All right, I've waited as long as I can stand it...but now it's time for yet another series of threads about my upcoming trip to Colorado.

As some of you will remember, Season 1 was back in 2016; a solo DIY hunt that saw me surrounded by elk in the San Juans. Sadly, that hunt was cut short by my dad's death back here in Maine...just as I was closing in on the mighty bull I had nicknamed Spiny Norman.

Season 2 saw me joined by Pdiddly and Knifeguy, and again the elk were in grave peril...even though no shots were fired, save for my 300-yd. plus moonshot from the Tice & Watts. We also left our marks on the pizza parlors and taverns of Telluride.

Season 3 in 2018 saw me back on my own, and this time the bow of choice was the St. Joe River Classic recurve. After about a week of hard hunting, the planets aligned, and a lovely cow elk walked out in front of me just over twenty yards away. A Forgewood in the brisket put her down, and began a race against the clock--and bacteria--that ended (just barely) in my favor, thanks to a timely assist from Monkeyball in Pennsylvania. In the end, the meat and I both arrived back in Maine smelling pretty good.

All the ingredients are at hand to make Season 4 the most memorable yet. The current plan is that Pdiddly and I will each land in Denver on the morning of September 5th, and perhaps rent a car to take us to the Promised Land in the San Juans.

I say "perhaps" because an intriguing sub-plot has emerged. It's possible that Pdiddly and I, upon arriving in Denver, will be whisked into a private Gulfstream jet and flown directly to Telluride, where a loaner vehicle will be waiting to transport us to the finest hotel in town, where my good friend Bill will be waiting. Bill works for a very wealthy company that dabbles in oil, luxury hotels, timberlands, software development, and just about anything else where there's money to be made. After four years of listening to my tall tales about Colorado elk hunting, I think Bill is actually going to join us.

Naturally, I'm a bit nervous about all of this luxury stuff. As detailed in my threads from previous years, my needs are simple--big mountains, abundant elk, good pizza, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and good-looking barmaids. Bill is talking about coming back into town every other day, for five-star dining and Jacuzzis at the hotel. I'm not sure I can handle this...I already have a full pack of wool hunting clothes; I'm not sure that the velvet smoking jacket and leather slippers will even fit.

Nothing is cast in stone yet. Pdiddly is staying under the radar, as he looks for a new job in the wake of his recent retirement from the Canadian Postal Service. He may or may not be able to join me, as we've been planning EVER SINCE OUR LAST TRIP..but I'm not worried, or bitter.

Likewise, my friend Bill may or may not be serious about joining in. Last week he had to fly to Dubai for some oil negotiations; who knows what he'll have to do come September. So, it's possible that I may find myself all alone at the Denver airport come September 5th. This would be a tragic turn of events, but it could happen.

But all of this stuff is secondary. I learned long ago not to worry about what others do, and just focus on what I do. At age 63, I know that there's a limited number of elk hunts in my future--so by hook or by crook, I will be in Denver on September 5th, and I will be headed for another elk adventure in the San Juans; even if I have to hitchhike over the Rockies dragging my gear on my back. Stay tuned for breaking news, as I gather my gear and figure out how to make it all happen this year.

gonna be taking that new bow?

Looking forward to your photos and stories.

There's treasure waiting in these hills...specifically, a pint of good Canadian sippin' whiskey hidden under a rock at my campsite. I thought this would be sufficient bait to ensure Pdiddly's company on the hunt, but now I'm nervous that I may have to raise the ante.

Similarly, I've tried to lure Frisky into joining me, but he too remains elusive. I was even prepared to give him the very prestigious job of pulling the string that makes my amazing elk decoy, a.k.a. "Weapon X," lift her head and waggle her ears. But nothing I say seems likely to make him budge from Minnesota.

Andy Man--That's a difficult question to answer, as it seems there are always several "new Bows" in my life. The likeliest candidate this year is the Bill Stewart Multi-Cam, which can be broken down and checked with my baggage on the airplane flight. It's a pity that I can't take three or four others as well--the Scherrinsky Phoenix, the Spitfire, the St. Joe River, and the Tice & Watts would all be welcome companions on my trip, but I don't think I can take them...unless I mail them out in advance to a henchman on the ground in Colorado.

Charlie--nice to hear from you. I remind you that elk hunting is way more fun than going to work, or taking the kids to soccer practice--one of these years you should join me!

I'm expecting a scouting report any day now from fellow Leatherwaller "Grabwad" (Gregg Gravois), who is supposed to be prowling the San Juans even now. Last year, the summer of drought had concentrated the elk in the wet meadows and deep shade, such as is shown in the photo; but my hunch is that things will be different this year.

The San Juans had a massive snowpack this winter and spring, and now the monsoon season is in full swing. My guess is that the alpine meadows will be full of succulent grasses and forbs, and that the elk will be feeding above timberline morning and night; just as they were back in 2016 when I first hunted there. If that's the case, it will be a year for a lot of hiking as I try to cut them off as they pass between the alpine meadows and their bedding areas in the black timber below

Really looking forward to this play by play account of trip #4: Elk hunt 3 was the best thread ever. Will be great to have this thread to follow so I want be tempted to look at those extremely bogus threads started by the miserable little “Minnesota Munchkin.” Good luck.

Looks like beautiful country. Is Lance joining you this year?

Let this wet your whistle though it sounds like you may have brought back some of that CBD oil on your last trip

I really want to. I'm kicking myself for not trying to elk hunt when I lived out west 2 years. I've resigned myself to two alternatives at this point. 1, I finally get to go when my sons are old enough to join me (age 8 & 5 now, so have 7+- years to go), or 2, I avoid any extracurricular activities for the proceeding year so maybe my wife doesn't divorce me after leaving her alone with kids for 2 weeks.

I tell you what, it can be complicated process choosing what to do with one's time.

Are you still cycling often? I don't commute to work anymore, but take the kids to the local mountain bike trails a couple hours most weekends. I'm pleased with how they have taken to it.

Another bogus elk hunt to laugh at! I don't know why he wastes his time. In fact, I guess I do know why he wastes his time. He can't hunt whitetails. He has not 1 bow-killed whitetail to his credit. He hasn't even come close, if you don't count the buck he drove over last winter.

Joe

Watching this with anticipation! I’ll be there in spirit! Lance

Sounds like you're in for an eventful excursion. Enjoy!

Can’t wait to follow this thread! Best of luck!

Kerry, sounds like a great trip in the making . . . hope it's a good one! I haven't been in a while, sure would like to get back to the San Jaun's.

Michael

Nice to hear from you all. As you know, I'm not shy about recruiting assistance...so the first thing I need is someone to offer Pdiddly a cushy job that starts sometime around the first of October, so he can relax and enjoy this hunt.

I've never gotten a ride on a Gulfstream before. My friend Bill tells me that his pilot is a woman who used to fly jets in the Air Force. After takeoff, she puts it in a 45-degree climb that plasters him into his seat until she levels off. He assures me that the Telluride landing strip in the San Miguel River canyon is long enough to get in and out on, but it looks a little dicey to me.

It's good to have the positive comments from folks like Lost Arrow, in order to keep Frisky's cruel barbs from hurting my feelings too badly. He keeps harping on his idea that last year's elk spoiled on the way back to Maine, but it didn't. The only thing that turned green was him, with envy!

I enjoy your hunts sir. keep em coming

If the elk hunt #4 thread is anything like #3 you will repeat as the Leatherwall man of the year. Last year several names were submitted, ( Frisky wasn’t one ), you were the winner by a good margin. The wife and I plan to be in the Telluride area in late September. If we were going to be earlier I would be honored to provide shuttle or any assistance you may need. I’m excited about the elk hunt #4 adventure.

Good luck on the hunt whish I could have made that. Looks like some pretty country and I hope some snoop did not find the whiskey

Looking forward to following along, Kerry.

There's another bow that could be a contender this year: I actually found another FASCO Model 55 a couple of weeks ago, and wasted no time in latching onto it. I'm guessing that this one's tigerwood grip was also shaped by Skookum back in the late 60's in Seattle. It fits the hand just right, and at 53# draw @ 28", and 56# at my longer draw, it would be good medicine for elk hunting.

The clear coat was beginning to crackle on it, so I took that off and replaced it with tung oil. Preliminary cast testing shows it to be right on a par with the Tice & Watts and the Spitfire Mag II; very flat-shooting all the way out to forty yards, at least compared to bows like Frisky's.

Now Joe we all know your the Legend of drive overs. By now you must have had the body shop put a zipper under your truck to make it easier to repair each time on a drive over.

Why don't you go with kerry and guide them to success? You have the knives and can pack them out.

The first obstacle to this trip has already been conquered; that is, getting the time off at work. It was sad to see the pain on my boss's face as I took the Sharpie and drew a long black line on the wall calendar, from September 5th to the 21st, and wrote "Kerry in Colorado" in big bold letters. She muttered a little at the whole proposition, but then confessed that she actually likes it better when I'm not around. I thanked her for her candor, and then moved the line back to September 3rd just for good measure.

I then proceeded to get a great round-trip airfare to Denver--it's probably on a 737 Max or something. Here's how the baggage will work: I get one free carry-on, one free checked bag, and a second checked bag for $30.

The checked bags can weigh up to 50# apiece, so here's the plan: If and when one or the other of us gets lucky enough to shoot an elk, we will bone it all out, put the meat in waxed cardboard boxes, and take it to the meat locker in Pagosa Springs to be frozen.

Then, we'll return to the woods, and spend the remainder of the trip trying to get another elk with the remaining license--but not just any elk! We will be looking for nothing less than a mighty mature bull; one with a rack "big enough to scratch his own ass," to quote good old Grabwad from back in 2016. This guarantees a win-win scenario: if we do succeed, then one of us will have a fine trophy bull to deal with. If we fail, we will still have 200-250# of meat to split between us.

Now here's the really tricky part: those boxes of meat will become our luggage for the flight home. We will buy shipping boxes in Denver and mail all of our hunting gear back to ourselves, and then each board our flights with two 50# boxes of meat, and another 20-25# of frozen meat in our carry-ons. That accounts for all 200#+ of meat from the one elk.

I'm sure that the TSA folks will understand as we go through the screening process with all this bloody flesh in our bags...we both have very honest faces, and we both look like real hunters.

Once we both had our tickets booked, I figured it was safe to make some serious plans for our time in Telluride. I called the Last Dollar Saloon and said that in exchange for some free beer and food, Peter and I would be willing to teach an elk hunting seminar and tell our hunting stories at the saloon some night. I even dangled the bait that The Legend of the North, Joe Frisk, might actually be there with us.

Naturally, they jumped at the chance, and tickets for this event went on sale the next afternoon. As you can see in this screen shot I took, word got around quickly, and by 4 PM the line for tickets extended all the way down Main Street.

Needless to say, there will be some crestfallen fans if Joe and Pete are unable to come...in fact it might get ugly. I may just stay up in the woods and avoid the downtown scene completely.

Well actually I don't know what they were selling tickets for...probably for a Phish concert or something.

I saw this line because I make a point of checking the Telluride webcam several times a week, just to see what the weather is doing. After the year-long drought that had been crushing c entral and southwestern Colorado, I was cheering every time I saw it snowing there this winter. Gunnison was even crispier from the drought than Telluride, but they too had a great snowpack this year, and should bounce back nicely.

If you leave early on the 3rd, you could pick up Joe and still get there by the 5th, providing you didn't make too many potty stops and kept the hammer down. Good luck and keep us abreast of both truth and consequences. ;)

Nope, I've had enough of that cross-country driving! Last year I was horrified to learn that states like New York and Massachusetts no longer have real human beings in the toll booths--how the heck was a man supposed to pay them? So I just kept driving...

By the time I got back East, there was a lot of nasty paperwork that had arrived from both states, wanting the cost of the tolls and more besides. I just ignored the whole lot of it, but now I'm afraid if I tried driving through those states this year, they might be waiting for me with an orange jumpsuit...so I'm flying instead.

Because of the weight constraints that go along with flying, I've added a few key bits of gear. The most important of these is the new waterproof duffel bag made by North Face. It's sized exactly to meet the carry-on limits for airlines, and it fits nicely across the top of my pack frame, as you can see.

Take a moment and admire the perfect elk hunting pack! With this setup, I can carry my bow in my hand and everything I need on my back, and make just one trip to my campsite three miles in. When I get there, I'll put all the food that needs refrigeration into the bright orange drybag, and sink that in a nearby springhole that runs COLD snowmelt water all year long. And then, when the elk is down, my trusty pack frame is underneath it all, and can be used to pack out the meat.

If I really get adventuresome, the duffel bag has shoulder straps and can be used as a rucksack. I can fill it with my tent, an ultra-light sleeping bag, a mess kit, some dry clothes, and enough food for a one or two-day bivouac away from my main campsite.

Hey Brother. Can you help a fellow Waller out?

At this very moment Bodymanbowyer is in MN. and drinking the states many micro brews. He's looking for Friski. I told him to go search under the rocks. But he is not having any luck. Sure he would appreciate the help for what rock to look under! LMAO

Anyway that sure looks like a survivalist elk hunting rig. But think it would be more fun if Bill shows up. I'm sure a man of your advanced age would appreciate fine hotels, dinning, and the possibilities of long legs joining in the hot tub after a day in the field. Yeah that'd be a tough hunt! LMAO

I talked to Bill today. He's still saying that he's in on this, and that the Gulfstream G-5 will be waiting in Denver. He offered a helicopter ride up to timberline, but I said that would be cheating, and that the Gods of the Chase would frown on such tactics.

Who needs some old luxury hotel with champagne on the edge of the hot tub? I'm sure that Bill would rather be camped at timberline, bathing in the icy waters of Buttwash Brook as the hailstones fall and the thunder claps. Manly adventure at its finest!

Hope your trip goes great. Please take us along on your hunt with pics and story, thanks.

Looking like a good trip. I pack home frozen whitetail backstrap from Illinois every fall and have found that if in a carry-on that I am guaranteed a bag check, so I allow a little extra time for getting through TSA. Same thing in the spring with frozen turkey breast and crappie fillets.

Thanks doe sharing this top with us, crookedstix. Jawge

You got it figgered right on where they are hanging out this year. Green and wet everywhere. This little group of a 100 or so were enjoying the bounty a couple days ago.

Ah, just a month away--be still, my heart! Pretty cool that there are still a few piles of snow hanging around...thanks for posting that pic, Mike.

Looking forward to reading of your on going adventure. It sure looks like fun. Wish I could find a way to make it out there to hunt. Maybe one day.

Ah to be young again, elk hunting in AZ. NM, Co.

Pennsyvania has done some of that 'no people to take your money' thing on the turnpike. I rarely use the pike anymore since the price just keeps going up...$7.00 to drive 47 miles. Last time we used it you just insert the ticked in a reader, and a week or so later you get the bill. Then you pay another forty-couple cents to mail the damn thing. Anyway, we drove across the US twice and never used a toll road. That's the way to do it, but flying is quick for sure.

I can hardly wait for this thread to begin in earnest! Thanks Kerry!

Yes George,

I think I remember all those Interstates being built by the federal government; but somehow they've turned into fine cash cows for the states...and a huge subsidy to the trucking industry. It doesn't matter what time of the day or night you drive across I-80 in Pennsylvania; you can count on being boxed in by tractor-trailers that drive 75 mph down the hills and 55 mph up them.

But enough ranting--this is going to be a happy trip! I'll be 30,000 feet above all those headaches, other than a brief touching down in Detroit to switch planes. And if I'm actually fortunate enough to catch a ride on Bill's company jet from Denver into Telluride, that will be just plain awesome! The runway in Telluride is perched a thousand feet above the San Miguel River canyon, with mountains rising up 6,000' above it on three sides. From there, a man could coast on a bicycle all the way down to the Last Dollar Saloon, which is where the trip will start in earnest, with an extended "strategy session."

I'll wait patiently for the expert to show us how it's done. The expert who couldn't take a whitetail fawn browsing in his petunias.

Joe

I live in Oregon and hunt elk every year and I'm still looking forward to watching here to see your trip play out. I do love the high country and we have had a good lingering snow pack too.

I'm getting a bit nervous...I tried calling Peter this week to confirm plans, and couldn't get through. There was just one time someone answered,who sounded like Pete...but after I said "Hey, it's Kerry," the guy started speaking French really fast and kept saying "non parler Anglais; je ne connais pas ce 'Kerry'..au revoir!" Then the guy hung up...and ever since then, my calls go straight to the guy's answering machine.

I'm sure it must have been a wrong number; good ol' Pete would never be giving me the dodge. There has to be a simple explanation...

It would be a terrible setback if he can't come; I was planning to leave my own tent home to save weight on the airline, and figured that Pete's tent was plenty big enough for both of us to sleep in. I ran that idea by him a couple weeks ago, and he seemed fine with it...although he did go kind of quiet when I first broached it, now that I think of it. He also got kinda quiet when I mentioned trying to talk Frisky into joining us. These Canadian guys have a way of going silent that makes it hard to know what they're thinking.

I'm sure he'll be getting in touch with me any day now...but with the trip only 25 days away, I am getting a bit jumpy about the logistics. This trip planning is tricky business!

"These Canadian guys have a way of going silent that makes it hard to know what they're thinking."

Yup just the opposite of those minnesotans. :^)

I can still work with you on your bows if need be.

Looking forward to reading and laughing along. Good luck!

I ran "non parler Anglais; je ne connais pas ce 'Kerry'..au revoir!" through Google translator and got:

not speak English; I do not know this 'Kerry' .. bye!

Looks like you'll be going alone. How about bringing along that woman with the foreign- sounding name you've been hanging around?

Joe

I don't think that would work...Francesca's heard one too many stories about road kill. Plus she maintains (wrongly) that I snore at night, and she thinks it would only get worse in the thin air at 11,000 feet. Women get such strange ideas.

Well, just pack along a tent for her, so she can get a good night's rest.

Joe

I must break my silence and comment on this thread and this planned hunt...

Crookedstix has posted wonderful pictures of the San Juan's in all their glory and those, along with his tantalizing repartee, would tempt any mortal to join him!

Since our trip in 2017 I have always wanted to go back to Colorado with crookedstix and chase some elk, even more buoyed by his success of last year... but there is reality and there are some facts that cause me to hesitate...because time does not erase all memories.

In my initial euphoric state at the onset of the planning of the hunt I booked my flight to Colorado from Ottawa and began getting in shape. It all felt so wonderful.

But about a month ago I was looking at some pictures of the hunt two years ago...and I came across the attached image that brought me FIRMLY back to earth.

My wife was me looking at it and commented that " Oh, was that taken on your elk hunting trip with Kerry Hardy? You don't look very good..."

I call it The Beaten Man...this is what I looked like at 11,000 feet after a sleepless night of listening to Mr. Hardy's nocturnal throat singing! The man snores like a chainsaw! One does not need a separate tent to escape the sonorous snoring...I was 20 feet away...I needed another mountain!

And to add insult to injury he actually took the picture of me in a compromised state of affairs that he was directly responsible for! The nerve!

And I REALLY needed the sleep...a lot. That's because each day began at first light with the sounds of rocks clacking together as crookedstix built yet another fireplace or improved on the existing once...I thought we had camped beside a quarrying operation! You can actually see his fireplaces on Google Earth and scientist are mystified at the giant scars in the landscape that are diverting natural water flows and causing habitat loss for pikas!!

So not a lot of hunting was done due to the stone edifices being raised for cooking, boot drying and smelting of copper...I was directly affected as it fell to me to fetch firewood to pitch into the maw of one of his blast furnaces! Exhausting work that rendered me incapable of picking up the last stick of wood, my bow, let alone drawing an arrow.

I dragged my butt out of camp for a few hours each day to hunt a bit but had to stick my head in a icy brook at frequent intervals to avoid sleepwalking off the edge of the mountain.

All of this came back to me with a feeling of dread...

A feeling of dread not improved by the prospect, faint as it may be, that Frisky might actually accept Kerry's invitation and join us!! That caused my trepidation soars to stratospheric levels!!

I can take one or the other but both together would be mentally destabilizing!! Imagine sitting in a camp with Crookedstix' constant optimistic banter countered by Frisky's constant derogation of all things normal and good! It would be the SUPREME test of this Canuck's characteristic politeness

So I must pass for this year for all of the above reasons, along with the comparatively insignificant one that I am between easing out of one job ( and semi-retiring) and moving into another job for a bit.

I called Kerry, bit my lip so I would sob a bit and gave him the bad news. I think he believed me that I had another short term work assignment that would interfere with the timing of the hunt.

I have cancelled my flight and the sense of foreboding is rapidly fading away. I know he'll read this but I think that he'll think I am kidding eh??

Humph...this proves my theory that Canadians are a treacherous race of men. And after all the bows that I've sold that man...I'm deeply hurt by all of this.

Luckily, I can a least still count on my friend Bill. I just learned today that Bill's jet has been upgraded; now he's in a Gulfstream G-650. I sent him the attached photo this morning in hopes that he night be willing to personalize the exterior in time for this trip. I'd like to arrive stylishly in Telluride...plus, I'd like to offer the lively waitress at Brown Dog Pizza a quick spin around the San Juans, if Bill is willing to loan me the keys to the jet.

Logistics aside, my real focus now is on conditioning and shooting practice. I continue riding my bike 27 miles each day to work and back, and I try to follow that with a quick swim in the lake and a couple of twelve-ounce curls. As for the shooting, I'm zeroing in on either the Bill Stewart Multi-Cam, or else the St. Joe River bow that I used last year...or else maybe the 57# Howatt Hunter, or the Groves Spitfire. Hard choices must be made.

A sad state of affairs. Pdiddly found out eating hotdogs wasn't a very good way to get into shape. So, he abandons his friend. The chances of Crookedstix surviving this trip is close to zero.

Joe

My post was, of course, tongue in cheek, but the part concerning the fireplaces being visible from Google Earth was fact!!

Here are images taken before and after at one of the furnace sites!!

The Mason does not fiddle around when he goes to work!

The wee circle in the photo on the right surrounds one of Kerry's creations!

And here is the master working on it!

All right...the wait is nearly over! Travel logistics this year are nearly driving me crazy; I still don't know exactly how I'm going to get to Colorado. I have an airline ticket that will get me to Denver this Thursday, but it's also possible that my friend Bill and his Gulfstream jet will show up tomorrow morning at the airport 15 miles from my home, and take us straight to Telluride.

These dual possibilities greatly affect what I can take for gear. If I'm in Bill's jet I can take all the bows, arrows,computers, and hunting clothes that I want, as well as a pair of fuzzy sippers to wear around the campsite. But, if I fly commercial, then I have to skimp severely and cram everything into two bags and a carry-on.

I've already told Bill how inconvenient this would be for me, but so far he hasn't taken the hint and given me a firm commitment. He offered some lame excuse about possibly needing to do some oil deal in the Middle East this week. I pointed out that there's no closed season on crude oil, whereas elk can only be hunted right now; but he failed to get the point.

If I'm forced to lower my standards and fly commercial, then I'll have to use the Bill Stewart take-down bow. But if I get lucky and can ride the Gulfstream, then I'll be taking the Groves Spitfire as my primary bow. The suspense is just about killing me, and making it impossible to know what to pack.

Pack light, your commercial flight is dependable. I've have done several trips to Co elk hunts with a 49# rolling duffle of gear and my 25# backpack with the rest of gear. Never been uncomfortable.

Did you leave Thursday? Are you now out hunting?

Probably just getting settled in to his "office" at the Last Dollar in Telluride, getting his innerweb connections connected so's he can report to his cloud buddies back here on the Leatherwall. My guess, anyway.

Let's hope so. This won't be nearly as fun (for us) if we don't get up to the minute updates on the hunt.

I'm being very responsible, and posting this from the Telluride library rather than the Last Dollar Saloon. Just came down off the mountain in a hailstorm, found the car's battery dead, bummed a jump from a nearby hiker, and raced into town to send a few messages. This was sunrise this morning...

I arrived too late in the day Thursday to go up the hill, so instead I just curled up in the back seat of the car until daylight Friday. Then came the big push: to take all my gear in to my original camp, about three miles from the trailhead parking lot.

On the way, I passed by the camp where I had stashed that bottle of toothache medicine last year, underneath a big flat rock on the side of my fireplace. As you can see, it was right where I had left it! I paused for a brief sip or two to celebrate being back...and then I guess I had a short nap. Then, it was on to the next campsite!

The elk sign was intermittent as I walked up and over Black Face Mesa, and around the end of Wilson Meadow. The weather was threatening rain, with thunderstorms rolling by every hour or so.

After way too long a hike with a pack that felt like it was full of bricks, I finally made it back to my original campsite. The elk sign started looking better!

I spent the late afternoon and early evening just puttering around the camp. I slept very well, though I did hear several nice bugles throughout the night.

Any sane man would have settled in and enjoyed the accomplishment of getting everything packed in. But, I felt the need to ramble around and check sign in a few other places...and before I knew it, I was back on the other side of the mountain.

This blue grouse tried to make a dinner offering of itself, but I left it alone--I was headed for the bright lights, cold beer, and hot pizza of Telluride.

As I emerged from the black timber into an open avalanche slide, I caught sight of something dark up on the hillside...and by the time I had set down my bow and taken the camera out of its case, Yogi had struck a very handsome pose for me.

Not an especially big bear, but definitely big enough to get my attention; especially since he was within a hundred yards of one of my camps. He struck another pose, this time cracking enough of a smile so I could see some teeth...and then he headed straight up the slide, but not in any great hurry.

Haven't seen any other hunters yet, but there are plenty of vehicles and campers on the other side of the highway from where I hunt. Muzzle-loader season started today, but as of noontime I hadn't heard a single shot. So far I've seen five grouse and a mule deer, but no elk.

It's likely to be three days or so before I post again; hopefully I'll have some good hunting stories by then.

You'll make good bear food. They're looking to fatten up this time of year.

Joe

Muzzleloader season in Colorado starts on September 14th.

Kind of wondering how you got out there? My guess, your friend with the Gulf Stream left you waiting at the curb/runway? Good luck and be safe. Looking forward to a "blow by blow" account of a good hunt told by a great "story teller"!

It warms the cockles of my heart to see how Joe is rooting for Kerry’s success and well-being.

Great thread, I'll be following it!

P.S. I've been aboard several private jets and by far the nicest was the Gulf Stream V owned by tobacco giant Phillip-Morris. Too bad that didn't work ouit for ya!

Is that Pulpit Rock above your campsite?

It's the Lizard Head.

I’m getting excited!

Lost arrow must have found his arrow.

Joe

Awesome

Some good pictures Crookedstix, making me wish I was younger and to run all over that country, Enjoy.

It is beautiful country...but also very high...10,000-11,500 feet. Good conditioning is essential as one climbs 1500 feet over four miles getting in to the high camp. Looking forward to his next report...lots of water out there this year so elk will be in the meadows. Very dry in 2017 so more in the woods and wet areas.

Kerry, great pics, you are the envy of many on this site I bet. That bear with the CO blue spruce and bear grass pic is great! And if it were me, I'd have tried to take one of those grouse, even at the expense of a broadhead. There isn't much better eating than a blue. Hope you get into the bulls this year. Keep us posted! TK

You could chopper this in and save your time for hunting... :)

He's probably building a larger version of that right now Trapper! He's a stone piler!

The picture above is Kerry building a fireplace at the BFM camp...it's the one in the picture above with the bottle of whiskey he stashed.

This fireplace is at the higher camp that we named the Leather Wall Camp...warming spots for plates and to keep food warm and boot dryers on rocks designed to get warm and stay warm.

The arrow is a 2115 that I shot at what I thought was a root clump from a toppled tree but turned out to be a rock slab ( I had a judo on it). It was only suitable for tending the fire after that dumb move!!

This tree is about a mile from the LW Camp..hope that bull is still around for crookedstix to take a poke at!

Such great photos! Enjoy! Jawge

Just love it!

Man I would love to do that. This flatlander might have to carry oxygen through.

Bjrogg

My brother and his wife are out there and have been sending me pictures. Sure is beautiful county.

Bjrogg

Yes, people might think I'm kind of odd walking through the woods with a bow in one hand, and a Pelikan case in the other. There's no question that carrying a camera with two lenses sometimes gets in the way of hunting...but you just never know when the photo of a lifetime might present itself in this beautiful place.

This was the view after sunset the other night. I had three bugling bulls within a quarter-mile of me, but I was too exhausted to even go after them. I had just finished my second four-mile hike with a full pack to get all of my gear in to this campsite at 11,400', and my battery was getting dangerously low. So I just flopped on the ground and enjoyed an experience that a lot of guys would love to have--a beautiful sunset in the San Juans, with bugling elk for background music.

I will confess that the altitude is giving me more trouble this year. On two nights, after finishing long hikes with full packs, I've felt pretty depleted at the core, and gone to bed with a fever and severe chills. Each time, the fever has broken in the middle of the night, and by morning I've been almost myself, but a lot weaker version thereof.

Consequently, I've been slower getting started each morning, and I know it's costing me good hunting time. But--when you can loiter at camp and enjoy fresh coffee and sunrises like this, it's all pretty good...

To address a couple of posters' comments; Yes, the Gulfstream buddy couldn't find his way out of the corporate rat-race to escape, so I flew out on Delta instead, and then had to drive a rental car from Denver to Telluride. My buddy probably knew that the altitude would be hard on his not-so-buff 62-year-old body.

As for Frisky's comment about the bear fattening up for fall, I will confess that seeing a good-sized bear within a hundred yards of my campsite was definitely food for thought. I've always been conscientious about using a bear line to suspend the food at night, and cleaning up all food garbage...and I also always bring a can of pepper spray with me out here. Thankfully, so far so good. Something came into my camp two nights ago and started moving my duffel bag around...but after I yelled and growled at it, things got quiet again.

Here's one last scenery photo for now: morning sunlight illuminating the Lizard Head.

I have an uneasy feeling about this hunt. Seems to me you might have bitten off more than you can chew. You probably should have brought Knifeguy along to haul your crap in or left most of it at home. A real woodsman doesn't mess around hauling a bunch of junk into the wilderness and building altars to false gods. He goes in light and hunts! He builds a fire to cook game and keep warm after dark.

Joe

But I have to have my computer and camera, to share this hunt with those who can only sit in Minnesota and dream!

As for the hunting highlights, so far I've had a spike bull quartering away at 25 yards, standing dead still. A pity they are protected; that was a shot that most of us could have made in our sleep. This morning I was late arriving to the spot where I hoped to sit...and I jumped five elk that were just arriving there too. I was about 75 yards away. But for my fevered night and late start, I would have been there in the sweet spot when they came by. But that's hunting; I know what to expect when I'm not on my A-game. I am at least delighted to have encountered elk at each of my campsites, and I have ten full days left to get down to business. My blunders will all slip away, and things will come together...if I can just get my energy back.

And this for Pdiddly and Knifeguy: the blonde goddess waitress is still at the Brown Dog pizza; I just had lunch there. I sure hope she doesn't try to follow me back up to camp tonight; it's time to focus on hunting!

But a goddess in the wilderness...could a bull actually be better? ;)

Focus, focus, yes she’s beautiful, focus...

Must...focus...on...elk! Here's the kind of stuff I'm tuning in to: the mountainside is a series of small ridges with rills or seeps between them. Those seeps are where the best grass grows. In this shot, you can see the flattened grass from an elk bed...and in the background, grass that has been recently chewed off. If you can find tall black timber coing down to a seep like this, there's a good chance elk will be nearby...or at least will visit the spot periodically.

And here's a fun shot from a hunter's brunch: scrambled eggs with cheddar and ham, in a cast-iron frypan no less, and all rolled up in a wrap. Now that's enough to keep a man hunting the rest of the day!

Wow, cast iron! No wonder you were so weak and exhausted after packing in. Even in my younger days I wasn't game for packing that kind of weight.

Judging from the looks of that pan, he didn't pack it in. He left it there when he left last year, lol! With all that rust, he probably has tetanus. That would explain the fever and chills.

Joe

LOL

That pan has spent two winters up there!! You'd be a little weathered too Frisky!!

Good to hear you're into elk Kerry...sincerely wish I could have been there...next year.

Different when there is lots of water around.

Hope you kick the altitude issues and get your game back on...I know how you feel...that is a tough hunt at high altitude.

VERY glad to hear Haley's still slinging beer.

Nice memories...

I think that black bear has his nose out for Crooky's tootheache medicine! I'm surprised the bear didn't snatch it while Kerry was passed ou..., er, "napping."

Sheesh - you're eating better than I am here. Had a crappy microwave dinner tonight - and by crappy I mean CRAPPY! Lol

Hope you get over the altitude sickness and find a shooter in range.

Go get em' Kerry, I'm sure you'll acclimate soon enough!

Kerry, Early morning, first light should find you on the uppermost fringe of that black timber just below that grassy meadow in the above pic...just to the right of that layered outcrop...waiting for them to descend from their rutting/feeding ground into the bedding zone. I'd make spike camp at the bottom of that timber the afternoon before. That's a good hoof over there...Good Luck! :)

I'm pulling for you Kerry. Hope you feel better soon. Jim

Trapper...about 400 metres from where I took that picture (BFM camp) there is a very similar meadow above black timber...he can bring a thermos of coffee from breakfast over! LOL!

Just a real quick update: I had a real bucket list experience yesterday as I slipped through the black timber above this wet meadow below my camp. I surprised a mountain lion down at the edge of the swamp, at a range of thirty yards, and got to watch it run away through the open woods. It's speed was amazing! It's the first good look I've ever had at one.

And amazingly, this is exactly the same meadow that Pdiddly is referring to in his previous post!

A quick inspection of the area where the cat had exploded away from showed me what was going on: the carcass of an elk calf, more than half-eaten, was right there at the edge of the meadow. This was almost the mirror-image of my bear sighting near an elk carcass last year...and each time, I've been very grateful that the predators have chosen to run away from me. I had been thinking that it might be time to bathe, but now I'm having second thoughts.

It occurs to me that with all of these apex predators around me, it might be time to get a little side action going on about whether or not Ill make it home from this trip. We could get someone honest, say Frisky, to hold the bets as the trip plays out. Of course I have no illusions about who he'd be betting on...

In all seriousness, it is quite humbling to be alone in such wild land, and to see that there are plenty of predators still practicing their craft. I will not fall asleep on my stand...and I will make it back up the hill before dark tonight!

After the cougar sighting, I made a big loop around a series of wet meadows like this; more interested in checking for sign than seriously hunting. I jumped a bull that was at least a 5 x 5, and then a hundred yards farther on I spotted this cow about the same time that she spotted me. She was about 35 yards downhill from me, and was clearly locked in on any move I made...so I contented myself with getting a few pix of her. A few mule deer, and the usual complement of blue grouse rounded out my day's sightings.

After my great day of seeing wildflife, I finished it all off with a little fire to raise my spirits...as I raised my spirits, to toast this great place. Now you'll just have to take my word for this: this photo has not been retouched one bit. Look closely, and you can clearly see the bull elk in the flames! I don't know how much clearer the gods could spell it out: there's a fine bull out there waiting for me! Of course, you could say that it almost looks like his head is thrown back in mocking laughter...but that's not how I see it. The Fire Bull will soon be mine...

Tomorrow morning I will hunt the meadow edges early, and then spend the middle of the day going back to my interior camp. I'm hoping that the bugling may have resumed over there.

Clearly a bugling Elk in those flames, and an obvious sign. Go get'em Kerry! Congrats on the Cougar sighting. That is a real bucket list item there.

It's gonna happen Kerry, we're all pulling for you. Shoot straight!

If I was in your position, I'd set up camp next to my car and sleep in the car. You've had plenty of warning signs.

Joe

Glad yore feeling better, Kerry. But watch yer topknot! That bar may still be looking (and lurking) to share your toothache medicine...

Thanks for the update. Great pictures, great experiences. We’re pulling for you.

How great is that! A bear, a cougar, elk, mulies, and the scenery. Wow Kerry! You’ve aleardy got your monies worth. A bull now would cap it all off. Good huntin’. Lance

Love the bull in the flames picture!!! Enjoying the updates.

One spring a few years ago a rancher in Wyoming told me... Don't worry about the mountain lions. They don't eat people unless they're really hungry but they might eat a camouflaged hunter sounding like a hen turkey.

"You’ve already got your monies worth."

BS! Over $600 just for the license! A couple thousand total! If you don't get an elk, it's a complete failure! It's not about scenery. It's not about the overall experience. It's about meat! Bring home the bacon or hang your head in shame.

Joe

Looking forward to the follow-up photo: flames of another fire licking elk tenderloins, a few inches of that amber liquid missing from the bottle. Walk softly into the wind and let those Bill Stewart "multi-cam" limbs find a big ole stanky bull like dowser rods.

THanks for letting us go along on your trip. Hope your hunt keeps going well.

Kerry, on that vision quest bull, are you sure you didn't spend some time downwind of the townies drum circle in Telluride? You know that stuff's legal there now. That bottle's barely been touched.... And, I'd say get up to that other back timber fringe in the distance, since the cat probably has the elk in Pdiddly's meadow scattered far and wide now. I bet you'll find them there, like your vision quest predicted.. Best of luck and stay out of harms way! Go get a bull!

PS that looks like a mulie doe in that pic... Nice pic!

Great up-dates Kerry, I look forward to these every day. Don't know if it would be legal but if it was and it was me I'd have my .44 Super Blackhawk on my side. Stay safe!

Great thread, photos and stories. Thanks for taking us all along on your hunt! Be safe and this guy from PA is pulling for you!!!

See you've found your bottle LOL. Too bad about the class A plane ride not going threw. Bears and cats in the area think you need more tags for the next trip!

Awful pretty pictures of the area. You might consider carrying something a little "heavier" then a can of pepper spray also. Hope you don't have to apply that "upwind"!

Very cool update...odd how dense spike bulls are and yearling cows are not!

Mule deer up there are pretty tame...I was at full draw three times on two bucks at 19 yards in 2017...they never knew I was there.

Nice that you're seeing game. Predators like cougar and a bear are the best sign that it's a good spot. And they did what bears and cougars do 99.999999999999% of the time when they detect a human...leave.

You're in the right spot doing the right thing...you'll have an opportunity!

Hi all...just a quick check-in to say that I'm still around, but in pretty rough shape. Lots of down time to sickness over the course of this trip; just cant shake it or get my energy back. Yesterday I broke my high camp; given the way things were progressing I wasn't sure that I'd have the strengh to get myself down out of there if I waited another day.

Amazingly, just as I staggered down the first (near-vertical) hill from camp, I heard someone call my name--it was my buddy Rob from Denver, just arrived to go muzzle-loader hunting. So we had a nice visit, and I had an escort. I dropped my gear when I made it to Rob's camp, and then we went on about a four-hour hunt together.

This is what Rob's whole setup looks like.

I have one more trip up the hill to retrieve my stuff, so I'll keep it short for now because I don't want darkness to catch me still on the trail tonight. My brain isn't working too good right now; it may take a week or three before I'm back to normal. Fatigue levels like I've never known this past week...but even when I've felt crappy, there are always views like this a few yards away from my inert carcass, so life could be worse. The blue grouse will spot this elderberry soon and make short work of its berry crop.

Altitude sickness?

I don't think it's the altitude...that man has amazing strength and stamina...bicycles long distances daily all summer. The altitude did not even phase him two years ago.

He might have caught a bug, perhaps on the flight out.

He'll be quite a bit lower in the other camp and closer to the road. Good choice moving down.

Glad he has a buddy up there...

Following along..excellent write-up and pics,,the banter between you and your "supporters "on here is hilarious!! Good luck brother...

Sorry to hear that the first thing you bagged on this trip appears to be an illness. Keep in touch with your buddy, maybe a wandering elk will cross your path as you wind down the hunt.

I'm also thinking it's not altitude sickness or attitude sickness. I'm thinking virus or bacterial infection. A smart move would be to get to town and see a doctor. Might just need antibiotics to save the day.

Joe

Kerry--Joe is right, for once, although I hate to admit it. Wouldn't hurt for you to take a couple days off and relax back in town.

Hope you feel better soon thereafter.

Yup, best to play it safe. You're balance is usually off when sick, don't want to take a fall with gear on up there and get hurt. Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks for the update and sorry to hear of the illness. If going into town to see a Doc is an option hopefully you can and salvage the rest of the hunt. Smart move to come down feeling the way you do either way. Wishing you a speedy recovery and a safe and successful rest or your hunt.

its great your buddy found you. having company makes a big difference. i spent my whole trip sick and it sucked. that altitude put me right over the edge. getting a few 1000 ft lower and warmer helped a ton

My friend hunted the high country for years with no problems, a couple of years ago hunting in the same place altitude sickness almost did him in.

I've had altitude sickness hunting elk and it sounds like you have the same symptoms I did.

Best to get lower and stay there for awhile.

I had it bad one year in Col. after packing out an elk. Man I was sick, puking and no energy at all. To this day can not drink that orange bagged drink stuff. Hope you feel better.

Kerry, you have altitude sickness,(headaches,fatige) you need to get to a lower elevation in town and get checked out by a Doc. You may need to stay in town for a couple days and advoid alachol. Us northeastern guys can train as hard as you want, but not for altitude. My buddy got it last year the first time after several trips out west. I have felt ill during our 1/2 way trip to town (3500' drop) and return to camp in same day. If you are coughing, the lungs may be filling up. Get to town. The elk will still be there.

Tick bite maybe?

Last year his account of his hunt was great thread. You could tell he was having a great time. This year is a totally different story. He’s been struggling for days but doesn’t want to give in. Glad he met up with his buddy. How many more days does he have to hunt?

Man Kerry, now I’m even more concerned. Get yourself into Telluride and see a doc. Better to make sure what it is rather than wondering what is causing your symptoms. Your health is more important than the hunt but I don’t need to tell you that! Let us know what you find out. Lance

I see a business opportunity in Telluride-- an oxygen bar!

Maybe Kerry can get his wealthy oil executive buddy (the one who left him waiting on the tarmac) to work on getting the necessary pipelines installed to bring in designer oxygen from throughout the world.

You don't want to mess around with altitude sickness. I'd get as far down the mountain as possible, after being checked out in town.

Joe

Oxygen therapy is one of the recommended therapies for acute mountain sickness. One source recommended descending to 4000'. That means probably going down to Durango for a night or two.

Someone should start making funeral arrangements for him now. My sister just told me she knew a couple who went up into mountains. The husband got altitude sickness and died. Crookedstix was too proud to come down and just laid around up there. Now, it's probably too late. They'll be burying him 6 feet under at 4,000 feet.

Joe

Nah, not 4,000 feet. Nobody's gonna take time out of their elk hunt to drag his sorry a..., uh, carcass, down that far.

Pretty shallow soils at 4,000. Would have to use a pile of rocks, kinda like his hearths.

Probably just have to leave him for the scavengers.

Joe

Well, at least nobody’s moping around worried about him....

Y'all reckon he left his bow(s) to any Leatherwallers (Frisky) here in his last will and testament?

Visions of Hatchet Jack!

That boy had better turn up healthy, or we’re all going to look pretty heartless!!

The only thing crookedstix would want to give Joe is a piece of his mind!

He'll sort it out. Just dropping down from the LW Camp to the camp at the base of the mesa brings relief.

I got a touch of it last time but it passed after a few days. Kerry was unaffected.

they sell these out there...

None of us should feel guilty if we learn of his demise. He got himself into this mess in a quest for greatness. He wanted to supplant me as the "Last Great Bowhunter." He bit off more than he could chew! Now he's suffering defeat, while I'm rising to the occasion!

Joe

"Quest for greatness " Man I love it Frisky. Your a hoot...haaaaaaa

Joe, you're 'rising to the occasion' is analogous to a mushroom growing on a tree stump. ;)

Kerry is rising to the challenge of Colorado's high country after the elusive wapiti.

Meanwhile, back in the oxygen-rich sea level air of Minnesota, Frisky is trying to get his ginger cream cookies to rise in the oven! That's his "Quest for Greatness!"

Another thought. It's possible he drank bad water. He is filthy in his habits. Anyone who eats roadkill out of rusty hubcaps is filthy.

Joe

Frisky, how about a little compassion for a brother who is suffering and in need of relief. You don’t need to be creating havoc on Crookedstix’s thread. Your time would be better spent composing some believable lies as to why you failed to silence the squeaking sounds emitted from the “ Holy Fail “ bow. Since you spent the first day of archery season baking cookies, we can safely assume your entire season is destined to be a fiasco.

Joe, another victim...you're so convincing...:) Do you have a 'HELLO KITTY' sticker on your car?

I can tell the only action we'll be getting out of this thread is when I post pics of the deer I'm gonna shoot this week.

Joe

So your plan is to post the pictures this week, but when are you planning to actually shoot that deer?

Hope everything is OK with Crookedstix! Has anybody heard from him in a few days?

No word yet. All we know is he went down to 4,000 feet, with help from his muzzleloading buddy, and might have died there or made it to a doctor or is hunting at lower elevation. My best guess is he's hunting at the lower elevation, determined to show me up.

Joe

He actually went down to around 9800 from 11,000. I imagine he's fine...he does have a good water source and he's not far from the road.

Too bad his thread deteriorated into a forum for frustrated wanna-be comedians. Why don't you all take a break and let the next post be from Kerry, who I hope is fine.

Because we might never get a post from Kerry! For all we know, he might have died up there! We have every right to discuss it. After all, he's supposed to be keeping us informed. For all we know, he could be on a plane going home. He could rent a car and be driving here! I have to know so I can be gone if he does show up here.

Joe

Lol!

Way to hang in there Frisk!!!! My man!!

The only way that Kerry can get in contact is to head into Telluride or find a cell signal up in the hills and use his phone as an internet link to connect with his laptop.

The latter is difficult...I found one spot where I had a signal so I could send pictures and he's around a mile-and-a-half from there. It's right where he met Rob so imagine that's why he sent the pics.

The "hot spot" is in the picture and I actually sent that image from there two years ago. Rob's camp is about 500 metres to the right.

Where he is camped now is close to where he got the elk last year...lots of animals there and it's near the road as well...he's likely concentrating on scouting, hunting and waiting for a group of elk to wander into the territory, rather than going to town.

Do we know if he’s checking in with anyone on a regular basis?

Campfire humor is all well and good as long as we know that all is well and good.

Thanks for the update Craig!

Hi Guys, Thanks Craig for the phone check-in last night! It was a miracle that we even had a few seconds of connection, as I was driving through the deep dark San Miguel River canyon.

Yesterday was my last day up on the hill. Rob and I had spent the night before at about 11,700', camped about 350 yards apart, with an all-night thunder-hailstorm rattling around us. Luckily my tent and sleeping bags were fully up to the challenge. As soon as the sky finally cleared the slightest bit, I went over to his camp and we enjoyed coffee and conversation for a couple of hours. We then decided to break camp, and went down into Telluride for a nice pizza dinner. By the time we finished it was too late to go back up the hill, so we just plunked down $20 for a spot in a roadside campground.

Next morning, after a quick and furtive bath in Trout Lake, we headed back up the hill--the last trip up for me. I had shown Rob my campsite a mile up from the trailhead, and he fell in love with it; so I guided him back up there and showed him a few good elk hunting spots nearby. By 3PM his campsite was set up, and around 5 PM I headed down the mountain for good.

By 6:30 I was driving away from it all, and around 8:30 I made it to Montrose (home of Gordon Composites!). I just about had enough energy to book a motel room, run a hot bath, and collapse into the best sleep I've had in weeks.

I'm slowly returning to life here this morning--feeling pretty good in general, but at about 40% of full power; sort of the way you feel on the back side of having the 'flu. Definitely misplaced a few brain cells over the course of this trip too; my functioning, which wasn't all that high to begin with, has dropped off a notch or two. Be patient with me--I expect that the marbles will all find their places eventually here.

Many thanks for all the medical advice and expressions of concern over the past few days. I'll try and upload a few pix from "the lost week", and catch you up on the hunt.

I don't post much here but I've been enjoying the thread. Also enjoy the banter between Kerry and Frisky.

it helps to have followed the series to "get it" on the banter.

IMHO the series are some of the best threads on the LW, you have great information for DIY elk hunting, great photo's and good natured humor and good will to the hunter(s).

Glad you are doing better, Kerry..

Here's Rob setting his hammock camp up yesterday, in a spot that Peter and Lance will both recognize. After he finished this setup, he and I went down and explored the wet meadows below us, and found some very nice elk beds there. The bulls have been maintaining radio silence for almost two weeks now, so if you want to get into elk the only way is to start burning boot leather and covering the country.

BTW that awning over Rob's hammock is made of Dyneema (as in good old D-97 of bowstring fame). It's pretty amazing stuff in sheet form like this--super tough and super light.

Having the capacity to just get out a walk six or eight miles over the course of a day has always been an essential part of my experiences out here--that's how you check the sign, and get the key insights into herd movement, and sometimes just get lucky.

This time around, I found that it was all I could do to just get myself back and forth between car and camp. After packing in, I would basically collapse. If I had overdone it, I was likely in for an evening of chillblaines and fever, with some pretty delirious dreams thrown in the mix as well.

The low point for me energy-wise was last Saturday, after packing back in to my highest and remotest campsite late in the day Friday. It had been a race against darkness to get there, but after a 2-1/2 hour hump I made it. I had a rough night, and all day Saturday all I did was wrap up in the sleeping bag and lay in sunny spots--no serious pain or other issues, but just zero energy or strength. But damn nice views to look as I lay there.

Kerry, glad you're out and okay, recovering. Was hoping they didn't have to send a search party out after ya :) Looking forward to some more pics. I noticed one thing about that last shot ....there are no rock structures in it... :0

Glad everything is good Crookedstick!

Glad to hear you made it out safely, but sorry you suffered the altitude sickness.

Kerry, what a relief it is to know you’re ok. When you reported that you were down and couldn’t shake it off I went into a deep depression. The Mouthy, Malicious, Manipulating Minnesota Munchkin’s responses certainly made it worse. Hope you have a safe trip home.

Glad you’re safe & (reasonably!) sound!

Even when my resting heart rate was 40 in Denver, there’s something about hitting 11,000 feet that just hits you right back. HARD.

Kerry, I’m very relieved to know that you’re doing better and off the mountain. Have a safe trip home and I’m looking forward to seeing the photos and reading about the rest of your hunt. I really wish it would have gone the other way for you and that you were sending elk meat home. If I could acclimate to the elevation I’d love to join you again. The only thing that saved me from getting sick were the altitude sickness pills that I took every day. Maybe something for you and Peter to think about for next year. Losing wt and getting in shape is nothing compared to the thin air. I’ve lost 25# and I’m in better shape since that 2017 trip but I know the altitude would get me! Be safe and let us know when you get back to Maine. Lance

The hunt isn't over! While driving, you could see elk along the road. It's a rental car. You could pop a small one and get some meat. Use your elk tag, report it as a kill and you're in the meat for another year. It's just a passing thought.

Joe

My friend Bill was already in consultation with his company's doctors and security guys, preparing for a helicopter evacuation, LOL!

I just heard from Rob; he saw a string of four elk cows scampering across the boulder field near camp this morning. His spirits seem good and he's still got until Sunday to do the deal on a bull. For that matter, I suppose I could as well...but in one of my moments of delirium, I made a deal with that Fire Elk; I told him I'd leave him and his kind alone if he could arrange for me to get down off there in one piece. I can't very well renege on a deal like that.

Trapper, it pretty much tells the story of this trip to say that I didn't move a single rock. Didn't even make it into the Last Dollar Saloon...didn't make it out hunting before 7:30 AM any day, or sit until dusk even once. The pieces just never came together this year. I think I reckoned that when Lance and Peter and I went out in 2017, I did about 70 miles of hiking that trip. I don't think I even managed 30 miles this year, and very little of that was serious hunting. Now, I suppose I could take Frisky's suggestion about trying to hunt an elk with my car, and thus justify borrowing a few miles from the odometer to add to my log.

Your pagan belief system abandoned you on that mountain, but you are stiff-necked and haven't learned. You should just be thankful you're still alive. Couldn't even take a blue grouse. Some hunter!

Joe

Kerry, did you pass through Crawford on your way to Montrose? Joe Cocker and his wife had a huge mansion, ranch, and restaurant there. I ate there once when I was on a business trip to Gordon's. Glad you are getting better and are safe. A check-up should still be on your to do list. When I used to pack people around Mt. Rainier and gear for rangers up to a cabin at 12,500 elev., I saw altitude sickness that morphed into medical emergencies and one death. Not something to laugh off.

Let me add to the expressions of relief that Kerry is off the hill and feeling a little better. From what I read about acute mountain sickness, it might take a week or more for Kerry to get back to his old self.

Feeling kind of bad now for bantering with Frisky over Kerry's situation... I figured he was holed up in Tell-town, monitoring the thread and leaving us all twisting in the wind over the status of his hunt!

Really good to hear you are ok Kerry, much enjoyed this thread. Do wish things had gone better for you. Didn't look like you got into the Black Velvet very much. Is it hidden once again under a rock?

ditto on the good will sentiments.

I think you have to be grateful things didn't get worse health wise although your physical preparation probably had a lot to with why you were able to deal with the sickness to the extent you did.

As we like to say the journey is important too. So I suspect even with the illness setbacks you learned some things on this trip that will help you on the next one.

Thank you guys...Larry, I don’t believe I went through Crawford...but if I’d known it was a Joe Cocker site, I might have made a pilgrimage! The lyrics to “A little help from my friends” seem very appropriate to me right now. I’ve always said, there’s no place with more or better medical advice than the ‘Wall....and I’ll probably get a checkup once I’m back in Maine.

Extra special thanks to all those who have heaped scorn and shame on Frisky for his nefarious remarks; do keep ithe abuse coming. “You give me reason to live!”, as Joe Cocker sang in “You Can Leave Your Hat On”

Beautiful country Brother beautiful. I miss western Colorado a lot. Glad your feeling better

"So I suspect even with the illness setbacks you learned some things on this trip that will help you on the next one."

What next one? If he learned anything, it should be he doesn't have what it takes to play in the mountains, and he should try a SD mulie and pronghorn hunt with me next year. He could also come here for a week of October deer hunting. As long as he stays in a motel, he'd be tolerated. At least he'd have a chance at a whitetail.

Joe

The savage beauty of the Austin MN landscape doesn’t especially beckon to me; I can see all the cornstalk and bra fields I want without even leaving Maine.

What the heck is a bra field, lol?

Joe

I'm guessing that the Last Dollar Saloon in Telluride on a Saturday night at 11 PM is a "bra field".....Seriously, maybe there is wisdom in foregoing the accidentally solo adventures of years past in favor of assured fellowship and cooperative effort in the high country. In the meantime, R&R with plenty of green veggies and Gator-Ade.

Bra fields????? I'm moving to Maine!!!!!!

It's not easy typing on a stupid cell phone when your brains have gotten a bit scrambled.That was supposed to be "bean field", LOL!

Bugle-up, you're quite right to note that I haven't made much of a dent on the Black Velvet yet; it's waiting for some night when there's a friend or two around...and even then I won't do much damage to it. That bottle will probably outlive me...although any and all Leatherwallers are welcome to have a swig if they're passing by. And yes, it's hidden in the cavity under my giant flat rock table. Rob's eyes were already big when he saw the rock, but when I opened the cache and pulled out the bottle, his eyes just about bugged out!

Mark, I agree with your thoughts, and I tried everything I possibly could to avoid a solo trip this year; just couldn't pull it off. But everything about this trip has been a lesson of one sort or another...my buddy Bill and I call it the difference between being "snapping-turtle tough" and "snapping-turtle stupid." Every so often the snapping turtle meets the Semi-Trailer of Fate, and when that happens you've got to know to get outta the road, because toughness alone won't save you. From this initial experience, I'm guessing that altitude sickness is another opponent that requires intelligence rather than toughness.

A couple of observations on the side...first, in general we had really benign weather. If some early season Blue Norther had of rolled through and made it 20º colder and wet, things could've gone sideways fast.

Second, I've learned long ago that just relaxing and rolling with whatever comes along when you're out in the wild is the way to go. Throughout the whole time I was keeping track of the big picture; making sure that I had at least enough in reserve to get myself and my gear back down if I needed to. I don't really mind that I wasn't able to chase the elk from dawn to dusk.

I'm noticing that I seem to have lost a fair bit of my fine-focus vision; I'm guessing that may be a temporary thing. I've also lost about 20 pounds, and we can only guess how much of it was in the form of brain cells.

Next time, take a Bear TD with you. It has a compass so you can't get lost. It's a perfect mountain hunting bow. Also, stay lower down the slopes and learn to hunt there. A real hunter can hunt anywhere and get an elk. It doesn't require skill. It's not much more difficult than tying your shoes.

Joe

Glad we got the "bra field" comment cleared up...was wondering why Frisk never showed us THAT SPOT when we visited!!

Sorry to hear of your travails on this trip Kerry...I am really quite surprised to hear it might be altitude sickness as you weren't affected a bit the past three years.

Next year...

We'll chat when you're back.

Glad your alright. I lost about 20 lbs when I got elevation sickness also, people could not recognize me when I got back. I hunted fine, but when I packed elk out at the higher elevations that's when it got me.

Glad you'll be around to try again next year Kerry. Now and again we still think we're bullet proof when maybe it 'taint so. You still have quite an adventure that makes the story different but still a great trip. And you're right about the state of mind thing and rolling with the punches. Some call it mindfulness, but it's basically what you spoke of. Stay well.

Glad you are well and looking for next years adventure.

George, I totally agree with your assessment. Most of us on here know that the hunt is about so much more than just dead animals. This year offered so much--great scenery and wildlife sightings as usual, but also a chance to get closer to friends, learn a bit of humility; to actually need a bit of help from others, and to accept it freely and gratefully--tough lessons for an independent old cuss like me!

But the Universe has a way of getting its point across to us. When it's all you can do to just lay in your sleeping bag at noontime and watch the clouds swirling around, it gives a man plenty of thinking time.

My first three seasons out here had been so easy for me physically that I really wasn't expecting the way I got bushwhacked this year. Well, that's okay--lots of stuff happens in life that we don't expect. What matters is how we react when these unexpected challenges pop up...and whether we learn from them.

Well said, George and Kerry. Next year will always be there; it’s just up to us if we’ll be there to see it. Lance

uh that looks familiar

what ? were we in the same place last week?

Kerry, how long until you start the next post, "No Elk Is Safe...Season 5"? I'm already looking forward to it. :)

Thanks for taking us along again, Kerry. Your pluck and positive attitude are an inspiration.

Yep we were pretty darn close Mike! That must be you on the Cross Mt. trail. Rob and I were just east of you.

Speaking of Rob, I got fantastic news in a text message from him today: he shot a nice young bull just at dusk last night! He's probably on his way back to Denver right now.

Crookedstix , so many talk but very few walk it especially over 60 years old. You have done us boomers proud.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

TR

? Theodore Roosevelt

Kerry, no rocks moved means it was dire. Glad you got out of there and are okay now. Your t storm story reminded me of something that happened to me and my buddy on our bike trip to Maine way back when. We were tent camped on Mr Desert Island when a major t storm hit, lightning crashing all around us, water running down slope under our tent...thought we were going to get electrocuted. Have a good drive home and get checked by the doc.

i wish we connected we could have hung out and been sick together. haha. i was in bad shape out there too! congrats to Rob!

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