BilletHead

Grilled dove, mashed taters, tomatoes and baked beans. Yep plate looks a bit on the light side. Trying to keep what a gained (lost) on vacation, The BilletHead's had watermelon for dessert.

Oh boy, Bet Livie taught you all of those .

I like your wife for liking them. We like them too. The first one was one of the first Movies the Mrs. and I seen together as a married couple. So the like you got was for Mrs. Snagged . BilletHead

So a few other thoughts, First thing. Found this guy along the road standing on a rock, There is a goodly amount of native Americans in the area. I really don't like the use of that term because most of us are native and born and raised here in the united states but you all get the picture. This little figurine was hand carved. His head covering has partially rotted off. Feathered as best I could tell. You can see the bird wing laying on the rock. Pretty sure too it had been in his hand and there was a matching other missing for the other hand. Looked like scars and blood stain presentation on the painted outfit. I am thinking an owl, hawk god or fetish or whatever you call it. Some tribes in the South West it would be a Kachina doll . There is a meaning to this figurine and a good reason he was placed here I don't know. Tried unsuccessful to ID it. So if anyone knows let me know please. Right now it is my screensaver on my phone. I did not touch of move him. Healthy trip. So according to the height weight charts the BilletHead's are on the heavy side. We play hard and eat so much less. Probably because we are too busy to think about eating. Here at home we just eat when we want to. Not necessarily because we are hungry. We just eat. Don't get me wrong we like to eat and enjoy a tasty meal. You all seen what we ate out there. Good food, tasty food, just much less of it. The BilletHead has a problem with acid reflux every night. I do take a proton pump inhibitor to help but I think it is minimal. So with the exorcise and eating less by the second night the reflux was gone, I mean gone, nadda, zilch, zero. So far it is still gone. A person should learn after this for the years going to stay treating yourself this way. We would eat the homemade granola cereal the Mrs. makes in the morning. If we were busy only one other meal for the day. When hiking and fishing on longer trips we would take a snack. Twice it was tuna in foil type pouches. The last ones we took to Jones hole. Mine was 110 calories and Pat's 90. This and a few plain saltines. Tried to drink lots of water but really did not. Filtered creek water is mighty tasty. We each lost nine pounds. Eighteen pounds of what we did not need. Hope to keep going in the right direction. I know it is easy to put it on and hard to take it off. In this case it was fun taking it off. I hope I can learn and retain this way of thinking. We will see as after doing this for a few years we always revert to old ways . People out there are really friendly. The big towns are a hodge podge of ethnic peoples. Going through those towns the variety of restaurants we found amazing reflecting the sentence previous to this one. Something I do not see in small town America. Maybe you Big city peoples do but I do not. Another thing. The number of white adults with obvious adopted children of all ages and races . Some large family units. We liked what we saw. if all goes well and it is to be we will visit Utah again someday. Maybe slowing down and working an area longer? Hard for the BilletHead's to slow down though. Want to see what is around the next corner, jamming all we can in our limited time, BilletHead

Yes I second that, BilletHead

We slept in our own bed even if it is only used for two weeks a year . First couple of nights were tough but from then on the harder we went during the day the harder I slept at night. I will share what just too weeks of healthier living does to one in this case two of us. Should be a lesson for daily life if you can do this in any capacity that you are able to do, BilletHead

The way I hid the hook was quite a trick. BilletHead

Part 9 continued, Now to the fishing. Before on trips here we caught rainbows. Never browns but we were told they were here and big ones hiding in holes and undercut banks. So right off the bat this happens, Tears were beginning to form here and not a more deserving person got it, We than caught rainbows and small browns, And then this happened, Not a prouder spouse I could be. Pat could hit the pockets that held the fish. She would say I put it right here and it came from there to take the hopper. , Took a break for filtered spring water and a small bite to eat, Then we took of a side canyon to Ely falls for some cooling off, Very refreshing to say the least. Shadows were beginning to get long we headed back to the main trail and back to the truck. The BilletHead had been out fished by a girl. Not just any girl either but by My Girl . Wouldn't of had it any other way. I got the best complement by her though. Actually two of them. One was and this is her speaking, I had a good net man and you taught me all I know. Guys I will take those complements any day, any place, and any where. When we got back to the truck we checked the time. We had been dinking around that canyon for nine hours, yes nine. We began to pull off our wading shoes. Pat says hey what is this white stuff on the inside of my neoprene socks? I said look at your wrinkled wet feet, that is sloughed skin. She says eeew. I say some people pay good money to soak and peel their feet and just sit there. You got to fish during your treatment while softening your feet. What a deal I take the eeeew back. Took the rods apart one last time on this trip. It was dark as we drove back to Vernal. The lights in the distance showed us the way back to the campground for our last night in Utah. In the morning we left for home. Stopping in Wakeeny Kansas for the night. From then on all the way home we talked about our trip. It was the best!, Billethead

Part 9, Going to have to break this down into two posts because of picture overload. I hope you enjoy this one as much as we did being there. So we are back in Vernal for two nights and one day. Laundry again and hot showers. Dinner that evening was Szechuan fragrant duck on a bed of rice. To bed early and up way, way before sunrise for the forty mile slow trip to Jones Hole. So a bit about Jones Hole. We were on vacation approx. 25 years ago when BilletHead Jr. was just a pup or wee lad. I was in my fly fishing infancy and did not know squat. Some say I am still that way but I hope not . So I was poking around a sporting good store in town and guy asks me what I was looking for. Fly's I said. He than asked where I planned on fishing. I said not sure maybe the green River below flaming gorge. Told me about Jones Hole and gave me some fly's to use there. Yep fellows this is how our hobby really started. Showed me on the map and told me I would never regret going there. To this day this holds true. Soon you will know why. Jones Hole is in part of Dinosaur National Park. It is in a canyon that leads to the Green River. There is a spring at the top of the stream and a national fish hatchery that hatches and raises fish for streams, lakes and reservoirs in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. This being said the stream is wild and it is not stocked like one would think. The trip we took the first time was mind blowing, yes I caught fish but that was only a part of the experience. The vertical canyon walls going straight up. A narrow canyon too. Fremont Indian pictographs along the walls. Lush vegetation along the stream. The length from the beginning to the green river below was four miles. We have been there again right after the Mrs. Recovered from her breast cancer. it never gets old going here. So this will be the grand exit of this years trip. Like I said this has to be in two parts so we will start with the ride in and show off a few things here. The road is paved going to here. Paved is a misnomer as the speed limit is 35 MPH. So forty miles is a long driving time. About the time it is getting light enough to see off the road we are on diamond mountain plateau. Game is plentiful. We see elk, pronghorn and mule deer galore. Crappy photo I know but there are some nice bucks mixed in with does and fawns, A bit lighter know we re looking at the road down to Jones Hole, Some fishing and scenery, the fish will come later, You all see what I mean? Now to the images left by the Fremont people, Some mallard made a summer home here, The lizard is like our Missouri Fence lizards we have here. After posing for a picture I grabbed for him. Before my fingers got there he went right up a tree, Next we will get to maybe catching some fish ! BilletHead

Part 8 , Just a little more in the Uintas So we dropped out of Washington Lake campground and back to highway 150 that continues more into and up higher into the Uintas. Lakes and trailheads scattered along it's winding road. It then begins to drop down into Wyoming to the town of Evanston. Traveling down still in Utah we made a right up another forest service road into Christmas meadows. The Stillwater river flows through here. More what we would call a creek I imagine during snow runoff it is a river. You could see beaver ponds in the distance. We chose to drive all the way to where the road ends at a trailhead. Here was another campground and we stopped here for one night. Pretty uneven ground so leveling was a trick. I really thought I would have to give the Mrs. a boost to get in and just let her jump out, Rigged up the rods once again with thunderheads and rumbling up the valley from which we came. We hiked to the river and proceeded to fish. The catching was slow but we did manage to keep the one fish dinner we planned on, Brook trout were on the menu, Caught a few and kept a couple for dinner protein and cleaned them right on the creek side. Worked our way back down with weather getting closer. More monsoon is coming. Did not want to quit so Pat ran them up to the camper and then back to where I was fishing. This is what we were in for from where we had driven down from, By the time we got back to the camper we were soaked again! It rains in the Uintas ! So drying off it was food time again. Brook trout S&P sautéed in butter, Maque Choux and mac and cheese. If we would of kept them I think I could of eaten a half dozen of these fish , Pat kept wanting a campfire again. This would be the last chance for one of these so later on after the rain I managed to get one built. Sitting there after awhile she says hey you know we haven't got to cook hotdogs. Ok babe whatever you want and out they came, I have to admit they tasted pretty good. Just relish and mustard. Out like a lite and up again early to descend to the town of Evanston. Then trough Wyoming a bit and back to where it all started in Vernal. About to the end just one more fishing foray. It is going to be a long day on that trip, BilletHead

7 Uintas part 2, So out of the Boulder Mountains and headed back North again. How far North? How about the High Uintas again? Covered ground again to Heber City for a real campground and needed showers. Laundry too. So we landed at this really nice campground. Packed like sardines but nice. We were there for a purpose and it would only last one night. Priced on the lower end of this type of campground it was by far the nicest we have ever been in. We felt dinky in our little rig. Fifth wheels larger than the first place we owned for our self's. Mega big motor homes each had a tow vehicle of an SUV or tricked out jeep. I don't think we would ever want something like this. I am meaning millions of bucks of stuff and I can only imagine the loans that had to be taken out on some of these. Showers taken, laundry going, food of course the last package of carnitas thawed and worked up with cilantro of course. Photo just for Ness and Ham , So while the Mrs. was finishing the laundry I decided to sit back and relax at the natural gas fire pit, There was an open gated area that had a sign stating adults only. This was part of it. Fire pit, tennis courts, club house with a full kitchen and tables, game room including free pool table, foosball etc. A pool and a hot tub. Hot Tub? Yes but it was like a mini long pool outside. We were invited by a young couple to go to this with them and we politely declined . Kind of like Ness says. A human crock pot ! No discrimination to children intended in here as they had a family place of their own matching this. Big play yard included, volleyball courts etc. This cost us 38.00 dollars with full hook ups. All we used was water and power. Our sewer in the camper consists of a mini sink that drains into a five gallon jug. Grey water that may or may not be soapy that can be dumped anywhere. This place had mini cabins and ATV rental. We were up early breaking down in the dark. As quietly as possible not to wake the masses we were getting ready to leave. We backtracked back to the same area in the high Uintas we had been before. The potential of this place is great. Up higher we went and along the road, We ended up at a forest campground not too far from the one before. This was on Washington lake, overlooking the lake. The lake was being fished and we heard fish were in there but it was drawn way down for some type of work. Bare muddy, sandy rocky shoreline. We would fish here later. So we were here early enough to do another hike in. Studied the map and picked Cliff Lake. Got stuff together and posed for a photo again. Finding a nice young lady to do the snap shot deed, Nice trail. At the trail head we met the nephew of the missing hiker. I had checked the news at the Heber City campground and knew the scoop. Still missing fellow. The official search was scaled back and now it was just family and friends looking, http://myinforms.com/en-us/a/628977154-officials-8216scaling-down8217-search-for-hiker-missing-in-uinta-mountains/ Nephew asked us to keep our eyes open please and of we went as Melvin Heaps Nephew and his friends got packs ready for their hike. Up we went right by the lake area Melvin had disappeared from. Found a sign and trail split going to Cliff Lake. Took that and at the crest of the trail this is what greeted us, Surface action on the lake. Small flies would be needed. Rigged up for this, Missed a few here and there. No back cast in most places so steeple and roll casts was the norm. We made it about half way around the lake. Folks on the trail once and awhile. We then heard bells? Not the bear type but more like cow bells. Soon this was what we witnessed, Pack Goats! Go ahead laugh boys this is the real deal. When I had to get rid of my horse (Used to travel, ride and pack in Montana bow hunting) many moons ago I bought a book on raising, and training pack goats. Wish I had this book back. Loaned it out and would like to reread it. Anyway goats are easy to feed and maintain on the trail. Eat what horses don't want and is plentiful up there. They will bond to you not having to be tied or picketed out at camp. Can be milked on trips. This book had plans for packs to fit goats too. This pack train consisted of three goats, two men and three kids all carrying loads. When we first seen one of the kids his pack was so big and filled all we could make out was a pack with little legs on the trail. Too funny. He is the one with the green pack leading the string on the top in the second photo. By the lake we were fishing they went up a trail to higher ground, other lakes and who knows where? Then Big ominous looking clouds appeared, lightning, thunder, rain and sleet hit. Temps dropped and we hunkered under a tree. Filled water filtration Bottle, opened our tuna and took a break and ate a bite. We began to get wet and then looked towards where the goat packers were headed. The higher ground was getting white, Weather slacked a bit and we decided to drop back down to camper. Like a rainforest on way down. By the time we got to within a hundred yards of the camper it let loose and we got soaked. Downright cold in fact. We got out of the wet stuff and hunkered down for a spell. Good time for real food too. Wild turkey, last of the yellow squash sautéed with onions in butter and if I remember the last of our tomatoes, Looking out the window at the drawn down Washington Lake with rain and sleet coming down, One thing I learned on this trip was that we were there in the middle of monsoon season. Yes again you heard that here. Utah and other states experiences a monsoon season. We were wet a lot on this trip. Something we did not really see in Wyoming and Montana much. Here it was wet and lush. No fire restrictions like we see in other states we have visited. While Montana, Idaho and Wyoming were having wildfires we were wet. Soon the weather lifted to cool clear skies. We re rigged and headed down to Washington lake. Being moving water people we hit the discharge of Washington. Caught some Bookies here. Did not last long as we were told the lake had grayling, So we began to work the lake shore. We could see small tigers along the bare shore. At times fins out of the water working shallows looking for food. We would pick one out and throw dries their way. Most fish would go nuts after them if you did not spook them. We caught one fat one and a few skinny ones. I felt sorry for the fish. With the draw down food was at a premium and you could tell that in the fishes health. Everything was getting muddy, us, and the fly lines. Kind of a mess. It began to cloud up and get dark. Fish were dimpling farther from shore and we began to cast to them. Back cast no problem now with the clean bank. (no trees and brush). More tigers to hand and then the Mrs. Screamed grayling! Did I mention this was the day forty years ago I married this young girl? I found this gift very appropriate for my bride, Bigger grayling then we caught in Wyoming. Rain and sleet hit and of course we got wet again. Back to the camper to dry out and hit the sack. Up early and another plan was conceived, BilletHead

Thanks Ronnie, Will keep that in mind for next trip, BilletHead

Think real hard before presenting your bait. Browns and Brook trout both have a nice set of teeth. Tigers as you know are a cross and have a good set too. #stayoutofthewater . Or maybe #keepitdry, BilletHead

There you go John #swim and tread water to get to the fish in those high country lakes. Keep in mind the one is at 11,317 feet and cold. There may be shrinkage involved . Going with tigers for fight and Colorado for looks. BilletHead

Now to the most beautiful fish in my opinion of the trip, Remember me telling you we would revisit the Colorado Cutt again on the trip? Well when working down from Boulder Mountain that ran alomg the road we were on. A little creek called Pine Creek that runs towards Bicknell. It has genetically pure Colorado's. Another small water overgrown stream. Another challenge we thought! Challenge taken we rigged up, again with the same two flies we had caught the three other species on. Not including the first ugly lake Colorado's. Ready for this? I will let the photos tell this story. You don't want me blabbing and ruining what we will see here , We couldn't of been more happy. All of our native Cutthroat caught on the same two bugs. I got to find and take a picture of them for you all. That is if Pat remembers where she put them. She was in charge of that. Next you ask? Yes there is more to share. Getting tired yet? Too bad more coming, Billethead

p In the kayak koffin safely at home. I would of pooped myself dragging that trailer all over Boulder Mountain. We did mention they would be nice to have. We did see guys in float tubes on some of the lower lakes. We were so close a couple weeks before we went looking at a couple at Cabelas on sale. Mrs. BilletHead gave to OK to invest in them. I put the brakes on it real quick saying you know we have never been in anything like this before. She replied I don't want to hear anything while we are gone about not getting them. Well I had to bite my tongue a few times. She always tells me never say could of, should of, would of . BilletHead

Thought I would share this with you all. Again thank you for all your prayers for our friend, http://www.sheldonfh.com/view.php?id=1096 BilletHead

You got that right. We discussed that with Annette yesterday too. BilletHead

# helicopter a boat in cuz you are not going to pull one in . BilletHead

Love it buddy! Your fingers twitching and Pat and I had drool running out the corners of our mouths figuring out how to reach the fish. I don't even think your nanofil WITH a casting bubble would reach those fish in the middle. # Walk On Water, BilletHead

I could just see you now Ham. Those fingers twitching and wanting to click the clicker. What is it the youngsters would say? "# clicker withdrawals" BilletHead

Oh yea on the plateau there were turkeys, Set up another camp at Miller. Went to fishing until it began to rain again. Caught rainbows, not big but quite a few. They liked little dries, During rain we dinked around camp and ate again. Spaghetti with chanterelles and summer vegetables! Did a little shrooming behind the camper in the aspens, Big bolete. You would be surprised what you find that had been lost off of vehicles bouncing down the road. We found a magnetic key box that had been rattled off a Toyota, And a new use for someone's glasses, Rain done again we fished some more. Tigers and rainbows, Tigers here prowled along the shore in shallow water. You would see one and throw as close as you could without spooking him. If the landing was right they would attack. Next morning coming down off the slope more fishing and the fish get real pretty! BilletHead

Up and break camp, on to a new place, Don't fret we will be visiting the high Uintas again on this trip. We dropped out to Heber to do laundry and make a plan of attack. Decided to visit the Boulder Mountains. Had been reading some on the fishing there. It is located in the Dixie National Forest. Fishing is managed there for quality and quantity of fish in specific lakes ponds and reservoirs. So supposedly there are places with less and larger fish to places with smaller fish in large numbers. Broken down there are slopes around the mountains and then to boulder top called the Aquarius Plateau. We arrived at the base of the East side, drove up there to Boulder Town for the night. Boulder town is dinky. A bar and grill, another restaurant / lodge. A gas pump or two and a Podunk motel. Late as it was we decided to partake of a sandwich at the grill. Whew, high priced burgers and fries but we did get one each. Thirteen and fourteen bucks each. We are not cheap but do not do this at all. Eccentric place and actually the food was excellent. Next morning the same except we hit the restaurant. Good food and again eccentric menu , high priced. Breakfast prices same as the grill. Topped off the tank with the highest price gas of the trip we were than off to the plateau. Took the only road to the top. "Hells Backbone Road" Long slow trip, switchbacks, climbing fast on dirt and rocks. Found a bridge across a gorge, Don't let the bridge road fool you. This was the nicest eighty yard stretch of road and then it went to crap again, At Bridge looking off into the Box Death Hollow Wilderness, Seen a few grouse. Had read a pamphlet where there is a lake/ pond that held big grayling. So this would be our nights destination. Got off onto a four wheel drive only road. Farther we got worse it got. One way now it was no turning back. Not sure what we would of done if we met traffic coming down the road . Mrs. BilletHead was guiding me from the road at places. Rolling rocks out of the road. We did some boulder moving together too. I know to some it doesn't look bad but this is the only place the pucker factor slacked off for pictures, In four wheel low you don't move too fast. Finally we hit a crest in the road at a dead end at blue lake, not far from purple lake . So many water sources up there I guess they had to get creative with names. Got turned around and parked. Set up. View out the window, Fished some then it rained and we took a break wondering about the road we had just came in on. Seen fish hitting some. missed a strike or two. Fish flashes looked like small fish. During our break it was chipotle venison meatballs on a bed of mashed taters and tomatoes on the side, After the rain we hiked to purple lake, same thing no catching and smallish fish on top hitting some. I did miss one. So as we were returning to the camper at blue lake I see a couple people fishing there. We went for a visit. First thing the guy said was is that your rig up there? Yep. You know what? Huh. You guys are crazy! We would not drive a road like that. I don't even like to drive up here with my ATV. I told him we were not too smart being from Missouri and all. There was some laughing and a long visit as we watched them fish. He and his Daughter did not catch either. Said probably froze out during the winter and had been restocked recently with small fish. Said he had caught what he thought was a record grayling two years before right here. So much for the BilletHead luck this time around. They left and said it wasn't too late to pull camp so they could watch us make it out and camp with them a bit lower. if not he said they could pick up the pieces another time they came up here! Funny nice guy. Rained more during the night but no problem crawling down the road slowly the following morning. Down and up another 4WD road to another Boulder top lake. Came by this sign, We ended up at Raft Lake. Supposed to have fair grayling and trophy Brook trout. Again skunked but fish hitting without abandon right dead center of the lake. We had been told a float tube sometimes is a must in places. This was one of those places. Right down cool up there, Windy too! So we figured we would go down the Western slope recommended by our new found local think Missourians are mentally touched. Maybe the BilletHead's are ? There was a road and sign off the main road to a lake called Miller. So off on another rough 4WD we found a place with fish dimpling the surface. More to come got to load photos , BilletHead

Our little point and shoot cameras have underwater capabilities. Have used it before but did not this time. Water was clearer in Utah in most places we have ever fished too. Should of tried it . BilletHead

Forgot to add to the post above the search was still going on with helicopters. Then when back at camp eating our duck dinner we hear a high pitched sound like a hummingbird on steroids. Look up to see a large drone high in the air. This would be approx. four or five days when the guy went missing. BilletHead