New year, new format
Everyone congratulate yourself if you still have an intact New Year's resolution
Happy New Year, everyone!
First of all, I want to thank all of you for reading my newsletter over the last several months. As we enter a new year, I’ve decided to lend these posts a more consistent format. If that turns out to be something you enjoy, let me know. If you hate it, tell me why! My newsletter, on a trial basis, will be called On the Road Again.
For now, these posts will revolve around three main topics: What I’m up to, some news of note regarding wilderness, rivers, open spaces, outdoor recreation, or anything related, and finally, a few recommendations that may include books, magazines, films, music, food, bike rides, or really anything I’ve experienced that I feel is worth sharing
Let’s dive in …
What I’m Up To:
I’m writing this from Bozeman, Montana, but my travels since my last newsletter have taken me to Baja California Sur, Mexico; Rio Gallegos, Argentina; Portland and Beaver, Oregon; Oakland, California; and Boise, Idaho.
In Baja, my sister and I took surfing lessons at Cerritos Beach, where schools of baitfish caught my eye and distracted my balance as I stood up on my rental surfboard, snaring my attention long enough for me to faceplant into the warm, crystalline water. After a couple of mornings getting pummeled by surf, Meta and I each caught a few modest waves.
The rest of our time in Baja was spent in La Paz, a dusty, charming city set in the southern crook of a massive, crescent-shaped bay in the Sea of Cortez. We spent a few days exploring local beaches, swimming with sea lions and glittering masses of anchovies, and searching for the best sushi the city has to offer (which, by the way, we found). Baja California is largely dry, hot, and barren, but its mountains and beaches are undeniably beautiful. I hope to return many times.
In December, I set out on the crown jewel of my offseason travel plans. Over the course of about a day and a half, I made my way from Portland to Buenos Aires and then further south to Rio Gallegos, Argentina. Fun fact: Rio Gallegos is slightly farther from Portland than Kathmandu, Nepal. I went to Rio Gallegos to write a profile of my friend Marcela, a fly fishing guide on the world-famous sea trout rivers of southern Argentina.
The Rio Gallegos flows through a rumpled, wind-battered landscape reminiscent of much of Montana. Bella Sofia Lodge, where Marcela guides, has access to two estancias with a combined 500,000 acres of grazing land and 65 kilometers of river frontage. If that sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. 100,000 sheep share the land with guanacos, foxes, rhea, flamingoes, skunks, and dozens of other unique and curious native animal species.
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Though the scenery was incredible, I was there for the fishing, and the fishing at Bella Sofia is among the best I have ever experienced. The Rio Gallegos has a prolific run of ocean-going brown trout – known as sea trout – that grow far bigger in a year at sea than they would in a lifetime in the river. When they return to the river to spawn, the moody fish sometimes fall for my hook-and-line trickery, and for the few minutes that we are connected, I can feel the fish’s energy like an electrical current through the fly rod.
Look for my story on Marcela and her unique journey to the guiding life in the upcoming issue of Chasing Silver Magazine. The magazine is expensive, but lucky for you, dear reader, you know a guy, and he’d be happy to send you a PDF of the article free of charge. If you’re interested in reading my article, drop me a line.
Notable Happenings:
Dam removal is having a moment in California. If you haven’t heard already, the largest dam removal project of all time is underway on California and Oregon’s Klamath River. Four dams are slated to be removed by the end of 2024, and the smallest of the four is already out. The removals will allow steelhead and salmon to access over 400 miles of spawning habitat previously blocked by the dams. This is huge news for fish but also for fishing communities, kayakers, rafters, trees, birds, bears, and every living thing in the Klamath River ecosystem.
With demolition already underway on the Klamath, another California North Coast river is on the list for dam removal in the near future. Last month, PG&E announced plans to decommission and remove Scott and Cape Horn dams, freeing the Eel from mountains to sea. Though removal looks more possible than ever on the Eel, it’s not a sure thing yet. Organizations like California Trout and Friends of the Eel River will be working tirelessly over the coming years and months to make sure that this emblematic river runs free again. I encourage anyone who loves rivers to follow along with their work and to help out in whatever way you feel moved to.
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A Few Recommendations:
Sun House, a novel by David James Duncan
Full disclosure: I haven’t actually finished this book yet… but! It is the career-defining work of one of my favorite authors, and it contains all the elements that make his writing so unique and enjoyable. Sun House is funny, heartbreaking, offbeat, weird, and so carefully crafted it makes sense that it took Duncan decades to shape. It is over 700 pages long, which is why I haven’t finished it yet despite reading it every day this month, so there is plenty to enjoy
Rancho Gordo Beans, really really tasty heirloom beans
In college, I often cooked plain old lack beans from big box grocery stores, and they tasted… just ok. I figured that that’s all there was to know about beans until recently when I was gifted a couple of bags of heirloom Rancho Gordo beans. Both bags contained bean varieties of beans that I had never heard of, and they proved far more flavorful than the mass-produced black beans I’d been buying. The Rancho Gordo story is pretty cool, and I plan to try every bean they have this year. My old red truck, lovingly known as The Bean, would be proud.
Black Crows Ghost Resort series, featuring outstanding animation graphics by my very talented friend Annika Danenhauer
Japan’s mountains receive insane amounts of snow each winter, so it’s no surprise that skiing experienced a huge boom in popularity there during the 1990s. When the Japanese economy experienced a sharp decline in the ensuing years, hundreds of ski resorts were boarded up, never to e reopened. Black Crows visited some of these resorts and spoke with the locals who skied the area through the boom and bust and took a look at what the future may hold. The story is fascinating, the powder is deep and fluffy, and the animations are delightful.
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That’s all for now! Feel free to reach out with any questions, statements, or epiphanies.
Your friend,
Tommy