“The mere fair-weather hunter, who trusts entirely to the exertion of others, and does nothing more than ride or walk about under favorable circumstances, and shoot at what somebody else shows him, is a hunter in name only. Whoever would really deserve the title must be able at a pinch to shift for himself, to grapple with the difficulties and hardships of wilderness life unaided, and not only to hunt, but at times to travel for days, whether on foot or on horseback, alone.” ~Teddy Roosevelt. Every once in a while, a person has to step outside of their comfort zone to keep their wits sharp and body prepared. Recently I had the pleasure of going on a three-day solo hiking trip, on a 20-plus mile journey in some super tough country. Plenty of elevation gain/loss, lots of off-trail through steep, slippery sidehill and shale slides, and all during a 100-degree heat wave. I was drinking nearly 3 gallons of water a day, 3 quarts at a time every time Id pass water, and sweating so hard I could barely produce a pee. In a case like this, water management is a huge thing, and you cant take it lightly, especially when youre alone, or you could end up in a bad, bad way. By the time it was over, I had been rewarded with another great story for my own memory bank and some rare and breathtaking views of some high hanging basins (wish I could share, but...). The highlight of the trip was finding a very nice, very dead 36 bighorn ram. His left side was busted off, which I think killed him, but coincidentally, his carcass was 50 yards right under a cougar den. I hope I can do at least one trip like this every year, at a minimum, until I die. Theres just too much to see out there to pass from this earth without seeing as much of it as you can. Kuius Tiburon warm-weather pant and Easton trekking poles were both absolute lifesavers on this adventure.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 18:22:23 +0000
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