well 6 days later I am back. through an interesting chain of events I was able to view karma from both sides. I typically do not share my location for fear of ruining the hunt for others, but this time, I think I will, to save some folks some time and $$.
I chose to hunt the lake chelan rec area. due to time and $$ I did my scouting by calling up the lake to find out the availability of water, game and lake conditions. the intel I recieved was favorable.
I loaded up and split for 25mile boat launch, a 200mile trip from my place. I pull up expecting to pay $35 for my launch and dock permit, but they forgot to tell me that I would be charged $10 a day to park my truck/trailer there too, $97.00 and I can back into the launch now
as I hop out of my truck to tie up my boat, I see an oil slick under my truck.........sweet, I puked a seal on my transfer case. that works out pretty well 200 miles from home......oh well, like I told my wife, my truck could get stolen and my boat sink, and I could not see a critter...........I am on vacation! I will have fun.
I made my way up lake to about 10 miles from stehekin landing when another boat flagged me down. they had lost a water pump and were dead in the water, 40 miles from their truck. I offer them a ride, and they asked if I would tow them to stehekin.......what the heck, I need a karma boost. 1 long hour later I hit the landing. they were super grateful and offered me some cash, I said, naw, how bout a couple gallons of fuel........two of the dudes in the boat pull out FAT money clips and start handing me bills.......I would have done it for free, but oh well, fair enough......off to the task at hand.
I tied up and went into the fs/nps building to get my backcountry permits. let me say that when you tell them you are gonna be going off trail and you do know EXACTLT where you are going, they are less than friendly. and when you tell them that you can't give an exact location since you will be hunting and deer are where you find them.........that really gets em' looking funny.
I had planned my assult on the east side of the lake, there was no reliable water except fish creek, which was killer area, and just about one mile and one big climb from the rec area........bummer.
I had planned a seconday area that would be up the valley and "should" have water......
I hopped the shuttle and headed up to the trailhead I wanted. I feel lucky to not have caught on fire from the looks I got from the obama pin wearing group, even the wdfw crowd looked at me in awe (they never said a word) I guess there are a lot of folks who have never seen a rifle. the bus driver was stoked to see me show up with a gun and let me ride for free, he said he too was a hunter, but they have to "act green" in front of the tourists.......what is greener then a self guided high hunt?
the next 5 hours were the worst of my life. I fancy myself somewhat of a camel, I can go long periods of time w/o water.....those days are gone. I started my hike at 1100 ft. I found my first water at 4k feet and the next at 5k. folks that was murder. I carried a gallon of water up with me and I was dry by 3500ft. I have never cramped up so bad in my life. I piled up in a rock slide and flat could not move....I could hear the water, I could see the water, but my calves and quads said nope ain't gonna do it.......they did, I slept like a baby...right next to ______creek.
the next day I moved my camp in farther and got into some textbook sweet mule deer country. I was a bit nervous since I had not seen a track or a turd, but the cover was right, the elevation wsa getting there, and the drainage was a huge one and deffinately remote.
over the next few days I glassed some of the most amazing high parks nad rocky out croppings, ecsape routes.......nothing. I bushwacked and bushwacked........not a sign of deer.
I crossed paths with a guy and his son who had come in from hwy 20 and they too had seen nothing.
I could not believe what I was seeing, or not seeing. in the end I never saw a single deer, I did see a band of bighorns, a couple black bears, 2 grouse and no less that 30 miles on my boots and 10,000 on my spotting scope.
I really am not dissapointed though, I did learn that a trip off of the lake is near suicide, and that even though the trip in from the other side looks farther, it is flatter, and I would rather walk 20 flat miles that climb 3k feet, let alone 6k. I also was flat shocked that it could cost me a c-note to be on the lake for a week just in park fees.
on a side note, I did haul my pack rod with me and caught a boat load of fish.
I will get some pics downloaded soon. right now I gotta go pull my transfer case
