I recently had the opportunity to visit Budges Wilderness Lodge with a couple customers of Anglers All and had the trip of a lifetime. My days and weeks as of late have been nothing but hustle and bustle, weddings, baby showers, birthdays, and the occasional fishing trip. I was in desperate need of escape from the city, summer heat, and finding some time to recharge. Budges Wilderness Lodge was the perfect place for just that and I could not have had a better experience.
It all starts with the drive to the lodge. After sitting in park on I-70 for 45 minutes and battling my way through endless traffic I made my exit at Dotsero and jumped on Coffee Pot Road. You instantly feel the pressure go away as you climb the dirt road where the only traffic is the occasional pickup and horse trailer. As you meander your way up the switch backs you will come across the most welcoming sign - “You Are Now Entering White River National Forest - GATE: OPEN.” It is just you, the national forest, and a pretty bumpy road that acts as a barrier for the wandering and weary types. Your ETA is dragging on because of your excitement and the caution you take on the seemingly forgotten road. But it does not seem to bother you because it is not bumper to bumper traffic with zero brake lights in sight.
Turn after turn you see “Budges Resort –>” which acts as a continuous reminder of the trip that lies ahead of you. You finally reach the lodge, after passing 30 peacefully grazing horses, the horse barn, and the cabins which will act as your home base for the next few days. The lodge is nestled right on the border of the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. The Flat Tops Wilderness Area is the third largest wilderness area in Colorado and spans over 235,214 acres. The Flat tops will act as your backyard and your fly fishing playground for the duration of your trip. Another important note about the wilderness area is that it can only be accessed by foot or horseback - no vehicles, no bicycles.
You are first greeted by lodge staff, given the tour of the property, and you are shown your cabin. The cabins are rustic, quaint, and just the right level of luxury for a long weekend of trout fishing and horseback riding. After you get settled in, everyone seems to gravitate towards the main lodge to imbibe in cold beer or cocktail after a long drive in and to enjoy the main “hang out” - the deck. This will be the area where you spend most of your evenings telling tales of the day, enjoying a beverage with your fellow anglers, and warming up by the fire pit. You meet with your guides and wranglers for the week and talk about fishing, where you want to go, and the continuous jokes about getting the safest horse for the week.
One thing that stuck out to me at Budges was the sense of relaxation and the ability to sit back and forget about all urgency. Due to the elevation and low temperatures you can take your time to get to the fishing so there are no 5:00AM wake up calls. You roll into the main lodge for your morning coffee and breakfast at 8:00AM. You pack your lunch for the day and meet your guides and wranglers at the horse barn by 9:00AM. This is where you will meet your trustworthy, 4-legged companion for the days outing. The horses and pack mules are saddled up and ready to go - wranglers will weigh the gear and get them packed on the mules for you. Before you know it, you are off on the trail.
***Note of Importance - I am by no means a cowboy or anything that resembles that. I am what some people would call a city boy. I have not spent any amount of time around horses or mules. To say the least, I was terrified about getting on a horse and truly did not think I was going to be able to do it. But I did, and loved it.***
You then get on your horse for the first time and the wranglers get you fit in your saddle correctly. The entire time you have nothing but confidence in the guides and wranglers because of the very clear and apparent knowledge and passion they have for the horses. I sat on my new companion, Dean, and instantly thought, “Oh man, I am not going to be able to do this.” After a safety talk and directions on how to steer your horse I became more comfortable with riding Dean. The wranglers got everyone packed up and on the saddles and we made our way downstream for our 1.5 hour horseback ride to a remote part of the White River.
One of the wranglers told me that Dean is an older horse who has done these rides for a long time. He is a veteran among the horses. He also gave me the heads up that there is a very easy way to tell when Dean is happy - he will bob his head up and down, almost like he is front row at Black Sabbath concert. After a couple minutes of riding and seeing the head banging by Dean I was instantly comfortable and had truly the time of my life. Dean and I would then form a bond over a few days that I will never forget (this might be one-sided but like to think it is not).
As you cross over the wilderness boundary line just downstream of the lodge you are instantly thrown into one of the most beautiful landscapes you can think of. Endless amount of time, space and the overwhelming sense of gratitude for where you are. After the 1.5 hour horseback ride we approached the water we will be fishing for the next handful of hours. You gear up and hit pocket water, runs, and pools with eager brook, cutthroat, and rainbow trout. You can leave the 7x tippet and size 26 midges at home because the wilderness area is a dry fly and hopper dropper paradise. There is something special about catching a colored up brookie or cutthroat trout at 9,000 feet with not a single soul around, minus your fishing partner, guide, and horse. The remoteness and the quality of the fishery is something that anglers dream of. It checks every box you dream of as an angler - solitude, quality fish, and adventure. What made the day even better is getting to fish with our very own Nora! She guides with Budges, and did an amazing job showing us the ropes. After hours of fishing and losing track of time you jump back on your horse and head back to the lodge. This is the routine for the remainder of your trip - sleep, eat, horseback, and fish.
What stuck out most to me about Budges Wilderness Lodge was the horseback riding and the lodge staff. Fishing was almost secondary to horseback riding and hanging out with the wranglers, guides, and camp cooks. We were all there to do one thing and that was to escape reality and to fish and that would not be as easily attainable without the horses and the most passionate lodge staff I have ever met. I have never met a group of people more passionate about a resource and job than the staff at Budges. The jokes, tales, and camaraderie between the guests and the staff is something I will never forget.
I would like to personally thank Ryan, Nolan, Nora, Emma, Shannah, Eddie, Morgan, Ruth, Amy, Carson, Josh, Grace, Mike, and of course Dean for such an amazing time and I hope to see you many more times at Budges Wilderness Lodge in the future.
As you can see, Budge's Wilderness Lodge is a special place nestled in a quite corner of Colorado. The Flat Tops Wilderness area offers the perfect balance of adventure and fly fishing. If you are interested in join us on a trip, or traveling up to Budge's on your own, do not hesitate to reach out to Ben Kinne at 303-794-1104 or benkinne@anglersall.com for information, dates and prices.
