A decade in the mountains; one man’s sheep journey.

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Please, Please, Please take the time to read this link. It was reading this story when it happened that burnt into my mind the need for a sat phone or personal locator beacon. A slip or fall can happen in a blink of an eye, I know this first hand as we had to have a member of our group flew out by coast guard helicopter after breaking a leg during a fall while goat hunting.

Could you imagine being a father and having to leave your son on the mountain while you walk out for help??? This story reinforced the need for both a means to get help but also the need to have basic survival items with you at all times.

http://fp1.centurytel.net/170/father_let_go.htm

I got all teared up reading this. I can't imagine what he went through.

 

[adventure907]

This ram is ( or was) in the Tok Visitors center. A young man (teen) killed it some years back here in AK. He grew up in Tok, I've met him and his dad. He also trapped the wolves.

Snyd, thanks for sharing that picture. Kind of hard to tell from the pic, but that is a fannin sheep. A friend of mine did that mount, it is amazing!!

J

 

[bbrown]

Wow -thanks for all the great pictures and story. This is the third time I went thru this and it just keeps getting better.

 

[sab]

Could you imagine being a father and having to leave your son on the mountain while you walk out for help??? This story reinforced the need for both a means to get help but also the need to have basic survival items with you at all times.

http://fp1.centurytel.net/170/father_let_go.htm

Steve, that's an incredible story, and, no, I could not imagine the helpless feeling that father must have experienced. I had not heard the story before, and when I saw that it happened some time ago, I searched the Internet to find any follow-up stories, and it turns out that the kid had a miraculous recovery:

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/alaska-mountaineers-recovery-may-inspire-grieving-mount-marathon-families

I bet that father and son have a VERY special relationship now!

Regards,
Scott

 

[Becca]

Steve, that's an incredible story, and, no, I could not imagine the helpless feeling that father must have experienced. I had not heard the story before, and when I saw that it happened some time ago, I searched the Internet to find any follow-up stories, and it turns out that the kid had a miraculous recovery:

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/alaska-mountaineers-recovery-may-inspire-grieving-mount-marathon-families

I bet that father and son have a VERY special relationship now!

Regards,
Scott

Thank you so much for the follow up story. I, like many others I am sure, always wondered how he fared.

 

[Ray]

This is good advice, and I have started taking it one step further by carrying a water proof list of emergency numbers on my person while we are in the field.

To add to this...pick up a small pack of business card pouches. You can get them that need a laminator with high heat and pressure, home iron, or glue. 3M makes glue ones that have lived through one washing machine cycle. http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/409641/3M-Self-Sealing-Laminating-Business-Card/ The home iron ones never really sealed as well as the glue ones.

Print out on a laser printer all your important phone numbers and name, blood type might not hurt, seal it in the card pouche and keep it on you. In the years before cell phones I kept a work card like this using luggage/ID tags from the office. I printed everything out in a 8pt font on a business card format to make sure it all fit. It saved my butt in airports all over AK back in the day. Back when every airport had some kind of pay phone.

 

[kuhn4]

Steve - I read the Collins story. Pretty incredible, thank you for posting it. Do you know how he is doing 7 years later?

 

[Stid2677]

Steve - I read the Collins story. Pretty incredible, thank you for posting it. Do you know how he is doing 7 years later?

Someone posted a link above that says he has made an almost complete recovery. Sometimes the Lord has an ear for a fathers prayers.

Steve

 

[Snyd]

...sometimes the lord has an ear for a fathers prayers.

Steve

 

[Matt W.]

Great stuff Steve, thanks for sharing. Learned a lot just reading. Appreciate your time and energy to share this.

 

[Stid2677]

One of the issues I had to overcome was how to carry my binos and rangefinder. When I first started I just used the factory neck strap, that was a pain in the neck literally plus they would bounce around and get dirty and rain on the lens. I then changed over to a harness system that was better but would fog up when held against my warm body then brought out of my jacket and up to my eyes. Years ago I discovered a chest pack made by an Alaskan guide, that system works very well. Can be worn with your pack and since it is on your chest it is easy to access while packing and if you drop your pack for the final stalk you have your binos and range finder handy. Has a sleeve for your license and tags and two side pockets that you can use for other possibles, Havlon, light, a couple spare bullets, or camera. He updated the harness recently and has added both the highlander and yeti patterns from Kryptek. The regular size will work for all but the largest binos, and is what I have used for years until I changed over to Swaro EL ranging 10x42s, the larger EL ranging, fits better into the large. This pack is padded to protect your expensive glass and helps keep the lens clean and dry. Great piece of kit. I have tried a few others, but since he now has a large size I'm back to this system.

http://alaskaguidecreations.com/blog/store/

 

[Matt W.]

Steve,

I'd be curious to see what is always in your pack. After reading your thread it has made me re-think what I should have in my pack every time I head out from camp. Most times I am moving camp so all is with me, but there are the times where I leave camp in place and spend a day or two exploring the area. I've read more than one story where one can get after something and then end up being out much later than anticipated, or something goes wrong.

Off the top of my head here is mine to get us started:
Rain Gear
Insulating Layers
Bivy Sack (added this, shopping for one)
Kit Bag (this is my 1st Aid / Gear Repair kit)
Toiletry kit
Butcher Kit
Go Lite Ponch Tarp - looking to replace this (its ~8 years old and has a few holes in it)
Head Lamp
SPOT (beacon)
Camera
Extra Food
Water
Fire starter kit (lighter, matches, etc)

(Optics, weapon/ammo, trekking pole, etc are assumed)

I'm sure I missed something, but I look forward to seeing what you (and others) are doing.

 

[Stid2677]

I never leave camp without my pack, don't have a need for a "day pack" for the way I hunt, my day pack is just my pack with fewer items.

Spotter and tripod
Kifaru paratarp and stakes
Trekking Poles, also used for the tarp.
Chugach Rain Jacket and pants
Supper Down Jacket and vest
Gloves
FLeece hat and Kuiu Merino beanie (thin one)
A buff, keeps me warm and protects from sunburn.
TI Goat Raven Bivy (I have 2, sleeping bag at camp stays in one.
Zpack sleeping bag (will some time leave this depends on weather)
3 section cut off a Z-Lite pad (use this as a glassing seat and as a torso pad for siwash)
Headlight
GPS
Sat phone
Jetboil SOL TI stove a a small fuel can.
Sawyer Water Filter, with water bladder (for when I have to carry water high)
Kill Kit (Havlon with spare blades, Cutco Folder, Cut Resistant Gloves, wet wipe or 2, 2 Kifaru Meat bags, OR Dry bag 55Liter, compactor bag.)
Small possibles bag. (Pain Killers, Ace bandage, quick clot, Aqua Mira, blister Care, (second skin), needle with dental floss, candle, windproof lighter, Bens(for bugs), 2AAA batteries (in case my light batteries fail), UV Aqua seal,(for quick repairs), lens cleaner. I don't carry a huge aid bag, will call on sat phone for big stuff.
Plastic water bottle (I don't use a nalgene too heavy) I use the plastic 1 liter disposable type with the flip up lid. I bring 2 and leave one at camp, never had one fail, burn on the way out.
One or two Mountains House meals and a few high cal snacks
Coffee or tea and a few spots drinks to rehydrate and replace electrolytes.

That is what comes to mind off the top of my head.

Steve

 

[Matt W.]

Thanks Steve. I am with you, would only run the one pack.

 

[Stid2677]

High Country,, time to empty your mailbox.

 

[Matt W.]

High Country,, time to empty your mailbox.

Thanks! Should be good to go now..

 

[Snyd]

Here's a staple thats always in pack(s) North Pole Coffee Roasters Black Gold.... 1.5 lbs is about right for for 2 guys for a week It's worth it's weight in.... well.... Black Gold!

Along with enough gear for a siwash and food for a couple days.

 

[Steve O]

You guys ever try the Starbuck Via packets? They are microscopic compared to that Yukon Gold and are very good.

 

[Stid2677]

I liked the Via packs, but I quit Starbucks when they went anti gun. I refuse to financially support those that do not support the 2nd amendment.

Some things are just worth the weight. Coffee is not mine, but we all have that ITEM.

 

[60x]

Here's a staple thats always in pack(s) North Pole Coffee Roasters Black Gold.... 1.5 lbs is about right for for 2 guys for a week It's worth it's weight in.... well.... Black Gold!

Along with enough gear for a siwash and food for a couple days.

Being a coffee addict (when hunting i drink about 20 to 30 coffee tea bags a day) this is a post I can really appreciate. I have also found that keeping a few bullion cubes in my pack for the nights away from camp really warm the core