West of Eden

[Whip]

Morning comes late in Wyoming.  The temperature reads 35 degrees, and sun hasn't been able to burn through the clouds yet.  There is an inch of coffee left in my cup and I still can't see the bottom - strong and dark is the order of the day.  Sitting around the kitchen table with Charlie and Vance, watching mule deer bucks graze their way around the ponds, there is no rush to do anything just yet.

Yesterday was a whirlwind of renewal.  We don't see each other nearly often enough, and we all savored just being here together.  This gathering began as an item on the St. Jude auction last year.  Vance donated a trout fishing trip on some of the finest waters of the west to the highest bidders.  Jeff Springer (Tippit), Woody Blackwell (Knife River), and myself schemed to make sure we won that one.  This trip is the payoff.

The timing couldn't have been better.  Charlie Lamb left early for a Utah hunt and joined the fun here this week.  Doug Campbell found a break in his schedule and made the trip down from Montana to join us.  The stage is set.

Rest assured, there will be time for adventures in the next few days.

[Whip]

I've drooled over Doug's knives for long enough to know that someday I wanted one for my belt.  I now have a new weapon at my side    
 

[rastaman]

Beautiful knife!  Beautiful pic!  Can't wait to "hear" the rest of the adventure.

[hormoan]

WOW that is purty!! Joe I sure hope you get to break it in proper this fall  

[Hot Hap]

The only way that could look any better is to have a little red on it! Hap

[MJB]

[pronghorn23]

This is going to be good..

[Charlie Lamb]

There's a little town in western Wyoming called Eden. Not much more than a wide place in the road it's got all the bases covered- the post office, a bar and the only church in miles.
That's just about it too. A couple of old tumble down buildings that I'm sure were the pride of the area in 1920 sprout greasewood and sage and give a home to packrats.

My kind of town!

You come through town from the east and in a flash exit from the west. It's a quick transition and while the city limit signs have their own posts, they could just as well be on the same one.

It's a landmark for me. A place that marks the beginning of my little slice of the west and near the end of miles and miles of sage brush.

The highway climbs steadilly from Eden toward distant mountains which lay on the horizon like misty sirens.

As those same craggy peaks grow and come into sharp focus I begin to recognize landmarks and the transformation from mid western country dweller to mountain stalker begins.

It's always a homecoming. In more philosophical moments I've opined that my soul lives here. It feels like that anyway.

[Killdeer]

And the hunter's soul within me resonates upon detecting the familiar tones that Charlie has plucked upon his golden lyre...

The katydids argue through the night, the crickets thrill among the sedges, velvet itches, summer is waning and the hunting seasons loom. Lead on, and may your arrows fly true!

Killdeer

[4runr]

 

I'm all ears!

[Shaun]

Keen edged words and lyrical knives. This is gonna be good. Hunt on my brothers.

[IB]

Mornin Folks.....Before we really get this rolling with photo's and such  

[Tim Fishell]

Looking forward to some great stories and pictures!!  Sounds like quite the crowd you got hanging around your place Vance!!          

[Terry Green]

No worries Vance...St Judes always gets a 'free pass' on items won whether they are bowhunting related or not....looking forward to the stories and pics....  

[George D. Stout]

Nice guys.  Really nice.

[IB]

Whip on Iron Bulls log in.....

No, this really isn't a hunting trip.  And it really isn't a fishing trip either.  What it is is a gathering of good friends that don't get to see each other nearly often enough.  

The St. Jude auction was the event that got the ball rolling, but it started with bonds formed as a result of contacts here on Trad Gang.  Most of us never knew each other before, and likely never would have met if it hadn't been for this site.  This gathering is more a celebration of those bonds than anything else.

But as long as we are here, there are adventures to be had.  Jeff, Woody and I were high bidders on a trout fishing trip.  A few weeks ago Vance called and asked if we might be interested in dow antelope tags as long as we were here.  Turns out by some magical coincidence that the season opened on the day we were scheduled to arrive.  What a silly question!  Jeff and I bought tags, and Charlie would join us.  Woody and his young clan along with Doug Campbell concentrated on the fishing.

The front porch serves as a primary antelope scouting spot.
 

 

Charlie an I took a ride yesterday to see what was out and about.  We eventually ended up in the forest where Charlie shared some of the spots of many of his past adventures and campsites.
 

 

I'm a newbie to this flyfishing stuff, so I signed up for some leasons in the yard.  Vance has a special technique for teaching rookies not to use their whole arm in the cast, and brought out the rope.  I hadn't realized bondage was involved, but eventually got the point.

 

The afternoon we found time to try one of the Ryegrass ranch trout ponds.  Wyoming winds played havoc with the fly casting, but we made the best of it and had a great time.
 

 

 

[dragon rider]

That looks great. Glad you guys got a chance to get together.  Having lived many years ago in a construction camp located in the booming Wyoming metropolis of Farson, the pictures bring back some great memories.

[smiley]

Joe you have ben around Charlie to much :)You are becoming a good story teller  

[BowHuntingFool]

This is awesome!

Joe, that is one beauty of a knife you got there!

[Charlie Lamb]

Angry clouds cloaked the Windriver's as I passed thgough my old home town of Pinedale. I slowed down only enough to keep the local constable from getting in my pocket and was soon headed west toward the Wyoming range and Vance's ranch.

As I topped the last hill that would block my view, the clouds opened like the parting of the Red Sea showing the granite giants behind me.

A velvety white shawl of fresh snow lay across the shoulders of the peaks.
It was a far cry from the weather I'd left at home.

I'd gotten up extra early so that I could make it to Vance's place before he left to pick up Jeff "Tippet" Springer and Joe "Whip" Lasch.

With time to spare I rolled into the yard. A quick hand shake and hug and Vance and I were soon on the road to the Jackson Hole airport.

I'm going to lay back on this thread a little. For one thing, it's about the guys and their St.Jude's winnings.

They've been fishing in several locations so far while Joe and I have been scouting for antelope.
With any luck the guys will get to try their bows on the local speedsters.

The other thing that's going on is that my back has been bothering me greatly after the long road trip and I'm nursing it so I'll be in some kind of shape for elk camp next week with another bunch of Tradgangers.
Doing lots of resting, Naproxin and ice for the time being.