Split Creek, Secesh River Loop

Big day in the hills and canyons.  32+ miles with around 7500' gain and loss.  Last long run before my 100 mile taper.  20 days until raceday.

Beautiful Loon Lake.  4 miles down, 28 to go.

Feeling the "burn" on the Split Creek Trail.  Looks like a barcode.

Doin' bear stuff. 

Fishing...

Back scratching...

More back scratching.

Beaver Dams on the Secesh.

Bridge over Secesh at its confluence with Loon Creek.  Back on familiar turf and just 4 miles to go.

Duck Lake and Hum Lake Loop

I set off for a 35+ mile run deep into the Lick Creek Range near Lick Creek Summit.  Bushwhacking and non-existent trails cut the run short to around 13 miles.  Oh well, the country was beautiful, the huckleberries were bountiful and the day was still a great success.  To those who say the huckleberry crop is weak this year, you should really see it above 7,000'.  Unbelievable.

Sawtooth Peak from Lick Creek Road

Looking down on Hum Lake form the pass above Duck Lake

Hum Lake.  The path I came in on is on the right side of photo.  The path shown on maps from Hum Lake is not there.  Pure bushwhack from here on out.

Looking east into the North Fork Lick Creek drainage.

Unnamed peak above Loon Creek headwaters.

Loon Creek drainage with South Loon and North Loon Peaks towering above.

Gorgeous Duck Lake: 1 more easy mile to the truck.

Bull Elk

More words to come, need to see taxidermist and catch up on sleep.  Got 5 hours last night- none the night before.  Finished butchering and the meat is in great shape in the freezer- maybe 350 lbs.    Here are a few pics.  So happy that B was able to join me on this amazing experience.  She was a real trooper and stayed tough to the end.

In a nutshell:  We went out for an evening hunt on Tuesday  9/6/2011, to return after dark.  I got into a bugling contest with the bull and he came in after 5 minutes or so.  I got him on a 20 yard shot, while he faced me (frontal shot).  He expired in less than one minute after going 50 yards. We tracked him after dark and found him after some difficulty finding the initial blood trail.  We processed him all night in the cold and carried him out in three, 8 mile roundtrips.  I carried over 100 lbs each time.  He was 100% on ice in the truck within 20 hours of the shot.  Not bad for rookies with zero hunting experience. 

 

B endures the punishing, heartbreaking reality of another brutal carry.  After zero sleep, this sort of thing truly tests one's soul.