Case in point, when given a chance to spend some time in New Mexico, find out what lives in the rivers there and maybe say hello. I love wild trout, and it just so happens that a pretty rare and gorgeous trout lives in the clear, cold, high mountain streams of New Mexico, the Rio Grande Cutthroat.
Ash and I arrived just before a cold front was about to hit, and we learned quickly that if we wanted any chance at all of finding any of these fish, we needed to do it soon before the creeks froze over. The weather man was right, and after a couple days of clear sunny skies. the temperature plummeted and the snow fell. BUT, that was all after our hiking and time exploring some incredible canyons, alpine valleys, and small headwaters paid off with a few of these beautiful trout coming to hand.
The Rio Grande Cutt is a real success story for Trout Unlimited. With it's native habitat diminishing and hybridization with non-native trout species, the wild populations of Rio's was in serious jeopardy. Due to the years of effort of TU and others, significant habitat has been restored and the outlook for the Rio Grande Cutts is looking up. Seeing just some of this first hand was a pleasure.
On the way back to Denver, we even got to stop in and check out Great Sand Dunes National Park. Something tells me we'll be getting back to the Point of No Return!
Thanks to Helga and 'Big Al' for sharing a little taste of New Mexico!
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