Sheep Prep?

luke moffat

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Good stuff JDog....got atleast 1 more backpack/packraft grizz hunt planned between now and sheep season. But with moving out of our house and what not other trips had to get tabled...atleast moving boxes and what not around well help me get in shape some too ;) Thanks for sharing the pics man, looks like ya had some awesome weather!
 

Snyd

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Fantastic! A lot nicer scenery than my training hikes here in Fairbanks. :D What elevation were you guys at? I skied Copper, A-Basin and Keystone last feb. The top of A-Basin was right at 13 I think. Quite a difference from the 500ft we are here in Fairbanks! You guys had to have been at least 12 huh?

I look forward to meeting you guys after your hunt. Is your bro gettin in Sheep Shape?! I've been doing my hiking, biking and squatin. Did a 15 mile day hike last weekend. So far so good.
 

cwh

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Cool trip.

I'm getting there...

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Buster

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Cwh, what type of boots are you wearing i that pic? Is that your hiking/hunting boots for the fall?
 

cwh

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Cwh, what type of boots are you wearing i that pic? Is that your hiking/hunting boots for the fall?

Those are Xtra-Tuffs (AKA Sitka Sneakers/Ketchikan Reds/Southeast Dancin' shoes). Pretty much the official footwear of SE AK.

I like them for boats, boat docks, and training. Oh, and I learned today that they are great for climbing metal roofs when you need to fix something. They have a very "sticky" sole, and very little support. Good for when you want to build strength in the lower leg. But no, I will not be climbing any mountains with them. I'm much too old and soft for that.

I didn't pack that one very far. I did mow the lawn with a pack on the other day though. Multitasking!
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Snyd

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Don't forget to hike up AND down with those heavy loads! Preferably on some steep terrain. Flat packing on grass ain't the same :D I'd trade those rubber boots for plastic... just sayin....

Pretty high pucker factor here... Near vertical slab of rock just below my buddy. We had to skootch back to his left to get around it. This was a definite "no fall" zone.

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Snyd

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This one was pretty dicey as well. Here's my buddy making his way down to me and my ram. Notice his arm against the mountain. Pretty darn steep.

Flat ground hiking won't get you prepared physically or mentally for this kind of terrain.... you fall and it's all over... You need to develop balance and control with weight on your back.

Heavy weight on your back in steep loose terrain is a game changer. Find some, throw 65+ lbs in your pack and go up and down it a few times. The log/pack pics look cool but...

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I suspect if cwh is from SE, he has more steep and nasty out his back door than we do in Fairbanks Snyd.

Personally, I've been packing a birch round up the local hill... but it's much smaller chunk than cwh's! And the hill really isn't that steep. The drawback of living this far from the mountains, no doubt.

Yk
 

Buster

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Just a word of advice, don't destroy your body needlessly before the season starts, or before your hunting life has ended. Excessive training can build the best muscles ever, but some people's joints can't handle this, short term or long. Don't want to see any inexperienced guys reading this and trying to conquer too much. I know I want to be still climbing in my 60's.
 

Snyd

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I suspect if cwh is from SE, he has more steep and nasty out his back door than we do in Fairbanks Snyd.

Personally, I've been packing a birch round up the local hill... but it's much smaller chunk than cwh's! And the hill really isn't that steep. The drawback of living this far from the mountains, no doubt.

Yk

Ya, I suspect your right. I also had a "duh" moment after I posted and did'nt realize he was lived SE. You're packin birch, I'm packing a 50lb sack of popcorn :D Have you made it over the top and down the back side of Birch Hill down the shale yet?
 
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Ya, I suspect your right. I also had a "duh" moment after I posted and did'nt realize he was lived SE. You're packin birch, I'm packing a 50lb sack of popcorn :D Have you made it over the top and down the back side of Birch Hill down the shale yet?

Nope. It's a little to far for me to pull off on lunch break. You will see my tracks headed to the top and back though.

Nice jaunt, although the bugs ate me alive today.


YK
 

cwh

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I'm not from SE, I just dig the boots! I live in Anchorage. The log thing is mostly just for fun, but getting used to a lot of weight in the pack is a very useful thing for me. I generally do a few sprints up a small hill and then walk back down wearing the Xtratuffs. That one, I just went and grabbed a log and walked home with it, maybe 1/2 mile. Not doing any sprints with 150lbs, and that load was just plain awkward.

Xtratuffs are probably not the best footwear for climbing, but I'm not really a plastic fan. Leather works better for me.... :)

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Snyd

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Man, I envy you guys with strong ankles. I can't wear extra tuffs to cross the street. Shoes like that are not good for anything but house slippers for me :(
 

cwh

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Synd,
In all seriousness, I have had pretty much junk ankles all my life. Both have been sprained severely, one with torn ligaments. I think the best thing you can do for that is to work them with minimal support, but they are what they are. IMO, ankles are the joint best suited to twisting, and removing their mobility just pushes forces further up the leg to joints that are not as well suited to dealing with twists (knees). I train a fair bit in Xtratuffs specifically because my ankles suck, but I'm with you - having junk ankles is no fun.

The Jungle Moc shot was a day that I went out looking for sheep to take photograph along Turnigain Arm. They had been right by the road earlier, and I guess I expected to find them there again. I spotted them about 1200 feet up, so I figured I'd walk up and try to get close enough for a picture. Ended up finding them, getting pretty close, and then going above them and finding another ram.

I got some decent pictures, but someone with skill would have done much better. Getting off the mountain was trickier... there was still snow in the shady spots, along with ice here and there. But I made it, and managed to not smash my pack full of camera gear.
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SJ-AK

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I would love to see a ram like that in about 24 days!!!!!!
 
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