Sheep Prep?

[Mad Mountain Mike]

Man those Dalls are beautiful sheep! I keep trying to convince my wife to move to Yukon so I can chase them. She said that I can move anytime I like, but she isn't going anywhere. Wtf?

 

[thru-hunter]

I love that pic Snyd! I remember watching my buddy descend a nasty chute to get to his ram. I took a slightly less dicy route getting to him but still ended up surfing a scree field about 30-40 feet before I managed to stop. Another 40 feet and there was a 50' cliff into a canyon cut by a raging torrent of water. Scared the hell out of me but back at the valley floor hours later with a heavy pack I have never felt more alive! Just a few more weeks to go and hopefully this time it will be my turn!!

 

[R Miller]

damn heatwaves

 

[luke moffat]

Great pics CWH!!

Can't say I agree with training with heavy loads down hill. I like my joints and hope to do this as long as possible and the jarring from packing heavy weights down hill likely does enough damage as it is throughout my hunting season which is usually 3 dall sheep hunts and 2 mountain hunts annually. Purposely humping heavy weights down hills just seems like a bad idea all the way around for me. Summer backpacking trips with anywhere from 35-75 pounds is about as heavy as I'll carry during the summer...unless I get a bear or something. Seems to work out alright for me.

I think if I were to purposely train with weight just for the heck of hiking around with it I'd go the water route to hike up the hill with it and then dump it out once on top. Get the legs working on the way up for sure and save the joints going down until you need them during the entire hunting season. Figure thats enough abuse for them. Really no subistiute for actual hiking in sheep country though...which I admit I didn't get nearly enough in this summer due to other things going on.

 

[Yellowknife]

I'm going to mostly agree with you Luke.

I pack train because its one of the few things I can do in my busy family life during the summer, but I keep the weight moderate, the walking easy, and the grades mild for all the reasons you mention. When I get the chance to actually be in real mountains, I pack light. My knees and ankles are solid, and I want to keep them that way as long as possible.


Yk

 

[luke moffat]

I'm going to mostly agree with you Luke.

I pack train because its one of the few things I can do in my busy family life during the summer, but I keep the weight moderate, the walking easy, and the grades mild for all the reasons you mention. When I get the chance to actually be in real mountains, I pack light. My knees and ankles are solid, and I want to keep them that way as long as possible.


Yk

I hear ya...getting out and hiking at all is much better than nothing and between your job and getting hitting the hills close to your house, I'm sure you are more ready for sheep this year than me for sure!!! Packing boxes and moving doesn't get it done for getting in sheep shape. PM Incoming btw!

 

[Snyd]

Great pics CWH!!

Can't say I agree with training with heavy loads down hill. I like my joints and hope to do this as long as possible and the jarring from packing heavy weights down hill likely does enough damage as it is throughout my hunting season which is usually 3 dall sheep hunts and 2 mountain hunts annually. Purposely humping heavy weights down hills just seems like a bad idea all the way around for me. Summer backpacking trips with anywhere from 35-75 pounds is about as heavy as I'll carry during the summer...unless I get a bear or something. Seems to work out alright for me.

I think if I were to purposely train with weight just for the heck of hiking around with it I'd go the water route to hike up the hill with it and then dump it out once on top. Get the legs working on the way up for sure and save the joints going down until you need them during the entire hunting season. Figure thats enough abuse for them. Really no subistiute for actual hiking in sheep country though...which I admit I didn't get nearly enough in this summer due to other things going on.

This is why I quit running several years ago after meniscus surgery. I figure I want to wear out my knees on sheep hunting and downhill skiing instead of pounding the pavement I hike, bike and squat (properly). I don't go much over 65ish on my evening training hikes. Maybe one or two short ones with 85 just to feel the weight. Squats aren't has heavy as they used to be but hey... I'm almost 53

I think part of training really should include downhill hiking. The resistance is different than stepping up. Like doing lunges versus squats. Especially with some weight on a little steeper terrain. It really helps with stabilizing/balance. I find that with little weight (35ish) I tend to go faster downhill which puts stress on, but with heavier weight I am slower. Not as much jarring. Each to his own I guess.

One thing I learned and employed about 15-20 years ago in regards to any type of workout routines year around is Instinctive Training. Listen to your body and pay attention. Don't let a magazine, latest fad, calendar or clock dictate your training. Develop some good foundational routines/exercises that fit your lifestyle, give you the results you want and go from there. Overtraining is bad.... sometimes less is more... if it's "squat day" but your tired, haven't slept well for 2 days, are dehydrated and haven't been eating very good....well, forget that it's "squat day", rest up a day and then get back at it. Pay attention to your body, not the calendar.

Proper recovery is crucial. A 25yo body recovers much quicker than my 53yo one. Sometimes it takes me a couple days to recover where as 25 years ago I was good to go in 24 hrs. Overall fitness is a dynamic thing that needs to flex and change with lifestyle and age.

 

[luke moffat]

I agree Snyd, different things work for different folks. Generally the downhills aren't nearly as brutal for me packing weight out as the uphills. I'm not sucking wind as much going down hill even though my legs are working dang near as hard so I'm getting my oxygen to my leg muscles it seems so they recover a LOT quicker than going up between breaks for me. So long as you know what works for you and don't hurt your body more than needed and it gets your prepped for the season is really the main thing.

Best of luck to ya this fall sir!

 

[cwh]

I think there is some benefit to downhill pack training, just so you are not doing it for the first time when you have a sheep on your back. I am slow as hell on downhills (and uphills for that matter) when heavy.

I climbed flattop this week, put 60lbs of gravel in the pack for the approach, pulled it out for the real steep stuff and picked it up on the way back down. That seemed to be a decent compromise to me. Just when I'm thinking I'm a tough SOB, I met a guy in the parking lot that had just run up and back. He was 63. And he ran Mt Marathon this year. I'm properly humbled...