Breckenridge, Day 4

This morning was another early start for T and I. We headed out the door about 6:45, bound for Terryall Creek. T had booked us on some private ranch water, and we could arrive anytime after 8:00 am to get the key for the gate. We covered some of the same territory we did yesterday, but the weather was very different, which totally changed the scenery. Today started off (and ended) foggy and misty and overcasty, whereas yesterday it was bright sunny.

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On the way to Terryall, though, you'll never believe what we saw...frosty ground! Apparently there had been a sizeable hail storm in the area overnight, and the grass was still white in a few places, with lots of little piles of hail, lookin' like snow, along the side of the (very potholed) road. It looked like winter! And it's August!

We picked up our gate key and parking pass at the general store/B&B just down the road from the ranch, then headed out to test the waters. Turns out, the waters did not like us much today. I caught one brown trout, not terribly big. I could have had a huge one, if I hadn't gotten my line all eff'd up just as he was coming for my dry fly. C'est la vie; he will be the one who got away.


T had more success than I did, though. He caught one whompin' big rainbow trout, and another that was a tad larger than the brown I snagged. But that was it for the day. It was off-and-on windy and looked like it was going to dump on us at any minute, so that combined with our general lack of success put an end to our fishing adventure.

Even T can't believe how enormous this fish is!

Not as impressive, therefore T is not as shocked

However, he is still pleased with his overall success for the day!

Current fish score:
T: 3

M: 3

This means war, as there is only one day of fishing left....

Just as we got back to the car, the first raindrops fell - the first since I've been here! Dad said it rained practically every day before I got here. I am just a ray of f**king sunshine, apparently :-)

I was excited on the drive back, partially because we got coffee, and partly because I saw two donkeys! One donkey on each of two separate ranches. Just hanging out there with the horses! (Apparently they have a calming effect on nervous horses, so they are often pastured together.) I tried to convince T to get one as a pet, but I'm not sure he's sold on the idea yet. Donkeys are supposedly smart, though, and in fact make good pets. Everybody help me out here - how cool would it be to have a pet donkey?

The rest of the drive back to Breck was pretty uneventful, except that we ended up behind a Jeep on the road which was also from MO!

Poor Keystone had to skip his morning walk due to our early departure, so we took him out when we got back. And by "we took him out," I mean I took pictures while Dad had his arm ripped off. Keystone seemed to rather enjoy his daily swim in the reservoir, though.


And guess what...this reservoir and our walk down the hill? I've been there before. I just didn't know it. And I was on skis at the time. Does this look familiar?




I didn't think so. It didn't really to me either - in fact, I was pretty sure Dad was just messing with my head - until you start getting to the part where you're passing by people's houses. It all looks very different when it's covered with snow, and the lift is actually running!

Dinner was a reprise of Friday night, since we're trying to use up the perishable food before I leave. T is leaving the same day I do, except while I'm headed back to the working world and miserable St. Louis weather, he's off for a few (more) days of mountain fishing. (Is this fair?) But just to be clear, the fish count is only valid on days that we are both fishing (so don't get any bright ideas!).