This is a great post, this hits us all. Hells Canyon first off I share your pain, we hint spring turkeys back pack style and spring bear on the Oregon side of that canyon and man what a workout. First question I would want to know from you is your age? Being an older guy 56 seasons old I have noticed that while last year in hells I had some 14 mile days, that my recovery is a lot slower and seems to increase each year. To combat this I have increased my workouts, hike 3.5 miles a day up hill lift weights, mountain bike I work harder than I ever have. I noticed this year archery elk hunting on one particular day we had a killer morning hunt 5-6 hours chasing a herd, then packed up and hiked another 3 miles uphill back to base camp. I was fine on the morning elk hunt and infant out hiking the younger guys up hill. But when it came to hiking out to base half way out I was whipped. The other guys were a good quarter mile in front of me. I to as becca has stated have reviewed my daily caloric intake and definitely need to adjust it up ward a few hundred calories. And like your self I have a lean body type not much fat anywhere. Just a thought if you are in your late 30's or early 40's it could be that your recovery time is just getting a tad longer each year with age. That seems like some pretty intense hunts you are going on. No one on these forums can understand the type of terrain your in not even pictures do that area any justice. When you can roll a rock and it rolls for 1000 feet then you realize how steep that area really is. I've had guys say yeah I hunted the wallows or the strawberrys. But when we take them into hell, it's quite an eye opener.
