https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-cleaner-clear-5-river-cleanup-tickets-886365301477 If you are the jerk who took the time to shove their couch into my favorite pond on Clear Creek, we are gonna find you and feed you to the carp. Yes, friends, someone did this, and that's not the worst part. The couch barely smells like pee at all! This could be someone'sContinue reading "A Cleaner Clear – 5th Year – Keeping it Trashy"
!!! 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 !!!"
6th Annual, A Cleaner Clear, Recap and Call to Action!!
The Trash Picker Upper Gods smiled once again on the crew and volunteers at A Cleaner Clear this year, with near-perfect weather, and everyone working their butts off to make our little corner of the planet a little cleaner. To keep things a little less long-winded, we will cover the highlights. 152 Volunteers!! This isContinue reading "6th Annual, A Cleaner Clear, Recap and Call to Action!!"
6th Annual Cleaner Clear River Cleanup!
October 4, 2025 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6th-annual-cleaner-clear-river-cleanup-tickets-1378166375729?aff=oddtdtcreator It's time to sign up for the 6th Annual river cleanup everyone talks about. A Cleaner Clear. OCTOBER 4! Mark those calendars and sign up above! SPONSORSHIP! Want to help buy supplies, refreshments, trash bags, gas money, gloves, grabbers, printing, event insurance, or all the other things needed to pull ourContinue reading "6th Annual Cleaner Clear River Cleanup!"
Breaking Camp
There are very few things I truly hate about camping. Doing dishes, being cold, wet, tired, and not being able to screw because there are kids in the tent? These are but mere discomforts which are manageable and something one gets used to. But the one thing that puts a bitter taste in my mouth every time IContinue reading "Breaking Camp"
Smash and Grab
The first time someone rifled through my truck console and glove box I was a little shocked to put it lightly. They stole all my spare change and just trashed everything else. It looked like a racoon had a bachelor party in the cab. My doors were unlocked and I was parked on the street soContinue reading "Smash and Grab"
A Cleaner Clear IV – Recap, and Thoughts
Just like any day where something overly important is on my calendar, usually a fishing trip or this cleanup, I didn't sleep much. Waking every 20 to 30 minutes just to see that time was crawling through the night like a cold snake, I frustratingly put my feet on the floor at 5:30, loaded theContinue reading "A Cleaner Clear IV – Recap, and Thoughts"
The Confluences – Now a Nonprofit! – Donations accepted and appreciated!!
Damn it's crazy being a grown up. And it felt like it was about time for A Confluences to pull itself together, lawyer up, and take the next step. No, our cleanup isn't getting married, having a baby and moving to the suburbs, but it is now a fully fledged nonprofit with the State ofContinue reading "The Confluences – Now a Nonprofit! – Donations accepted and appreciated!!"
Mahahual Y Bacalar
The open wounds on Brady's feet were starting to leak clear fluid into the nylon Chaco straps as most of the blood had washed into the crystal clear Mexican ocean. Somehow he had forgotten his wading shoes ninety miles away at the cabana on the edge of the Bacalar Lagoon. But the fish were here,Continue reading "Mahahual Y Bacalar"
Questionable Instincts
It must have been the first of July. When the dry heat sunburns everyone on the Colorado Plains and it’s so ungodly hot in Texas old people drop like flies while mowing their lawns. The high mountains somehow have a cupcake layer of white snow frosting and the rivers and streams throughout the high countryContinue reading "Questionable Instincts"
River Cleanup on a Raft – Protect Our Rivers makes it happen!!!
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!!!"
!!! A Cleaner Clear IV !!!
Post those pictures here for the below list of contests!!! Most Plastic Bottles – keep a count – honor system. 1st - River Quiver or something you'd rather have2nd – Fishing setup from Wright / McGill 3rd – Reddington rod Most Aluminum Cans – keep a count – honor system1st – Snowflake or something you'dContinue 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"
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"
The Confluences 