Winter Fly Fishing/Ski Trip to Breckenridge

I often load up my SUV and head over to Breckenridge. I bring my fly fishing and ski gear. The 100 mile drive is quite scenic heading over Wilkerson and Hoosier Pass. I do a lot of thinking as I drive.

As I head west on Highway 24  the fly fishing options are many. During any season, there is Eleven Mile Canyon.  During the Spring, I might stop on the “dream stream” and look for big rainbows or, in the fall, big browns. Or, I might stop at Antero and look for big fish cruising along the edges. There is the Tomahawk section of the middle fork of the Platte at times, holds some big Browns that make their way up from Spinney.  On the Breckenridge side, there is the Blue River below the town of Breckenridge and the tail water below Dillon Dam which is a great winter fishery.. All these waters hold good fish and even some monsters. Sometimes I stop and fish, sometimes I don’t. It depends.

I arrive in Breckenridge.  High temperature:  8’. Low -26.  Too cold to fish. Why be miserable?  I have other options. I don’t have to fish.

When I came down Hoosier Pass I noticed some new snow on the edges of the road. I wondered if the slopes may have really received the 4 inches of new snow as was reported. With hope, I try a few runs but find the conditions marginal and lacking fresh powder. Plus I am cold!  After a few short runs on my tellmark skis I call it good.  Tellemark skiing on marginal conditions when one is expecting soft powder is sort of like expecting to fish dry flies during a trico hatch but only to find out the water flow suddenly got jacked up and the fish are not going to rise and now you have to fish San Juan Worms.

I changed into my running gear and run 30 minutes through the woods over a beautiful snow covered trail. It felt good to move and breathe in the cold and I was sort of protected in the trees. But running at 10 thousand feet is not easy.   I run back to the lodge.  

I then did a mini workout in the fitness room. I didn’t really have to work out again but it was nice to be inside and warm up and do some different exercises. Plus, I was not in a rush.  I was waiting for a phone call from my daughters.

I met my daughters in downtown Breck for lunch. We ate and conversed and then we went back up to the resort to use the spa. It was good. It was all good.

I don’t know. But it feels right to be flexible in this manner.  I guess I feel I am less of a control freak and  I try not to be one who has to do certain things. I realize there is a fine line between passionately pursuing the things I enjoy and those same things being addictions.

On the way back home as I traveled through South Park and I noticed most of the Platte was iced over. It felt good to think of the trout below the ice resting on the bottom. I sort of wished them well. I look forward to warmer days.

And for now, I don’t have to fish.

I have options.