the public for rent and are operated under lease by Fran and Tony Gabel, who intend to retire in October.

“We’ve met so many nice people over the years and built up such a good clientele that it’ll be hard to go,” Gabel says. “But it’s time to retire.”

Gabel says the cottages are usually booked well in advance and they’ve never really needed to advertise due to the good reviews that guests have passed on to others over the years.

So don’t bother going online to find any web pages promoting the resort, they’re just not there, not on the Corps’ own website or even at federal government’s all inclusive, recreation.gov website.

But an inquisitive visitor to the dam can see for themselves the two-bedroom cottages with their hardwood floors, exposed vigas, thick adobe walls, kiva fireplaces and tiled bathrooms.

The cottages also boast flagstone-lined and enclosed patios, shaded carports, swamp coolers and plenty of quiet seclusion in a little neighborhood nestled under a canopy of aging shade trees located behind the Army Corps offices at the dam.

“A lot of people come for the fishing,” Gabel says. “Others just like the peace and quiet. There’s no cable, telephones, internet or anything like that.”

Instead visitors will find an oasis in the desert that offers excellent fishing for walleye, bass and other warm water species as well as other recreational activities like swimming, water skiing, sailing or just playing on the beach.

And if it’s history you’re into, then Conchas Dam and Lake offers a lot.

Built primarily as a public works project to provide jobs to New Mexicans at a time when half the state was unemployed back in the 1930s, the dam provides flood control, irrigation and recreation today.

It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in part because of the Spanish/Pueblo Revival architectural style used throughout the project.

While crossing the dam one might notice the bronze doors and wrought iron lantern fixtures built into the structure.

A stop at the Corps office will reveal paintings by artists employed during the Depression that document the dam’s construction.

And the visitors’ center is stocked with interpretive and historical displays and a video of the dam’s history.

But what one can’t see any longer is the town that was carved out of the desert on the Bell Ranch just downstream of the dam to house some 2,500 workers and their families while the project was underway.

Ninety percent of the workers on the project came off the relief rolls, earning between 25 to 45 cents an hour.

Life on the plains couldn't have been easy during the Dust Bowl days and then the Great depression.

The town known as Conchas City consisted of 36 dormitories, 132 stand-alone homes, multiple offices and workshops; all built from handmade adobes or carved sandstone, according to published accounts of the project’s history.

There was a mess hall to feed 1,500 workers a day, a 24-bed hospital considered one of the best in the state at the time and related businesses including a gas station, drug store, restaurant, pool hall, grocery store, barber and tailor’s shops.

The community hosted a grammar school and high school, a 700-seat movie theatre that was the envy of the area and even tennis courts and a golf course.

Electricity was provided for the town by generators powered by natural gas obtained through a pipeline laid by workers to Tucumcari, some 32 miles away.

State Road 104 to Conchas Lake from Las Vegas offers great vistas.

The town was later dismantled when the 235-feet high, 1,250-feet long dam, $15-million dam was completed after four years of construction. Many of the same materials were later reused by CCC workers to create the Army Corps’ offices, workshops and the cottages at the dam.

A history of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Albuquerque District by Michael E. Welsh provides in-depth details about the dam project including ethnic tensions, political scandals and other issues that arose and may sound familiar today.

For example, primary contractors on the job brought in some Mexican Nationals from their Los Angeles base of operations who were deemed more competent and learned in the ways of heavy construction than the relief roll workers of whom 60 percent were poor local Hispanics from farming and ranching backgrounds, according to Welsh’s book.

The little town of Trementina on State Road 104 exhibits the hardscrabble life that many on the plains endured.

This led to ethnic tensions during the project which still exist for many New Mexicans to this day.

And a prominent U.S. Senator, Dennis Chavez, was at the heart of allegations that he had placed relatives and family members inside the public relief system who pressured relief workers statewide to make campaign contributions to the Chavez political machine or face transfer from their hometown relief jobs to the remote project at Conchas Dam, according to Welsh’s book.

This earned the Conchas Dam project the nickname “Devil’s Island” among some workers who were forced to toil there.

A cowboy descanso on State Road 104 alerts us all to frailty of life.

Today the dam provides about eight jobs for Corps workers like Daniel “Joe” Martinez, 47, of nearby Garita, who had lived in the cottages for 10 years and was the last worker to leave before the buildings were turned over to a private concessionaire as a cost savings measure.

“We took good care of them and it was one big happy family living here then,” Martinez, a 26-year veteran of the Corps at Conchas Dam, says of the six to eight families that lived there at the time.

Martinez’s two sons spent their childhood years growing up on the lake and living in the cottages and he is grateful they had that experience.

“It was really great,” he says.

Martinez’s boss, Steve Peterson, 50, says that the lake is currently at about 25 percent of capacity while the lake level is about 41 feet below the spillway due to the ongoing drought.

But fishing, boating and other recreation hasn’t suffered that much and remains fine, Peterson says.

“Come on out,” he suggests.

There's good fishing right off the banks at Conchas Lake for bass, crappie and other species.

Cottage rentals are $125 a night, pets are not allowed and no smoking is allowed inside the buildings. Midweek vacancies should be available for booking during late August and September, Gabel says.

Call the resort at 575-868-3351 for more info and to book a night’s stay.

Anyone interested in running the resort after the Gabel’s retire should contact the Corps District Office in Albuquerque about the application process.

The lake also features state park campgrounds, boat ramps, a marina and other amenities that make the state third largest lake a great destination on the state’s lonely, windswept, eastern plains.

Caddis Hatch on the San Juan River - Soaring Eagle Lodge has it Covered.

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:13:00 +0000

Caddis swarm on the San Juan River at Soaring Eagle Lodge.

A swarm of fluttering caddis arose as I pushed aside a brushy tree limb and discovered a long, slow, stretch of the San Juan River before me.

Over by the far bank, telltale rings appear on the surface of the calm water.

There were trout holding in a shallow riffle just a few feet upstream of the deep cover provided by an overhanging Russian olive tree.

I slip into the river in a crouch and slowly make my way out across the wide expanse of open water, laying out line in the air as I gauge the distance.

Tied to the end of my long leader is one of several size-16 elk-hair caddis flies that I had whipped up just that afternoon.

It was the first fly I ever learned to tie and back then, on long summer days, it was the only fly I ever fished.

An Elk Hair Caddis fly.

It was easy to see, floated forever and did the job, time and time again. After all, it’s a bug found in damn near every western stream and a basic staple of most trout diets.

And when they hatch and mate in huge numbers on rivers like the Arkansas in southern Colorado and the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico, serious anglers drop everything and head for the river.

But the caddis hatch on the blue ribbon waters of the San Juan River is not what this river is usually renowned for, mostly because it occurs well downstream of the famous public water, where trophy class trout are routinely caught on miniscule, midges.

Soaring Eagle Lodge owner Larry Johnson, however, is out to change that reputation, especially among his clientele who have access to two miles of private water flowing past his riverfront lodge, a place where guests can literally cast out their front doors to rising fish.

Most cabins at Soaring Eagle Lodge front the San Juan River.

And unlike the heavily fished public waters of the San Juan, down here, in the private waters surrounding Johnson’s lodge, one can find that ever elusive solitude that most anglers yearn for.

Here an angler can slip into the tail end of a deep run formed by the convergence of two back channels and cast under the shade of towering cottonwoods.

Downstream, an inviting stretch of water beckons where the side channel rejoins the main.

And further upstream, anglers will come across a deep, wide, pool at the tail of a long riffle where one might expect more trout to be hiding.

And they are, here in the “honey hole,” as it’s known to the Soaring Eagle Lodge’s guests.

An angler enjoys the solitude of fishing the San Juan River at Soaring Eagle Lodge.

But back at the far bank, I let my line fly and watch as it settles well above the feeding fish.

It slowly floats towards them as I mend the line, take up the slack and prepare for a strike.

A snout appears and engulfs the fly. Then the water churns as the trout thrashes about it, realizing it’s been hooked.

The rod leans heavily as I struggle to lead the fish out into the open water, away from her home and kin.

I quickly get the net under her and admire a stout, lengthy, brown trout, patiently waiting as I quickly slip the barbless hook and set her free.

I wait a moment, blowing on my fly, and then I go back for the others, sensing the rush that only dry fly fishing provides. That triumph of stealth, presentation and the right fly.

Thom Cole of Santa Fe shows off a nice Rainbow trout he caught on a caddis emerger while fishing the private waters at Soaring Eagle Lodge.

Later while supping on pork medallions, sweet potatoes and braised spinach in the lodge’s cozy dining hall, my guest, fellow journalist and avid fly fisherman, Thom Cole, and I talked enthusiastically about our day here in early June, 2010.

He too was impressed with the privacy, scenic diversity and quality of the fishing to be found on the lower river around the lodge. The excellent accommodations, well-stocked fly shop and superb dining simply made it all that much better.

It is without a doubt, though, that the enjoyable experience of staying at Soaring Eagle Lodge is heightened by the personal attention of its owner, Larry Johnson, and his infectious enthusiasm for fishing.

Sawing at the wheel of his aging Ford Bronco while bouncing down a dirt road, Johnson, 57, tells us more about himself as we take a tour of the lower river.

Larry Johnson, Proprietor of Soaring Eagle Lodge at Navajo Dam, New Mexico.

Born and raised in the rural farm country of New Jersey, Johnson got his start in the hospitality industry at an early age, reared in the family restaurant along the shores of Lake Lakawanna, a popular summer resort outside of New York City.

“I remember stacking bottles in the basement when I was five,” Johnson says. “It was a great place to grow up.”

It was your typical vacation community with a golf course nearby, numerous lakeshore homes and only 50 miles, but a world away, from the bustle of the big city.

Johnson’s father, whose name he carries, Lawrence Wilford Johnson, was an enterprising man who maintained the family’s 350-acre farm and the house built by his father, a Swedish immigrant.

Johnson’s grandfather, Victor, was a tool and die maker in New York City and father of seven kids when he fled to the countryside as an influenza epidemic swept through the city.

Johnson shows off a nice Brown Trout he caught on a Caddis fly on the San Juan River at his lodge.

Johnson says his father was a custom home builder, just like his father before him, but also an entrepreneur.

At any given time, Johnson’s dad ran a family restaurant, tavern, golf course and built numerous gas stations throughout the area while also putting up summer homes on the lake.

His father’s very first real job though was as a mathematician working for IBM on the earliest of computers. The elder Johnson quit that position to join the Merchant Marine at the start of WW II and would later transfer to the Navy where he fought in the Pacific theatre.

“My dad was a savvy guy,” Johnson says with a wink. “A great businessman.”

Johnson is one of five kids. He has a twin sister named Teresa who everyone calls “Candy,” an older sister named Carol Ann, a younger brother named Paul and an older brother, Freddy, who was killed in Vietnam during that war.

“And I’ve also got something like 54 first cousins,” he says with a grin. “The holidays are just great.”

Johnson first learned to fly fish from a neighbor at Lake Lackawanna, a Catholic priest, who owned a nearby farm and installed fish habitat along the section of Lubber Creek that flowed through his property.

Growing up on Lake Lackawanna in the summer of 1959. From the left in the front row is Larry Johnson's twin sister, Candy, Jenny Ripp, Larry Johnson, Peggy Finnegan, and Cathy Ripp. In the rear row from the left is Steve Ripp, Karen Ripp and Carol Finnegan.

“He was the best, he married off everyone in our family, and we weren’t even Catholic,” Johnson says.

The priest, Father John Dericks, taught Johnson how to fish with with a bamboo cane rod and the large #10 spinner and May flies used back East.

Johnson would later go on to fish many of the regions’s better known rivers like the upper Delaware and the Beaverkill while also pulling many a fish from the depths of Lake Lackawanna as a youth.

The family farm was in Byram Township, located four or five miles from the lake and on the stream that fed it, Lubbers Run. Johnson attended the regional high school, Sparta High.

“I was too little for football but I went out for it and got my ass kicked, same thing with wrestling,” Johnson says of his high school days. “But I made it onto the varsity ski team and that was when the hormones kicked in.”

Girls had replaced fishing as Johnson’s primary form of entertainment and would continue to do so for years to come.

Larry Johnson and his fianace Leslie Jedrey in Newport Beach, Calif. in 1978.

Johnson graduated high school in 1971 and enrolled at the Nichols College of Business in Dudley, Massachusetts, where he graduated in 1975 with degrees in business administration and marketing.

Luckily for him the college went coed during his first year there, otherwise he thought he would have gone crazy.

“It was the kind of school where we actually had to wear a tie to class,” he says. “But at least we had eight, very ugly, but, very popular, girls there.”

After graduation he got a job working at a ski lodge in Vermont until his older sister’s husband, Tom Yerke, who had landed a job with Polaroid in California, could lure him out West.

Yerke asked Johnson to drive his wife and 10-year-old daughter out there.

Johnson jumped on the opportunity as did Johnson’s twin sister, Candy. And with three girls in tow Johnson climbed into Yerke’s brand new Buick La Sabre convertible and headed west.

The road trip turned into an epic two-month adventure with stops in Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, as well as the Dakotas, Mount Rushmore and the Rockies. Along the way they stopped for numerous family visits, which made for a memorable summer vacation.

And when they finally hit the beaches of California, Johnson realized there was no turning back.
“Beaches, blondes, bikinis,” Johnson says wistfully. “No humidity, no bugs, great weather. I rented an apartment with my sister and found a job.”

Johnson’s new gig was in sales for an oxygen equipment manufacturing company. He was their new western regional manager responsible for Hawaii, California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico.

“I did a lot of traveling and flew into Albuquerque and rented a car on occasion,” he says. “I loved it here. There’s something about the sky, the wide open places, and the long, lonely roads.”

His brother-in-law told him he needed to have at least five years sales experience under his belt before he could think about getting him on board with him at Polaroid, a very successful instant camera company and inventor of polarized products.

“Those were the days of the corporate culture,” Johnson says of Polaroid. “Three-piece suits and solid ties, 46,000 employees worldwide and pensions. You went to a company like that and stayed till you either died or retired. I wanted in.”

An angler fishes the back channels at Soaring Eagle Lodge.

Johnson finally applied and was hired by Polaroid for a sale position out in California where he would meet his first wife.

“Her boss was an aerial photographer, we sold him film and he invited me up to his fishing camp on the Owens River near Bishop. I hadn’t been fishing in years so I went and there she was,” Johnson said. “I thought she was his daughter, but she was so nice that I had to ask her out.”

The two would meet later for drinks at the Red Onion bar in Newport Beach and before long were married.

Johnson then transferred overseas where he would oversee the sales of Polaroid’s polarized products, things like anti-glare high-contrast computer screens, polarized sun visors for Ferrari sports cars and commercial aircraft and even polarized sunglass lenses for manufacturers such as Ray-Ban.

Johnson spent the next 15 years working in Europe, spending time in the Netherlands, Germany and then London.

Part of his job required courting clientele with dinner parties and other perks and it was then that Johnson renewed his love affair with fly fishing.

As part of Polaroid’s sales incentive programs for customers, the company rewarded top clients with outings to exclusive auto and horse racing events or tennis and golf tournaments.

Johnson mans the oars of one of his drift boats during a float of the lower San Juan River while guest Thom Cole rides in style.

Johnson added fly fishing trips to the program and ended up taking trips to exotic fishing locales like Iceland, Russia, Ireland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

“Some of these trips I did on my own and on others with clients who knew I liked to fish and took me along,” Johnson said.

His most memorable trip was to Iceland where he fished for Atlantic salmon and caught a 41-inch long, 30-pound fish that awed him with an impressive display of leaping and tail walking that rivals anything he’s caught since.

But the party with Polaroid would soon be over, coming on the heels of Johnson’s own realization that the business was doomed by emerging digital technology.

Johnson was on a Tarpon fishing trip in the Florida Keys in 1991 where he met a young doctor and ended up having dinner with him and his family.

At some point the doctor pulled out a digital camera and his daughter began squealing with delight, “let me see, let me see.”

As the doctor began showing off his pictures on the camera’s LCD screen, Johnson realized with dread that Polaroid’s flagship product, the instant camera, was doomed. Within ten years the company was in bankruptcy.

But Johnson, having seen the writing on the wall took full advantage of a lucrative early retirement program offered by the company as it began to downsize. The proceeds of which someday would be used to help bankroll his eventual purchase of the Soaring Eagle Lodge.

Thom Cole shows off one of the many native Brown trout found lurking in the waters surrounding Soaring Eagle Lodge.

Johnson ended up in New Mexico while tending to a family situation involving his mother-in-law who moved to Farmington in the late ‘80s to be near her son, Bill, an audiologist.

Johnson and his wife had been visiting her in New Mexico at least once a year since the mid-1980s and while he was there, Johnson always took off to fish the San Juan River and stay at Abe’s legendary motel and fly shop.

“It felt like my new home water,” he says.

Johnson was back in New Mexico again in 2000 after having left Polaroid and just ended a two-year stint with a venture capital company out of Reno, Nevada. He was moving his soon to be ex-wife into a house in Farmington when he decided to take some time off and just become another trout bum kicking around on the San Juan.

It wasn’t long though before Ray Johnston at Navajo Dam’s Float and Fish Fly Shop snatched him up and put him to work as a counter clerk. It was while Johnson was tending to Johnston’s business that the Soaring Eagle Lodge came on the market.

Johnson had been mulling over his next business move and was definitely interested so he put together some financing, made an offer and took over the operation on Sept. 11^th, 2001, the day of the deadly attack on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington D.C.

“My first day on the job and I had 30 cancellations and ten people stuck here,” Johnsons says. “They ended up staying an extra week. “

Larry Johnson's flyshop carries most everything you'll need except Hodgman hip waders .

Johnson put his sales, marketing and publicity skills to work and has since turned the lodge into a fly-fishing destination resort, the kind of place for those seeking a complete vacation package.

And it has thrived in the last nine years under his and fiance, Lesley Jedrey's, direction.

“It’s because we can take care of everything,” he says. “We provide clean, comfortable lodging, excellent food, great guides and a fabulous location.”

The living room of one of the comfortable cabins at Soaring Eagle Lodge.

Many of Johnson’s clients are busy, out-of-state business men and women who want to make the most of their vacation time while pursuing their favorite sport on the legendary San Juan River.

“And they keep coming back year after year because the San Juan is such a productive fishery,” he says.

And when the summer begins to loom and first reports of caddis begin to trickle in, anglers would be well advised to inquire with Johnson about fishing the lower stretch of river that runs through his property.

For more info including rates, seasons and fishing reports, check out Johnson’s website at http://www.soaringeaglelodge.net/, friend them on Facebook or give them a call at 1-800-866-2719.

Santa Rosa Lake Headed for Dangerously Low Levels But Efforts May Save Some Fish.

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 03:19:00 +0000

Santa Rosa Lake is expected to drop to perilous levels as downstream agricultural irrigators call for their water later this month but this time they hope to leave enough behind to help keep the popular fishery alive.

“We don’t want to see another environmental disaster,” says Dudley Jones, Manager for the Carlsbad Irrigation District (CID) which owns the water impounded at Santa Rosa Lake.

About ten years ago the district found itself in hot water during similar drought conditions after its call for water left another reservoir downstream of Santa Rosa, Sumner Lake, drained dry.

Santa Rosa is the first in line of three reservoirs on the Pecos River that serves the Fort Sumner and Carlsbad Irrigation Districts with Sumner in the middle and Brantley at the end of the line.

Heading east onto the plains on NM104.

Jones says he will ask his board of commissioners at a June 14 meeting to authorize leaving about 9,000 acre feet in Santa Rosa Lake to keep the fishery alive while also providing farmers with just enough water to get by.

“We all have to make sacrifices in these lean years,” he said.

Santa Rosa is currently holding only about 21,000 acre feet or about 8 percent of capacity, due to little or no snowpack runoff this year in the Pecos watershed, says Curtis McFadden of the Army Corps of Engineers which operates the dam at Santa Rosa Lake.

That could conceivably be wiped out and the lake reduced to a trickle in the streambed if the irrigation district takes its usual June allotment of 20,000 acre feet.

But this year Jones is proposing to limit the district’s demand for irrigation water to help out the fish and wildlife and those who enjoy them.

And on top of that Jones proposes that the district not take delivery of that water until July 5th so people can enjoy the water over the Fourth of July weekend.

Yet, despite those best efforts, the fishery at Santa Rosa Lake is expected to take a big hit when the water is drawn down, one that could takes years to recover from, says Shawn Denny, Southeast Area Fisheries Manager for the state Department of Game and Fish.

“It’ll be significant,” he says.

But based on past experience, when Santa Rosa drops to such levels many fish will flow downstream to Sumner Lake along with the water delivery thus improving fishing there.

Sumner Lake is currently closed to boating because of invasive mussels.

However, Sumner Lake is currently closed to boating due to the discovery of invasive mussels that can spread to other waters on boats.

But Denny notes that Sumner Lake may be one of the best shore fishing lakes in the state and with an expected influx of walleye, bass, catfish and crappie from Santa Rosa, could be the hot spot for bank based anglers here shortly.

Jones says the district is expected to leave about 7,200 of the 11,000 acre feet it has stored in Sumner Lake for the time being. Of that at least 2,500 acre feet will have to remain for a minimum pool to keep the fishery there and an endangered fish population in the Pecos River alive.

Denny says there may be a positive side to the water levels dropping at Santa Rosa in that the lake shoreline will be exposed and new vegetation should sprout. If that vegetation is then re-submerged by water it creates excellent habitat and nutrients for fish to thrive.

Denny notes that Santa Rosa rebounded from similar drought conditions and low lake levels years ago to become an excellent fishery again.

“I’d expect the same here,” he says.

A roadside Descanso on NM 104.

In the meantime everyone seems to be praying for rain and if past years are any indication the state could possibly see an early and wet monsoon season.

In many past La Nina weather seasons which produce abnormally dry winters, the following summer monsoons seasons have produced above normal rainfall, says Daniel Porter of the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.

“Typically that statement would be fairly accurate,” he noted. “But…”

It seems that the service’s weather forecasts are hedging its bets and isn’t predicting anything this year other than a normal monsoon seasons.

Even that would be welcome relief for farmers in the Carlsbad area, who got a tantalizing trace of rain just this week, the first they’ve seen in over 225 days.

McFadden says an early and wet monsoon season could add anywhere from 12,000 acre feet of water to the lake and that would alleviate a lot of the problem.

Conchas Lake.

If You Go: Santa Rosa Lake State Park is located southeast of Santa Fe on the eastern plains. From Santa Fe take I-25 towards Las Vegas. Head south on either U.S. 285 at Eldorado, State Road 3 at Villanueva or U.S. 84 at Romeroville. All three intersect with I-40 which heads west to Santa Rosa.

The lake can reach up to 3,800 surface acres when full and offers angling for both large and smallmouth bass, walleye, crappie, catfish, perch, sunfish and some trout.

The park offers several campgrounds including developed sites, many with electric, some primitive, a dump station, restrooms with showers, boat ramps, hiking trails and a visitor center and observation tower by the dam.

Nearby Conchas Lake on the Canadian River remains low after years of drought while further east at Ute Lake the water level is good. Both locations offer good fishing, boating and other recreational activities.

A Tucumcari mural.

Editors Note:

6/15/2011

The Carlsbad Irrigation District Board of Directors has voted to leave about 9,000 acre feet of water in Santa Rosa Lake and another 6,200 acre feet in Sumner Lake to help maintain the popular fisheries during the ongoing drought, said District Manager, Dudley Jones.

The water in Santa Rosa Lake is owned by the district as is much of the water in Sumner Lake and could have been drawn down for irrigation purposes but during a June 14 meeting the district’s directors elected instead to leave the water in the lakes to benefit fish and recreational users.

A large amount of water will still be moved downstream during a planned released after the Fourth of July weekend but dam operators will leave the allotted amount behind to keep the two lakes wet while everyone prays for an early and heavy monsoon season to arrive, Jones says.

Sumner Lake will now be reopened to boats after it had been closed due to invasive mussel contamination. Boats will now have to undergo an inspection and decontamination process before being allowed back on the lake starting Friday, June 17.

Remote Forest Service Cabin Makes for Great Romantic Getaway

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Tue, 24 May 2011 21:12:00 +0000

Looking for a romantic getaway in the great outdoors after being cooped up all winter?

Then the Forest Service has got just the place for you, a neat little cabin in the woods, tucked in among a vast stand of aspens with a babbling brook and beaver ponds right outside the front door.

And it’s only four hours from Santa Fe, up in the mountains flanking the upper end of the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado.

The Brewery Creek Guard Station is one of several remote cabins located within the nearby Rio Grande National Forest that the public can rent for a reasonable fee and enjoy the same scenery some others pay millions to enjoy.

The rustic cabin at Brewery Creek is fully functional and in a great location.

The Brewery Creek Guard Station is a quaint, two-room, white clapboard cabin with a fire pit and picnic table in the yard, a new outhouse and all the amenities needed to enjoy a comfortable night in the woods.

The cabin features lights, heaters, a full sized stove and refrigerator; all powered by propane as there is no electricity available. The kitchen comes fully stocked with cast iron skillets and other pots and pans as well as plates and cutlery.

A large kitchen table and chairs separates the kitchen area from the living room where one can lounge on a couch or relax in a recliner.

Brewery Creek passes right in front of the cabin and beaver ponds have created good habitat for trout.

The bedroom features three bunk beds with the lower berths suitable for couples. Sleeping bags, pillows and other gear must be packed in.

The cabin is well supplied with board games and other means of old fashioned entertainment including a series of journals in which visitors have written of their experiences while staying at the cabin.

There is no cell phone coverage at the cabin. For more info about the accommodations, check it out at http://www.recreation.gov.

The cabin was built in 1935 for use by the forest ranger who oversaw the Poncha and Bonanza Districts of what was then called the Cochetopa National Forest.

It sits in the shadow of 13,266-foot Antora Peak and is located just across a mountain range from the historic, silver mining town of Bonanza.

The cabin serves as a great base from which to visit the area’s many recreational opportunities including soaks at local hot springs, wildlife viewing on remote back country roads and perhaps a visit to the nearby town of Salida.

Mule deer bedded down for the morning.

Just across one of the Colorado’s easiest mountain passes at 9,000 feet, Salida boasts great fishing and rafting on the Arkansas River and a very cool downtown historic district.

The downtown area features plenty of Victorian era architecture, great shops, taverns and eateries.

There’s also a nice park and boardwalk on the river that makes for great, sightseeing and picnicking too.

And in the surrounding mountain ranges which including many of Colorado’s famous 14,000-foot peaks, visitors will find great hiking, camping, fishing and skiing opportunities.

Aspen groves surrounding the cabin are ablaze with color come fall.

During a recent early spring visit to the area, a forest road leading to a mountain top reservoir on the North Fork of the Arkansas River provided a great drive but it ended just a few miles shy of the local favorite fishing hole due to impassable snow drifts.

Returning to the San Luis Valley, one might want to stop at Villa Grove Trade where the café boasts excellent meals and live music, which can be heard on select Sundays nights. This is also where the key to the cabin can be picked up and dropped off. See their website at http://villagrovetrade.com/for more info.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Shook.

Villa Grove also boasts a liquor store for those in need before making the 15-mile trek up a gravel road to the cabin.

New Mexican visitors to San Luis Valley may find it a familiar and comfortable place in part, perhaps, because of our shared native Indian, Hispanic and Anglo cultural roots.

It is also home to the headwaters of the Rio Grande, whose waters nourish New Mexico, and its many farms produce much of the barley used to brew the popular western beer, Coors.

It is the location of one of the largest, solar-powered, electric power plants in the country and also home to the vast, Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Bordered on the west by the San Juan Mountains and to the east by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the valley is home to oldest town in the state of Colorado, San Luis, founded by New Mexican settlers from the Taos and Mora areas in 1851.

To the north the valley ends just above the village of Villa Grove and the mountain crossing at Poncha Pass.

Saguache is a fun place to visit in the historic San Luis Valley.

Visitors to the valley from New Mexico typically follow US 285 north through Tres Piedras to the little town of Antonito and then on through the rich, agricultural valley and the college town of Alamosa.

Others might elect to follow N.M. 522 through Taos and Costilla and then head west to the valley from the historic town of Fort Garland on U.S. 160.

The San Luis Valley area boasts several forest service cabins for public use including the Canero Guard Station which was featured in the Santa Fe New Mexican in August 2010 ( http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/For-New-Mexicans--San-Luis-Valley-has-familiar-scenes )

Canero Guard Station.

New Mexico does not have any forest service rental cabins but those who are interested in what’s available nearby can find out more at the U.S. Forest Service’s website at http://www.fs.fed.us/ and look under recreation and reservations.

If You Go: From Santa Fe take U.S. 84/285 through Espanola, Los Ojos and Tres Piedras to Antonito, Colorado. Proceed north on U.S. 285 to Alamosa and then pick up state highway 17 to Villa Grove. Just past town, head west on county road LL56 to Bonanza. Take the turnoff to Forest Road 880 at the bridge and follow to the cabin’s gate.

Lack of Runoff This Year Cramps Rio Grande Rafting Style.

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:28:00 +0000

Mike Boren of New Wave Rafting in Embudo makes a point from his seat in the rear of a raft while taking a group of guide trainees down the Rio Grande in May, 2011.

White water thrill seekers will be lucky to see a high water rafting season this year due to below average snowpack and a lack of real runoff.

Complicating matters is the ongoing drought, low soil moisture conditions, warm, windy weather and a storm stingy La Nina pattern.

“It looks like it’ll be poor runoff season for rafting,” says Wayne Sleep of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Albuquerque which monitors snowpack and other water conditions.”The snowpack is melting but it’s just not making it to the streams.”

Sleep attributes the lack of runoff to dry soil conditions which absorbs a lot of runoff and warm windy weather with causes a lot of evaporation. There’s also very little in the way of snowpack, just 16-percent of average, within the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to augment what runoff exists in the Rio Grande, he says.

Snowcapped mountains above Taos, New Mexico during a wet year.

That’s why even though snowpack in the mountains of southern Colorado which feeds the Rio Grande is at about 90-percent of average, runoff, as measured by stream flow in cubic-feet-per-second (CFS) at sites in northern New Mexico, is well below average, he says.

The Rio Grande at the Taos Junction Bridge upstream of Pilar is running at about 500 cfs, about half of what it should be for this time of year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s stream flow charts found at http://www.usgs.gov/.

Complicating the problem up north is a lack of lower elevation snowpack to augment the deeper snows found at higher elevation, says Craig Cotten, Division Engineer for the Colorado Division of Water Resources in Alamosa, Co.

Plus windblown dust is also helping snow melt more rapidly because dirty snow absorbs more sunlight, Cotten says.

“So we’re looking at about 75-percent of average runoff this year,” he added.

And as the Rio Grande flows through the agricultural areas of southern Colorado’s San Luis Valley it is heavily tapped for irrigation.

A San Luis Valley farm.

Under terms of an interstate compact governing use of the Rio Grande more water heads south during wetter years and much less when times are tough, Cotten says.

And that’s why longtime rafting guide, Michael Boren, 55, of Santa Fe is praying for rain up in the San Luis Valley.

The more rain they get, the wetter their fields will be and the more likely they will be to let the water in the Rio Grande pass on through, Boren says.

Veteran rafting guide Mike Boren of Santa Fe.

Boren, a chimney sweep during the winter, a rafting guide during the summer and a former Army Airborne Ranger, says he’d be surprised to even see a season on the Rio Grande’s wildly thrilling Taos Box this year.

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” he says.

The box which runs 16 miles from the John Dunn Bridge down to the Taos Junction Bridge above Pilar requires about 750 cfs and above for a really good ride and is a favorite of die hard, whitewater, enthusiasts, Boren says.

But the box can still be a fun run at flows as low as 500 cfs, anything below that and it becomes too rocky to navigate, Boren says.

Cotten of the Colorado Division of Water Resources says whitewater enthusiasts should check the divisions’ website http://www.dwr.state.co.us/Surfacewater/default.aspx and monitor stream flows for the Conejos River at Mogote and the Rio Grande at Del Norte to get an idea of future flows in New Mexico.

As flows climb at these sites one can expect them to come up in two or three days further downstream, Cotten says.

But even if the Taos Box doesn’t see high water this year, the five mile Racecourse section between Pilar and the Taos/Rio Arriba County line will still provide plenty of whitewater thrills even during a mild runoff season, says Steve Miller, president of the New Mexico River Outfitters Association and owner of New Wave Rafting in Embudo.

Funyaks and rafts float the lower section of the Rio Grande in early spring of 2009.

Miller says rafting companies have over the years adapted to provide highly entertaining trips even at lower flows by using smaller rafts and adding funyaks, inflatable kayaks, for customers to use on the lower section of the river.

And besides many families with kids and older folks aren’t necessarily looking for a hair raising ride like the white knuckle trip the Taos Box provides, he added.

That’s why trips like those that meander through the Orilla Verde recreation Area between the Taos Junction Bridge and Pilar are so popular.

They provide a gentle, relaxing trip downstream during which passengers can enjoy the scenery at a leisurely pace, Miller says.

The Rio Chama should still provide rafters good, weekend, action as water releases from dams on that river are timed to flow downstream on the weekends. The city of Albuquerque announced this week it too would take delivery of its water stored in upstream reservoirs on weekends to accommodate river rafters on the Chama.

So even if the runoff season is mild this year the mighty Rio Grande and scenic Chama should still be flowing and providing visitors plenty of wet and wild fun throughout the summer.

A little white water can be found even on the lower stretch of the Rio Grande during spring runoff.

If You Go: From Santa Re take US 84/285 north to Espanola and then follow Riverside Drive through town. Stay on State Road 68 north towards Taos until reaching Pilar and the Bureau of Land Management’s Rio Grande Gorge Visitor Center. A list of commercial river rafting companies can be found on the BLM’s website at http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/taos/commercial_private.html.

Bandelier Now Even More Spectacular with New Theatre and Film

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Sat, 07 May 2011 17:27:00 +0000

The road into Frijoles Canyon and the Indian cliff dwellings at Bandelier National Monument.

It’s already a magical place that captivates visitors with its mysterious caves, ancient Indian history and soaring cliff walls.

But now Bandelier National Monument is all that much better with the recent addition of a new high tech theatre showcasing a visually stunning film of the monument and its surroundings.

And that’s just another fantastic reason to visit one of New Mexico’s most intriguing Indian cliff dwellings.

Four years in the making, the 14-minute film by award-winning National Park Service cinematographer John Grabowska, features towering, expansive views of Bandelier, the Pajarito Plateau, the Jemez Mountains, the Valle Caldera and the Rio Grande.

The film was shot during different seasons of the year with many scenes taken by helicopter and played back in slow motion to give viewers the sense of flying over the countryside.

In one scene the viewer is treated to a flight just off the deck of the muddy, sun drenched, Rio Grande with a flock of birds leading the way.

In another scene the viewer is taken for a soaring ride up a canyon ablaze with aspens in full fall colors.

Grabowska, who has produced many National Park Service films in his twenty-year career, including two others in New Mexico, says even he was impressed with the overhead views.

“The aerials were a real revelation since I'd driven and hiked all over the region and
thought I knew it pretty well,” Grabowska said by email. “But the bird's eye view revealed just how rugged the Jemez Mountains and Pajarito Plateau really are.”

Other shots employ the use of time lapse photography to convey the passing of a day, with clouds scurrying overhead and shadows shifting to mark the movement of the sun.

Cinematographer John Grabowska and his cameraman film the Valles Caldera.Photo courtesy of NPS.

And then there’s the wildlife, including shots of the extremely rare Jemez Mountain salamander and Goat Peak pika, both natives of the area and being considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

In both cases those conducting research on these animals led Grabowska’s photographers to sites where they could capture images for the film, he said.

But in other cases it was a “tremendous investment of time” and the guidance of Bandelier Ranger and Wildlife Photographer Sally King, which led to the filming of bear, elk, a rattlesnake and tarantula, an owl and Abert’s squirrel and various birds and other wildlife, all of which make for captivating viewing.

Grabowska, who works out of the National Park Service’s media office at Harpers Ferry Center, West Virginia, says he loves coming here to work on projects.

“I love everything about New Mexico -- the cultural diversity, the high desert landscape, the mountains, the rich history, the huge sky, the far horizons -- and the food, especially the food,” he says. “I still remember the first time I had carne adobada, sheer bliss.”

The snack bar at Bandelier whips up a pretty good, green chili, cheeseburger.

Grabowska, a native of South Dakota, says he misses the distant horizons the West has to offer and hopes to return for good some day.

“I've been visiting New Mexico for 25 years. My wife and I honeymooned in the Sangres and we've been coming back ever since,” he says. “I plan to live there some day.”

Grabowska, 50, has also produced the acclaimed film “Remembered Earth” about the peoples, culture and environment of the Four Corners region of New Mexico that is frequently featured on PBS and can been seen and purchased on DVD at the Northwest New Mexico Visitors Center in Grants.

Grabowska’s other New Mexico film, “Breath of Life,” is an interpretation of the cultural clash between the Pueblo Indians and Colonial Spaniards at the Salinas Pueblo Missions. It too has been aired on local PBS stations and can been seen and purchased on DVD at the National Park Service’s visitor center in Mountainair.

The Long House at Bandelier features a towering cliff face of monumental proportions.

The long version of Grabowska’s new film about Bandelier and the surrounding region is destined for showing on PBS later this summer and is entitled ‘Sky Island”.

“The PBS version, to be broadcast in July, is aimed at a national audience, most of whom have not been to Bandelier and know little about it,” Grabowska says. “’Sky Island’ takes a broader view of the Jemez Mountain ecosystem, from the Rio Grande rift up to the Pajarito Plateau, then continuing uphill into the mixed conifer forest and topping out on the peaks. It also addresses anthropogenic climate change directly since the Jemez are the epicenter of dramatic climate change effects in New Mexico.”

The shorter version visitors to Bandelier see on the monument’s new 9-foot tall, 14-foot wide, big screen is entitled “This Place Knows Us.”

The new theatre at Bandelier features a big screen, plenty of seating and a high quality sound system.

“The film in the visitor center is more Bandelier-centric and with a stronger Puebloan emphasis since the viewer will be seeing it right in Frijoles Canyon, surrounded by the canyon walls and the pueblos where the Ancestral Puebloans lived,” Grabowska says.

The visitor center film features narration by Meryl Streep and Dr. Dave Warren from Santa Clara Pueblo, a former director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian who has a personal connection to Bandelier, Grabowska says.

The film also features a scene involving local Zuni pueblo members dancing and singing at the monument.

Longtime monument employee, Chris Judson, says the film dovetails nicely with the new exhibits on display in the museum since recent upgrades to the visitor center.

A painting by the late Pablita Velarde of Santa Clara Pueblo on display in Bandelier's upgraded museum.

Visitors will find excellent examples of local Indian art and pottery, both past and present, interpretive historical displays and other information about the Pueblo Indians who once lived at Bandelier.

This was done in conjunction with the local pueblos affiliated with the monument including Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Cochiti, Kewa (Santo Domingo) San Felipe and Zuni.

All of these pueblos can trace their ancestral lineage to Bandelier and play an important role in the monument’s mission, Judson says.

But perhaps one of the most important changes that came with the recent rehabilitation of the monument’s historic visitor’s center is for mobility impaired guests.

The museum, theatre and restrooms have been upgraded along with other access improvements to allow these visitors to enjoy a great deal more of what the monument has to offer, Judson says.

Alcove House at Bandelier requires a 140-foot climb up four sets of ladders to visit.

If You Go: From Santa Fe take US 84/285 north to Pojoaque and take the Los Alamos turnoff on State Road 502. Proceed west to the White Rock turnoff on State Road 4 and follow to the Bandelier entrance. Cost is $12 and is good for seven days. Camping is available on the rim above the canyon in developed sites. For more info see Bandelier’s site at http://www.nps.gov/band/index.htm.

Villanueva State Park - A Charming, Secluded, Get Away.

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:55:00 +0000

Gazing out from the overlook trail at Villanueva State Park one can see the Pecos River sparkling in the sunlight as it meanders through the scenic valley below.

It’s a short but steep climb to the top of the hill overlooking this tidy little state park, but the rewards are spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and countryside.

The state park located about 60 miles east of Santa Fe has long been a draw for locals but others are also finding their way down into this secluded, picturesque valley along the Pecos river.

During a recent mid-week visit a French tourist and a Wyoming retiree were found hiking along the park’s popular overlook trail while at the bank of the river a couple of locals cleaned a fish they’d caught.

There’s a reason Villanueva State Park has long been known as a locals park and that’s in part because it is, having been created back in 1967 with land donated by the San Miguel del Bado Land Grant Board of Trustees.

“This is the only state park I know of initially created by a land grant board of trustees,” says Malcolm Ebright, director of the Center for Land Grant Studies of Guadalupita in a 2009 report to the state regarding the park.

The report, found online at http://www.newmexicohistory.org/featured_projects/Legislative%20Reports/documents/Villanueva.pdf provides a fascinating historical perspective of how the park was born during a tumultuous time in the state’s land grant history.

The report notes that the land grant trustees not only transferred 67 acres including 4,800 feet of river front access to the park but that an additional 3.5 miles of the Pecos River flowing through the grant would be opened up to the public for fishing and other recreational purposes.

The nearby village of Villanueva where most of the land grant members lived at the time was expected to benefit from the increased commerce from those frequenting the park, the report notes.

Visitors to the village may want to drive up to the top of the hill overlooking the town to see the grotto containing santos and other religious items. The village boasts a beautiful church constructed of local rock back in 1830 and a stop at the village mercantile is a must for those who cherish local, mom and pop, stores.

Bill Dolsonconverted this old goat barn into a studio at his home in Villanueva.

The park is located just a few miles down the road from Villanueva and has proven to be very popular.

“The locals love it here on weekends and especially on Easter Sunday,” says Ramon Gallegos Jr. a 25-year State Park veteran and Villanueva’s Acting Manager. “But during mid week it’s peaceful and a great place to come relax and enjoy the scenery.”

Today the park spans about 1,600 acres with a pleasant campground featuring 33 sites, 12 of which provide electricity. There’s a bathhouse with showers and a modern playground for the kids to play in.

The river is regularly stocked from fall through spring and provides good fishing while swimming and wading becomes the favored activity during the summer months.

A visitor center with a classic adobe-colored stucco exterior and a small cupola on a metal roof features brochures, pamphlets and small informative displays inside.

Visitors will find numerous appealing campsites nestled among shade trees along the streamside while newly rehabilitated camping shelters atop a hill overlooking the lower campground are equally attractive to campers.

The Pecos River at Villanueva State Parks as it flows downstream.

Hikers will find by crossing an attractive iron bridge spanning the river a 2.5 mile loop trail that heads up to the ravine overlooking the campground and river below.

Upon first heading upstream on the trail hikers will encounter a small butte jutting out over the river where the remains of rock walls can be seen. Native Indians and later Spanish settlers both apparently made good use of this spot and hikers can too.

Continuing on, the trail then switches back and begins a short but steep climb to the top of the overlook where visitors will find several rustic picnic shelters and an observation deck.

This is a superb spot to relax and enjoy a couple of cold beverages. Visitors need to pack out what they bring in and well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome.

Pat Lambert, a railroad retiree from Sheridan, Wyoming, enjoys a hike along the Overlook Trail.

Hikers can then continue their hike along the ridgeline and return to the bottom just downstream of the bridge.

Gallegos notes that the river is popular among kayakers and canoeists during years of ample spring runoff. One can take a day-long float through rugged, remote canyon lands covering about 19 miles to a take out at U.S. 84 at Tecolotito.

The river runs primarily through National Forest land starting a couple miles downstream of the state park and is reported to be a delightful float of relative ease with excellent fishing along the way.

Unfortunately the runoff forecast for this year is poor and it remains to be seen how good the river running will be. Equally disturbing is the fire threat this year which has forced parks such as Villanueva to prohibit open fires.

“We’re not allowing anything but propane right now,” Gallegos said.

In the meantime though with spring descending on the valley visitors will find the wildflowers in bloom, trees budding and the fishing biting at one of New Mexico’s more secluded get aways.

A Descanso on the road to Villanueva State Park honors the dead and serves to caution us all.

If You Go:

From Santa Fe take I-25 east towards Las Vegas and get off at exit 323 and follow St. Rd 3 to the outskirts of Villanueva. Note the sign at the intersection with County Road B 28 A which leads down to Villanueva State Park. Beer is available on the way at El Pueblo. Groceries and fishing supplies can be had at the General Store in Villanueva. A sit down meal can be had at the landmark La Risa Cafe in Ribera.

A Guides' Tips to Spring Fishing on the San Juan River

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 04:16:00 +0000

Spring fishing on the San Juan River means dry fly action, and plenty of it, so its time to break out the flies and get after it.

“This can be some of the best fishing of the year,” says Aaron Carithers of Anasazi Angler.”But you can’t be afraid of the weather if you want to be successful.”

Carithers notes that March and April can bring in some of the worst weather of the year with wind, rain, and even snow storms.

“You’ll need to bring all your gear,” he says “Sure there’ll be those days when it’s warm and sunny but then there’s going to be those days when the snow’s blowing sideways. You need to be able to handle that bad weather because that’s where the real action is.”

That nasty weather has a positive effect on fishing on the San Juan River and usually generates prolific hatches that really bring out the trout, he says.

“So you can expect to see great dry fly action when it’s overcast, sprinkling, or even snowing,” Carithers said.

And after spending the winter fishing below the surface with worms, eggs, red larvae and midge pupa, Carithers says he overjoyed to the see the arrival of spring and the return of bigger bugs that entice hungry trout back to the surface.

Carithers prepares to close the lid on his winter arsenal of flies.

“It’s great just to air out some line and see that fly on the surface again,” Carithers says.

San Juan anglers transitioning to springtime dry fly action would be well served to remember some proven dry fly fishing tips and tricks, Carithers says.

Those having a hard time seeing their flies on the water can simply tie on a larger dry fly such as a #16 elk hair caddis or parachute Adams and then attach their primary fly off the back end on a short length of tippet.

The bigger fly serves as a strike indicator for when the intended fly is taken but in many cases will also be taken on its own.

“You'd be surprised how often that’s the case,” Carithers says. “So this is a good technique to remember and employ.”

Anglers should also reacquaint themselves with the differences between rising fish, like those feeding off the top and those just below the surface.

When a trout’s snout breaks the surface it’s generally sipping bugs while when only the tail or the fin can be seen it’s safe to assume the fish is feeding just below the surface.

To catch fish just below the surface Carithers recommends cutting a foot long piece of 6x tippet in half and then tying it back together again using a blood or surgeons knot. Then attach the tippet to the back end of large, durable, high floating fly like a #10 or # 12 stimulator. Next, slide a #9 split shot down the tippet to the knot which will keep it from descending any further and finally, attach the intended fly, typically a grey #22 RS2 Baetis emerger, to the bottom.

Anglers should remember to cast just above a rising fish and arrange it so that the fly passes over the intended spot rather than the leader.

Anglers should wait for the stimulator to stop, twitch or disappear below the surface and then set the hook. They should also be prepared for a strike upon the stimulator too, Carithers says.

And while anglers should always wear polarized sun glasses to protect their eyes and reduce glare off the water, Carithers notes that sometimes it’s even more important to move around to reduce the glare which makes dry fly fishing difficult.

Nowhere is that more evident than in places like the San Juan’s lower flats where by simply moving to the other side of a run can take the glare off the water and give an angler a unhindered look at rising fish and their floating fly, Carithers says.

And lastly, dry fly anglers should consider clipping the hackle on the bottom of some flies such as an elk hair caddis so they float flat on the water, Carithers said.

And while one may not see a lot of Caddis coming off on the upper waters of the San Juan it is a fly that produces strikes time and time again, Carithers notes.

The great fishing on the San Juan attracts many including this Bald Eagle.

Carithers, 42, of Hesperus, owns Anasazi Anglers and has been guiding on the San Juan River for the past 19 years. He is married to Jill, a college administrator, and the couple have 6-year-old son Finnigan and a 5-year-old daughter, Annabel.

Born and brought up in Arvada, Co., Carithers is a sixth generation Coloradan who gave up pursuing a business degree at Fort Lewis College in Durango to take up a classic Colorado seasonal career as ski area worker and fishing guide.

“I think I always knew I was going to be a guide or own a fly shop someday,” he says. For more info about his guide business see his website at http://www.sanjuanguides.com/.

Carithers says he first learned to fish from his grandfather, Art Ohanian, at the age of five with worms on a spin caster. He was pressed into service after his granddad’ favorite fishing partner, an uncle, shipped out to the naval academy. The young Carithers then graduated to fishing on a fly rod with the ever versatile elk hair caddis fly and has been hooked ever since.

His parents are both retired school teachers who still live in Arvada and he has a younger brother, James, who is a trucking fleet service manager and another younger brother, Bevin, who is a senior Park Ranger for the city of Boulder.

Carithers says he loves the San Juan River because of its variety.

“Parts of it fishes like a spring creek, there’s the tail water aspect of it and then there’s fishing from the boat,” Carithers said.

Aaron Carithers fishes from his boat on a beautiful spring day on the San Juan River below Navajo Dam in northwestern New Mexico.

Carithers prefers using a drift boat for his work rather than wading because it provides clients an excellent platform from which to cast to rising fish or strip streamers while also providing a perfect dead drift for nymphing.

It also allows him to cover water quickly if he’s headed for someplace specific and also provides easy access to areas of the river that may be difficult to reach on foot.

Carithers favorite stretch of water on the river is from Simon Canyon to the boat take out at the Gravel Pit which is the end of the four miles of catch and release, quality waters, on the San Juan River below Navajo Dam.

Carithers says he enjoys the solitude, the character of the scenery and the quality of the fishing which he says has vastly improved in the past few years due to the addition of habitat improvements.

As far as gear is concerned his favorite fly combo is a # 18 red larva and a #22 grey midge. He likes using a nine foot, four weight for fishing the San Juan and his favorite fishing gadget is a Finnegans fly fishing tool which he helped design and is available from http://indetools.com

Carithers says his number one rule for fishing the San Juan is hire a guide first, then learn to dead drift, leaving more line on the water than you might be used to. And finally, don’t break off the fish! Endeavor to set the hook lightly, let the fish run some, use a light drag and avoid hard, sudden stops.

When Carithers isn’t working he enjoys restoring a vintage travel trailers or going out hunting with his bird dogs.

Tips and Tricks to Spring Camping on the San Juan River.

Mud and Plenty of It: Spring can be the wettest time of year on the San Juan River with snowpack melting and rains turning local, dirt roads into incredibly slick and in some cases, impassable mud bogs.

Even the short stretch of dirt road leading to Cottonwood Campground can be a nightmare to navigate under the worst of conditions but those camping at the end of that same road in Simon Canyon could end up stuck there for the duration.

So those who intend to camp on the San Juan need keep an eye on the weather and be prepared to move on, in a hurry, if need be. Some rains may last an afternoon and do little damage but a heavy, overnight, drenching could spell trouble especially for those camping in the back country somewhere.

Be forewarned, four wheel drive is great stuff but without chains and aggressive off-road tires like the local oil and gas guys have, it may not be enough to deal with what some of these dirt roads serve up when muddy.

That being said, camping on the San Juan in the spring can be great if the weather cooperates just remember to button up your tent upon leaving for the day, just in case. And cover your firewood too.

Food and Coolers: Remember though that with the onset of daylight savings time, the days here grow long and with warmer temps, the fishing starts earlier too. So anglers might want to consider adopting a feeding plan that accommodates their fishing schedule.

Quick and easy foods such as hard boiled eggs, cheese sticks, apples, trail bars, beef jerky, peanuts and trail mix make for good fuel while on the river and can be easily munched on the move early in the day.

But by midday one might want to return to their vehicle or camp and relax while whipping up a real meal and waiting for the last half of the day and early evening to commence.

There are several nice, shady spots along the river at the Cottonwood Campground day use area where one can enjoy a leisurely meal and perhaps take a nap before getting back to fishing.

By bringing a small, portable, gas grill or stove, one can make short work of grilling burgers, chicken, pork which when folded into a tortilla with a dab of refried beans, several slices of avocado, tomato, onion and some green chile or salsa, rivals anything the local restaurants can whip up and is a hell of lot cheaper.

Streamside cooking is made simple with a portable gas grill and a good cast iron skillet.

Use doubled up, zip-lock bags when storing food in the cooler to keep them from getting wet or leaking into your ice.

Keeping coolers iced up becomes an issue with the coming of spring so try to keep them out of direct sunlight, anticipate the track of the sun and park accordingly. Crack your vehicle windows to let out the buildup of heat and use sun shades to cover the windows.

Consider keep the cooler wrapped in a back up sleeping bag or blanket for added insulation and don’t dump out the cold water in the bottom of the cooler until absolutely necessary. It’s what’s holding the cold.

The Sun and Lots of It: Don’t go out on the river without sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm, a good hat and a raincoat. Bring and wear a broad brimmed hat with a chin strap to retain it in the wind. Be prepared for changing weather conditions including wind and rain which can reduce core temperatures quickly.

Water and lots of it: Stay hydrated. Don’t venture out onto the river for any length of time without at least a couple of liters of water. Carry a light weight, water filter if need be but most importantly drink plenty of water and do it before you become thirsty. Limit caffeine and alcohol intake as they contribute to dehydration.

Newly Reopened Acomita Lake is Hot Spot for Trout, Scenery and a Good Time

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 18:55:00 +0000

Tim Davidson, 57, of Shiprock shows off a nice rainbow trout he caught at Acomita Lake this spring.

It’s a Saturday morning and the sounds of kids playing drifts across Acomita Lake on a slight breeze.

Waves lap at the shoreline while the lonely wail of train’s horn sounds in the distance.

Mount Taylor looms on the horizon and the shoreline is busy with early spring anglers, despite the fact that Acomita Lake is one of New Mexico’s better kept, top secret, fishing holes.

“We used to come here years ago,” said Tim Davidson, 57, a school teacher out of Shiprock. “It’s my first time back since and it’s nice to be here again.”

Holding a stringer full of nice fat trout, Davidson, says the fishing was pretty good this late March morning.

Mount Taylor serves as a backdrop at Acomita Lake.

Like many other tribal operators around the state, Acoma Pueblo’s Acomita Lake, is gearing up for an influx of stir crazy anglers looking for relief.

The lake had been closed for years while pueblo officials pondered what to do with an aging dam, declining irrigation use and other factors, says Ian Tator, 32, formerly of Lumberton, Director of Game and Fish for the pueblo.

Having reopened last year to rave reviews from serious anglers, one would be hard pressed to find any information about the lake online or in fishing reports.

But that’s changing this year with radio and billboard ads now appearing and web pages to be posted so interested anglers can find out more about this hot spot on the angling circuit.

Spreading the word ?

Tator, a New Mexico State University graduate with degrees in wildlife and fisheries science, says the trout population in the lake is good since it was stocked several years ago but hadn’t been opened yet to fishing until last year.

The 75-acre lake is up to 45-feet deep in places and the trout population has held up well without experiencing any winter or summer die-offs due to extreme temperatures.

Nonetheless, it’s Tator’s hope that they will be able to purchase oxygen diffusers to help enrich the water and improve the fishery sometime in the near future. The lake holds mostly rainbow trout but brown and Snake River cutthroats trout are scheduled for stocking this year.

Tator says those using small boats and float tubes outfitted with battery-operated trolling motors have done well due to their ability to move about the lake to locate schools of fish. No boats over 20 feet long are allowed and gas motors are prohibited also.

Tator says typical flies such as wooley boogers and bead-head nymphs fished deep on sinking tip fly lines are working well while those fishing the bank with spinning lures, worms or power bait have had success too.

Trout caught and released on a Fisher-Chick single, barbless, hook, spinning lure.

Tator recommends those who don’t mind wading should work the marshier, north end of the lake where many fish have been congregating.

“We strive for a nice clean environment here,” Tator says. “The fishing is excellent and it’s just a great place to get away from it all.”

Fishing costs $20 for adults with a five-fish bag limit, kids under 12 years old fish for $8 with a three-fish bag limit.

Well behaved dogs, leashed or under voice command, are allowed while alcohol, guns and swimming are not. There is no handicap access as of yet.

The lake is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday and a limited supply of tackle, snacks and refreshments are available at the small store on site.

Acomita Lake is located about 18 miles shy of Grants, just off I-40, at the San Fidel exit. Potential visitors can call (505) 552-9866 for more info.

Tator noted that pueblo will host a fishing derby on Father’s Day in June with a top prize of $50,000 for the lucky angler who catches the tagged fish. Entry is $50 and there will be other prizes awarded for those who catch an additional 14 tagged fish, Tator said.

Those looking for tribal fishing a little closer to Santa Fe can head up to San Ildefonso Pueblo where a fabled, giant trout sporting a red plastic tag has still yet to be caught and cashed in for $200, says Ray Flores, Director of Parks and Wildlife for the Pueblo.

Fred Vigil, 46, of Pojoaque shows of his prize catch from San Ildefonso Lake last spring.

The fish is reported to be in the 25- to 27-inch range and was stocked with many other monster trout a couple of years ago, Flores says.

“People have caught him but nobody can seem to land him,” Flores says. “A kid just got him within six feet of the bank but then he broke him off.”

San Ildefonso’s friendly informal fishing pond sits amid the shade of the Bosque and is easily navigated by the handicapped and elderly, Flores says. Senior groups and school classes are welcome and can obtain steeply discounted rates, he says.

Fishing at San Ildefonso costs $12 for adults with a six-fish bag limit, kids, veterans and seniors pay just $6. The pond is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. Well behaved leashed dogs are welcome.

Nambe Lake.

And those in the mood for a little high country fishing need only head up to Nambe Lake and Falls where the heavily stocked waters, cool climate and expansive vistas make for an enjoyable day.

Adults pay $15 with a new limit of just five fish, down from seven in years past, says Joe Vigil, Chief Ranger.

“The costs of buying fish have gone up along with everything else,“ Vigil said.

Nambe Lake features good bank fishing and allows small boats with electric motors, float tubes and rafts. Well behaved dogs on leashes are welcome. Anglers will find some fishing supplies and a limited amount of groceries and ice at the ranger’s shed at the entrance to the lake.

If You Go:

Acomita Lake is located off I-40, between Albuquerque and Grants. Take the San Fidel exit, # 100. San Ildefonso Pueblo is off State Road 502 on the way to Los Alamos, follow the signs. Nambe Lake and Falls is off State Road 503, the back road to Chimayo, follow the signs.

Tent Rocks National Monument Delivers Spectacular Scenery

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 18:02:00 +0000

It can be a challenging and exciting climb to the top of the Canyon Trail at Tent Rocks National Monument but those who make it are rewarded with a striking panoramic view of the valley floor below.

From on high one can see the sparkling waters of the Rio Grande forming the lake at Cochiti dam, the spreading plains to the east, the Ortiz mountains looming in the south and the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez Moutains to the north and west.

But it is the view from behind, from where the hiker just came, that may be the most impressive as the eerie tent-shaped hoodoos for which this place is named dominate the scene.

Rising from the ground like so many dusty colored Christmas trees, the late afternoon light here in the canyon makes for impressive shadows, stunning contrasts and intriguing memories of these rock formations.

Located just south of Santa Fe near Cochiti Pueblo, the national monument has seen many improvements of late making it worth a return visit.

Gone is the bone-jarring, five-mile dirt road that used to lead to the Canyon and Cave Loop trailheads.

It has since been replaced by a smooth ribbon of asphalt and concrete pads where the road crosses several arroyos.

Visitors to the trailhead will find the easy, 1.2 mile Cave Loop trail and the more challenging and rewarding Canyon trail awaiting.

The Cave Loop trail provides a good view of the surrounding tent rocks and multi-colored hillsides along with access to a small cave carved into the rock wall by ancient dwellers.

The compelling Canyon Trail leads visitors up into a tight high-walled canyon where lone Ponderosa pines have taken root and stretch mightily for the skies.

Working one’s way up the sandy floor, squeezing at one point underneath a boulder wedged between the walls, one can’t help but feel a touch of claustrophobia.

Any anxiety produced by the tight confines soon diminishes though as one begins to climb up and out to the mesa top above. On the way one need only stop and look back to see the towering tent rocks and softly hued rock walls that make this place such a rare find.

The Canyon trail is listed at 1.6 miles with a short but steep, 630 foot ascent. The trail itself is well worn, with easily managed switchbacks and the resulting view is one of the more rewarding to be found in the state.

Upon climbing back down the canyon, hikers can take the Cave Loop trail at its intersection and find the hike is not much longer than just heading straight back to the lot. The trail ends as it threads its way through a well defined group of the tent rock formations.

The tent rocks are the byproduct of volcanic eruptions thousands of years ago that helped shape and form the Jemez region. Formed of soft pumice and tuff many of the tent rocks are protected from erosion by a cap rock perched precariously upon its peak.

The multi-colored bands seen in cliff faced walls were formed by different layers of ash piling up during long ago, volcanic events.

Posted on the BLM’s webpage dedicated to the monument is an extremely informative student trail guide that can printed out and taken along for a more inclusive hike.

A map and guide specifically dedicated to the monument published by High Desert Field Guides of Santa Fe and authored by geologists Kirt Kempter and Dick Huelster can also be obtained at the convienance store in the nearby town of Cochiti Lake or through the Public Lands Information Center which operates a store off St. Rd 14 on Dinosaur Trail.

And just a few miles up the road from the monument trailheads, visitors will find a new mile long, wheelchair suitable, hiking loop has been installed along with new picnic shelters, a modern outhouse and improved parking at the Veterans Memorial Overlook.

Here the surrounding peaks of the Jemez Mountains and views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains dominate the horizon while Peralta Canyon and its impressive rock formations can be seen below.

The windswept bluff at the overlook is a quiet, contemplative kind of place where one might be inclined to have a picnic or relax with a good book.

Tent Rocks National Monument is also called Kasha-Katuwe (white cliffs) and is jointly managed by the BLM and Cochiti Pueblo. In 2009 the monument recorded about 50,000 visitors including 45 school groups, according to latest available manager’s report posted on the BLM’s website.

Specific rules are in place at the monument including no alcohol, mountain bikes or dogs allowed, not even those to be left in a vehicle. For more info see the BLM’s website at http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/rio_puerco/kasha_katuwe_tent_rocks.html

The site is open during the summer hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and costs $5 for entrance.

If You Go:

From Santa Fe take I-25 south to the turn off to Cochiti Lake at the bottom of La Bajada and follow St. Rd 16 to the intersection of St. Rd 22. Head west towards the mountains and Cochiti Dam. Just past the base of the dam turn south on 22 towards Cochiti Pueblo and the town of Sile. Follow the signs to the monument entrance.

Looking up and out from the bottom of Canyon Trail at Tent Rocks National Monument in New Mexico.

Visit Wildlife West Nature Park to See Wild Animals Up Close

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:03:00 +0000

If it’s wolves you’re looking for, then the Wildlife West Nature Park in Edgewood is a good place of find them, along with plenty of other enlightening and entertaining animals.

The 122-acre park offers sanctuary for wildlife that for one reason or another could no longer survive on their own.

And for a lucky few, they have found a comfortable, natural, environment where they can live out the rest of their lives while also serving to educate and entertain the public.

The non-profit nature park is the lifework of Roger Alink, a Vietnam era Army veteran and retired high school shop teacher and host of some 4,000 school kids each year on field trips.

Roger Alink and Lucky the Deer.

Alink proudly notes that the park may be the world’s only zoo constructed entirely by youth, many of whom were Youth Conservation Corps members.

Alink, who earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial education and a master’s degree in outdoor recreation, both from the University of New Mexico, believes most kids these days suffer from “Nature Deficit Disorder.”

Alink, who grew up on a farm in Minnesota, did his best to combat that condition among his students while serving as shop teacher for Albuquerque’s Valley High School, where he ran an after-school stock car racing club and a mountaineering club.

The clubs helped give kids confidence, experience and skills they’d need in the outside world.

Alink, 63, is married to Terrie and is the father of two of his own children. His son, Brian, works in finance in Dallas and his daughter, Emily, is an industrial designer living in Seattle. Alink is the proud grandfather of six.

But Alink had an even bigger dream for helping kids, and that’s why he undertook creation of the nature park.

It’s a place where “education, nature, and hands-on experience with everything from animal husbandry to construction and conservation, provides a unique learning and development experience for young people,” Alink states on his website at www.wildlifewest.org.

During a recent visit to the park, Alink, a licensed contractor, pointed out how many of the park facilities incorporate recycled materials including animal enclosures made out of used tires encased in stucco.

The park’s amphitheatre is constructed of steel beams, poles and siding recovered from a defunct Albuquerque nursery.

There’s a water catchment and containment system to provide additional water for the facility, gardens that produce vegetables for the animals and even a small pond and wetland area to provide natural habitat.

Alink notes out that many of the park’s animal enclosures incorporate native trees, rocks and other features which provide the animal with a natural environment in which to live.

Feeding too is done in such a manner as to encourage the animals’ natural tendencies, such as placing meat in a tree to encourage climbing or hiding it to stimulate an animal’s problem solving abilities.

What’s apparent during a visit to the park on a quiet, late winter’s day is how well cared for and happy the animals appear.

An antelope approaches a visitor and beckons to have its head scratched and its rubbery horns wrestled with. A curious javelina comes out of its hiding spot at the sound of a human voice and ambles over to the plastic viewing window to find out who’s there, sniffing heavily around the window’s seams.

There’s a perky looking but aloof bobcat, much too intent on watching something off in the distance to pay a visitor any mind.

And behind another plastic window in an enclosure lounges a luxurious mountain lion in the dirt while a sleepy bear with an inquisitive nose greets Alink and his visitor this balmy winter’s day.

The park has a large contingent of raptors and other birds under its care, including a colorful pair of Crested Caracaras, the national bird of Mexico, and a one-eyed golden eagle kept in a large screened enclosure where it has some room to fly.

A Crested Caracaras,the national bird of Mexico.

Other birds include owls and even a turkey vulture.

But it’s the recent addition of three young male wolves that really has the park buzzing as the spirited group grows accustomed to their new home.

Members of a pack raised in captivity for eventual release by the United State Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the three never made it into the wild and were instead moved to the nature park to make room for others in the release program, according to Tom Buckley, Public Affairs Specialist with the USFWS in Albuquerque.

Those interested in hanging out with the wolves need not venture all the way into the Gila Wilderness to do so as visitors to the park in Edgewood can spend a night in a “blind” where they can unobtrusively observe, photograph and listen to the animals.

“If you spend the night, you’ll hear them and it’s pretty special,” Alink says.

Photographers have shown a lot of interest in the new pack and the blind operation, he added.

Visitors can also spend the night at the mountain lion enclosure and both programs are part of many innovative ideas the park utilizes to support its operations.

Take the back road to Edgewood and see some of what makes New Mexico so special.

The park plays host to a wind festival in May featuring kite flying, then there’s the Hammers and Hooves Horse Fair and Blacksmith Competition in June and a highly popular summer music festival in July and in the fall a harvest festival.

Also throughout the summer months, visitors will find regularly scheduled Saturday night Chuck Wagon dinners featuring classic BBQ and the fixings, hay rides, western music and animal shows.

The park also provides regular classes for the park’s many volunteers and members of the public including bird handling and animal keeping, there’s a summer camp for junior zoo keepers and guided educational field trips to the park.

The park has facilities for rent and Alink, the executive director of the operation, is always open to new ideas. More info about the park and its many programs can be found on its website at www.wildlifewest.org.

The doorway to nowhere on State Road 14.

Fly Fishing Film Festival Proceeds to Benefit the San Juan River

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 23:11:00 +0000

Aaron Carithers of Anasazi Anglers and a native San Juan River Brown trout.

By Karl Moffatt
Fly fishing fanatics can get their fix and do some good by attending an upcoming film tour in which proceeds will go to trout habitat improvements and other worthy projects on the state’s top angling attraction, the San Juan River below Navajo Dam, sponsors say.

“Anyone who loves to fish and truly cares about this trophy-class trout stream should come on down to the show,” says Larry Johnson of the San Juan River Guide Association, one the local fly- fishing film tour’s primary sponsors. “The films are great, there’ll be fabulous raffle prizes and it’s a wonderful opportunity to show support for our beautiful San Juan River.”

The San Juan River in northwestern New Mexico draws thousands of fly-fishing enthusiasts to its waters each year for the opportunity to catch and release big trout and is consistently rated among the country’s top ten trout fisheries.

But because of ongoing low flows, the river, one of state’s top tourism draws estimated to bring in up to $40 million a year, is in need of habitat and other improvement projects to keep it special for anglers and trout alike.

E.T.Rock on the San Juan River at Navajo Dam, New Mexico.

Thus members of the angling community have come together to sponsor the fly-fishing film tour in March with shows in Albuquerque and Santa Fe with proceeds to fund future projects on the San Juan River.

The film tour’s New Mexico debut is scheduled for Friday, March 11, at the Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town at 800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW and is sponsored by Charlie’s Sporting Goods and the Los Pinos Fly Shop.

T.J. Trout of 94 Rock, an avid trout fisherman, will emcee the event, which will feature a no-host bar, food carts, vendors’ booths and a raffle at intermission for prizes such as rods and reels or guided trips and lodging on the San Juan River.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with over two hours of films slated to begin at 7 p.m.

And in Santa Fe the film tour will show at the Lodge at Santa Fe, 750 North St. Francis Drive, on March 25 with the Reel Life and High Desert Anglers fly shops sponsoring.

The event will feature similar attractions to those found in Albuquerque with the doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and the show to begin at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $15 at the door or $10 when purchased at the sponsors’ stores.

Proceeds will go to yet to be determined projects on the San Juan that have been endorsed by New Mexico Trout, the Truchas Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the San Juan River Guide Association.

Baetis Bend on the San Juan River at Navajo Dam, New Mexico.

Heritage Hotels, which operates both the Hotel Albuquerque and the Lodge at Santa Fe, donated cinemagraphic accommodations for the film festival, Johnson said.

Films to be shown include a documentary of the exploits of four die-hard fishermen doing whatever it takes to survive on the open road for nearly four months on an epic, overland, fly-fishing adventure.

Beginning in Portland, Oregon, the crew converts a diesel truck to run on vegetable oil, while they beg, borrow, and barter ways to fuel their 8,000-mile journey to the tip of Baja and across mainland Mexico to the beaches of the Yucatan Peninsula.

While en route to their fishing destinations, the crew tries desperately to avoid harassment from local law enforcement and from being kidnapped and held for ransom by the drug cartels.

Another film features two childhood friends whose lifelong dream of exploring the wilderness of the South Island of New Zealand becomes reality and the experience of a lifetime.

Other segments include films dedicated to Muskie fishing in Wisconsin, fishing the marshes of Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and fly fishing for shark, permit and smallmouth bass in unique locations.

And the show will feature a sneak preview of the first 20 minutes of the film "Low & Clear", a story about a winter fly-fishing trip to Canada that serves as catalyst for two old friends who have gone their separate ways.

Old fishing buddies Glenn May and Karl Moffatt at Texas Hole on the San Juan River in December 2003.

With days spent in icy waters and cramped motel rooms, the two discover they may have grown too far apart as ideologies and egos clash.

A meditation on friendship, the film seeks to examine how for some, life can be about fishing and for others, fishing can be about life.

The Fly Fishing Film Tour is the work of the Webeye Group out of Boulder, Colo., and more information about the national tour can be found at their website at http://www.flyfishingfilmtour.com/

For more info about the local film tour contact Larry Johnson by email at Soaring Eagle Lodge at info@soaringeaglelodge.net or by telephone at (505) 632-3721.

Area Hot Springs Provide Winter Relief for Weary New Mexicans

noreply@blogger.com (Karl F. Moffatt Publisher) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 01:47:00 +0000

By Karl Moffatt
It’s near noon on a delightfully warm and sunny, midwinter’s day and the steaming waters and impressive view at the Spence Hot Spring are soothing one man’s worries away.

“It doesn’t get much better than this,” said Bob of Albuquerque, who had called in sick, grabbed his bike and jumped aboard the train to Bernalillo where he caught the bus to Jemez Springs.

The hot spring is just one of several in the Jemez Springs area where visitors can enjoy a brisk hike in the woods and cap it off with a soothing soak in a natural hot spring.

Bob, who politely declined to provide his last name, said his midweek, mental health day, was made all that much better by the fact that he could use public transportation to get out of town.

“It’s a little known fact that you can take the train out to Bernalillo first thing in the morning and the bus to Jemez Springs is waiting there for you,” he says. “And it’s free with your train ticket.”

Unfortunately the morning train from Santa Fe arrives about 20 minutes too late at the 550 station in Bernalillo for riders to take advantage of the outbound Jemez Springs bus.

But being from Albuquerque Bob was able to take advantage of a great break in the weather and call dibs on the steaming pool located high on a hillside with a great southerly view of the Jemez Valley.

A bridge across the Jemez River provides access to Spence Hot Springs.

Spence Hot Spring is located about seven miles north of Jemez Springs off State Road 4 between mile markers 24 and 25 where the parking lot is currently under renovation along with trail improvements to the spring.

The spring’s close proximity to the roadway makes it one of the area’s more heavily used but on this Tuesday morning it sees just a few visitors.

Just down the road at the Battleship Rock parking area one can find trail #137 and a two mile hike to McCauley Warm Springs where the clear pools of warm water are bigger and feature tiny minnows that tickle as they nibble at your skin.

These pools see less traffic during the week due to their remote location and can usually be enjoyed with little or no other company.

Battleship Rocks looms large and beckons hikers to McCauley Warm Springs.

But those who are seeking a real workout in getting to a hot spring should consider hiking in to the San Antonio hot springs located alongside the creek bearing its name.

This hillside hot spring is a cult favorite among winter hikers due to its remoteness, steady supply of good hot water and the fabulous view.

One can follow Forest Road 376 north off State Road 126 to reach it and expect to hike in about 12 miles, round trip. The forest road is closed to vehicles in the winter.

Another hiking route follows San Antonio creek along an old logging road found just across State Road 126 from the San Antonio Campground. This roundtrip hike covers about 10 miles, crosses some private land and ends at the intersection of Forest Road 376 just below the springs.

Others seeking an even shorter route to the San Antonio Hot Springs have dropped down to the river trail through Ice Cave Canyon from Thompson Ridge Estates. This shaves several miles off the hike but is naturally a more difficult and adventurous hike.

A snake and lizard are formed by nails hammered into an embedded timber at Soda Dam near Jemez Springs.

Either way, the trip is usually worth it and may be all that much easier this winter due to a lack of snow fall.

Consult the Santa Fe National Forest map for more detailed directions to these sites or visit the Jemez Ranger District office on State Road 4 outside of Jemez Springs for more information.

Visitors to these hot springs should pack swimsuits as it is technically illegal to skinny dip in the pools.

Bathers should also be aware that the warm waters may contain bacteria that can cause serious illnesses such as meningitis and should avoid getting water in the nostrils or other body entrances.

Those seeking a hot mineral bath without the hike will find a public bath house within the village as well as the Giggling Springs bath house, both located in downtown Jemez Springs.

And after a full day of soaking visitors may want to drop in to the Los Ojos Bar in downtown Jemez Springs and experience one of the last of a dying breed of real, rustic, New Mexico roadhouses.

If You Go:
From Santa Fe take US 84/285 north to Pojoaque and take State Road 502 to State Road 4 through White Rock and then up the mountain past the Valles Caldera and down to Jemez Springs. For an alternate route home continue on State Road 4 through Jemez Pueblo to San Ysidro and follow U.S. 550 to I-25 at Bernalillo.

Enjoy a beer or two but party responsibly and arrive alive.