I usually post an annual hunt on the Leatherwall with 60 pics or more but as I did not even string my recurve until we got on the tundra I thought I would put down a short version here and attempt to attach a few photos anyway.
> My hunting buddy and I made it back Sun. evening (15th). Wish I had some harvest pics but the weather defeated us. The first day out we started up the valley to the left and after crossing the first branch of river we were getting dressed when I glassed the valley to the right. Saw sheep and got out the spotter (REALLY happy with the Kowa scope I got), from 2 miles and seeing that much horn we changed plans. The ascent into the valley on the left required one water crossing and then a long alder choked ridge up. The route to the valley on the right took us up the river bottom requiring about 6 crossings. Trying to cross less would have meant more, faster water and with dividing it up with all the river braids it was still on the verge of being to much. The last channel just about took my feet out from under me. We tried to stay on the right side out of view from the rams and eventually got pinched up against the river bank and main channel. No choice but to climb the river bank and enter the alder jungle. UGH. Did about 300 yards (felt like 3 miles) through it along the bank until we came to a rock slide and then followed it up to above the brush. Side hilled over to where we could get a better look at the sheep. Still about a mile away. Saw 10 rams. 3 definitely legal, probably 4. One real bruiser. Bivied out in a little alder strip that night thinking the next day would be great. Went to bed dry, but rained all night and woke to thick fog and the discovery that both our bivy bags were no longer waterproof, our down bags soaked. Our gear wet, we couldn't spend another night on the moutain and at the time couldn't see 50 yards so we retreated to base camp. From that position I'm not sure we could have made it across the open river bottom to cross the channel coming out of that right valley without spooking the rams and then had we, there would have been 1/4 mile or more of alder to get through to the base of the mountain. As we neared base camp the weather improved and by the time we got there the sun was actually out and we were able to spread everything out and get dry again. The next morning we woke to tremendous winds and even higher gusts. Spent the day in the tents wondering if the next gust would rip the fly off the tent. Was surprised when it did not (the 3 lb. Brooks Range Foray held up well). The next day we got up and tried the left valley as we could not see how we would be able to get up on the rams to the right. It was an approach that took us through the alders until we finally broke out above them and into the blueberries. Have never seen berries this thick and so big before. Amazing. Gorged on them too. We made it up and bivied out again, going to bed dry. I laid and watched a sky full of stars for hours before falling asleep only to wake to heavy rain. It rained hard till noon the next day, by then it had turned to sleet. We waited for a lull in which to get up and get dressed and then started down. Once again, we could not do another night wet as we were. The fog was dense and we almost missed the ridge down. Lucky we didn't as we would have ended up in cliffs. Got back to base camp and the weather broke enough to lay everything out and get dry. Just couldn't get two days in a row of good weather and as we have slowed a bit at our age (60) can't run up, kill and be back down the same day. The river had red salmon in it and one branch was not more then 50 yards from our camp. The river bottom had bear tracks everywhere and the berry slopes were filled with tons of fresh scat but surprisingly we did not see a bear. Regretfully conceded the sheep hunt over this year and called the pilot to pick us up and drop us on the tundra for a day or two
to see if we could find a caribou. The migration was not happening but his moose camps had been seeing a few every day. Unfortunately we did not. It was a good trip none the less. Saw some spectacular country and was really impressed with the pilot's flying ability and with the cubs he has built. I want to go back next year and hunt caribou, looks like very good archery stalking terrain.....
> My hunting buddy and I made it back Sun. evening (15th). Wish I had some harvest pics but the weather defeated us. The first day out we started up the valley to the left and after crossing the first branch of river we were getting dressed when I glassed the valley to the right. Saw sheep and got out the spotter (REALLY happy with the Kowa scope I got), from 2 miles and seeing that much horn we changed plans. The ascent into the valley on the left required one water crossing and then a long alder choked ridge up. The route to the valley on the right took us up the river bottom requiring about 6 crossings. Trying to cross less would have meant more, faster water and with dividing it up with all the river braids it was still on the verge of being to much. The last channel just about took my feet out from under me. We tried to stay on the right side out of view from the rams and eventually got pinched up against the river bank and main channel. No choice but to climb the river bank and enter the alder jungle. UGH. Did about 300 yards (felt like 3 miles) through it along the bank until we came to a rock slide and then followed it up to above the brush. Side hilled over to where we could get a better look at the sheep. Still about a mile away. Saw 10 rams. 3 definitely legal, probably 4. One real bruiser. Bivied out in a little alder strip that night thinking the next day would be great. Went to bed dry, but rained all night and woke to thick fog and the discovery that both our bivy bags were no longer waterproof, our down bags soaked. Our gear wet, we couldn't spend another night on the moutain and at the time couldn't see 50 yards so we retreated to base camp. From that position I'm not sure we could have made it across the open river bottom to cross the channel coming out of that right valley without spooking the rams and then had we, there would have been 1/4 mile or more of alder to get through to the base of the mountain. As we neared base camp the weather improved and by the time we got there the sun was actually out and we were able to spread everything out and get dry again. The next morning we woke to tremendous winds and even higher gusts. Spent the day in the tents wondering if the next gust would rip the fly off the tent. Was surprised when it did not (the 3 lb. Brooks Range Foray held up well). The next day we got up and tried the left valley as we could not see how we would be able to get up on the rams to the right. It was an approach that took us through the alders until we finally broke out above them and into the blueberries. Have never seen berries this thick and so big before. Amazing. Gorged on them too. We made it up and bivied out again, going to bed dry. I laid and watched a sky full of stars for hours before falling asleep only to wake to heavy rain. It rained hard till noon the next day, by then it had turned to sleet. We waited for a lull in which to get up and get dressed and then started down. Once again, we could not do another night wet as we were. The fog was dense and we almost missed the ridge down. Lucky we didn't as we would have ended up in cliffs. Got back to base camp and the weather broke enough to lay everything out and get dry. Just couldn't get two days in a row of good weather and as we have slowed a bit at our age (60) can't run up, kill and be back down the same day. The river had red salmon in it and one branch was not more then 50 yards from our camp. The river bottom had bear tracks everywhere and the berry slopes were filled with tons of fresh scat but surprisingly we did not see a bear. Regretfully conceded the sheep hunt over this year and called the pilot to pick us up and drop us on the tundra for a day or two
to see if we could find a caribou. The migration was not happening but his moose camps had been seeing a few every day. Unfortunately we did not. It was a good trip none the less. Saw some spectacular country and was really impressed with the pilot's flying ability and with the cubs he has built. I want to go back next year and hunt caribou, looks like very good archery stalking terrain.....
