Opening Day: Powder Season

Two Ocean

November 20th, 2011

Kickin' off another powder season, at the base of Two Ocean Mt.

The Pow Flick

Matt and Jeff sheddin' layers at the base.

Going up...



and up!

Near top. No bowl runs today. The 30 plus inch snow pack was very interested. Lotso cracks, whoomps and signs of recent avi activity. Typical early season, Togwotee snow pack melt/ freeze layer down low, on top of depth hoar- not like last year. Good time just to stick to the trees and stay off the open steeps.

Happy to be on skis again!

Jeff rips it up!

Ride that pow!

Darran's turn.

Wheeehoo!

The end...

or maybe the beggining, of another great WY powder season!

Mexican Creek Hunting Camp

The camp

I set this camp up on opening day of my late season cow season, and the last day of deer season- October 23rd. I put the camp in a little later this year because I was coaching X-country at school and didn't have the time to get up the mountain after school. Plus, I ended up bagging a bull up the East fork country (see previous post). I decided to go with my spike style tent this year because it's smaller, and I could pack it easier on my ATV. With snow flying, it's harder to get a vehicle (truck) into this place. This was the same tent that spent half the winter up Christina lake (got buried) five years ago- it's taken a beating, and it's on it's last legs- but I figured it'd do for this.

Pretty cozy set up for one or two fellers.



That weekend, with only a few hours left of the season, this little guy surrended.



One shot (the 300 H&H) was probably a little overkill for him. Oh well.

The trophy pose.

Should make a good TP holder.

Loaded up and headed down.

Seamus likes it!

Happy Monkies!

Double trouble!

All hung and ready to skin. Spent the next night cuttin' him up. Had to make room for the other elk permit I still had left, so I donated the most of meat from this little guy to the school, for some projects/ dinners.

Deer Hunt Video

A couple of weeks later.

Actually I spent the previous weekend, one night anyway up at this camp too. I actually got onto some elk that day. I shot one. Snuck up on them as they were laying down. I couldn't take a neck shot because there was another elk behind her, so I took a low heart/ lung shot. Boom!! I shot, she flopped over... I thought it was done. As I approached, she got up and started dragging herself liek her back was broke. I followed, thinking she couldn't go far, and was actually dragging herself back to my camp. She drug herself over a log, and somehow got her feet under herself and took off! Holy crap. Off to races! I trailed her through thick and thin for the next 2 hours. Caught up to her once, but couldn't see her it was so thick. There was any blood- maybe a small spot every mile or so. I gave it my all- chased her until I was exhausted. Finally I had to give up. Really frustrating. I've never lost an elk like that. You hate to do it. Bugger! I was so disgusted with myself, I packed up and headed home that night. Called it quits for the weekend.

The view from camp (not my tracks)... folks don't seem to respect the "No vehicles beyond this point" sign.

I headed up again the next weekend though. Another storm had hit during the week, adding to the snow pack, making conditions pretty promising for hunting. We got out of school early Friday, so I ended up at camp around 3pm. I settled in, shoveled the tent out, cut some wood, then headed out for an evening hunt. It wasn't long before I cut some fresh tracks. I followed them for a while, even heard thm cross a buck rail fence at one point. A little later I heard some shots in the direction they were running, so I figured I pushed them into some hunters. I pulled off their trail and started hunting my way back to camp. Eventually I cut another set of tracks and followed them until they started heading away from camp. It was getting close to sunset time, so I didn't want to get any further from camp. Gave up on those tracks and started working my way down the mountain, near the same spot I shot the elk last weekend. I got on another se to fresh tracks. I followed them over fresh beds and scat. It was obvious it was a cow and at least one calf. I started smelling them. I stopped and starting looking through the timber. I could see the body (heart an lung) area of an large elk in between two trees. Couldn't see the head, but I could see part of a calf and was pretty sure it was the cow. I shot.

She ran about fifteen yards and fell over.

One shot- heart and lung. Second elk of the season... down!

I had to work for her. 5 days plus. Lotso miles.

First time I've ever filled two elk tags in one year!

While dressing her out it got dark. I drug her out in an opening and down hill about half mile or so, until the country got a little more wooded.

I flagged a tree, marked some territory around her and figured I'd spend most of the next day packing her out. Still had a couple of miles to go to get back to camp.

After a mile or so, I finally broke the ridge above my camp... the lights of Lander glowing below. The nearly full moon was quite a blessing- very helpful. Just before I took the picture, a bull elk ran out in front of me. Quite a sight seeing him lit by the moon and back lit by the city lights below. Quite a beautiful hike... something one probably wouldn't think to do on a normal basis.

Happy to see camp... knowing there's a nice stove with a heap of wood waiting.

Home sweet home!

Got great cell reception too... so I called up a few folks and chatted the night away. Pretty interesting experience for some of them, as it's not often I do that. Ha!

Don't leave home without it. A good stove really makes the deal when hunting/ camping in November.

A standard propane lantern is the next essential ingredient.

Mmmm. mmm. Yummy! Dinner-- Shad style.

One of the folks I called, as I was hiking back to camp was Barney. I figured I could drag my elk out by myself if I had too, but another hand could make things go alot faster. Barney's the kind of guy who you can call at 8pm in the night and say, "Whatch doin' tomorrow morning? I've got an elk down. Can you come help me pack him out?" and he'll respond with, "I'll be there by 8am, with a game cart!" A true friend! I'd do the same for him any day. Thanks Barney! You're awesome!

Barney and his son Josh... and the game cart.

It took a while to make the hike up through the snow with game cart, to the elk, but once we got there, it didn't take long at all to drag it down. In ten minutes or so we had it down to the game cart. Once loaded (the whole thing!) on the cart, it took about twenty minutes to get it down to the ATVs. The cart worked pretty slick... although, I must admit- Barney was much more effecient at it then I was. I've got some sore arms today! Ha!

Barney and the game cart, and pretty nice cow... much bigger than the one I got last year.

Thanks agian Barney! You're a saint.

Worked real slick transfer to elk to ATV- just flopped it over, right on the ATV.

Barely made it up out of Mexican Creek with this load... took everything the ol' Bombardier Quest 650 had. Made it though.

Out of the woods! The mountain in the background is where my camp is, and where I hunted. Only about a 1o mile ride home from here!

The Cow Elk Video.

Quite a season- filled all my tags!

Bonus: Very rare footage of Shad's strategy for keeping Wolves, Bears and Coyotes at bay during long winter nights.

Double Bonus: The day after... Seamus and Dad pull camp.