Colorado – Sporting Road

Camping in Colorado

The Local newsletter writes: Temperatures are getting warmer, the kids are out of school, and John Muir’s famous mantra, “The mountains are calling, and I must go” is ringing in your head. It’s time to pack up the tent or RV and head out in search of adventure and relaxation. Just one issue: You were too busy schlepping around your ski gear during the winter to make a campsite reservation six months in advance. As more and more people head into the Colorado backcountry, that’s become a common problem. Data released by Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA) in April shows that in 2021, 57 million households in the U.S. and Canada reported they went on at least one camping trip in the past year, an 18 percent increase compared to 2020. According to the same study, many of these campers booked sites earlier in the season; by early April, three out of four households had typically reserved at least some of their campsites for the year. 1 Year of 5280 for just $19.95 $12. That's only $1 per issue! SUBSCRIBE TODAY » So what are those of us who failed to plan ahead supposed to do? Here’s the down and dirty on how to get a last-minute campsite in Colorado. Be Willing to Travel Farther from Home Front Rangers looking to book a campsite just a couple weeks (or less) in advance should prepare for a bit of a drive. “The easier it is for people to camp, the busier it’s going to be,” says Jason Hagan, park manager at Cheyenne Mountain State Park in Colorado Springs. “The farther away from your big cities [and] the Front Range, the easier it’s going to be to get a spot.” Often,

By Sporting Road|July 10th, 2024|Categories: Colorado, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Hatch New Mexico Green Chiles
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Hatch New Mexico Green Chiles

This is one of the top ten things that we in Colorado and New Mexico have to explain to out of towners. Green chile is not chili. And, yes, it's best if someone asks you, "Do you want that smothered?," that you comply. You will then be asked "Red or Green," and if you don't want to look like a foreigner, you'll know that the red chile is usually more mild, as it has been kissed by the frost at the end of the growing season, turning the green chiles fully ripe. Finally, if you want to pass as a local, you can reply "Christmas" which is a combination of both the red and green. And, yes, "We really do put this shit on everything," as they say from grits and burgers, to most Mexican dishes,and even to being served as its own stew (which is probably the most common version, if you are just asked, "Do you want some green chile?," they are referring to the stew. The New Mexico green chile season is from mid-September to the first week of October. We had 2 bags (2 1/2 bushels each) roasted this season, with a big party to solicit help with the peeling and bagging of them all. We like mixing one bag of the hot Sandias with one bag of the medium-hot Red Big Jim grown in the Hatch valley. Then, after roasting and peeling into 1/2 cup plastic bags for freezing. Hatch chiles should not be confused with the less desirable Mexican and Pueblo, Colorado chiles. The Hatch Valley is famous for its great flavor and is legendary in the Western United States for growing the best green chiles. The chiles vary in heat, depending on the place in the Hatch valley, the time

By Sporting Road|October 3rd, 2011|Categories: Colorado, Recipes|Comments Off

Blue Grouse Hippies
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Blue Grouse Hippies

Jeff and I started hunting together for blue grouse over twenty years ago. We met as young lawyers starting out in the same courtrooms together. I saw Jeff sitting in front of the bar, waiting for his case to be called, and he was trying to hide an issue of Shooting Sportsman inside of his client's file. We starting talking and I found out his father, Roger Hill, wrote one of my favorite books, Fly Fishing the South Platte. Jeff went on to say this was a blessing and a curse, as his father was a retired nuclear physicist and that he never got to enjoy soccer and things like that on the weekends, as his father simply left every weekend day saying, "I am going fishing [or shooting], do you want to come along?" There being no alternative except staying home alone, Jeff obliged and became a serious fly-tier, angler, and shooter of his own. We immediately started hunting together, a journey down the sporting road which lasted many years and which I hope will continue when he finds time away from his new family. His dog at the time was a hard-headed English Setter pup, which matched well in the field with my Britanny of field-trial lines who was on his first year afield. After many years of driving dirt roads and discovering dead ends on maps, we discovered the promised land of blue grouse together and promised to never divulge its location to any outsiders, or any other grouse covert we discovered together, for that matter, under threat of death or sending sultry clients to deal with such indiscretions. After one of our first days on the mountain in the shadows of the mountain, we found a

By Sporting Road|October 3rd, 2011|Categories: Colorado, Cuisine, Dog Training, Recipes, Wingshooting|Comments Off

Colorado Trout Flies (Book Review ***** 5/5)

2008, Streamside Press, Lyons, Colorado. These are the stories of 34 fly tyers in over 300 pages, perhaps the greatest in the world, including legendary anglers, professional tyers, fly-fishing guides, and writers. The book focuses on the featured tyers, but it also details, with recipes and color photos, 68 of their favorite fly patterns. Colorado Trout Flies presents a unique and invaluable reference from veteran fly-fishing guide, Todd Hosman who lives near Longmont, Colorado. He is also the author of Fly Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park and Fly Fishing Colorado's Front Range. A.K. Best comments on the Colorado Trout Flies by saying, "Todd Hosman has written a fly tying book like no other. I know some of you may find that hard to believe, but it's true. Colorado Trout Flies reads like a who's who of noted Colorado fly tyers and some of the patterns they are known for. But more important, the book contains a short biographical sketch of each tyer that gives the reader some insight on what drove them to create flies that have become local and national standards. Colorado Trout Flies is destined to become a classic not only because of the reasons mentioned above, but also because the fly patterns will fool trout anyplace.” John Gierach says, “One of my favorite things about this book is that I'm in it, even though I don't tie professionally and never invented a fly pattern. All I've ever done is tinker with flies as I tied them for my own use, now and then coming up with minor changes that either made an existing pattern slightly better or at least didn't do any real harm. At least at the amateur level, fly tying is like folk music: The songs may be the

By Sporting Road|September 21st, 2011|Categories: Colorado, Fishing, Fly Tying|Comments Off