Denver Layover Diaries: Fly Fishing, Fear, and the Fauna I Didn’t Google

On my latest layover in Denver, I did what any curious, slightly chaotic flight attendant would do — I rented a car before the sun was up and drove straight to Colorado Springs for a solo fly-fishing morning at Eleven Mile Canyon.

I started around 6 a.m., rolled in by 8 or 9, and was instantly in my peaceful-mountain-girl era. No waders, just me standing in the cold water like someone who definitely trusts nature way too much for someone who hasn’t Googled a single thing about Colorado wildlife.

But I did catch one gorgeous little brown trout, and for a moment I was convinced I was born for this.

Then the universe humbled me.

Something dark started drifting my way in the water. My brain whispered, “stick.” Then it slithered. Very much not a stick. I sprinted out of that river so fast it probably looked like I’d trained for it. I hit the grassy bank, heart pounding, adrenaline instantly at a 10.

And then I heard this loud, buzzing, rattling chorus echoing through the canyon. I had no idea what cicadas were at the time — so naturally, I assumed Colorado was full of creatures plotting my downfall.

I ran to my car, soaking wet, grabbed my phone to Google “poisonous things in Colorado”… and of course had zero service. Perfect.

So I called it a day. Packed up, drove off, and promised myself that next time I’d research more than which flies to pack. Maybe something like, “Will anything in this river try to kill me?”

Still — 10/10 layover. Would absolutely do it again… just maybe after a little wildlife prep.