Mountain Longings

A few warm days and I miss the snow!

Patio Rocks

A lot of work, but sometimes it appears that there is little accomplishment - even though we did accomplish a lot.

Lazy Day and Somewhat of a Bad Attitude

Worked on talk for University Ward - didn't realize I had one there until this afternoon, they have changed the schedule and I still don't have the latest.  Didn't do a lot else.  Have little energy am bummed out about not being able to take Kimber walking and I haven't been since last Monday - this will never do.

The Mountains continued:

Day 19 Wednesday May 11^th

 Had a hard time getting to sleep last night and was a little tired this morning, I think yesterday’s walk was what caused the problem it was a slippery tough one.  Ate breakfast and decided to try a little easier walk at least that was the plan, drove Betsy to the top of Royal Basin, through the snow, much of it had melted since I tried this logging road about 10 days ago.  Left the 4 wheeler and walked down hill zig zagging in and out of the trees for a half hour or so until I came to a road I could see from the bottom, it led to several mines and had not been travelled on for a long time.  I came to the mines and looked in them several caved in, timbers still visible and metal etc.  I crossed over the canyon and wanted to get to a park across the way.  I knew it had been walked by the PAH’s, but I thought I would walk in the trees up along the south edge to a place that looked like it had either been logged or burned from a distance.  It ended up it had been logged several years ago, mostly for poles, there were not many big stumps.   This was to the south of the park I had walked along, it was a bowl at the head of a big canyon (Royal Basin I would guess).  I crossed a rock slide that ran for a quarter mile up the the hill it was only 50 yards across,  I could hear something loud as I got near it, and as I crossed it I realized there was a good sized stream underneath the rocks, you could not see it anywhere, but it was big and loud.  When I got to the south side of the canyon the trees thinned a bit and then it opened up into some small parks .  I started zig zagging from where I hit the first one and worked my way up the hill, on the second turn I looked back behind me up hill, I had not seen it from below until I went by.  Antler, yahoo, yippee skipee, and all those good things, I climb back over to where it is, record it on film, and pick it up, a nice five point with a small start of a sixth point.  No chew marks, it is a year or two old, but I’ll say it every time as much as I would like a new drop, I’ll take these all day.  So score one for the ole foggies, the has been’s, the retired by chance or choice, the limping, gimping old guys- score, score, score ones not a lot but we’ll take it;  I had crossed a real tough snow field on a very steep, mossy slope, under thick trees, this was early in the walk and it about did me in, I also found a nearly new cabing back up in the one canyon, they must get to it on one of the many mine roads I had walked along.  Beautiful place, obviously a summer only home.  The shed had a metal cutout of a bow hunter, so the guy must bow hunt, the immediate setting was neat, as was the country to the north and east, but what I had crossed and what was above it a ¼ mile or so wasn’t so pretty.  It doid face down into the canyo n and from where it sat it had a nice view, and the tall mountains of the top of Finley Basin far off in the distance, also beautiful.  Anyway after crossing the snow field and the thick steep canyons to get to that point, wore me out, so by the time I had climbed along the park and up across the logged are and back into these small parks where I found the antler I was shot,  I decided to walk only part of it and come back later, byt the time I got to the 4 wheeler I had walked 3 hard hours.  When I go up there next I will start on top and cross the snow high up so I am right into the area where I found the antler with in the first half hour or so.  Then I will walk the rest of it, these are small parks and not open very wide like some I had been walking, but I have run out of the big ones.  When I found this antler, I became more interested in walking some of these other areas, probably fewer  chances of antlers, but then one like I found today is pretty nice, and I have had several days with none, in nicer looking country than this was, but the elk are where they are when they lose them, just like they are where they are when you hunt them.   So I have more hope.  Again score one more for the gray and grumpy.  Rest of the day, I read and studied, wrote on my book and I think I will take an Aleve tonight or Advil, see if I can’t get this knee to quit aching quite so much, my back aches on and off depending how tense I keep it while climbing on steep and snowy side hills, or if I slip etc,   This stupid left heel, hurts sometimes more when I am walking and sometimes more when I am sitting without even any pressure on it.  Sitting here I realizes that even thought I did not walk as far as some of the days – I did walk my but off today, oh wait, hold on, don’t get in a hurry, just a minute, I looking – hum seems I guess I didn’t walk my biut off it’s still there.   Gutten Abend (spelling) for now.

 

Day 20 Thursday May 12^th

Today was partly cloudy and was not to bad.  Ate breakfast and traveled back to Royal Basin to hike around where I had found yesterday’s antler.  Had 3 hour walk, starting about where I had found the antler and walking through and below the area, I never found the match or any other antlers.  Lots of snow above had to work my way around, and sometimes through, some drifts were a good 5 or 6’ deep, it didn’t take long to back out and go the other way when I found this.  Took a bath this afternoon behind the tent, didn’t heat the water , pretty chilly but felt good.  Was going to wash clothes , but it clouded up and I didn’t want laundry on the line until a better day, read some, got carried away with a thought on my book that I had to quit on, but will follow up later. Two questions, 1^st When your towel stays out in the rain is it washed?  2^nd How in the world can it go from so cold to so hot and back to so cold in this tent so fast?  Had to open the doors to let the heat out in a rain storm and then had to build the fire back up to stay warm 10 minutes later, someone needs to adjust the thermostat.  Has rained pretty hard on and off this evening.  Am contemplating where am going to walk next few days, I am running out of reasonable places to walk, there is a lot more like I walked in today, very few parks, quite a few trees and lots of snow.  When I first found yesterdays antler in that type of area I got excited that it may be worth it to walk more of it, after today’s three hours, it is easy to think there has got to be something better.  I will probably cross Boulder Creek tomorrow and try the north side again I have walked two days on that side to no avail, it looks great but either has been done in by PAH’s or the darn elk don’t know what looks good and have avoided it.  I know that is not true cause there is elk sign there, so far just no antlers.  Then again I have gathered antlers for years, sometimes with great success and sometimes with little or no results.  I have found more elk antlers on this trip than ever before, but no deer antlers, then again I have been walking between 5500 and 6500 feet and the deer drop antlers whitetail 1^st in mid January to mid February, then mulies into the end of March, Elk generally mid to late April.  The truth is they drop them where and when they want that is pretty darn obvious.  This next week Mark Tracy is going on the Smith River trip, I would have really liked to have gone, he invited me, it is by drawn permit only and you don’t ge the chance very often.  I first told him I would go then things bunched up and I could see that was not possible.  I would like to have Saundra go, they have a fall permit as well, maybe someday, supposed to be beautiful.  I have thought about Saundra and my hikes here, she would not have liked them at all, cross country wherever , back and forth through trees, brush, open parks and across rock slides, over creeks and springs, not exactly a walk in the park, ior a well used trail, at the most an occasional so so game trail.  No I couldn’t get Saundra to enjoy this I don’t think.  I also thought if I could train puppy to look for antlers it would make my walks easier, then I even thought as I was walking about inventing and antler magnet, ha ha well puppy or the magnet would take all the exercise and fun out of it.  I look back over the years and I have walked a lot of miles looking for antlers, certainly more than I have animals in hunting season and I have walked quite a few doing that.  I have thought about pulling up camp and moving to Upper Willow Creek, there are some places over there I would like to walk, I would do it, but it seems too much trouble, it would take me a day to get out of here and a day to get set up there, plus the weather shows more rain and I have a fair supply of wood in the tent and under the tarp around the back, I would either have to pack that along or find decent dry stuff there and start over that would probably be another day – so I think willow creek will be a different time, besides the PAH’s from Pburg have probably hit it already, they have to know about it as I do since anyone who has hunted any of these areas gets a fair idea where potential antler drops might be.  Well I still have a little scripture reading to do tonight, I have been faithful with my schedule of things I intended to do study wise so I don’t want to blow that now.  I also need to go out in the dark, put the computer up and brush my teeth.  It is now 10:56 pm.    

West of Wyman Creek

Mountains beautiful Mountains - so much variety and so many places to See!

A Dog Day

First I must say a word about Bear the Black Lab.  Today was Bear's last day on earth, he was eased out of his misery today.  After a few good days at the lake, he acted like he was ready.  Personally I had a visit with Bear as he walked up the road to the 5th wheel, he leaned against me and I talked to him and rubbed his shoulders, his eyes were tired and his mouth was sore but he graciously loved the rub and the talk.  He went on his way with his tail wagging, but his movements were slow and deliberate.  See ya Bear!

We weeded some of the property today and loaded the boat to bring it home.  We went down to start the pump and struggled with putting the pieces together, I need to rebuild this thing if we have it next year.  As I was putting things back together Kimber stole a plug while I was working on something else, and I ended up having to go to town pulling the boat for a $1.29 plug, we never did find the one she had. 

We went to Sari and Marks to be with them when Mark came back from the vet.  Little Chep was full of vim and vigor a typical pup, a cute little dog and one that the girls and hopefully Sari and Mark can throw their affections on, knowing Bear had a good life and has moved on.

Mountain Days:

Day 17 Monday May 9^th

Well, it rained hard all night, the forecast was for snow, but that didn’t come until this afternoon.  The hard rain and snow continued all day.  I got up and had breakfast, read for a while and studied hoping for a little let up, but the hard rain and then snow continued throughout the entire day.  It was about 35 degrees or cooler.    I went out to charge the computer and decided the only way to stay warm was to get my night clothes back on and go back to bed for a while (I was worried, I was burning to much of my wood supply) so that is what I did.  I read with the head lamp and then slept before I knew it I had been in bed another 4 hours.  Finally nature called and I had to get up.  It was still cold and when IO opened the tent doors there was a couple inches of wet snow and it was coming down hard a mix of rain and snow.  I checked the computer and it was charger, thought I best start the truck and sure enough I had been to long the battery was to low to turn it over.  Well, that required some action so I dug out my rain clothes and got all dressed up – took Betsy to Maxville hoping that the fellows that I had borrowed the jumper cables from the other day would have left them in the old truck where they were working.  Sure enough they were there so I borrowed them, came back and with the cables hooked up, the old truck barely started.  It takes some real juice to turnover that ole 460 engine, it tried hard and then up she started.  I left the cables on for a while charging the new battery and the old as well.  Since I had on the rain suit I dug out the chain saw and cut a couple small dead trees (not very big, and very wet, but figured it would help.  I then moved all the wood I had in the tent to my sleeping side and piled the new stuff on the other side where it could dry.  There wasn’t very much but I am a little more comfortable now, this should get me by a couple days if I an careful.  The forecast is for a good day Wednesday and then possibly more showers on and off for the rest of the week, well I best find some more wood when it gets a little better.  I took the cables back, left the truck running for all the while.  I then went on a little ride before I took off the rain suit, I went up the canyon seeing where I might walk if I put on my wool pants and best boots, sure enough the snow was pretty deep on all side hills and in the canyon.  I rode up and planned where I might go when I get a chance and then came back, ate supper and began writing on my book.  It is now 9:40, I have my rain clothes in the tent with me, I am running out of room but at least I can go out in this storm without getting everything else wet.  I have resorted to tearing up one of the paper backs I brought for fire starter material (yes I have read it) it was so – so I don’t feel too bad burning it, to keep the wood going.  This is nothing like the hunting camps we have spent in this tent where it was so cold to you could not sleep without the fire roaring, but then again the tent didn’t have all the holes in it then and the stove pipe was firm in the tent it is now duct tapped on and it heats up and opens to the sky, rain comes not only down the chimney, but in around the stove.  I need to repair it, I am not sure where the tape came from, I don’t recall doing it and I know dad didn’t, but it may have been Stephen and I when we went ice fishing once and took my propane heater.  I have it and thought about digging it out today, but I am a little leery of it and I could not get my little propane stove to run with the connections that I have so I stole them off the heater and I am still not sure if the hose is somehow plugged – maybe I will play with it on a good day, although I would rather use wood if I can.  I just stoked the ole stove – feels a lot better I was almost thinking I would head right to bed, now I will study a while.  I started to say about the cold times I have been in this tent and how I thought about it today, for some reason it seemed nearly as cold today although I know it was a good 30-40 degrees warmer, maybe it was the wet rain.  At any rate I thought of the movie & book “Into Thin Air” as I snuggled down into my sleeping bag, my feet never did warm up and that is unusual for me.  I look around the tent and see quite a sight,  a bag of dirty clothes, two pair of levis, one I hike in the other a little cleaner for around camp.  A towel (remind me not to bring a white towel on another adventure like this, but it was what I grabbed), a wash cloth a bar of soap, a small squeeze bottle of hand cleaner, two extra pair of socks, one heavier pair I wear to bed and the other probably ready for the dirty clothes bag.  Three pair of boots and a pair of tennis shoes, I slip on when I just need to slip in and out, no shoes stray on all the way into the tent they are either under my small table or at the door, one of them wet from today is sitting over on the wood pile on the door side.  My rain coat and pants each hung on opposite sides of the tent away from the stove and bed.  Wool pants, long johns, knee brace, several shirts etc in a pile, some to hike in others for around camp, almost all clean since cleaned up Saturday night, a vest, a top I wear to bed, I have on sweat pants tonight that I wear to bed as well.  Two pair of gloves drying on the wood pile, one heavy pair and one lighter leather ones.  A small cooking pot I heated water this evening on the stove for a couple of packages of instant oatmeal, I brought more in I will use more of these easier than cranking up the cook stove.  Three ot four empty pop cans I tie in the door to hold the flaps together and to wake me if anything or anyone opens the door, I just started doing this the other night  to keep the flaps tighter, the noise option was just a side benefit.   I am not fearful of bears or anything else, been sleeping well, so well if something decided I would make a good dinner I may sleep right on through it all.  With the exception of a little rain around the stove pipe I have really not had much in the tent of course 3/4ths of it I covered with a plastic tarp the first day and a few things are under the edge of the tarp outside, all tied down with piles leaning up around to stop the flapping in the wind, a great decision,  covers to within a foot of the stove pipe so 2/3rds of the tent is covered with the tarp, the bed and clothes part.  I have a small folding Costco table I took in and out the first few nights, since then I have just left it in and pile things on and under it.  A folding chair I sit on to typw beside the stove to my left and then put it beside the table, with my glasses, headlamp and the book I am reading so I can read and put it all up from my bed.  I have old floor mats around the stove and coming in the door, otherwise I have blue tarp and them dryer felt from the mill on top of that like a carpet, two sleeping mats one on top of the other (although it always ends up at the back of the tent right against the tent pole during the night).  I have an older sleeping bag on the mats opened up, then my good sleeping bag, then another older bag opened over that and on top of all my hunting quilt my mom made me that has been on plenty of trips in this tent,  I also have the luxury of a pillow.  Even thought the ground looked pretty level when I got here it is not and slopes to the south, the back of the tent and to the west – the way my feet point, so under those sides of the mats I have piled the sleeping bag covers and a couple small tarps I had along , they help but I still slide that way, but I am more than half way through my experience so why change now.  Beside the book I am burning, I have another – which is the last thing I do after my nightly prayers is read a while, either until I am to tired to keep it up or my hands and head get to cold to keep exposed, then I shit the light off, put glasses and book on the chair and pull the bag over my head and am out of it.  Have had some interesting dreams, primarily about family, most have to do with being together and enjoying one another,  a little about the next life and worry for my children and their families as I want to be with them.  I suppose some of this has to do with the fact that I have read and studied all of 1 Nephi and am in 2 Nephi  and spending a good amount of time studying it on this trip and of course besides the doctrinal things and primary theme as a witness of the Savior, there is the drama of the family of Lehi and his genuine concern for some of his children,  I am sure that is why I have dreamt and spent time just as I was falling asleep with the same concerns.  I want nothing more than to be with my family forever, I cannot imagine a greater hell than to be without them, I likewise think of our parents and the rest of the family as well.  I don’t understand how anyone in this life cannot believe that we lived as a family before we came here and that the ultimate purpose is to continue that beyond the grave.  Any parent who loves their children would want to be with them forever, the gospel is so simple and yet so thorough, the more one studies the more one realizes the tight fitting of the pieces, the simplicity, and yet the enormous amount of interrelationship with the revealed word on all ages.  Well, not meaning to be preachy, but certainly as you are all aware I do have very strong feelings about these things.  I am so impressed that the 4 major authors of the Book of Mormon (all but Enos, Omni and Jarom) are Nephi – who saw the Savior and testified of him, Jacob had the same experience – early in his life, Mormon, likewise responsible for the compiling and summarizing of the most of the book, and then his son Moroni also.   All 4 saw the Savior, saw our day, had nothing more in mind than the welfare of their family and of us.  I have not seen the Savior (yet), but I believe the 93 rd section of the Doctrine and Covenants verse one which says:  “… every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me (the Savior),  and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am.”   Whether that is in this life or the next I do not care, I just want to live up to my part of that bargain and have it be so.  I want with all my heart to have that happen with my entire family.  One of the great blessings of this trip has been to study 2 Nephi better than before, I am not done, but I am impressed with Lehi’s testimony and blessing to Jacob 2 Ne 2, and then Jacobs own testimony 2 Ne 9, and I know that they did see the Savior and that the Book of Mormon is a great blessing in our lives.  We need to understand it better,  I used to dread reading most of 2^nd Nephi, now I am actually enjoying studying it, I hope I feel that way where Nephi quotes Isaiah directly, I hope I understand it better.  Well, it is 10:43 guess I will wind this down for the night, it actually sounds like the rain & snow has slowed for the first time today, good time to take the computer and other things to the cab of the truck for the night.  Hope I can go for a walk tomorrow, hopefully some of this incessant rain will slow.

Day 18 Tuesday May 10^th

Sometime during the night, I am guessing it was about 4:30am the rain and snow of the past 40 plus hours stopped, the continual beating on the tent roof ended and the irregular drops off the trees continued for some time.   By midmorning the sun was out and only blocked on occasion by clouds, strange how quickly things change and quick the feelings change with it.  I decided to take a walk up onto two southwest facing clearings up high further up Wyman Creek.  These are near one of the ridges I  had walked on my second or third walk, they were smaller openings and higher up, probably 6500 feet.  I decided I had found antlers fairly high in the other parks I had walked in so I better check it out.  This ended up being probably my worst climb of the trip.  The mountain was much steeper than it looked and the rain and snow I got in camp was new snow that stayed here.  In camp when the rain and snow mix turned more to rain the snow that was on the ground began to disappear a little, but this being higher was all snow.  For every step or two I took up, I slid down, fell or nearly fell, my back hurts tonight more than my legs and feet as I used a strong walking stick and literally pushed my way up the mountain.  I looked them over pretty well, but no antlers, I don’t think anyone had walked here, there was elk sign, but I think they were not here when the dropped their antlers, even though the parks were smaller, it was a 2 ½ hour hike just because of the new snow on the old and the rocks, I was glad to get off of there without breaking my neck.  On the way back down Wyman I found more diamond willow, didn’t cut any, but I know where they are.  Cut up more firewood this afternoon – don’t want to be trying to get wood dry if the rain starts again and the forecast showed  that it is pretty likely by mid week next.  In some ways it seems I have been living here for all winter, yet in other ways it seems I just got here.  I have my routine down, the time varies a little but the activities are about the same.  Sundays I don’t hike, so with the rain from Sunday through Monday I didn’t hike Monday either and it seemed that it had been a week.  With such good results finding antlers last week, I was anxious, however I knew I had walked the best parks I had seen, now it is just wherever I can get and there no more south southwest facing slopes which are by far the best.  I am going to go where the PAH have been and couldn’t find the matches to some of the antler s they found, who knows, there have been four of them, one guy has been back at least three times that I know of , but I was surprised how well I did on the other parks I walked in where they were supposed to have walked,  Well, I fiddled with the book quite a while tonight so guess I best brush my teeth, say my prayers and head to bed,  It is actually 12:34 am.  I think Monday’s extra nap caused me to get off schedule here.