It's time to wonder the world with Sharon. Enjoy this big blend radio podcast featuring award-winning travel writer and photographer Sharon K. Kurtz. Welcome everybody. Today we're wondering the world with Sharon as always every first Wednesday. And she's taking us to Glacier National Park where she learned a new skill. Sharon now knows how to fly fish, not just any fishing, fly fishing, right? So how are you doing Sharon? Well, thank you Lisa. Oh, it was fun. Yeah, yeah, it was fun. Yeah, no, you've been to Glacier Park before? No, I've been to many national parks, but that was my... The reason I wanted to do this, I found out about this trip to Glacier to learn how to fly fish. I wanted number one to go to Glacier. On my bucket list, I've heard raves about it. I've never been, and I have never fished at all. So at my stage in life, a woman who has never fished of any sort to learn to fly fish, that was like I was all over it. You know, well, that's interesting. Now, do you eat fish? Yes, it did help. Yeah, right? Yes, but not these fish. No, this was catch and release. Okay, okay, so but you get to learn about fish right by doing this. Yes, I learned so much. It was a guided trip. So first we actually stayed in West Glacier. Do you know much about Glacier National Park? Have not been there yet. All right, so West Glacier is adjacent to the park. It is called the Gateway to Glacier National Park. It's only 30 minutes from Kalisbell National Airport. It's easy to get to. And Pursuit Glacier collection owns properties there. And they owned the Glacier anglers guided fishing trips and float trips down the Flathead River. So we were invited to go check it out and learn to fly fish. Wow, okay, so these are the same people you went and did your Canadian winter adventures, right? In Jasper National Park, they own properties there too. And we need to, I'm so frightened for Jasper National Park. It's on fire right now. They've had to evacuate. So it's very scary. It's been a rough time for the West. And then, you know, the hurricanes and everything and we had to dodge barrel on a trip across the country, you know, and tornadoes and luckily we were not in it, but it's, we cannot deny that things are happening in our natural world. You know, well, I think this is the thing too, when we go on these nature areas and we learn more about the natural environment, it shifts our perspectives and understanding a little bit more about. You know, how strong and mighty and sensitive at the same time in nature is, right? And so our role in about coexistence. Do you feel that when you go into these places and like what you did in Glacier and starting to learn about fish and how it's important that they thrive, you know, for the water, for the animals, the ecosystem, you know, with what they do. Well, the pursuit bought this property about 10 years ago with the Glacier anglers and the whitewater rafting excursions. And we met with the general manager and he, they take care of the earth, they care about the water has never seen such clear beautiful water. And in fact, the guides, even if they have what they call a weed rodeo, the guides go out every so often and they have t-shirts and blading with red rodeo, and they go out on the river and they remove all the invasive species of plants. Wow. So that's cool. Hey, that's cool. A lot of people would think it'd be another thing, but I think that'll be our next month conversation when you go to Oakland. Yeah, that is, that is, but we'll talk about that soon, but the invasive species, it's so important because there's fish, you know, there's muscles that have become invasive species to lionfish. And this all affects our parks which if the parks are not healthy, the humans and the local communities are not healthy either so, and it's kind of, you know, vice versa like if the community is not doing well healthy and environmentally sound. They actually aren't either so that's, you know, why we do our love your park stores to kind of connect those dots, you know, and I think travels is crucial to really get to understand. Yes. Well, as I said, Wes Glacier is adjacent to the park. It's just right at the gateway to the going to the sun road. Have you heard about that? I've heard that and you did it. That's not bad. Do that. So we, it was so early in the season, it was barely open. I think they had a big storm the week before there was still snow and ice so we got in right as it was opening. And we went to this trail of the cedars off right off of the going to the sun road and had the most beautiful hike. It's gorgeous. You when you go to those mountains it's kind of mind blowing, isn't it? It's just kind of like, whoa, I know you're you're based in the Texas Hill Country but it's a little different when you go to places like Glacier right the mountains are real mountains. Yeah, that's exactly and the lakes and the rushing rivers. It was a beautiful hike. So we really got to see Glacier Park as as you want to see it was before tourist season really it was just starting. So it was a beautiful trip. What time of year is that for folks know because I always think to go in the shoulder seasons, especially in parks and these iconic parks would be a good idea. It was June and it was early June so it was just getting, but getting open and around like I said they just had snow and ice the week before so, but living in Texas, it was already in the 90s and it was like 40 degrees in the morning. Oh, it was just fabulous. Wow, wow, this is awesome. This is awesome but 40 degrees is a little cold for me, but it warms up during the day this is a layer where layered clothes right when you go. That's exactly right where layers but so getting out on the book okay so number one you know the waters cold you do not think that it looks beautiful and you want to dive in but you know it's cold. Well, I went with five other travel riders and of the five of us only one had fought went fly fishing with her dad once like 20 years before, so we were all new these. And what was fun was first, our first half the day we had an introduction to fly fishing it was on dry, dry ground, we learned how to tie knots tie the fly onto the rod. We learned how to assemble the rod and, and we they opened up their little boxes there must have been 300 flies in this box. That's what the guides are just their fly nerds, they know, and they're called flies because they want to know what that fish is going to want to eat at any season of the year any week of the year. They're all different so they know the right fly for the for the right day. Wow. Wow. The right kind of fish so we learned all about flies, and then on the lawn we got our first casting lesson. And that was a trip, having six of us all lined up over an open field so we couldn't like get our lines entangled with one another spread far apart. We learned the way to fly fish you go like from 10 o'clock to two o'clock, and you go back and then you toss it but it's not a big movement but they're very subtle movements and people might think that you just, you know, call it but no it's a very controlled movement and we learned how to cast. And how to place the fly and then we went to the the ponds nearby that are stopped with fish, and they're stopped with little big fish. And I did not catch one on the pond, which didn't bode well for me I was afraid I was like well, I just don't have the knack but casting your line in a little pond is much different than testing it on the river. Okay. And you did catch one on the river. Yes, I cut a steelhead trout. That's the one you want to catch they had non invasive white fish in the river, and those are not, you know, that's not the perfect fish that you want to say that you caught, but I caught a real steelhead trout. And it was on the small side, I won't tell you that it was the biggest fish, I won't be like tell you a fish suit story like, yeah, but there are guide, we had a woman guide in our boat so they're inflatable rafts because the river has a rapids on it, and this the glacier anglers are only one of four outfitters that can even take guests on the river. And you have to be a whitewater rafting guide first before you can ever be a fishing guide. Oh, that's smart. You have to do both you have to navigate the rapids and take your clients to the fishing holes. That's, you know, I like that because it makes you understand everything. It's like a full education and when you go out with a guide, you want to know someone knows what's going on if you, you know, go overboard or whatever so when you're fishing. Are you fishing from the boat, are you getting in with those big waiters that you know you see, remember the movie River runs through it. I think it's actually they filmed that movie on this river. Oh, wow. Cool. Yes. And it's so if you ever go back and watch that movie you see the, the scenes of Brad Pitt that handsome young man, you know, casting in that beautiful river and we were right there. I feel like I have to rewatch this now. It was just beautiful. But we had, so we had three inflatable rafts and there's two chairs, one in the front and one in the act, and then the guide sits on a bench in the middle. And she has oars, and she's the one who helps you know she said, cast your line over there because you want, you want water that's fast moving and, and she'll show you the little areas where the fish were likely to be. So you're floating the whole time. It's, it's not so easy. There's an art to fly fishing. This is pretty amazing that I caught a fish because the first thing she taught us was, you have to watch that fly so you, you have it. It's called a dry dropper. So you are fly was white and like a feathery. And that's what you needed to catch fish on that week. And then there's a line underneath it with another like a worm, a fake worm on it. So there's two opportunities for that fish to strike your line, either on the surface where it will go like this. And you have to pull up and catch it in the mouth. You don't hurt it. And they let it go. But that's how you, you catch it and reel it in, or it's going to go to your bottom one. So you have to watch for the subtle subtle little bobbing. And it's hard to see. I must have missed, I don't know 50, 50 fish, because I didn't know what that subtle movement meant. I didn't know there was a fish there waiting to catch. Oh, see, they're going, come on. I'm reading the dinner bell. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's really hard, but it is fun. And, but half of the time, I was just watching the scenery. It is so beautiful. The water is gorgeous. It's crystal clear, and you can see the river rocks on the bottom. Just listening. That's beautiful. We saw a mountain goats along the side. Oh, man. That's awesome. They were going up a steep incline, and they were actually licking the salt off the rocks. Oh, cool. I've, that is on my bucket list to see one of them. I've never seen them in the wild, and I will just, you know, I want to see one so bad. Oh, you got to see them in Jasper. Yes, we did. We had a woman guide Stacey rains is her name. She used to be first a she's from Tennessee. She was a park ranger for seven years, then a river rafting guide and then a fly fishing guide. Well, what she, I asked her, who makes the better fishermen, women or men, and she said, yeah, women are the better fishermen. I said, really, she said, yes, because they listen and they follow instructions. Just saying. Just saying. Just saying. Most of us were women. We had one guy with us, and one of the young ladies. She was from Canada. Oh, she told us that she was lucky fishing. And she certainly was. I think she got six fish. But even if you don't catch fish, it is just a beautiful day. I just like to go out on the boat, you know, but I think it's cool that you went and did something, you know, you wanted to learn something new and I think it's great that your instructor was a woman. You know, because you end this again, you know, you know, we're, you know, we're going to have to share this also on our women making history podcast because you know we love that. Showing that women can do things. Yes, we can. Well, that's one reason why I wanted to go on this trip. You know, as we get older, we have so many opportunities in life and you think, Oh, I can't. I don't have time. That doesn't work out. I'm going to do that next year. And there comes a time when you just have to do. You just have to go for it. I agree. No, no, no, because, you know, your day can come anytime. So many people plan on their travels at the end of life at. Oh, when we retire, well, sometimes our bodies have a different plan. Yeah, you know, or life has a different plan. And I'm one of those, I think, goes just raise that way to just, you know, do it. Do it. Do it now. Go for it. And don't wait for things to be perfect either, because that is a waste of time. And get out of your comfort zone. Am I a fisherman? Heck no, but it was fun. And I learned about this, a beautiful art. And it was kind of meditative. Yeah, it's in, it was casting and the motion and the beauty and it was quiet. Oh, I wanted to ask that because it was fishing and I've been with friends who fish and have an all kinds of experiences. I think I tried once, but I mean, I mean, we're allergic to fish and I just like to look at them. So anything fish or seafood is a no no, we die. We don't want to die, but, but the, from what I have understood. Like a lot of guys, like there's a park in Tucson, where there's benches named after people that have been fishing there for years families, you know, people get together they. It's like a memory thing. It's part of their lifestyle and, you know, go to Louisiana and you'll see, you know, people fish catfishing off the, you know, the riverways and stuff like that and the waterways all over. And, you know, when I was thinking about this, about the quiet time, even though sometimes guys go fishing together, yes, there may be beer involved and whatever. Isn't there like a quiet time like the louder you are, the more you can scare fish away did they bring any of that up or does it matter like, I didn't know that part, because I, I'm thinking about friends fishing and some were like it's all about being quiet with the moment. Then the nature, but then some weren't that quiet. So I'm wondering if that affects it. Well, in our situation with this rafting guide company, the rafts are just for three people, the guide, who's rowing and two anglers, and there's no music, there's no loud boomboxes. It's quiet. And then we did, they provided a lunch for us because it was an all day, and we went to the side and all got out and ate our sack lunches, but not me, but several of them actually got in that ice cold water. They had their swimming suits under their clothes they stripped down and jumped in the water. Oh, polar bear. I, yeah, I admired them. You go for it, ladies, but you're going like I've already done my comfort zone get out of my comfort zone. I did that in Sequoia National Park, and we went hiking. It was spring to this at Tokapaw. I think it was a trail and they have these waterfalls. And you're going through like marble canyon almost it's like really white, white rocks when the sun hit. It just heated up and it's definitely a park in the spring that you want to wear layers because your way on up there right. And it was a beautiful hike, but we were heating up. I mean, even though we went through some areas of forest, and we got to the waterfalls and it wasn't, it wasn't a heavy winter season so not as much water as usual, but gorgeous. Went back down and the river was beautiful. Nancy and I had our little, don't tell anybody our little champagne picnic, you know, you know, a little quiet in there. And I'm like, I had to take my shoes off. I'm like, I want my feet in that water. Oh, no, you do not. It is pure ice melt. And when we talk about ice melt, we mean ice melt. It is cold. I was like, no, I won't be doing that again. It's almost like a dare. And I saw this guy take his girlfriend across the river, because they wanted to do a little quick walkthrough. He almost died. Like, like not died died, but, you know, he's like, you have no idea they thought, Oh, it will be fun because the same as me, we're all and sweaty from this hike went to go across because she's like, I'm not getting in there. He's like, I'm the manly man. She's holding his hiking. He was like, do not do it. He was freezing. So, so I admire those that jumped in. That's pretty hardcore. It's very cold. And the water is so crystal clear. You can actually see the fish swing. Beautiful. Now, that's what I heard from the guides. The key is you watch very carefully for the fish. You go to the fishing hole and you place your fly right there ever so gently. And you can actually see them come up and grab your fly. That did not happen to me. My fish grabbed the bottom hook. And I could tell there was some resistance. And I pulled back. And you have to be careful because you can get so excited that literally you can like pull them out of the ground and they can fly in the air and go behind. Yeah, if you're not careful, but you have to reel them in so carefully. But the guides are experienced. They catch them in the net and you're not really allowed to touch them because they have like a film on their bodies and you don't want to touch them with your fingertips. You want those fish to live another day to, you know, you can admire them. And then they just gently released them back in the water. Very cool. So tell us about your lodgings. Because you got to stay cabin style, right? But like, yeah, well, we're not talking like the old, you know, post in it. This was viewed. We were very lucky. Our host had us. They have several accommodations in West Glacier village is what it's called. And where we say it's called paddle ridge. It's my pursuit. You'll have it in the show notes with you can, but our cabin was called the Glacier View cabin. It was the most gorgeous, big cabin with four big bedrooms, all in sweet bathrooms. And one of the bedroom's had like, I don't know, six or eight beds in it for kids and bunk beds. So it's more like multi generational family get togethers. Oh, that's awesome. That's awesome. I love that. You know, I think, yeah, see, that's a way when we say don't wait. You know, that's a way I think in travel is for everyone to get together. You know, it's great for grandparents and for grandkids and everybody does something. There's going to be something for everyone in a kind of property like that, you know, all ages. And then they can share making memories, you know, not just it's so different when you have these kinds of experiences as a family to bond. You know, very cool. So pursuit has there in the West Glacier village. There's a pizza place. There's a beer garden. There's mini golf. There's a convenience store, like a sundry store for anything you're going to need while you're there. Oh, wow. It's kind of you can everything you need for for a multi day trip and then you had me at pizza and beer from there. Yeah. What do you need? Yeah, it sounds like a great time. And you got into Glacier National Park and an epic experience got on the water. You learn something new. Sounds how many days we do. It's only three days, right? Three nights. Three nights. Would you go back? Yes. We only got to go into the park one day from from the terrace of the porch of our beautiful accommodation. You have the most gorgeous view of the mountains. And I wanted to go spend more days going into the mountains, but next time. This time was all about fly fishing and our one beautiful hike, but there's so much more to see. Awesome. Awesome. Well, everyone, there's a link in the episode notes to Sharon's article, which is up on national park traveling.com. So you can check that out. And of course, keep up with Sharon at Sharon K Kurtz dot com. And also, you can go to the website just for the premiere. Excuse me, pursuit collection. Go to glacier park collection.com. And you can see everywhere. Sharon's talking about. So thank you so much. Sharon, I can't wait for next month. We're going to hear about the weed rodeo of Oakland. Yep. Yep. Thank you, Lisa. It was fun. Thanks for joining us here on big blend radios. Wonder the world was Sharon podcast. You can keep up with Sharon's adventures at Sharon K Kurtz dot com. Follow big blend radio at big blend radio dot com. Happy travels. (upbeat music)
