Mt. Antero, 14,269, July 21, 2013

Aluminum "Brew"haha Adjustment

For years I had a hard stance against drinking any beer that came in a can. Not just against the canned version, but against any brewed beverage that sold a variety in a can.

It’s not a dislike of aluminum or some kind of social justice protest. It was the fact that all the mass produced garbage beers come in cans, so that was a very solid line I could draw in my mind about my tastes. It comes in a can; it must be from Miller, Coors or Busch/Bud.

In other words, I am a beer snob.

I only drink micro brewed beers. It’s a taste thing. I don’t drink a lot, so it’s never been about buying mediocre to bad beer to save some cash. It’s rare if I finish a six-pack in a weekend. If I do, I’m usually camping.

Due to some recent changes in the industry, I’ve had to adjust (not remove) my personal policy.

I’m still a beer snob.

But I’ll drink a select few beers out of a can.

Micro brews are distributing beer in cans. Avery Brewing in Boulder, OskarBlues Brewery in Longmont and Eddyline Brewery in Buena Vista, Snake River Brewing in Jackson Hole to name a few.

Two times this summer I’ve bought canned bear. The convenience of a can is so nice and the beer that comes in it makes it even more special.

(To let you in on a secret… last year I bought wine in a box. Not that Franzia crap, but a Bota Box.   It’s nice to toss the Bota Box (500ml) in a backpack or in the camper and not have to worry about shards of broken glass. Bota makes some drinkable wines, which makes the convenient box tolerable.)

And that is what this is about, drinkability.

I don’t like every micro brew or every wine. But there are enough varieties in cans that I can find something I’ll appreciate. Though, it seems most of the liquor stores in my area are heavy on the IPAs in cans. Very few other types of beer are carried. But if I’m only looking for canned beers a few times a year, I think I can manage to drink a cold IPA by the river or on a hike. When I’m done I can crush that can and have more room in my pack. Cans are easier to open, especially when you forget the church key. (A Suburban seat belt does kind of fit around a bottle cap when the need arises.)

My wife had the same mindset about canned beers. When I brought the cans home she couldn’t believe it. She tasted, and instantly disliked it. It was a Pale Ale. She hates pale ales. She has a very limited taste for beer. She loves the wheats. After a few minutes of conversation, she admitted she would drink a White Rascal out of can if it was cold and she was at the end of a trail or on a 14er. I think she might even drink a canned Rascal on the patio, but not sure yet.

A well brewed beer dug out of the bottom of the ice chest on a hot day is a wonderful pleasure. It’s even better when that beer comes in a bottle. (If nothing else, bottles are easier to stick in a koozie.) With quality beer now being distributed in cans, I’m willing to shift my thought process just a bit for some hoppy goodness and a bit of convenience.

Fly Rods and Old Friends

I knew back in the summer exactly what I wanted to buy at the Denver Fly Fishing Show in January.

A 2-weight rod.

I've enjoyed hiking into Colorado’s back country in search of the beautiful... secluded mountain creeks and brook trout. A 2-weight rod would be perfect for such endeavors.  I actually went into a local fly shop this fall to buy one I had spotted. But it was gone.  No worries. At the fly show I set out to find all the vendors with 2-weights. I spent a lot a time at the casting ponds.

Mystic, Allen, Orvis, TFO, Hardy, Scott, Sage, Greys and others were placed in my waving hand. The only hindrance was my price range. I even got cash before I left the mountains for the big city so I wouldn’t go over budget. Oh, I eyed several that were beyond the cash in my pocket. You can feel the quality difference in your fingers as the line is laid out on the water. But I couldn’t justify spending that much money on a new fly rod that I will probably only use a few times a year.

My favorites were the Mystic and the Scott fiberglass. But both were out of my price range. My thoughts were on a seven and half foot, 3 or 4-piece rod. But after casting a 6 foot, I opened up to that option.  I almost went with a 6 foot, 3 weight fiberglass Hardy. But I was persistent on a 2 weight.

I narrowed it down to the Allen and an Orvis (the Clearwater, not the Superfine). I went back and casted each twice. Short casts. Long casts. Roll Casts. It was the last day of the show and deals were in the making. The guys from Breckenridge Outfitters would take 15% off the rod. The Allen boys still had a better price, but it was a two piece. Time to think about that feel of the rod. How it pulled on the back cast, how it loaded and released the energy to stretch line over the water.

I pulled out the cash and handed it the guys from Breck. With a new rod I needed other gear…reel and line. I have a small Hardy reel I think will work, so just needed some line. Was about to go to the Rio booth, but the boys from Breck didn’t want to let me go or for them to carry too much stuff back up the mountain. They made me a great deal on a new 2-weigth fly line. I also got an as great a deal on a new Brodin Ghost net to replace the one I broke into three pieces on my recent trip to Wyoming’s Miracle Mile.
With rod and net in hand, I finished my shopping. Not only did I get what I wanted, I was surprisingly able to buy it all with the cash I had. Those late Sunday afternoon deals can really work out at the Denver Fly Show.

Thoughts of a summer visit to Lost Creek Wilderness is already taking my mind to beautiful places.

But there is more.

I was able to hang out with two friends I hadn’t seen in years. Among the vendors was Natural Retreats, who now owns South Fork Outfitters.  I spent two summers guiding and working at the fly shop many years ago. Jonathan L., a fellow guide, was in the booth for Natural Retreats. He’s working on the business side instead of in a drift boat these days. Then I saw Shawn L. who used to be my boss at South Fork. He’s with Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures now. Both are excellent fisherman and I learned a great deal from both of them. Greetings and old stories. Questions of who’s doing what these days and how are the kids? Great to catch up with these guys. And now thoughts are forming of a fishing trip up north to the South Fork and to flowing waters in Montana.