Gear Review: Hillsound Freesteps6 Crampons

Fast water and snot rocks, what a terrible mix. As the heat of summer spurs on the growth of biofilm, anglers can find themselves doing a bit more mid-river impromptu dancing.  Although the fly guy disco has turned into a sweeping sensation among the underground rave crowd, it is still somewhat of an inconvenience to fishermen who wish to do more fishing than swimming.  With the big push to produce more eco-friendly materials more and more people are using rubber soles on their wading boots. While this has been great for stopping invasive species, it causes the fisherman to sacrifice some stability. (I don't care what they say, in my opinion felt still holds the high ground where traction is concerned.)

To remedy this newly risen problem many companies have produced screws or bars that insert into the soles of wading boots.  While this fixes much of the problem it also creates a couple more.  When referring to the screws, they are not easy to insert or remove when the need arises. This can result in pretty scratched up boats.  Once the screws are sufficiently worn out they are especially difficult to remove.  This isn't an issue if you have enough money to buy multiple pairs of wading boots that can be used in different situations. My experiences with sole screws left me thinking that there had to be a better way. I have toyed around with the idea of getting some crampons for some time now, so when the opportunity to try some was presented I was pretty excited.

Gear Review: Hillsound Freesteps6 Crampons

I love when gear is simple and effective. The Hillsound Freesteps6 Crampons are just that. They are made of tough stainless steel spikes and chains that are held to the soles your boots by a resilient rubber collar. The simplicity is awesome. Just slide the front part of the crampon over the front of your boot and pull the back upward.  They are a pretty snug fit, and can need a little coercion to get on, but it's no deal breaker.  Initially I was a bit annoyed with the snugness, but quickly realized how important a good fit was. Throughout the year  I scrambled over boulders, rocks, hillsides, and dead fall, all of which was made easier with the Fressteps6 on. And they never slipped around on my feet, not even once. 

I still wear felt boots, but toward the end of summer even the felt is no match for the slime coating many riverbeds. These crampons have given me much more confidence, especially when navigating the faster sections of snotty bottomed rivers.  The Hillsound Freesteps6 Crampons are available at quite a few online stores, most of which sell them for around $40. The versatility they provide make the purchase very much worth it too.

An added (but not intended I'm sure) bonus to these crampons is they have protected my wader boots from wear and tear on the sides.  Everyone has "hotspots" on their wader boots that wear out faster than the rest of the boot.  For me this is usually on the sides, though this doesn't seem to be the most common spot for most guys I know.  I think I have a tendency to rub the sides on rocks more than other guys.  This must be an odd result of the the way I walk I suppose.  Either way, these crampons have added an unintended protection that has improved the longevity of my boots. (I usually get one season out of a pair and these are going strong.) This added bonus may not apply to everyone, but I thought it worth mentioning.

I'm just crampon this rainbow's style.

While there are mostly pros to these crampons, there are a couple cons that need mentioning, and these are not exclusive to crampons. One drawback about any kind of metal traction system is that they make far more noise when getting around the river.  They have a tendency to grind on stone. This can result in spooked fish.  When I want to put the sneak on and am worried about scaring fish, I just slip them off and hang them from my pack with a carabiner. That is one reason I love these crampons. 

One other drawback about metal traction systems in general is that the angler has to be careful about stepping on their fly line because the metal can severe or damage the line. Think it's painful losing a fly or leader, try losing half your fly line. Yikes.

I'm pretty stoked that these are so simple and so versatile and that I can use them this coming winter too.  Between wading rivers and traversing a frozen lake to ice fish, the Freesteps6 crampons are a good investment and tool to add to your angling arsenal.  Because they are so awesome Living Fly Legacy will be doing a giveaway for a free pair beginning next week. The details will be announced then.




*Disclaimer:

The reviews at Living Fly Legacy are my honest opinion. Often when offered to give a review, if the assessment of the product is more negative than positive, it is not published and the review is kept private between the provider of the product and myself. Living Fly Legacy is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review. My independent status may change in the future, but as of the date of this publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.

Another Yellowstone Adventure

Caution: There are a lot of pictures in this post, more so than writing. So, if you came for rapier wit and blossoming prose you may be disappointed...

Part of me misses those lazy days of summer, where my young mind strained to think of activities to fight the boredom. I remember telling my mother "I'm sooooo bored." She would quickly respond with a generous list of chores and productive activities.  I eventually learned not to ask. 

Now I find myself on the parenting end of that situation and I know firsthand the exasperation such a comment can induce in a busy adult. If there were one word to summer-ize this time of year, it would be "insanity." The beautiful weather and surrounding country demand to be enjoyed. It is easy to lose sleep.  Fish, hike, camp, cook, date, harvest, play, serve, exercise, spend time with family, travel, and swim are only a handful of the things we try to fit into our summers. There is simply not enough time to enjoy all that this time of year has to offer and as an adult all this leisure time has to be squeezed in between work and other responsibilities. When you have limited time it can be tough choosing among so many satisfying options.  If I had a choice I still would take the pronounced four seasons over a mild weather that lasts all year, despite the frantic planning the summer induces. The 2-3 months of summer now feel like a few weeks; much shorter than it used to feel. But I think the lessened time leads to a greater enjoyment and satisfaction. Having so many demands on my time makes me appreciate more, savor more, and even anticipate more the times I get to break away.

Yellowstone

More than once I considered cancelling our plans to escape and hike into 7 Mile Hole for a day.  Things were feeling crazy and I could tell Bita was pretty stressed out. I'm not sure how it is for other parents but there always seems to be a certain degree of anxiety that accompanies the thought of leaving our kids for more than a few hours.  The plan was to head up to a campground outside the park, right after I got off of work. Not knowing when I would be off could have meant leaving town around 9pm, which seemed a bit late to be heading out on a camping trip.

Amazingly I made it home by 5pm, but with my uncanny ability to control time (read: my horrific inability to be on time for most things) we made it out the door and through the grocery store around 9pm. Honestly I didn't mind leaving so late in the day. I find driving at night relaxing, especially after a long day at work. We decided to camp a bit farther from the park than most people would, so we could avoid a full campground, and we pulled into the site around 11pm. We quickly set up in the dark and then enjoyed the stars for a bit before settling in for the night. I stayed up a bit longer than the others to snap some photos of the beautiful night sky.

 

The initial plan, at least what I had in my mind, was to get up very early, eat on the go, and be at the trailhead as the sun was coming up.  At least, that was what the angler in me wanted to do. Bita and I were the only two who were going to be fishing, and she is not nearly as driven by the idea of fishing as I am, so I decided to take it easy for the sake of my three companions. We awoke to the wonderful sounds of nature, and a soft glow produced by the rising sun and morning mist. After packing up the tents we cooked up a delicious premixed omelet and then hit the road. 

Mary just saying good morning

As I enjoyed the beautiful scenery the other three whipped up our lunches for the days hike, during which Nik and I had a pretty amusing argument as to whether it was Bobby Mcferrin or Bob Marley who sang "Don't Worry, Be Happy."  It turns out both Nik and I were right. For the record I was rooting for the former artist.

After fighting hordes of tourists and their leisurely traffic, we made it to the trailhead. We geared up quickly and began the 5-ish mile hike into this small corner of paradise.  The first 3.5 miles provide a mellow meander along the rim of the canyon.  It makes for some stunning scenery. The last 1.5 miles you drop roughly 1200' to the base of the canyon. That is the most intense part of the hike and a bit of a journey coming back out.

The trail ends by running perpendicular into the Yellowstone River, and presents the hiker with crystal clear water surrounded by colorful canyon walls. Once at the end we rested in the shade, cooled our feet off in the river, and munched on some food. As we sat there the beautiful water was just too tempting and I had to rig up.

We made it

Bita cooling her feet after the hike in

I fished the whole time we were down there and Bita joined me just about an hour into the fishing. She did great once she got the hang of casting the short distances.  Sometimes it's hard to cast shorter than it is to cast longer. Once she got the hang of things again she began picking up fish without any help from me.  I loved watching her enjoy the takes and fighting fish.  She's a trooper to not only put up with my fishing, but to try and find some joy in it herself when it wouldn't be her first choice of recreational options.

One of the doubles of the day

Fish-Flopping like a BOOOSSSSS

The fishing was not as good as it had been on the last trip. The water was a full foot lower than when I was there last, and even then I was told it was low. Despite the circumstances, the fishing was fantastic. We threw mostly chubbies to mimic both golden and regular stones. Watching fish come up from the depths through the clear/greenish water, to slowly sip a large foam dryfly is a hoot. I also threw a small sculpin pattern that picked up fish even faster, but eventually went back to the dry for the enjoyable takes.

Bita did a bit of bank dancing...

If you look closely you can see the rising fish, just below the fly.

The love of my life

After fishing for a few hours the clouds started rolling in and the sky began to dim.  We thought it wise to hit the trail. A little over halfway out we spotted a small blackbear on the path.  We had our bearspray safety's off and passed cautiously, making plenty of noise. It moved over to let us pass and then proceeded to slowly follow us about 15 yards away, with a curious air, stopping here and there to look for bugs in the decaying trees.  The dusky light made it difficult to get a clear picture. It was almost pitch black as we were nearing the last leg of the hike out.  We couldn't have timed it better.

We quickly threw our gear in the van and headed to a nearby lodge for some supper.  After enjoying some hearty burgers we hit the road, once again in the darkness of night, headed home to our showers and comfy beds.

As I crawled into bed about 2am, sore, stiff, and dead tired I thought to myself how great it had been to get out and I felt a bit bad for all the people who don't take the time or make the effort to see such beautiful places.  I thought about how grateful I was to have spent the time there with my wonderful wife, her sister and her sister's husband. As I began drifting into sleep I thought about what a whirlwind trip it had been and how I would do it again in a heartbeat. Now I just need to find some more time. As busy and hectic as things get, I just can't help it, I love this insanity we call summer.