This Sunday morning,

we had our monthly old farts breakfast group, where we get together for a long, drawn out brunch, and just talk, laugh and have a good time. One of the good side effects is that I usually end up sitting beside someone I have 'sorta' known for a long time, but don't really know much about. This has turned out to be the highlight of the get-together for me. Last month it was Dave Hardy, who I found I have a lot in common with, and Mike ONeil. This month I was again with Mike and a new guy named Ted. Not sure how we got on the subject, but in the course of conversation we found out we had all camped out at Lower Island Lake, numerous times. This wouldn't be so unusual, if LIL wasn't so isolated. First you take the interestate about 3 hours, then you take back roads another hour, then it's a grueling 4 hour, 4-wheel drive trail, that many vehicles don't survive, THEN you're ready to backpack, over the Continental Divide, above timberline, for approx 3 hours, at 11,00 feet, before you drop down, through a boulder field, to a series of 3 pristine mountain lakes, full of hungry trout, mostly cutthroat, with some huge browns and lots of brookies. Once you get there you can count on fantastic fishing, being totally worn out and the fact you're gonna be all alone for a few days That's why we were so shocked to find we had all been there several times, and quizzed each other on specifics to prove it.  Really small world, after all.