Mud Season: sometimes it’s a dreaded word. It can mean muddy corrals, sloppy bike trails, and windy cold conditions for fly fishing. This year, that is not the case! We were so lucky to benefit from a beautiful indian summer that fell into a colorful and warm fall.
Warm temperatures and clear skies meant our guides have led fantastic insect-free outdoor adventures. It is a quiet time at Marabou. However, it made it a lot easier for elk hunting without frozen fingers from the bitter cold. It’s also a little easier making those climbs in the foothills when you’re not trudging through two feet of snow. Moving cattle proved a lot easier without the typical sideways sleet and snow that always seems to show up when you’re sorting. The fly fishing? Let’s just say Pat and company haven’t exactly slowed up, no one told them that this is supposed to be mud season. As long as there isn’t ice on the water, this crew is still having a fantastic fishing season on the Elk River.
There is still plenty to do when the real mud season eventually does show up. There’s always something special about watching an early winter snowstorm roll in while you curl up to a fire in the cabin with a cup of hot cocoa or glass of wine. A quick trip into town during mud season can be one of our favorite things to do. Off season is a special time in Steamboat. Residents take full advantage of shopping and dining deals offered to locals. Streets downtown are clear of the usual tourist crowds as the sleepy town waits expectantly on the first big snowstorm of the season.
The champagne powder will eventually show up, and the hustle and bustle of downtown will again get us excited for the holiday season. Until then, we’ll pick out a comfy recliner, put our feet up, and enjoy the view.