Summer of 2015 TRR Events

June 13 Cleanup Day at the site – meet at KVC at 9:00 am 10 volunteers needed…contact Rosie Hollrah 970-726-2002 or rhollrah@rkymtnhi.com Dale Baan and Mark McCutcheon have developed a list of cleanup activities including general site cleanup, main cabin remove boards on windows, clean windows, vacuum, dust, screens on porch, etc. picnic lunch provided for participants.

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June 26 – 27 Wildflower & Watercolor
workshop Donna Lyons will host 4th annual workshop for up to 15 participants. Instruction, supplies, Picnic lunch from Cy’s included each day. $125 per person to be paid in advance. Meet at KVC flagpole each day at 9:30 Here’s a link to the blog from last year’s event. Below is the link to Donna’s website. 
 http://donnalyonswatercolor.com

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July 23 Art in the Park
(also August 20 and Sept 10) artist day in the park 9am – 4:00 pm – Hosted by Donna Lyons – This year will offer hiking/history tour and picnic lunch ($25 per person) minimum 6 people – lunches from Cy’s. Meet at KVC flagpole at 9:00 a m http://donnalyonswatercolor.com

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July 24-27 – Writer’s Retreat 3rd annual
– Organized by two college professors ..open to public…– program package includes lodging at Shadowcliff. $320 per person 10 – 12 participants + 2 leaders. Amy Koerber TCU http://rockymountainwriters.wordpress.com/

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July 31 – Family Fly Fishing 3rd annual                Co-sponsored by Colorado Headwaters Chapter of Trout Unlimited ages 9-90. See TU website…$150 for 3 people..each additional $25 includes instruction, use of equipment and picnic lunch. Sold out each year…. 14 TU volunteers + 36 participants. Here is a link to last years event. 

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August 15 RMC – Butterflies west of the Divide
presented by RMC contact Rachel.balduzzi@rmconservancy.org

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August 20 – Art in the Park
artist day in the park 9am – 4:00 pm – Hosted by Donna Lyons – This year will offer hiking/history tour and picnic lunch ($25 per person) minimum 6 people – lunches from Cy’s. Meet at KVC flagpole at 9:00 a m http://donnalyonswatercolor.com

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September 10 – Art in the Park
Artist day in the park 9am – 4:00 pm – Hosted by Donna Lyons – This year will offer hiking/history tour and picnic lunch ($25 per person) minimum 6 people – lunches from Cy’s. Meet at KVC flagpole at 9:00 a m http://donnalyonswatercolor.com

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September 12 – RMC River Otters
presented by Rocky Mountain Conservancy contact rachel.balduzzi@rmconservancy.org

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Check out Rocky Mountain Conservancy for other west side RMC programs :
June 13 – Birds of the Kawuneeche Valley,
July 11 –  Diversity in Wildflowers,
August 28 –  The life and times of Moose
and Grand Lake Safaris all summer.

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Other community groups will meet at the Education Center including Grand Lake Women’s Club – visitors welcome – Steve and Barb Meyer will present Geocaching across the Divide Program in celebration of 100th anniversary of RMNP. Advance registration contact Muriel Johnson mkjohn612@gmail.com ; Colorado Preservation Inc, Women with Altitude, Plein Air Artists of Colorado – and many more.

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2015 “Wildflowers & Watercolor” Painting Workshop in RMNP

June 26 and 27
10:00 AM -4:00 PM
$125
Trail River Ranch
in Rocky Mountain National Park
Includes Materials, Instruction, Handouts and Lunch both days.

Enjoy two days of watercolor painting and instruction with local artist Donna Lyons in the beautiful setting of the Kawuneeche Valley. We will be painting for two days at Trail River Ranch inside Rocky Mountain National Park. You may bring your own materials or use the ones provided with the class. Paint, brushes and paper are availavble for those new to the medium.

This class is designed for all levels of painters and beginners are most welcome!

The basics of design and painting will be reviewed, more painting time for you and increased time for individual instruction is planned. We will set aside time at the end of the day for friendly critiques that help with understanding and improving your work.

Lunch is provided on both days. Please meet at 9:30 AM the first day by the flagpole at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center to place your order for lunch and to carpool to the Ranch.

This workshop is filling quickly. As of this week, there are only five spaces left! Call Linda at the number below to reserve your place in the class.

You can view more details about this workshop on the “Workshops” page on my website
donnalyonswatercolor.com.

To register and reserve your place in this fun and popular annual event,
please call
Linda Gardner 970-627-5409

If you have questions about materials or details of the class,
please call
Donna at 970-627-8523

The class size is limited this year and is filling very quickly. Hope to see you at Trail River Ranch!

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Family Fly Fishing Day – 2014

July 11th, 2014
It all started by meeting at the Kawuneeche Visitor’s Center in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). Friends of The Trail River Ranch (FoTRR) and Colorado Trout Unlimited have teamed up the past two summers to deliver this wonderful workshop. Trout Unlimited supplies all the individual hands on instruction.

Just click on each photo to see a larger image.
 
North Fork of the Colorado River and Bowen Mt.  The road to TRR.

 
The old Betty Dick home where the classes are held.
 
There’s always bottled water and a healthy lunch provided.
 
Getting lotioned down to protect to keep the skeeters away.
 
It’s a family affair with kids, parents and grandparents.
 
A little practice before wetting the lines.
 
Let’s see. What’s the best fly to use today.   Lunch has arrived.
 
 
 
Catching more wildflowers and learning to keep the tip of your rod up.
 
  
 
 
 
 
Even if you don’t haul in a big one the beauty of RMNP is worth the outing.

After the gold seekers/prospectors of the early 1880s had departed from the Kawuneeche Valley for more gold/silver grounds the townspeople of Grand Lake were left behind. The only other means of support were the summer vacationers wanting to beat the heat and fishing. Fishing for trout in GL, the higher lakes and the streams feeding the Grand River, now named the Colorado River, were big draws of sportsmen from the front range and neighboring states.
From what I have been able to piece together, my grandfather Earl Batty and wife Anna first arrived in Grand Lake during the late summer of 1908 from Alma, Nebraska. They and Alma friends Riley and Nora Keester went together, and purchased two 55 foot adjoining lots on the south shore of Grand Lake from Jay Adams. In the spring of 1909 the two couples had a D long duplex summer cottage constructed.
From that time on, the two families spent the month of August and early September vacationing in their cottages with no running water or electricity until sometime during WW ll.

From what my father has told me, fishing for trout was almost a daily activity, but no less that every other day. With no refrigeration, fish would only last two days in the screened in protective box on the wall of the back porch. The box was still there when I was spending two weeks each summer there back in the 50s. At that time we had a refrigerator so mostly it held the chipmunk like ground squirrels I captured in an old wire popcorn popper used over the fire. At the end of each day, I would release them so I could trap them the next day. The following are a few of the old pictures I found in a family photo album.

 
C. W. Steward about 1915.     My father, John Batty with his step-family in 1938 after a day of fly fishing up either the north or east inlets to Grand Lake.
 
Getting ready to fish near Lulu City about 1957.          Dad rowing on GL in his red McCook HS letter sweater and home made hobnail boots. He used to row Mrs. Gimperling in the Mary Ann while she trolled with a gold colored Colorado spinner.
 
Dad on the trail above Lone   Dad teaching grandson Todd how to use a fly rod.
Pine Lake headed to Lake Verna.
  
Paul’s daughter, Tessa with her first trout.       This is my grandson John with his first trout out of the lake. The summer of 2014.

Yes, fishing for trout  in and around Grand Lake, has been a family tradition for over 100 years.

Steve

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Wildflowers & Watercolors 2014

To see a larger view, click on the image.

 
The following series of photos show the watercolor workshop held at The Trail River Ranch or the old Betty Dick place in RMNP, July 2014.

The same Donna Lyons “Wildflowers and Watercolors” workshop with be held June 26th & 27th. 2015.

       
If you look through the windows you can see what a beautiful setting in which the workshop is held.                                     Donna is explaining the color wheel.
 
 
We had a little rain shower that first day. Once it passed the meadow was beautiful. 
Now the painters have moved outside to learn how to pain the water.
 
 
Hands on help and feedback.
 
 
One of the participants hard at work completing their painting.
 
The group discovered a mom moose giving her calf a swimming lesson.

 
I think the group was getting tired of me taking so many photos of them.
 
This fly fisherman came by and I just could not pass up the photo opportunity.
Taking pictures is what I can do. Painting is not. Hope you enjoyed the blog.
 
The following is a short video showing Donna instructing her workshop.

Remember to sign up for Donna’s June 26/27th 2015 watercolor workshop at the Trail River Ranch in RMNP, north of Grand Lake.

Programs Scheduled for 2014

Educational Outreach programs scheduled for summer 2014 include:

Click on the red link to obtain the two page PDF 2o14 Program Schedule. LINK

June:
14th: Birds of Kawuneechee Valley
Sponsored by RMC (Rocky Mountain Conservancy)
Contact: rachel.balduzzi@rmna.org
Phone: 970-586-3262
           
22nd: Wilderness…..Wonder of Music
Sponsored by FoTRR (Friends of Trail River Ranch)
Location: Church of Eternal Hills
Contact: suzanmitchell@comcast.net
Phone: 303-478-0671

23rd: Bark Beetles that ate the West
Sponsored by RMC
Contact: rachel.balduzzi@rmna.org
Phone: 970-586-3262

 25th: Doc Wild Family Day
Sponsored by Colorado Cabins, Grand Lake Rotary & FoTRR
Contact: simpson.lisa@comcast.net

 26th: Artist Paint Out in the PRK
Sponsored by FoTRR
Contact:  onahu@rkymtnhi.com
Phone: 970-627-8523

28th: Wetlands of RMNP
Sponsored by RMC
Contact: rachel.balduzzi@rmna.org
Phone: 970-586-3262

July:
11th: Family Fly Fishing Day
Sponsored by Trout Unlimited
Contact: jerrynis@gmail.com
Phone: 303-641-2367

15th: Youth Program: Critter Connection
Sponsored by Grand Lake Rotary
Contact: jmydans@yahoo.com
Phone: 303-842-0038

16th: Grand Lake and Kawuneeche Valley  
Sponsored by RMC
Contact: rachel.balduzzi@rmna.org
Phone: 970-586-3262

17th-18th: Art & Sweat of Songwriting
Sponsored by FoTRR
Contact: nealcross5@gmail.com
Phone: 303-587-8476

25th –26th: Wildflowers & Watercolors
Sponsored by: FoTRR
Contact: lindagardner6421@gmail.com
Phone: 303-718-0348

August:
16th: Butterflies West of the Divide
Sponsored by RMC
Contact: rachel.balduzzi@rmna.org
Phone: 970-586-3262

18th:  Mushrooms & Fungi
Sponsored by RMC
Contact: rachel.balduzzi@rmna.org
Phone: 970-586-3262
     
28th: Artist Paint Out in the Park
Sponsored by FoTRR
Contact:  onahu@rkymtnhi.com
Phone: 970-627-8523

September:
6th-7th: Artist Paint Out in the Park
Sponsored by FoTRR
Contact:  Laura Kratz
Phone: 970-627-8523

7th: Music, Munchies & Maybe a Moose
Sponsored by FoTRR
Contact: suzanmitchell@comcast.net
Phone: 303-478-0671

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Trail River Ranch Education Center Fly Fishing Workshop 2013

In July 2013 the TRREC conducted a fly fishing workshop partnered with Trout Unlimited. The following is a short video of that event.

TRREC Fly Fishing Workshop July 2013