Allen Crater
Finish What You Start
It's Saturday. Wet snow slaps the wall tent in sloppy clumps. Somewhere, not far off, thunder peels – meteorological makings of the...
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Stories
Allen Crater
- Aug 24
- 3 min
River Right
"The earth is not just our environment. We are the earth and the earth is us. We have always been one ..." The words from Buddhist...
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Allen Crater
- Jun 5
- 5 min
The Truth According to a Fisherman
There's a placard hanging on the porch of the family cottage that reads "Headquarters for Hunters, Fishermen, Golfers, and other Liars."...
256 views0 comments
Allen Crater
- May 31
- 7 min
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
It was June of 2019. Blake, Dad, and I were gathered around a fire on a tiny island deep in the Canadian backcountry on a trip that had...
213 views0 comments
Allen Crater
- May 17
- 2 min
Until There Are No More Springs
The first grey hues of dusk begin to settle in, like a house guest who finally unpacks and eases into a comfy chair to share conversation...
397 views2 comments
Allen Crater
- Mar 20
- 9 min
Corps of Discovery
Sweat from every pore of my body was dripping onto the cursed stationary bike when the text from my buddy Mark buzzed through. "When we...
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Allen Crater
- Mar 3
- 10 min
One For The Road
"There I sat on the ground, feeling really damned exposed, not knowing what to expect. The guide put me in a spot that had been getting...
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Allen Crater
- Feb 1
- 12 min
Blue Skies and Bench Seats
As Steve disappeared over the snow-covered cliff, I remember thinking "He's dead. Day one, and he's already dead." It was June of '94 and...
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Allen Crater
- Jan 10
- 3 min
For Everything There is a Season
I'm in the kitchen, because it's already dark, and I'm bored senseless; determined to remedy the situation with a few slices of salami,...
171 views0 comments
Allen Crater
- Nov 30, 2022
- 6 min
Eighty Octobers
Swinging each leg off the top bunk, I hopped down, my excitement a rolling boil, barely contained by the lid. Stocking feet hit the floor...
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Allen Crater
- Aug 30, 2022
- 4 min
Chasing Blue Lines
Shivering cold, asses wetly planted inside the puddled, hastily assembled tent, soggy feet hanging outside the zippered doors while a...
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Allen Crater
- Jul 6, 2022
- 11 min
Going Native
"A spot opened up for the Bowman Island trip." It's Thursday, February third around 10:30 AM when the text from my buddy, Joe, comes...
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Allen Crater
- Jun 20, 2022
- 11 min
Don't Mention It
"The first rule of this river is that you don't talk about this river. At least by name." That's how the text read. "Understood." This...
552 views0 comments
Allen Crater
- Jun 5, 2022
- 8 min
Five Loaves and Two Fish
I waded into the murky waters of fly fishing later in life, when my older son, Kyle, decided he wanted to learn, and requested a rod for...
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Allen Crater
- May 20, 2022
- 7 min
Dear Dad,
Kyle just pulled in the driveway, U-haul trailer in tow, after being in Montana for four years. It's hard to describe the feeling that...
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Allen Crater
- May 4, 2022
- 8 min
The Best Water Still Lies Ahead
The tartar-sauce-smeared walleye sandwich, deep-fried tater tots, and tall Two Hearted hit all the right notes – more than can be said...
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Matt Peisert
- Jan 21, 2022
- 8 min
Friendships Forged From Fly Line
The bass bumps hard as Seth and Sarah belt out the lyrics to “Old Town Road” with the band. Everyone’s dancing, partying, and drinking...
314 views0 comments
Allen Crater
- Dec 6, 2021
- 11 min
Comfort Zone
It's black and silent. Deep in my subconscious something pulls me toward a light. A sound registers. Distant, but moving closer. Shuffled...
297 views0 comments
Allen Crater
- Oct 12, 2021
- 3 min
Among The Bones
I've had it. Had it with the traffic. The RVs and buses and vans. The gawkers and rubberneckers. The safety signs and orange cones. The...
249 views0 comments
Allen Crater
- Jul 31, 2021
- 4 min
One Last Walk
We’re heading into the wooded grove that has been our go-to spot for so many Sunday outings. The place I learned to hunt as a boy, and...
1,067 views0 comments
Allen Crater
- Jul 26, 2021
- 9 min
The Balm Of Adventure
It's mid July, hotter than hell, and the AC in the truck is out. We're cruising the highway with the windows down and the music up. At...
367 views0 comments
Allen Crater
- May 24, 2021
- 3 min
The Preservation Of Fire
It snowed last night. Just a light dusting, but enough to turn things white again. We throw in another log and stoke the wood stove to...
553 views1 comment
Amber Casey
- May 5, 2021
- 6 min
My Why
In a world overrun by categories and labels, hunting is the great equalizer. The outdoors is one of the few places where age, gender,...
311 views0 comments
Allen Crater
- Mar 15, 2021
- 4 min
Can't Be Done
I distinctly remember flying around the old logging road corner watching the boat trailer roll up hard on one wheel. Way up. I was...
551 views0 comments
Allen Crater
- Jan 6, 2021
- 4 min
A Moment
I recently finished reading Harrison's memoir "Off To The Side". Out of the many brilliant writings in this book, one paragraph...
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Allen Crater
- Dec 16, 2020
- 5 min
The Long Cut
A light snow begins to fall in the forest. Coming to rest on the boughs and carpeting the now-brown pine needles and shriveled ferns....
307 views0 comments
Allen Crater
- Dec 7, 2020
- 4 min
Bananas In The Boat
I'm a newbie to the world of upland hunting and, right out of the gate, I make a rookie mistake, asking Jon about his hunting dog on our...
254 views0 comments
Allen Crater
- Nov 13, 2020
- 10 min
Footprints
We cut our first elk tracks five miles in, post-holing our way through heavy snow often reaching past the knee. Kyle has taken the front,...
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Allen Crater
- Aug 18, 2020
- 5 min
Return To Wind River
The overloaded pack creaks and groans in rhythm with the boots. One foot in front of the other. 12 miles behind us and just under two to...
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Allen Crater
- Jun 30, 2020
- 4 min
Parts Unknown
"OH SHIT!" The words erupt without permission after two quick strips and a metallic flash engulfs my streamer. The rod pulses wildly as...
431 views2 comments
Allen Crater
- Jun 17, 2020
- 3 min
Taking The Bronze
I can feel the sweat trickling down my back. The thermometer is already pushing 90 and the humidity is on the rise. Even the beer is...
167 views0 comments
Allen Crater
- Jun 10, 2020
- 2 min
River Thoughts
“I choose to listen to the river for a while, thinking river thoughts, before joining the night and the stars.” If you've spent any time...
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