After breakfast, Quinn and I headed into Saratoga for a one-day fishing license and some worms. Then we headed back to the ranch and down to the creek to fish.
The creek itself was very small, width ranged from 5 feet to around 20 feet. Many areas were very shallow but there were some deeper pools as well. It was a bit hard to believe that such a shallow creek can hold reasonable fish, but it can. We fished along the bank for quite some time and saw many fish, and even got a few hits on the lures but were not able to close the deal. Several times as we walked up to deeper pools we could see trout take off, obviously wary of us.
After fishing for several hours, it was getting hot and there was not very much of the typical Wyoming wind so we headed back to the lodge. We ate lunch and generally relaxed as the bow elk hunters began to filter back in. There were several more close encounters with elk, but no more were taken. Their licenses were also good for the gun season so some of them were planning on coming back.
Later in the afternoon, Quinn and I went out to fish for a few more hours and were able to do a little better. I'm sure on the right day, the fishing is pretty good. Brook Trout sure are pretty fish.
When we got back to the lodge, everyone else had left leaving a very quiet evening before turning in for the night. I was headed back in the morning while everyone else will be getting ready for the next group of hunters.
We had a relaxing dinner before calling it a day.
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I woke up the next morning and organized stuff to pack up and leave. It was obviously a quieter morning than is typical in hunting camp with myself being the only guest (or is it client) there.
We chatted about the last few days and what was coming up on the ranch before a final excellent breakfast. I was out the door at about 8:00 and followed my GPS trail back through the dirt roads and into Saratoga. I headed south and by the time I got to Encampment, they were open. A couple trucks were dropping off a whole slew of mule deer does. It seemed like a lot of does to be shooting in an area hit hard by deer drop-off, but to be fair, I don't know very much about the situation.
I was able to get my processed antelope meat and was surprised at the amount of meat they were able to extract off of the animal. One of the reasons I butcher my own is because I have seen unbelievably skimpy amounts come off of good sized deer but this place obviously does a great job. The low shot which did not affect any major muscles also helped.
Once packed in my cooler with 15 pounds of dry ice, I headed north, then east toward home.
I once again crested the scenic route of Wyoming 130 before descending to the interstate where I remained for the rest of the day.
About the only thing of note during the drive was the very high water on one of the Platte rivers; the floods in Colorado continue to march towards the Mississippi, but the destruction appeared to be limited to some agricultural fields.
Besides some heavy traffic between Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, the drive was easy. Based on the flags displayed I guess there must have been some Nebraska sporting event and perhaps there was some pregame libations based on the asinine driving displayed in the area.
The combination of dark and tiredness prompted me to stop about an hour outside of Des Moines. Once stopped, I thought I could have gone further, but it is definitely safer to call it a day.
Since Subway smelled so good at a previous gas stop, it also served as dinner. I'm not sure if the smell is actually from the bread baking or if it is something they manufacture and spray, but it worked.
There was still a good chunk of dry ice so hopefully the meat stays frozen overnight. If needed, I can always get ice for the remainder of the trip.
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