01-02-24 REELLIFE digital - Flipbook - Page 25
Let’s take a step back
away from fishing for a
moment, please. That may
be sacrilegious, coming
from a magazine that is on
its face wholly dedicated
to fishing. I mean it’s called
Reel Life for Pete’s sake, the
pun couldn’t be any more
fishing related. Consider the
experiences that we add
to our core memories from
our passion for life outside
the concrete jungle. The
sights and sounds of places
we’ve just experienced
for the first time. Those
times with friends and
family. The sometimestrivial outings that we build
into our routines because
we are outdoorsmen and
outdoorswomen at our core.
Being present at those times
is crucial to our ability to take
a deep breath and hit the
reset button.
inducing drives that really
make you appreciate the
work of engineers. The drive
up the mountain is narrow.
A two-lane highway with
an unforgiving drop on
one side of the road and
an immovable rock face
on the other. It makes me
wonder how folks drive
campers, boats, or trailers
up such a road. There are
points along the drive
where, if you’re on the
outside lane, by peering
out of the window, you’ll
realize the full effect
of the over 9,000-foot
drop off the road, add
another nearly 2,000
feet if you decide
to get to the very
top. It’s a road so
treacherous, it is
closed during the
wintertime, and
rightfully so.
One of the most scenic
drives I have ever
experienced came from a
trip along the Beartooth
Highway in the heart of
the Custer National Forest.
It is one of those winding,
nauseating, fear of height
In addition to
these crystalclear memories
of peril, are the
wondrous views
that come from
the observation
point.
JAN - FEB 2024 | 25
