The Adventures of Gary

Any updates?

Ya it's been a while, I hope all is well. This is one of my favorite threads.

Bert

Well, it's been over a year since I last updated this thread! Haven't really done much as far as off-road stuff, but I've had plenty of adventures! Since I got the kayak all squared away on the trailer, I've been spending a lot more time visiting local lakes and reservoirs, paddling and fishing.

August 2015 - Strawberry Reservoir


Success! Well...a little...


Did a couple over-nighter's with the trailer and kayak in October at the same reservoir...it's my favorite and one of the largest we have here in Utah.




The ghosts come out at night sometimes... lol!




On the water just after sunrise...


Nice calm day on the water...not always the case here! It tends to get a bit rough after about 11:30am. Wind is pretty much the norm, with 2-3 ft swells and lots of whitecaps to paddle through.




Always like my sunsets here in Utah...




The biggest new venture has been opening a local chapter of Heroes on the Water in October of last year. It's been an adventure! We take our Vets (most with disabilities...physical or PTSD related) out kayak fishing for a few hours and feed them and their families lunch...a great way for these guys/gals to unwind and decompress, doing something they love to do. Very rewarding for me and it makes me appreciate the sacrifices these people have made for our country. You can follow our FB page HERE if you want to see more.

Our first event in March of this year at a local pond...it snowed just a bit on the way up, but melted off just after sunrise.





One of our vets (on the right) and his dad.


Another one of our vets looking for a bite...


...and a quiet cloudy sunset to send us on our way...


April found me on a different lake called Deer Creek. Fishing was good...not great...but the scenery is hard to beat!


Best viewed full size.


Finally hooked a couple decent Cutthroats...
Captured one of them on my GoPro...
[YT]dv98Sq0ISVk[/YT]

Another decent one for the day...all catch and release.




Calling it a day and heading home...


Here are some from our Heroes on the Water (HOW) events this year...



One of our vets...shot through his right calf by a sniper in Afghanistan...the water has changed his world!


Vets and some of our leadership team...




Yours truly.


July event at Hyrum Reservoir...a nice little community pond.




Another event in July that we had to move last minute due to a nearby forest fire. Smith and Morehouse is a lake up in the Uinta's in the middle of the forest. Really great place...too bad we got smoked out. But I got a couple decent pics before we left.




We ended up back at Deer Creek...which had dropped about 12-15 feet since we were last here in May! That happens here in Utah...but the fishing wasn't bad...and nothing makes a vet smile bigger than when he's landed a couple decent fish from his kayak!




Our booth at a local Military Appreciation Event held in August...donations received at these events are how we operate and provide gear and food for our vets that we take out on the water.


..then off to the lake we went for an afternoon of paddling, fishing, food relaxation, and fireworks!












Here's how we get our kayaks and gear to the events...well at least this time...truck donated to us by Larry H Miller Group!




A whole mess of catfish, a couple little smallmouth and a fat old carp...all from one of our vets fishing from shore!


The gang...


...and there ya have it! My last year and a little... Not the usual pics I take, but the Heroes on the Water stuff takes up most of my time...but is SOooo worth it! If you have a chapter near you, we are always looking for Vets and volunteers!! Find a chapter near you! CLICK HERE!

Wow Gary, what a great way to combine your passions and interests for the sake of others! So thankful for chapters like yours and ones like it that help our vets step back from the challenges they face and relax with others who are there to care for them.

And EXCELLENT photography to boot!


Bob

TwoBobsKJ said:

Wow Gary, what a great way to combine your passions and interests for the sake of others! So thankful for chapters like yours and ones like it that help our vets step back from the challenges they face and relax with others who are there to care for them.

And EXCELLENT photography to boot!


Bob

Click to expand...

Thank you sir! Since I was unable to enlist due to my wonderful back issues, I've always looked for ways to "give back" to our Vets. I've done little drives and promotions for fundraisers and such over the years, but this gives me front row view of just what an impact what we do has on these guys and gals. I know for a fact that we've prevented at least one suicide due to PTSD issues in our group. THAT's a good feeling.

Awesome trips and pics , Gary.


(I know some are old but I still enjoy looking.)


Dave

Great pictures, and God Bless You for what you're doing for our veterans. :waytogo:

These photos make me miss living in Colorado. Great shots and thank you for showing love for the military. It makes a difference man.

Hey peeps!! Yep, me and he Libby are still alive and kickin! Been a really busy year with Heroes on the Water! It’s been a lot of fun hauling vets out on kayaks and having a great time getting them away from the day to day BS life throws at em.

Nothing new with the Libby except age and mileage. Just turned 145k miles last month! Running like a champ! A couple new suspension squeaks to hunt down, but nothing exciting. I haven't had many new off-road adventures this year, but I've found a couple new projects that I'm having fun with. First one was a little trailer for my kayak for those times I don't want to camp and drag the tent trailer. Picked up a single-space jet-ski trailer just for the kayak. Love it! It pulls like a champ and makes my kayak launching so much easier! My old aching back appreciates that!





Oh...and I recently sold the Mustang after 8 years of cruising all over the place...:sad72:




I'll miss it, for sure...but selling it allowed me to drag another toy home with me...:gr_grin:


2016 Tahoe 14' Pontoon boat...just a little dude for me and a couple family members/friends to hang out and fish from. It'll be in a slip at one of the local reservoirs, so running up after work to fish for a couple hours, or for a weekend will be easy! I don't want to haul it every weekend with the Libby...it pulls just fine, but up the canyons gets a little tough on the old girl.








Just in time to winterize it and park it on the side of the house to await next season! lol!


Can't wait to get it on the water!!

Hope y'all are doin well!!!

Good to hear from you again!

The trade of the Mustang for the boat was a good move. I've never caught a single fish from a Mustang. :gr_grin:

Nice boat. I'd love a pontoon for cruising on the Mississippi here.

Well....The adventures continue...but we've gone down a different road. The Libby has been an awesome little vehicle for me! But...I noticed a faint blue tint to the exhaust a year or so ago, and began noticing some oil usage...both of which slowly increased over time, and was especially notable when pulling my trailers up and over the mountain roads of Utah. So...with 147k miles on the clock, I turned the keys over to a buddy at the dealership and drove home the newest Mopar member of the family. I introduce QuickSilverR/T...my 2015 Durango R/T...with more bells and whistles and gadgets than I know what to do with!


















I picked up the Libby in February of 2012...and traded it in on the Durango in February of 2018...six terrific years of fun and adventure! I'll miss the little "rig that could", but I'm loving the luxury and power of the R/T. Good thing the gas mileage is about the same...if I keep a light foot. :gr_grin:

Enjoy your new car, but hope you stick around here.

I've been missing the off-road trails and rocks lately!! :sad72:

But...I'm LOVING the power, creature comforts, and towing capabilities!!