“Don’t want to be a climber reaching for the top …” (Phish)

I am not a climber. However, I have seen the film Valley Uprising more than I ought to admit. (I’ve watched it a lot. A lot.) For reasons I can’t exactly identify, there’s something about this film that inspired me. Maybe it’s the passion and enthusiasm of these Yosemite climbers. Maybe it’s the lifestyle and ethic. Maybe it’s just Yosemite.

Yosemite is an incredible place. Prior to visiting Yosemite for the first time, I’d probably fly fished Rocky Mountain National Park fifty times. I have also visited numerous National Parks and fished what many consider the ultimate – Yellowstone. Despite the fact that all National Parks are impressive, Yosemite blew me away when I first visited and continues to every single time. There is sometime magical about this place, and when guide, Rick Mazaira, encouraged me to come fish with him up there and explore new (to me) places, I knew I had an invitation I couldn’t pass up.

This week, I caught up with Rick on the Tuolumne and Stanislaus Rivers just outside of Yosemite. This is the time of the year when the grass is green, the climate is perfect, and trout are growing more active. And how gorgeous it was!

Like any visit to this area, I was enamored. And with that, I often found myself removed from the usual task at hand – focused, methodical fly fishing – and instead took on a combination of fishing and gazing at my surroundings. In addition, I discovered that my train of thought was often about the possibilities for return trips and what they might entail. From backcountry trips within the park to fiberglass ventures in the valley, my National Park pass ought to pay for itself very soon.

To be continued …