Sula, MT - Day 9
Sunday, October 2, 2022
We had a fun activity planned for today! Corey, the owner of the cabin we rented this week in Sula, offered to take our family fishing at one of his favorite spots in the area. Corey provided all the poles and fishing supplies we needed, and guaranteed we’d catch a few cutthroat trout. Sign us up! Jim, Andi, Aden, and I decided to go fishing while Janie and Tory stayed back at the cabin. The boys and I headed out about 8:30am that morning for Bailey Lake, northwest of Darby.
Corey said there was a good chance we’d encounter elk or moose on the one-mile hike up to Bailey Lake. He brought his dog, Gus, along with us to help flush out the trail. Sure enough, we did see plenty of signs that big game were in the forest around us, but we didn’t encounter any animals directly. This was a fresh moose track on the muddy trail. Aden loved having Gug the Dog hike alongside us. It kept him plenty motivated to climb the hillside as he followed Gus’ lead.
The hike to Bailey Lake was an easy 650 ft elevation gain, but we still took our time walking the trail. Much of the path was overgrown, so it wasn’t so much that the trail was steep, but that we were fighting through tall grass and bushes. The five of us stopped a few times along the way to admire the view. The Bitterroot Valley of Montana is absolutely breathtaking — gorgeous views everywhere we look, made even more vibrant by the changing fall colors.
Once we reached Bailey Lake, Corey worked to set up a variety of poles. He brought along spinners, bobbers and a fly fishing rod. Andi, Jim, Aden and I spread out along the bank and started fishing. Aden was in his element! He was so excited to be fishing in Montana. What a special day to have some quality time with Grandpa Jim, Mom, and Dad.
Jim had the best luck and the most fun fly fishing. Corey had a nice, bright, neon green-colored line on the rod which made it easy for Jim to see his line on the water. He was in the zone, and contently stood on the lake’s edge fishing for hours.
The five of us fished Bailey Lake for most of the day until we’d caught our limit of cutthroat trout. It was a perfect day for fishing on the sub-alpine lake. We didn’t see another person until the very end of our time there.
Today was a dream come true for Aden — a successful day fishing in Montana with Gus the Dog by his side. Andi and I never heard a peep from Aden all day. The boy was in his element.
When it was time to go, it didn’t take us long to hike the one-mile path down the hillside to the trailhead. We said good-bye to Corey there, and thanked him for an awesome day of fishing. Aden had such a fun-filled day he fell asleep in the car on the 30-minute drive back to our rental cabin in Sula. I can’t remember the last time he fell asleep in the car! All the fresh air and activity must’ve worn him out.
Back at the cabin, Andi prepared some of the trout we caught for dinner. He seasoned and grilled the fish while Janie and I prepared a few side dishes. The trout was excellent.
We finished the day sharing pictures of our fishing adventure with Janie and Tory. The girls said they spent their day making homemade gnocchi — a recipe from Tory’s Language Arts curriculum, playing card games and going for a short walk.
Tomorrow, the boys are partaking in another fishing adventure on the Bitterroot River. More fun to come!
