Dead Man's Hill Fire Tower

Dead Man's Hill Fire Tower was a diversion we would go and drive to to take a break from fishing.  I do remember we tried to drive up there one time after an early snow.  Bad idea, we got stuck in the Cougar and so did a Mustang.  I remember getting the Cougar pushed out of a snow bank and beating a hasty retreat to lower elevations back by the cabin.

Shagwa Lake - Red Feather Lakes Colorado

In the continuing story of childhood memories, Shagwa Lake is a pretty small lake with great sunsets and pretty good fishing.  The earthen dam on the left side of the watercolor is where we would fish and I remember this lake as being heavily populated with Bullfrogs and their deep chorus.

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow Trout were the fish we usually caught while fishing at Red Feather Lakes, Colorado.  They were so numerous, I can remember the few times we did not catch them and caught Brown or Brook Trout.  I did not even know there were any other fish like Bass or pike till I was much older.

First Fish at Red Feather Lakes Colorado

This is a watercolor of my first fish, which was a crawdad.  I caught this on my first pole with my first reel, he fought pretty hard.  He was a definite catch and release.   We would see a lot of these babies in the lakes.  It was not until later I ate some in New Orleans, Louisiana, if only we knew, they would have been in trouble.

Hiawatha Lake - Red Feather Lakes, Colorado

Hiawatha Lake is just to the west of the Hilltop Store featured in yesterday's post.  I remember this lake for our two fishing spots.  This one is where I caught my first fish, a Rainbow Trout and trying to get my feet wet while wearing my Wellington boots.  I use to like how the rubber would get darker when wet.

Hilltop Store - Red Feather Lakes Colorado

There are not a lot of businesses in Red Feather Lakes, but the one I remember going back to longest is the Hilltop Store.  One of the first things we would do when we went to the cabin was make the trip to town to the well to fill the milk jugs for the cistern and we would go to the store for whatever supplies we had forgotten.  We would probably get the fishing gossip of what was working and at what lake.  I know it has been there for at least 48 years and will probably continue on for a long time to come.  It is also where my grandmother and I found the notecards which identified the Indian Paintbrush wild flowers.

Ramona Lake - Red Feather Lakes, Colorado

If you travel yourself to Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, this is the picturesque lake below the town.  My watercolor does not really do it justice.  I don't remember fishing this lake a lot, but as referenced below the piece, I fished it on the Fourth of July in 1970.  I was with my one set of cousins and we were fishing the kid's fishing derby.  I know my cousin, Troy Willis was with me and we both caught fish, Rainbow Trout.  Somewhere in the excitement my mom caught a fish hook in the thumb.  She got to drive 25 miles to the Boy Scout Camp to find a doctor to get it removed.  It is part of Family Legend.