Let’s just start out by clarifying nobody got a rash or tetanus from the South Platte River water which leads me to believe the water is a bit cleaner than I had given it credit for. Unlike most river cleanups, this effort by our friends at Protect Our Rivers combines hard working volunteers on footContinue reading “River Cleanup on a Raft – Protect Our Rivers makes it happen!!!”
Author Archives: William Bussard
!!! A Cleaner Clear IV !!!
For a random idea dreamed up during a pandemic, this cleanup has taken off like a plastic bag in a north wind. Who would have thought wandering around in an urban riverbed picking up junk with your friends could bring so many smiles. The 4th annual Clear Creek river cleanup is on the calendar forContinue reading “!!! A Cleaner Clear IV !!!”
3rd Annual – A Cleaner Clear – Recap
It was a sunny day at Twin Lakes Park on the banks of Clear Creek. 105 dedicated volunteers filled bags for 4 hours and cleaned over 2.5 miles of river. That’s the condensed fact sheet. The impact of trash and crap cleaned up out of the creek was measured in thousands of pounds. Adams CountyContinue reading “3rd Annual – A Cleaner Clear – Recap”
Honey Holes
It occurred to my friends and while the conversation turned to our various childhoods that every town, be it large or small contained off-the-map locations that held a certain treasure. On the outskirts of one of their towns sat a crumbling hospital the feral boys on bicycles referred to as “The Insane Asylum”, given theContinue reading “Honey Holes”
!!! 3rd Freaking Annual – A Cleaner Clear !!!
Time to get your hands dirty and your water clean. Clear Creek needs your love again this year because some people just aren’t getting the memo about the ill effects of trashing the planet. Seems to me another show of organized action is in order. This year we are doubling our efforts and teaming withContinue reading “!!! 3rd Freaking Annual – A Cleaner Clear !!!”
Dispersed Camping – Meadow Creek
Dispersed camping is sometimes the best test of a marriage. Packing, meal prep, miles of rough roads with only the Colorado Gazetteer and hope to decide the boom or bust of a weekend in the wilderness can put an unnecessary strain on the bond between two typically easy going people. Add three restless girls andContinue reading “Dispersed Camping – Meadow Creek”
Campground – Arapahoe Bay
Reserved campgrounds. Some can lead to breathtaking views and pure existential experiences, and some just suck. Depending on your site, the Arapahoe Bay paid campground can be either one. Maybe we are just the luckiest bunch of campers in the country, or maybe our research lends to better decisions. I tend toward the latter. InContinue reading “Campground – Arapahoe Bay”
The Denver Fly Fishing Show – Beers, Bobbins, & Beards
John Geirach was just cruising around the massive showroom floor like a wise old brown trout, being very selective about what he might want to take home. He looked haggard. Like he just drove straight to the show after mouse fishing all night. But he’s John Geirach and doesn’t give a shit. Curiously enough, likeContinue reading “The Denver Fly Fishing Show – Beers, Bobbins, & Beards”
Know Your Junk
My grandad had this old creamy brown flat bed Dodge feed truck. A purely utilitarian piece of equipment. Zero aesthetics. This was before he could afford a proper push button feeder so it was piled high with fifty pound feed sacks of the same color of the truck. Dusty tan. The grime and splattered cowContinue reading “Know Your Junk”
To Disperse or Reserve
This weekend we loaded up the truck on a Friday afternoon to camp. I would typically never, ever, consider camping on a Friday because at that point all the good dispersed spots would be taken by childless youngsters fully outfitted with expensive REI gear on unemployment. My wife and lifelong camping partner and I wouldContinue reading “To Disperse or Reserve”
Arkansas
“Are you going to fish the White River?” Tell any fly fisher you are headed to Arkansas and you will immediately hear all about floating a nymph under a bobber to monster brown trout down that river. Yawn. Sounds like watching an amateur golf tournament on TV. Sure, there will be some memorable shots, butContinue reading “Arkansas”
Enamelware
The smell of burning plastic plates in a campfire was one of those nostril burning aromas that I associated with a campfire when growing up. Back when I was younger and better looking, plastic was this incredible product that found its way into everything in our lives. Plastic cups, plates, and utensils became a stapleContinue reading “Enamelware”
A Cleaner Clear 2021 – 2nd Annual!!!!
Ever picked up a random piece of trash and won a $150 Patagonia bag? How about a 4 banger roof rack River Quiver from Riversmith? Or maybe you like ice cream. Our great friends at Scoops Homemade Ice Cream have some prizes you might get all over your face. If you said no, then youContinue reading “A Cleaner Clear 2021 – 2nd Annual!!!!”
Campground (SD) – Grizzly Creek
Remember that time you booked the trip of a lifetime to Thailand and a pandemic shut down the entire planet, except for the Trump Kool-Aid drinking South Dakota part and you decided to check out camping in another state instead? I mean, the Black Hills are sort of like Thailand. Except for literally everything. ButContinue reading “Campground (SD) – Grizzly Creek”
Key West Salt
“Mama, I’m freezin’ (mama, I’m freezin’), I wanna go to the su-un (to the sun)These icy winter breezes (winter breezes) are chillin’ all my fun (all my fun)”. Yes, Village People. F’ing yes! When I was doing what I could in high school to fit in and attract “babes”, I was expected by my friends,Continue reading “Key West Salt”
The Camp Rollercoaster
It must be the last day of our camping trip because my sore fingers are punctuated with pitch black parenthesis of dirt under every nail. The sloshing coolers are a little less heavy than they were four days ago, and my hair has the consistency of a stiffened grimy dish rag. When asked to beginContinue reading “The Camp Rollercoaster”
Campground – The Ledge near Moab, UT
What a trip this was going to be! Two new dogs, 5 kids, two rafts, and camping in March. We were going to get this camping season started early in 2019 come hell or high water. The road from Denver to the Utah desert was long and Ned’s (our energetic canine) car legs were shakyContinue reading “Campground – The Ledge near Moab, UT”
Frozen Ferrules
After taking three wrong turns on unfamiliar snow-packed roads we found what looked like the road we were hoping would lead us to catching enormous wild trout. You know what that road looks like. There was only one set of tracks in the snow and if we met that other car the drive in reverseContinue reading “Frozen Ferrules”
How To: Host a River Cleanup
Since we hosted the Clear Creek river cleanup in September (A Cleaner Clear), there have been a large amount of folks asking when the next cleanup will be and how they can get involved in the future with others. This makes my heart soar like a hawk. Just to hear that folks are passionate aboutContinue reading “How To: Host a River Cleanup”
Gear Review: Fishpond Boat Net
I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again. Looking the part is half the battle in any activity. But don’t think for a second I’m buying tight grey baseball pants for my old man softball league. My jean shorts are accomplishing both forty-plus style and total abandonment of being cool any more, thank youContinue reading “Gear Review: Fishpond Boat Net”
The Confluences 