Over the weekend of October 21st through the 23rd, Colorado Trout Unlimited held its annual Fall Rendezvous at the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs. The weekend was full of leader training, breakout sessions, the ‘State of CTU’ breakfast, national Trout Unlimited staff presentations, discussions with government officials, keynote speeches by fly-fishing industry professionals, and a few happy hours.

The weekend kicked off with chapter leader training focusing on subjects such as communication tools, risk management, fundraising, and more. Afterward, state and national Trout Unlimited staff discussed projects around the state, including abandoned mine cleanups and water projects such as Colorado’s Gold Medal projects. The day ended with a special happy hour properly named ‘the Icebreaker’ where donated Upslope Brewing beer and complimentary food were provided.

Friday Chapter Leader Training in the Roosevelt Room

Saturday morning, during breakfast, CTU president Greg Hardy gave the annual State of CTU where he discussed several important victories in the past year, as well as a vision for the future. After, national Trout Unlimited senior staff Peter Barker, Beverly Smith, and Joanne Theurich (also dubbed PB&J) discussed a vision for engagement and chapter impact. Following these presentations, chapters broke into groups to discuss topics focused on specific regions.

PB&J - Peter Barber, Beverly Smith, and Joanne Theurich - Trout Unlimited

We came back together for a catered lunch, then, a panel discussed the emphasis on the conservation impact of the Colorado River crisis. After a short break, concurrent sessions were held in different rooms that focused on defining your cause and inspiring community engagement, raising your community profile and expanding engagement, and talks on conservation, protection, and restoration.

As we moved into the evening, the annual awards banquet took place where the CEO of Mayfly Outdoors, Jeff Wagner, spoke on creating community through sustainable business. After, the annual CTU awards were announced and presented. See the list below of winners.

CEO of Mayfly Outdoors, Jeff Wagner, speaks to a packed Devereux Ballroom

Sunday morning started with breakfast, then the fall board meeting was held. After, some split into groups for fishing outings led by local members and executive committee members.

Overall, the weekend was a huge success, full of education and social interactions. New and existing members were able to come together to discuss what works for their chapters so others could take home new knowledge to engage their community.

First-time attendee Cade Kloberdanz, president of the Grand Valley Anglers chapter said, “As a first-timer at rendezvous I wasn’t really sure what to expect. In my particular part of the state, we are pretty far removed from most other chapters and from CTU’s main hub which can make you feel really isolated. The rendezvous was pretty incredible at bringing all the chapters together and reminding us that we all have the same mission. The connections and friendships I made in a short time will be an invaluable resource going forward and I can’t wait to attend again next year.” Vice President of Volunteer Operations, Beverly Smith, said, “My cup feels so filled up seeing and being a part of all of the TU goodness in Colorado.”, and Chief Operation Officer, Joanne Theurich, said, “I am so glad we were able to be a part of the meeting. I am energized every time I spend time with our grassroots volunteers; the work you are doing is amazing and it makes me super proud to be a part of TU!”

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped plan the weekend. It was a huge success, and we can’t wait to see you again next year.

More photos from the weekend: