Life Changes

[Lancer09]

At the start of 2020 I decided it was time to pursue a new career path and some changes. My wife and I sold our house in South KC and bought an RV to live in full time. Let's just say the new career path didn't work out and we started traveling and working seasonal jobs that somehow paid us more than we had been making previously. We have now lived and worked in areas such as Missouri, Idaho, around Corpus Cristi, and have spent the bulk of our time, and settled near the entrance to grand teton /yellowstone outside of Moran WY.

It has been a neat ride working various jobs but settling with guiding for almost a year now. We are taking full time work in Jackson starting this fall and putting some roots back down. We wake up every day with a phenomenal view of the tetons and have done so many things I could never even have imagined. Guiding people to monster cutties,, and putting people on bags of sheepshead in texas. We have done some insanely cool things the last couple years and getting to do it before having kids in our early 30s is amazing. But baby number one is on the way and I can't think of a better place to bring up a child. 

 

Just adding a little photo documentary. I'd insert more way cool photos but I don't know how this stuff works any more after not logging on for almost two years.

[Quillback]

That is pretty neat, the west is a great place to live for an outdoorsman!

[BilletHead]

4 hours ago, Lancer09 said:

At the start of 2020 I decided it was time to pursue a new career path and some changes. My wife and I sold our house in South KC and bought an RV to live in full time. Let's just say the new career path didn't work out and we started traveling and working seasonal jobs that somehow paid us more than we had been making previously. We have now lived and worked in areas such as Missouri, Idaho, around Corpus Cristi, and have spent the bulk of our time, and settled near the entrance to grand teton /yellowstone outside of Moran WY.

It has been a neat ride working various jobs but settling with guiding for almost a year now. We are taking full time work in Jackson starting this fall and putting some roots back down. We wake up every day with a phenomenal view of the tetons and have done so many things I could never even have imagined. Guiding people to monster cutties,, and putting people on bags of sheepshead in texas. We have done some insanely cool things the last couple years and getting to do it before having kids in our early 30s is amazing. But baby number one is on the way and I can't think of a better place to bring up a child. 

 

Just adding a little photo documentary. I'd insert more way cool photos but I don't know how this stuff works any more after not logging on for almost two years.

              It's really good to hear from you friend. Have been wondering where you all have have been. Living the dream you guys are. Kudos and congrads on the upcoming birth ahead!    It doesen't seem that long ago we were tying flys at the shop.

[Lancer09]

2 hours ago, BilletHead said:

              It's really good to hear from you friend. Have been wondering where you all have have been. Living the dream you guys are. Kudos and congrads on the upcoming birth ahead!    It doesen't seem that long ago we were tying flys at the shop.

Oh we are trying to for sure. Still tying a lot but the shop culture up here isn't as conducive to just hanging out as plateau was back then.

Good to see you are still on here!

[Terrierman]

Good Great way to live a life.  Congratulations!

[Ryan Miloshewski]

I really want to do this..what are the cons you've experienced.

I love Jackson. Such a cool town and area.

[Lancer09]

3 minutes ago, Ryan Miloshewski said:

I really want to do this..what are the cons you've experienced.

I love Jackson. Such a cool town and area.

We have definitely had some highs and lows. We grew a lot together moving from a 1500 Sq ft house to 300 in our rv. Sometimes there is always a worry about after "this season" where do we head next. Very nomadic, yes you make friends but a lot of them are for a few months and then never again.

We have made some lifelong friends but it can be very isolating. Thankfully we got on with a guest ranch and have done a few seasons here that has given some stability.

Jackson is incredible for its food, vibe, skiing, and everything that is at your door step. Don't move here unless you have housing figured out as it is ridiculous. We lucked out and found something through some back channels but this winter a 1 bed 1 bath house hit the market with barely a lot the size of the house for 1.25 mil and a 2 bed 1 bath apartment is on average between 2500 and 4500 per month. 

But I have LOVED guiding but I definitely see where career guides can burn out, 5hankfully I do a few other things and still find the joy in fishing.

Habits that have come out of living and fishing up here... I HATE nymphing. I get it, but it sucks, time on the water matters more than anything regardless of how good you are, and don't ask me where to fish... you won't get the primo spots that I have had to work for. 

Overall I wouldn't change how we have done things but we are definitely ready for a bit more stability and sense of community.

[fshndoug]

Where is your best fishing spot? LOL

[Al Agnew]

8 hours ago, Lancer09 said:

We have definitely had some highs and lows. We grew a lot together moving from a 1500 Sq ft house to 300 in our rv. Sometimes there is always a worry about after "this season" where do we head next. Very nomadic, yes you make friends but a lot of them are for a few months and then never again.

We have made some lifelong friends but it can be very isolating. Thankfully we got on with a guest ranch and have done a few seasons here that has given some stability.

Jackson is incredible for its food, vibe, skiing, and everything that is at your door step. Don't move here unless you have housing figured out as it is ridiculous. We lucked out and found something through some back channels but this winter a 1 bed 1 bath house hit the market with barely a lot the size of the house for 1.25 mil and a 2 bed 1 bath apartment is on average between 2500 and 4500 per month. 

But I have LOVED guiding but I definitely see where career guides can burn out, 5hankfully I do a few other things and still find the joy in fishing.

Habits that have come out of living and fishing up here... I HATE nymphing. I get it, but it sucks, time on the water matters more than anything regardless of how good you are, and don't ask me where to fish... you won't get the primo spots that I have had to work for. 

Overall I wouldn't change how we have done things but we are definitely ready for a bit more stability and sense of community.

Affordable housing in Wyoming and Montana is about as rare as a unicorn these days.  Really glad you found a place to live.  Just saw a listing for a 925 sq. ft. cabin "with a view of the Tetons" for $1.5 million.  A whole lot of people who work in Jackson live over the other side of the Tetons in Idaho, and have to commute over the pass every day.  It's the same in Bozeman (and Livingston) Montana...there simply isn't any affordable housing.  If you don't already own a place and you're an ordinary working stiff, you aren't going to find anything you can afford.  Meanwhile, almost everybody who owns rental property in the area is renting it out VRBO and making more money during the tourist season than they can make renting it full time.  I know people who bought an RV and live in it all summer while renting out their house.

I know what you mean about indicator nymphing especially.  At least 80% of what the guides do on the Yellowstone is have their clients watching bobbers while they drift down the river.  It's the most no-brainer fly fishing you can do, as long as the guide has good enough boat control to keep that indicator on a good line the right distance off the bank.  I hate it partly because if you're REALLY getting your nymphs in the right spots, you're going to be hanging up pretty regularly, and I get tired of tying on new flies.  However, I must admit that I do a lot of nymphing when floating the river with my wife or by myself; I stop at any good current seam at the bottom of a riffle and drift nymphs along it...there usually isn't as much to get snagged on in those places.

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, Al Agnew said:

Affordable housing in Wyoming and Montana is about as rare as a unicorn these days

Why is that?   

Effective method to eliminate the "riff-raff" I suppose, but communities need people to work at gas stations, hardware and grocery stores.