Wrangler, Cherokee, and Grand enthusiasts: Enjoy Jeep Sporting Destinations

April 2001

By Bob Good

When winter arrives in Ouray, it REALLY arrives in Ouray. From the ice-coated peaks of the frigid San Juan mountains anchoring the narrow river valley below, cold air plunges down slope to the historic city like an Arctic express with an attitude. Full-time locals like to joke that at the first hint of aspen leaves falling, part-time summer people exit the valley like hands abandoning a sinking ship. But to those remaining and the incoming winter tourists who appreciate the joys of winter, it means more space to play.

A hop, skip and a jump (although in the winter it can be a slippery one) over the hill, the groomed slopes of Telluride beckon skiers and snowboarders, but for those souls who like their winter sports a little less structured, there are nearby snowmobile and cross-country ski trails galore. Those a little more adventuresome can trek through the timber on snowshoes, either sticking to established routes or striking off on their own.

Participants in winter activity anywhere in the mountains of Colorado should always be cognizant of sudden weather extremes which can turn the most pleasant winter day into a survival test within minutes. Don't let that possibility spoil your fun, though, but take simple precautions in advance. First, always let someone know where you plan to be, and your expected time of return. Never, ever, four-wheel drive, snowmobile, cross-country ski or snowshoe alone, and know your physical limitations.

Pack along emergency rations, fire-starting gear, and the makings for an emergency shelter. Something as simple as the heat from long-burning candles will keep the interior of a jeep or a simple shelter above freezing when combined with body heat. But the most important ingredient of any survival gear is the right mental attitude going in. Check anticipated weather ahead of time, keep a "weather eye" out, beware of potential avalanche chutes, allow more than enough time to return to base (vehicle, well-traveled road, etc.) and remember, if you live most of the year at or near sea level, at 8,000 to 12,000 feet, you tire and dehydrate rapidly.

Trail maps and current conditions are available at the Visitor's Information Center on the north edge of town near the Ouray Hot Springs Pool. The information center is one of the most complete in the country. Two levels house mountains of brochures, maps and historical data. Personnel are very congenial and source of a wealth of knowledge.

Right next door to the information center is a one-million-gallon hot springs pool, open year-round with special night openings held monthly to celebrate the full moon. If your visit coincides with the full moon, don't miss the magic of floating on warm, mineral spring water while soft-blue moon light turns the San Juan Mountains above into ever-changing shapes and mystical silhouettes. It's the perfect end to a day of winter fun.

When Gus Bergole and Jack Echols wandered into this narrow valley in 1875, they came with gold fever, never anticipating their finds would spark a mass movement of prospectors, tradesmen, merchants and the like to what was originally named Umcompahgre City.

Elk, deer, sheep and small game probably figured prominently in their limited diets, as did trout from the surrounding streams. Elk and deer seasons are closed for the year, and sheep licenses require several years worth of preference points in a lottery system to draw, but trout are still there, even if some of them are well below reservoir ice this time of year.

A little cold and 30 inches of ice aren't enough to discourage trout fishermen from enjoying their sport. A quick dozen miles north of Ouray on Highway 550 is a popular wintering ground for both hard-core open-water anglers and ice fishers. A Bureau of Reclamation dam closes off a narrow valley on the Umcompahgre River forming a lake at Ridgeway State Park. Below the dam, warmer tailwater spilling from the base creates a year-round open-water trout fishery.

While rainbows in the 12- to 16-inch class will make up most of the catch below, lunkers to over 10 pounds are not that unusual, and brown trout are turning up more and more often. The PA-CO-CHU-PUK river area below the dam is classified as "Fly and Lure, Catch and Release Only." In the summer, anglers need to be on the water at first light to take advantage of feeding opportunities, but in winter months, the best fishing seems to occur when the sun is full on the water, from about 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Even during sun periods, winter trout are not as aggressive as they are later in the year. That means anglers will probably enjoy more success by fishing low and slow with smaller flies. Spinners, a good lure in summer, are not the best bet now, nor are larger fly patterns like the woolly bugger. With some rainbows already in a spawning mode, egg patterns will usually produce their share. A good combination is to sink an egg pattern 18 inches below enough split shot to bottom bounce, with a #22-24 midge larva pattern suspended a foot below the egg on 5-6X tippet. For fish attracted to the egg but not enticed to take, the midge larva represents an easy morsel, kind of, "Well, I'm here, it's here" sort of thing.

Slip the rig into the slack water below obstructions, let it settle to the bottom, then "walk" it a few inches at a time by lifting slightly, then letting the sinkers slide back to touch the gravel again. Keeping a tight line is absolutely necessary to detecting light hits common in the winter. Often the first realization a fish has taken occurs when you lift the rig and feel resistance. Keep the hooks razor sharp and often the lift alone will be enough to set the barb.

Keep an eye on back waters where the sun is pouring in full. Surface water there will often warm and encourage a winter midge hatch. Trout find these spots where they can idle in the back water without expending much energy, then pick off drowning midges caught in the current. This is usually a sight-fishing situation requiring the angler to sneak, slither and crawl into position, lowering a midge pattern gently to the surface without disturbing the fish. One advantage of winter fishing is the fish haven't been spooked by hordes of summer anglers, so sneaking up on one is not as tough as it might seem at first glance.

If you get your kicks out of angling through the ice, the lake above the dam or several other smaller lakes in the area (check with the information center) can produce not only a day of fun, but a good trout lunch besides. For fishermen willing to travel a bit, Blue Mesa, one of Colorado's best ice-fishing lakes is not much over an hour away toward Gunnison on Highway 50. Lake trout to over thirty pounds are not that unusual, although browns and rainbows averaging 12-18 inches are more the norm as are kokanee salmon in the 1- to 2-pound range.

For up-to-date info on best spots and lures for Blue Mesa, check with Gene Taylor's Sporting Goods on Highway 50 in Gunnison.

A winter visit to Ouray country is full of opportunity not only to soak up local historical lore and catch mind-boggling vistas that seem to soar forever, it's a chance to open up the lungs to crisp, clean, unfettered air, and stretch not only muscles but the mind. And at the end of the day, you can be forgiven if your idea of the perfect finish to a perfect day is to mellow out in a hot mineral pool, enjoy a 4-star dinner, and later drift off to a satisfied sleep without a wonder (or care!) how the rest of the world is doing.

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