I had been promising Rick that I would take him into the Bluestone to fish for trout for some time. The river had been up for a couple of weeks, in fact it was at flood level at one point, and fishing had to be put on hold. The waters eventually receded and with some time off for Thanksgiving Rick and I headed to the Bluestone for some trout. Just recently Austin discovered a new path that you can drive to that puts you on the County Line trail. You can then hike the County Line trail and use it to intersect the River trail, which you can tell by its description takes you to the river. Up until now we have had only three other options. Hike the River trail in its entirety, adding another 4 or 5 miles to the trek not a good option, use the Canyon Rim trail to intersect the River trail cutting out those extra miles but introducing a brutally steep and exhausting section to traverse in the process also not a good option, and finally using an unmarked trail at the par 3 golf course to intersect the River tail again cutting out the extra miles and while steep not nearly the bear that the Canyon Rim trail poses by far the best option to date. This new County Line option has been great though. Although it doesn't shorten the distance of the hike any from option three it makes nearly half of it a hike on flat ground which is a cake walk compared to some of the mountain goat like trails we've have to traverse in the past. This option probably won't be available if a deep snow hits because you won't be able to drive to it, but while the roads are clear I'll take it. As we hiked in we saw a true rarity; walking along we jumped a grouse and were taken aback by the chance encounter. The river conditions were perfect and using a combination of many different spinners we caught and released around 45 fish between the two of us on a very laid back kind of trip. One thing that has helped mankind progress and evolve to the level he currently finds himself at now is the exchange of ideas. Learning from others and adapting those ideas to fit your own needs. I stressed the importance of a good wading stick to Rick when crossing a river, as we do when we fish the Bluestone to get to the good spots. Any sturdy stick will do and we found Rick one by the riverside. I took this opportunity to show Rick one of my gadgets, a collapsible wading stick. Compact, sturdy and reliable making hunting for sticks unnecessary and providing you with access to one whenever the need arises which allows for greater versatility, a true peacock moment for me. Rick returned the favor in kind. The day before he mentioned taking a portable stove with him to cook soup and heat tea. I scoffed at the idea, picturing a 4 or 5lb bottle of propane and a bulky hotplate meant for camps. I told him that it would be a lot of extra weight to pack and hike in and out of the canyon, but sometimes you have to learn the hard way. I was amazed when he produced it. The burner was the size of my cell phone and the propane tank wasn't much bigger. Along with some sturdy but compact cookware it provided many conveniences of the camp or kitchen but packed down next to nothing. On a cold day hot soup and hot tea made my cold sandwich and cold soda look about as appealing as dog food. Fortunately Rick was gracious enough to have brought enough for two and was willing to share. Ramon noodles and warm tea may not sound like much in the comforts of your home, but sitting on a riverbank on a cold day when you've been wading in frigid water having something hot to eat and drink made me feel like a king. Touche Rick, touche. Needless to say I bought one later that night.
I had been promising Rick that I would take him into the Bluestone to fish for trout for some time. The river had been up for a couple of weeks, in fact it was at flood level at one point, and fishing had to be put on hold. The waters eventually receded and with some time off for Thanksgiving Rick and I headed to the Bluestone for some trout. Just recently Austin discovered a new path that you can drive to that puts you on the County Line trail. You can then hike the County Line trail and use it to intersect the River trail, which you can tell by its description takes you to the river. Up until now we have had only three other options. Hike the River trail in its entirety, adding another 4 or 5 miles to the trek not a good option, use the Canyon Rim trail to intersect the River trail cutting out those extra miles but introducing a brutally steep and exhausting section to traverse in the process also not a good option, and finally using an unmarked trail at the par 3 golf course to intersect the River tail again cutting out the extra miles and while steep not nearly the bear that the Canyon Rim trail poses by far the best option to date. This new County Line option has been great though. Although it doesn't shorten the distance of the hike any from option three it makes nearly half of it a hike on flat ground which is a cake walk compared to some of the mountain goat like trails we've have to traverse in the past. This option probably won't be available if a deep snow hits because you won't be able to drive to it, but while the roads are clear I'll take it. As we hiked in we saw a true rarity; walking along we jumped a grouse and were taken aback by the chance encounter. The river conditions were perfect and using a combination of many different spinners we caught and released around 45 fish between the two of us on a very laid back kind of trip. One thing that has helped mankind progress and evolve to the level he currently finds himself at now is the exchange of ideas. Learning from others and adapting those ideas to fit your own needs. I stressed the importance of a good wading stick to Rick when crossing a river, as we do when we fish the Bluestone to get to the good spots. Any sturdy stick will do and we found Rick one by the riverside. I took this opportunity to show Rick one of my gadgets, a collapsible wading stick. Compact, sturdy and reliable making hunting for sticks unnecessary and providing you with access to one whenever the need arises which allows for greater versatility, a true peacock moment for me. Rick returned the favor in kind. The day before he mentioned taking a portable stove with him to cook soup and heat tea. I scoffed at the idea, picturing a 4 or 5lb bottle of propane and a bulky hotplate meant for camps. I told him that it would be a lot of extra weight to pack and hike in and out of the canyon, but sometimes you have to learn the hard way. I was amazed when he produced it. The burner was the size of my cell phone and the propane tank wasn't much bigger. Along with some sturdy but compact cookware it provided many conveniences of the camp or kitchen but packed down next to nothing. On a cold day hot soup and hot tea made my cold sandwich and cold soda look about as appealing as dog food. Fortunately Rick was gracious enough to have brought enough for two and was willing to share. Ramon noodles and warm tea may not sound like much in the comforts of your home, but sitting on a riverbank on a cold day when you've been wading in frigid water having something hot to eat and drink made me feel like a king. Touche Rick, touche. Needless to say I bought one later that night. 
