Somedays you have to venture and park at the end of a rough road, on the edge of a vast canyon, and stare out at the volcanoes in the distance while getting ready for a hike. No trails lead into the canyon below you, but the sight of crystal clear water in the distance reminds you of where you are heading.

Each step down and up ravines must be made with care – the serpents of the canyon are just starting to become active in the warming morning light. Game trails lead the way to a magical grove of Ponderosa Pines alongside the Deschutes River – to the end of the trail – The Land of The Lost.

Being deep inside the canyon brings a certain kind of comfort to me. At first my mind tries to take over and think about places where I’m supposed to be, or things I am supposed to do – but eventually all the stress of the world outside the canyon washes away in the crystal clear waters at my feet.

My mind then becomes so focused on the currents and the motions of casting – only to be briefly interrupted by glancing up to the towering walls above me

And finally when glancing up I notice my friends up the canyon waving to me – snapping me out of my river trance. Apparently I did a poor job communicating that I was going downstream and they had grown concerned…. I guess I had just accidentally wandered off in to the Land of The Lost.

I can’t wait to get lost again.