Saturday Morning:
Today is the last day at the spike camp. Since we decided
to delay our pickup until Wed. We need to resupply. We are down
to very tight rations and will be out of food after lunch. I
am also down to two arrows including one that was supposed to
be my judo practice arrow which I changed with a broadhead back
at camp. Johnnie and I discussed the time needed to get from
up here (alpine spike) to the lake camp - another death march
through the jungle. I am concerned about my knee on the trip
down (actually concerned that I may screw it up for the trip
back up) but so far I can walk out the pain within a quarter
mile. So far I have not let on how bad the leg is.
I can't get myself to forfeit a morning hunt so I decided
to head up to the high pass area while Johnnie breaks the spike
down. He will meet me there in an hour and we agree that we need
to be on the trail by noon. I gather a light load and head out
to the cliffs. I pumped it to get up there quickly and made it
to the pass in 45 minutes - a record. The leg is not slowing
me down and the pain is getting better - my lungs are in excellent
shape as I hardly get winded anymore.
I reached the pass just in time to see a lone goat feeding
on an opposite hillside. Fog was moving in and out so I waited
for the fog to roll in before I moved. Once I was within 100
yards I had a good visual of the goat through the fog but was
concerned that there may be more in the area. I spent a few minutes
looking around before I stalked the goat. Then I spotted a nanny
and kid bedded directly below me at 30 yards.
It was a beautiful sight with them snuggled up together. I
decided to wait for the stalk and check out the pass on the opposite
slope instead. I noticed two goats walking towards me below.
Nanny with a kid; I ran back for my pack to get my camera. While
taking it out of my backpack I looked up and the goat was staring
at me on the opposite hillside. What a jerk! I had not paid attention
to the fog which had rolled back suddenly exposing our two hills.
Ht took off for no-man's land.
While snapping pictures Johnnie met up with me. I mentioned
that I'd seen a big fluffy goat along with this nanny and kid.
We decided to head down into the cliffs and check it out. We
found the nanny and kid quickly but no sign of the others. We
watched the nanny from a short distance away (50 yards) - Johnnie
behind me snapping pictures.
Something caught my eye beneath me at 30 yards. It was a pair
of large goat horns. A big goat. I motioned to Johnnie that a
goat was directly below me. He swapped his camera for binoculars
and eased over a hump to spot. I stalked into position behind
an evergreen bush and waited for positive identification.
Johnnie motioned that he could not tell if it was a billy
or nanny. It was my call. The goat was a big one, that much I
could tell and it was in excellent position to stalk. Then the
goat moved toward me giving me a clear view. I readied my bow.
While I focused on the big goat moving up to me Johnnie went
Pssst. I looked up at him slowly and he held up two fingers -
that meant there was a kid with this big goat. I put my bow down
and motioned for Johnnie to get some pictures of me stalking
the goats for fun. It turned out to be a whopper of a nanny with
a two year old billy or adult nanny. I could have shot but decided
not to.
After that exciting morning we were both flying. That was
a close one and had Johnnie not noticed the adult kid I would
have shot that nanny as it moved closer - thinking it was a billy.
Johnnie guessed her to go 300 lbs and we were both confused by
the horn characteristics. This could have gone either way.
We had lunch in the peaks and headed back to the spike. We
donned our packs and began the long hard hike down to the lake.
It was much easier going down than coming up and my knee was
holding up great. Once at the lake we inventoried our food and
each had a mini bath. A toast of the stream-chilled Alaskan Micro
brew was had before we packed it in. Tomorrow morning would be
my last death march back to Camp 2.