I try to do one major outing a month, along with minor adventures as circumstances permit. I travel with family and friends as much as possible. Lately, I've been able to get out more often than my cohorts and so I need to expand my group of travel buddies. I can always use more friends.

I'm not a guide and I do not charge to take people on trips. I just go where I feel like going and invite people to join me. I'm old, married, and straight. I don't go as hard and fast as I did when I was young but I think I'm having more fun now. I enjoy helping people experience outdoor adventure. If I'm planning something you find interesting, contact me and maybe we can join forces.

Below I describe my upcoming trip plans. I'll share my itineraries as I get the details together. Hopefully, this will give you ideas about great adventure options during the various seasons of the year.

Sometimes I work with charter companies or hire professional guides and it is often less expensive if 2-4 people go in together.

I would love to hear about your travel goals and dreams. If there is an adventure in the SW United States that you would love to do, but don't feel like you can do it on your own, hit me up. I might be able to provide information and resources, or perhaps we can team up to make the trip possible.

- Dave Webb

Walleye Fishing
Some waters are warming earlier than normal and open-water walleye fishing is already underway at Willard Bay and Utah Lake. Pre-spawn fishing can be good at those waters and action will soon pick up at Deer Creek and Starvation. 

Many people key on the walleye spawn and that should get going in early- or mid-March at Willard and Utah Lake. I try to beat the crowds and so I'll be fishing Deer Creek, targeting both walleye and trout. I'll hit Starvation as soon as it starts to warm up.

We have a new pre-season walleye report and many great walleye fishing articles.

Sleigh Ride To See Elk At Hardware Ranch

See our Hardware Ranch trip report.

Gold Butte National Monument In Late-Winter

Gold Butte is a remote area in southern Nevada, just south of Mesquite. It is located at a relatively low elevation where winter weather is usually mild and storms are infrequent. It is a great area for winter adventure. I plan to camp there in mid or late January and spend three days exploring. I'll watch the weather and go when conditions look favorable.

Key attractions include:

• Stark desert scenery
• Interesting rock formations including the "Little Finland" area
• Slot canyons
• Ancient rock art

Lake Mead Fishing In Late Winter

Striped bass fishing at Lake Mead stays good through the winter and daytime temps are usually pleasant. When our mountain lakes are frozen and action has slowed because of cold water at Powell, Lake Mead is an attractive alternative. I hope to get down there with my boat in late February.

Desert Backpacking

Early spring is a great time to hike and backpack in the desert Southwest, including Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. I hope to do some of the monument's classic open country trails including backpacking to Reflection Canyon Overlook and the Golden Cathedral and day-hiking to the Cosmic Ashtray. I'll probably do this as a 4-day trip in late March.

There are many slot canyons in the area and I'll hit them in a later trip. Many slots pick up water during the winter and early spring. Sunlight seldom reaches the bottom of these canyons and so they stay cold even when temps are rising out in the open country. I'll probably hit some of the best slots in the area during late May or early June.

Yellow Cat Rockhounding

Beautiful agatized petrified wood and other rocks/minerals can be found in the Yellow Cat area, located in SE Utah between I-70 and Arches National Park. Rough dirt roads probe the area, which is dotted by old uranium mines. It is a relatively large area and there is much to explore. I plan to camp just south of I-70 and use my 4X4 to explore, stopping to rockhound when I see interesting spots. I'll probably spend 4 days (3 nights) in the area. It will be my first time seriously exploring there. I've been reading up and I'm confident I'll have a great time and find plenty of shiny rocks.

April is prime time to explore this open desert area. Summer days get very hot and winter nights are cold. (Winter days can be pleasant if you go between storms. Roads are dirt and can be very bad when wet.)

Spring Fishing At Lake Powell

I love Lake Powell. It is one of my favorite playgrounds. The sheer red cliffs, turquoise water, and twisting canyons are enchanting. And the fishing is usually great. I usually get down there 2-3 times a year. I plan to fish the big lake in May when striped bass are easy to find and the smallmouth/largemouth bass fishing is excellent. The stripers spawn in May and to do so they congregate near moving water. Large numbers migrate down to the dam and others stage up near inlets (the Colorado and San Juan, in particular). It can be very productive fishing around main channel points up-lake from the dam, and along the mud-line where dirty runoff coming down the rivers gives way to cleaner lake water.

I prefer to fish the upper lake, for a couple of reasons. 1) Fishing is very good for multiple species. Near the dam you catch stripers. Up near Good Hope you catch stripers, smallmouth, largemouth, crappie, bluegill, and an occasional walleye. 2) There are fewer people (boaters) so it is easy to find a good campsite in a private cove. Actually, my favorite fishing area is the upper San Juan arm, because very few people venture that far and the fishing is usually great. This spring I plan to make the long boat ride up the San Juan.

The water warms more quickly on the lower lake (because runoff brings cold water in at the top). But in May it is still cool and people who ski or board usually wear wet suits. The hoards of boaters and water sports enthusiasts don't usually hit the lake until June when temps become more pleasant.

Green River Cicada Hatch

Fly fishing on the Green River in NE Utah can be very good during April and May, when a variety of bugs begin to appear. But perhaps the most exciting time to fish the river is late May and early June when large cicadas are abundant. This is a very popular time and so the river will be crowded on weekends. I try to go mid-week. It also helps if you can float, getting away from the easy access points. If you are new to fly fishing or to the Green River, I recommend you hire a guide. They are on the water every day and know when and how to catch big fish. There are many great guides available. I've had personal experience with Spinner Fall Guide Service and recommend them.