FX 3-08

From 5 to 11 July, 2008 with Wounded Warriors (WWs) from

Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC); Center For The Intrepid (CFI); Balboa Naval Hospital (BNH)

                Like March, FX 3-08 came in like a lion, and left, if not quite like a lamb, like a calmed ram!  The original plan was to take four WWs and a Recreation Therapist (RT) on the camping and cutthroat trout fishing trip of a lifetime-a four-day trip into world famous Slough Creek in northern Yellowstone Park via horse-drawn wagons.  However unseasonably cool weather and 300% annual average snow pack combined with a week of hot weather to produce a sudden, un-fordable, dirty river and flooded meadow campgrounds.

                And so, with very little time and a lot of effort, a wrenching “octaflugeron” maneuver tamed the problem by producing some legendary fishing on alternative day-trips to local area rivers.  And thanks to the flexibility and generosity of Lynn and Jan Perkins, their beautiful and spacious home (overlooking the Bridger Golf Course, Bozeman, the Gallatin and Bridger mountain ranges) was swiftly turned in to the bed, breakfast and dinner home away from home.

                Saturday 5 July, 3 WWs plus a recreation therapist from “CFI” & BAMC arrived at Gallatin Field via the courtesy of Veterans Airlift Command and its donor pilots, Phil Rosenbaum (with his PC-12 Pilatus flying from San Antonio to Fort Collins) and David Schump (and his Piper Malibu flying from Fort Collins to Gallatin Field).  WW passengers were John Carter, US Army; Jamie Pistoli, US Army; TJ Edwards, USMC; and Heather Gardner, civilian RT.  Also arriving from San Diego via commercial air was David Belcher, USMC.  After orienting to their new home, volunteers, guides, board members and WWs assembled for a tenderloin barbeque.

                Sunday, 6 July, after a hearty and hot breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast, fruit, milk and coffee, all 5 guests climbed in Tom O’Connor’s new Honda Pilot for a guided trip along the Yellowstone River up “the Paradise” valley, through the Gardiner Gate and into the Park.  Sights included the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with Upper and Lower Falls, Artists’ Point, some buffalo and elk, Old Faithful, some mud pots and boiling springs, Gibbon Falls, the Firehole and Madison Rivers, West Yellowstone and the equally beautiful trip out of the Park and down the Gallatin River Canyon, past Lone Mountain and Big Sky, MT.  After 12 hours enroute, they arrived to a Sunday dinner of baked ham, sweet potatoes, broccoli and rice, ambrosia and ice cream.  They needed it-and enjoyed it with a host of other guests!

                Monday, 7 July began with another great breakfast followed by a quick trip to Simms Fishing Products “gear issue” hosted by Colleen Trayser and crew fitting the WWs and RT with boots, waders, rain jackets, hats, T-shirts, and issuing sun screen and lip balm for all.  All then were driven to John and Ramona Baden’s ranch and ponds for a day of “Fly Fishing-101″ taught by master guide, outfitter and FFF-Certified instructor, Dave Kumlien and his crew of certified guides, aided by volunteers.   After a tasty chicken lunch, provided by “Moms”, all WWs and guides jumped on the spring-fed series of ponds for some practical application of theory and techniques.  Within minutes whoops, whistles and cries of “fish on” were heard.  All WWs immediately began adapting techniques to accommodate their particular disabilities-all of which began to recede into the background as non-dominant arms took over, problems were solved and coordination improved.  Doc Flaherty took an office call at 7:00 p.m. in order to calm a growing ear infection.

                Tuesday, 8 July began very early with another great breakfast, a quick trip to Montana Troutfitters where the WWs and RT were paired with their guides and their volunteers for a day of float fishing on the upper Madison on the beautiful stretch from Palisades to Story Ditch.  The day was beautiful, the company and comments exquisite-but the fishing was downright, well, “fishing” with very little “catching”.  But…all successfully caught some fish with a few browns in the 16-inch category.  All returned home hungry to a make-your-own taco and burrito extravaganza.  Sleep came quickly and easily, as all were refreshed by their experiences.  Doc Flaherty made a house call to calm severe allergies and a scratched cornea before the eye went “hard down”! 

                Wednesday, 7 July was another early jump out of the chute with a great, hot breakfast.  By 7:00 a.m., Dave Kumlien dispatched 5 teams of WWs, guides and volunteers to Willow Creek for exclusive use, courtesy and generosity of the Millers and the Wards.  Dave Belcher, Bob Frey, TJ Edwards and Ted Campbell went high, at the top of the canyon, hiking down the creek.  Literally from the first few casts, fish were either missed or “on”, eating  “*&^^%*” flies (now why would anyone in their right mind divulge that secret fly?).  Their day was heightened by the presence of a nesting pair of bald eagles with immature still at home; a six-foot bull snake (looks enough like a rattler to get anyone’s attention in well known rattlesnake country) that literally fell off a cliff at their feet; and too many browns and rainbows to count!  Meanwhile, Jamie Pistoli, Ernie Strum, John Carter, Mark Fogelsong, Heather Gardner and Dave Robinson all went low in the meadows below the canyon and below the Millers’ headquarters.  Besides one-armed fishing (reflect for a moment on the difficulties of hooking, keeping and retrieving with one arm and a hook a fighting fish) Jamie and John simultaneously had to learn to compensate for light, above-the-knee leg prostheses-either getting it stuck in the mud and walking out of it, or losing balance in the stream as the light prosthetic leg washed downstream in strong current.  But these heroes still learned and adjusted and caught fish while they solved problems until they were pleasantly exhausted!  That night, all were treated to a pork loin BBQ, Key Lime Pie and ice cream.  Regrettably, TJ had to leave the following morning for a wedding and “best man” duties.  Even changing his last name to “Perkins” couldn’t keep him in Montana.

                Thursday, 8 July dawned early and warmer, yet with a cold front tightly on the way.  Driving 40 miles to the “Climbing Arrow Ranch” and the Andersons’ legendary Sixteen Mile Creek stretch, Dave Kumlien said:  You may not be in heaven-but you can sure see it from here!”  Jamie Pistole and John Carter and their guides Mark Fogelsong and Bob Frey stayed lower in the meadows; while Dave Belcher, Dave Robinson, Dave Kumlien, Kevin Kumlien, Heather Gardner and Eric Hastings all went higher, across the famed movie “A River Runs Through It” tunnel and bridge and into the canyon.  In one phrase, fishing-and catching-were spectacular, in spite of wind!  Numbers; size; fight; surroundings:  so many wonderful and memorable jousts, no one wanted to quit.  Notwithstanding a fish-eating rattlesnake (see photo), the experience passed and everyone was forced to go eat broiled tri-tip and chicken dinner at the Gourmet Gas Station as all WWs, guides, volunteers and some donors enjoyed one last dinner together.

                Friday, we all marched off to the airport as if condemned.  No one wanted to leave, so we traded a few more stories and recollections of big ones and fighters that got clean away-or maybe were caught.   Dave Schump arrived with his Piper Malibu, we took some group photos, hugged each other, shed a tear or two, said “Aloha”-and promptly forgot the in-flight lunches the Moms prepared.   All got home safe, refreshed and determined to come back!