Under the overcast sky's of spring we loaded our week long arsenal of gear and embarked on yet another journey. This would yet again be the "Best Trip" we have had into the remote and rugged country our souls crave more and more each coming season. As we gently glided down the highway towards roads end clean crisp 37 degree air and spring snowflakes whisked over the windshield. The drive was more quite than normal, over 10 hours of travel not one hint of music, no use of cell phones, just small brief conversations about the excitement that was starting to build between Jim and I. We were without the usual crew and most noticeable without Bryan who had planned on being at the tip of the spear until 2 days before we embarked.
The towns we pass through was carefully nestled between snow covered hillsides and raging spring rivers offering glimpses into majestic glowing mountain ranges. This is undoubtedly gods country and we are headed straight into it. As we became closer and closer the moment we waited all year for once again arrived. Confirmed by the loss of cell phone signal and crushing of gravel beneath the tires. Finally we made the last turn onto the last road. This road would take us deep into no mans land, only dirt trails from this point on. No noisy 4 wheelers, road hunters, no gun shot every 10 mins, just rugged landscape and path we choose. As we pull up and the transmission is placed in park an antsy feeling shoots like lighting through our bodies. The warm smooth air fills our lungs with the smell of flowers, dirt, and the musk of elk. It is time for the last taste of civilized world for a week. We sit on the tailgate and inhale the subway sandwiches purchased just for this occasion. A final gear check and testing of our bows reveals as expected no problems and we are on our way.
Its a few thousand feet of climbing through grassy hills and rock outcroppings before we level out on the trail. Every step up with 40lb packs and misc gear make us smirk and question if our three months or more of conditioning was enough to do this for the next week day in and day out. Each of us trying to catch a glimpse of the others thoughts in facial expressions and beads of sweat. We would admit later that we were both thinking that we felt a little weaker than we wanted and that the first climb of the trip was humbling. Our group is not a bunch of light weights, some portion of every day is spent preparing for the next hunt, the next season, the next trial. We have some of the best gear on the market, we are ultralight and top notch fit. After all out motto is "Go in Light and Come Out Heavy". All of these thoughts cross my mind. Already I have logged away somewhere I must increase physical conditioning and hill climbs before elk season.
As we trudge along the open country cut deep by ravines and rocky faces the wilderness slowly swallows the ringing in our ears. Our acute hearing returns with the keen eyesight and knack for spotting game before it spots you. After all the best performers survive in this landscape. We are the ultimate predators this week, well equip, well planned and mentally ready to take anything nature can throw at us over 7 days. That is a good sensation to have when you are looking into miles and miles of deep canyons, snow covered peaks and wind swept grassy hillsides.
What will be the final creek crossing of our day sits a half mile behind us we crest the small ridge on this rocky trail stopping to admire the area we decided months ago would be a good spot to start. Sipping water from my camelback I pick out a few places in the basin I think will most likely hold a Turkey. The Leupold 10x42 Mojave Binoculars illuminate the magnified images of a distant landscape on my eyes. Within seconds I spot a flock of Turkeys feeding in a meadow as of they were placed there for us to find. I tap Jim on the shoulder as I ecstatically try to explain landmarks and locations of the birds to him. There has to be at least 20 with 6 large gobblers strutting in the glowing evening sun.
We spent the next 45 mins admiring everything about them. I thought to myself Turkey hunting is easy. First placed we looked and bam turkeys every where as if we planted them there to find. Jim was filled with excitement, he commented that this was the best turkey hunt he had been on so far. That single statement set a rush of questions through my mind with a hint of guilt. Jim is an experienced turkey hunter to me. He has taken many large birds and even been a pro staffer for a call maker. To me he is the real deal, I feel like I'm hunting on the outdoor channel when he is along. Needless to say looks like I hit the jackpot. The guilt came fro instantly wishing that Bryan my closest hunting partner of 26 years and Brother was not here. This was the first trip that he had not been on with me hunting the backcountry in as long as I can remember. I would have given anything to have him sharing that experience with us.
We retreated to a small "Flat" spot on the hillside about 200 yards from the creek we had crossed and made camp. Jim never stopped smiling while he erected his NEMO tent and inflated his bed. The Henry Shires Cloud Burst 2 would be my home for the next 6 nights. We gathered water from the creek and constructed a make shift water tower in camp with our MSR Gravity Filter 4L bag. This usually lasts 2 guys about a day. As the burners on our Jetboils ripped through the silence of near darkness we grinned and plotted the mornings hunt. It would be cold this evening, clear sky's and moist mountain air at 4000ft would test our light weight gear. Dreams of turkeys and perfect call sets filled my mind as I drifted into a motionless sleep hoping tomorrow would be the day I harvest my first turkey ever.
More to Come Check Back Soon......................
