About rivertoprambles
Welcome to Rivertop Rambles. This is my blog about the headwaters country-far afield or close to home. I've been a fly-fisher, birder, and naturalist for most of my adult life. I've also written poetry and natural history books for thirty years. In Rambles I will mostly reflect on the backcountry of my Allegheny foothills in the northern tier of Pennsylvania and the southern tier of New York State. Sometimes I'll write about the wilderness in distant states, or of the wild places in the human soul. Other times I'll just reflect on the domestic life outdoors. In any case, I hope you enjoy. Let's ramble!
My opportunity to fish the Driftless area of western Wisconsin was more like a homecoming than it was a clear response to all the good angling press the region has received over the last few decades. I spent my high … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
|
Tagged camping, coulees, cows, dairy, Driftless country, farming, fly-fishing, glaciation, LaCrosse, nature, reunions, The Driftless Angler, travel, trout, Viroqua, Wisconsin
|
Fortified by our recent finds in Yellowstone country, my wife and I continued on our homeward route through northern Wyoming, drawn by the geography and myths of the land, toward Devils Tower and South Dakota’s Badlands. I was looking forward, … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
|
Tagged aliens, Badlands, birds, close encounters, Devils Tower, geography, national monuments, Native Americans, nature, Rocky Mountain sheep, tourism, travel, wildlife
|
Before leaving Yellowstone, Leighanne and I stopped for a walk through the incredible Norris Geyser Basin featuring the massive and unpredictable Steamboat Geyser. Luckily for us, the geyser had erupted recently, shooting off steam and water to heights several times … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
|
Tagged Beaverhead, Big Horn Mountains, Big Sky, birds, fly-fishing, Gallatin River, geyser, Madison River, national parks, nature, Rocky Mountains, salmonfly, travel, volcano, wild trout, wildflowers, Wyoming, Yellowstone
|
Our return visit to Alpine, Wyoming was a good one. We joked about retiring to this village, if we could afford its balanced charm– its small size, the hub of three rivers, with fly shop, comfortable motel, saloons, and crazy … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
|
Tagged cutthroats, family, fly-fishing, Greys River, hiking, national parks, nature, photography, Tetons, travel, wilderness, wildlife, Wyoming, Yellowstone
|
Driving from Buena Vista, Colorado’s fine beer and pizza terraces, we climbed past Mt. Elbert’s snowy patches and over Independence Pass. We stopped for a tundra walk at 12,000 feet in altitude; the wildflowers and breath-taking scenery establishing an inspirational … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
|
Tagged brook trout, brown trout, Brush Creek, camping, Colorado, family, fly-fishing, Frying Pan, hiking, national forests, nature, Rocky Mountains, travel, wilderness
|
I’m no expert on this Gold Medal river southwest of Denver. In fact, I just made my first visit to the South Platte in beautiful Colorado. My introduction to the famous trout stream below Cheesman Reservoir was made, in part, … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
|
Tagged Colorado, exploration, fishing, nature, Pike's Peak, Rocky Mountains, sense of place, South Platte River, travel, western landscapes, writing
|
The work week was winding down; I was standing at the check-out counter with a six of a favorite IPA, thinking of the fly-fishing prospects for the weekend and a slew of odd jobs that required doing before the long … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
|
Tagged beer, birding, bobolinks, choices, fly-fishing, friendship, hiking, knowledge, nature, old age, Rocky Mountains, travel, whip-poor-will
|
Continuing with my “wings over water” theme of late, I’ve kept an eye out for insect hatches on our trout streams but haven’t seen much yet. Oh, the Sulphur mayflies made an afternoon appearance on Cross Fork Creek. A few … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
|
Tagged Adams dry fly, brook trout, fly tying, fly-fishing, friends, Genesee River, hatches, high water, nature, Sinnemahoning, songbirds
|
There were plenty of quiet moments at the book signing event, so I was glad to have some fly-tying stuff on hand. My books were piled up on the corner of a table in the store; my vise stood before … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
|
Tagged beauty, birding, fly tying, fly-fishing, migration, nature, Oswayo Creek, songbirds, Tao Te Ching, truth, Water, writing
|
There have been a lot of ups and downs here since the last post on Rivertop Rambles. I spent six days fishing in the Blue Ridge out of 10 days in Virginia, boulder hopping, climbing streams like Cedar Run, the … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
|
Tagged art, between the streams, birds, Blue Ridge, brookies, family, fishing, hiking, home place, Monticello, music, the Residents, Time, Washington D.C., wildflowers
|
