Forks Pt. 2 follows the rivers that shaped my time on the Olympic Peninsula, from the Quillayute and Sol Duc to the Calawah, Bogachiel, and Hoh. This story blends fish habitat restoration, salmon and steelhead watersheds, working forests, old friendships, close calls in fast water, family memories, and the river where I asked Tanya to marry me. It is part fisheries, part storytelling, and all about the water that made Forks unforgettable.

Leaving northern New Mexico for the Olympic Peninsula in the middle of winter sounded like a great idea right up until I found myself dragging a U-Haul through blizzards and crawling over Oregon’s infamous Deadman’s Pass at the speed of frozen molasses. What started as a fisheries job interview with the Quileute Tribe quickly turned into the beginning of an entirely new life, one shaped by salmon restoration, Pacific storms, tribal fisheries work, small logging towns, and more rain than I previously thought was scientifically possible. Somewhere between long drives with Clay riding shotgun, rivers full of salmon, and cold beers after muddy field days, the foundation for Clay’s Drift quietly started taking shape.

From the cold pocket water of the Red River to the wide, storied reaches of the mighty Rio Grande, this one follows the water through trout country, old landscapes, and a couple brewery stops that feel like part of the plan. Along the way, you will pick up a little about rivers, bugs, native trout, and why clean water matters, then hopefully start wondering why you have not made it to northern New Mexico yet.

Taos isn’t just a place you visit, it’s a place that settles into you. Between the high desert, the Rio Grande cutting through deep canyon walls, and the quiet that comes with being a little farther from everything, it has a way of slowing you down whether you planned for it or not. What started as work, collecting samples, tracking water quality, doing the job, turned into something more. A reminder that good water isn’t just data points on a screen, it’s the foundation for everything that follows.

The plan was simple, drive to Taos, take care of a job related drug test, and head home. In reality, it turned into something else entirely. Somewhere between the high desert horizon, a questionable Airbnb that felt more like a scene out of a ghost story, and long days chasing fish on the Rio Grande, the trip slowed down in all the right ways. What was supposed to be quick turned into one of those weekends you wish you could stretch out just a little longer.