Howdy! What a fantastic trip this has been! The last few days have been action-packed and memory-filled. We wrapped up by fishing the Lamar Valley one final time, finding a bunch of huge Yellowstone Cutthroat stacked in a deep pool – an incredible goodbye to such a marvelous species. Then, with the float team promising epic fishing, we headed to the Yellowstone River for our full day and a half of float fishing. The float did not disappoint; every camper arrived at the boat ramp with endless fish stories and so many firsts. A lot of first whitefish were caught, some caught multiple species of trout, and every kid had a blast. The Yellowstone is a mighty river and makes for a scenic float. Some even decided that, given the heat, floating in the water along the boat was the perfect idea, which made for quite the laugh!
Today, we wrapped up another amazing half-day float, said our goodbyes to the Yellowstone River, and headed back to basecamp in Ennis. Now we are relaxing with some refreshing showers and getting ready for the airport by doing laundry. Will Lillard has been hard at work in Bozeman, getting prepared for what will surely be the perfect banquet dinner, followed by root beer floats! Tonight should be the perfect night of sharing memories and stories to truly cap off this amazing trip – there will certainly be smiles and laughter as we recall the trip's highlights over tasty food, dessert, and some competitive pool and ping-pong.
Speaking of highlights, now is the perfect time to recall some of the group's favorites. In terms of wildlife, the legendary Yellowstone did not disappoint. We saw massive bull moose, bull elk, bears of every kind, and endless bison. Some of these were right by camp in the backcountry, a spectacle to watch during dinner. We even fell asleep to the sounds of swan calls and wolf howls, a wild experience. The fishing highlights are too numerous to count, but some of the best must be shared! We sight-fished for massive cutthroat in Trout Lake and Slough Creek, landing true trophies. We had endless dry fly action on Grebe and Cascade Lakes, with fish even leaping clear out of the water to eat! And, we had epic fights in the ripping current of the Yellowstone, where all of your faith is in the strength of your fly rod and your knot-tying abilities. The Fourth of July was a full day of highlights and something the kids will surely cherish; in one day, we caught one of the country's rarest fish, the Arctic grayling, and saw two of its most famous landmarks, Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic, which certainly made for a sweet day! Most of all, we made so many new friends and all grew as leaders and anglers. Certainly, many, if not all, of the campers are now friends for life, and can grow in their angling talents together, staying connected in the Lillard system!
Parents and loved ones, we cannot thank you enough for trusting us with your campers. It was such a joy getting to know each of them and watch them make lasting memories in real time while growing more confident both as a team and as individuals. This trip will leave a lasting mark on their memories and certainly be a time they look back on fondly, taking its many lessons with them as they move forward. We would love to see each and every one of them again for even more incredible times pursuing both fish and personal growth! We will let each camper tell the rest of their stories to you and promise they will be endless! Thank you again for allowing us to leave our mark on an unforgettable summer!
Until next time,
The Yellowstone Adventure 2 crew!
