Our last day, up at 6:30AM and on the road by 7:30, we’ve got a long drive back to Seattle today. A large herd of elk crossed the road near Cranbrook, BC.

We entertained ourselves by asking each YG member what they thought were the high & low points of the trip:

MS: High points: Hooking 15 Bull Trout on the Wigwam. Low Point: Loosing 15 Bull Trout on the Wigwam. High point: finally catching a Bull Trout on the Blackstone river.

AB: High Points: Catching Canadian Golden Trout & Bull Trout. Also the terrific action on the Crowsnest with hoppers! Awesome trip!! Low point: Trying to figure out the Oldman fish.

GK: High Points: Fernie & Michele Creek fishing was GREAT! Wigwam River…learned a lot. Stream Y…has lots of potential. Helicopter trip and Golden Trout fishing was spectacular! Blackstone River…great potential. Highwood river might have good potential. Oldman has a good reputation. Crowsnest…poor in the AM, GREAT in the PM.

JR: High Points: Catching a Golden & Bull Trout!! Awe inspiring Michelle Lakes!! Can’t believe that 10-years after the start of the Yellowstone Gang trips that we’d be in places like this trip…Awesome!! Low point: the weather and tough fishing on the Oldman lowered spirits, the Crowsnest picked them back up again.

AM: High Points: Great Golden Trout pictures, but they just can’t capture the beauty of the fish. Someone always found big fish no matter where we fished. We paid our dues on these new rivers, moving to find holding waters….but we’ve barely scratched the surface of the great fishing in this area. Low Point: Never mastered Bull Trout fishing, doesn’t care for "chuck & duck" fishing.

Next trip possibilities we asked?:

• Return to the first waters of the Yellowstone Gang trips….eg. Ennis, MT.
• Fortress Lake!!
• Mike: Western BC lakes.
• Greg: Fortress Lake, Nordegg.
• JR: Return to Ennis & our first waters; 3^rd trip in a row to Fernie?
• Al: Fortress Lake, Ram River, fish Alberta: Middle Fork of the Salmon; North of the Blackstone.
• Andy: Fortress Lake, Ram, more of Alberta; return to Ennis area.

YG Trip firsts:

• First time we’ve cooked for ourselves…..Thanks JR!!
• First time we’ve camped out. Unbelievable area!!

MS house in Spokane at 11:15AM (w/ a minus 1-hour time change), 82-degrees. 2064 miles since the trip started.

Mickey D’s for lunch in Ritzville, 1:30PM, 95-degrees. A herd of deer ran across I-90 near Moses Lake. Elk & Buffalo being raised for meat near Cle Elum. 96-degrees.

Crossed Snoqualmie Pass at 4:15PM, 83-degrees.

Arrived at JR’s at 5:30 pm.

Total miles traveled: 2380 miles.

Awaiting for AM at home was Winston - who eagerly wanted to hear the stories, get petted, receive lots of attention, and get fed!! (and not necessarily in that order!)