Upper Smith Creek Bull Tag!

[Chesapeake]

The Norway pass area is in the "Mt Margaret back country" area. Designated camping areas with permit required.

Upper smith creek is in the Monument, but not in any of the special areas 1, 2, or 3. There doesn't seem to be any restriction on dispersed camping in this area. If there is, no one follows it, not even the boy scouts who camp up there during hunting season doing their winter camping badges.

 

[luvmystang67]

It looks like I can have a fire too... 

No fires in Mt. Margaret area... but according to dispersed camping rules I can and there are no general restrictions currently in the area.

Seems like pushing it though, we'll see how brave I feel.

[kentrek]

Looks like your right ! Finally found a map showing the boundaries of the mt margret being a separate part of the monument area that has restricted camping

That will make life alot easier for you

[luvmystang67]

Well, spent all weekend up there doing a solo overnight (first one).  My body is WRECKED today.  I'm not an athlete, but I'm in pretty good shape.  I hurt basically everywhere.

Some notes:

1) First time to Mt. St. Helens... WOW.  That is all.  If you haven't been, you need to go.  Especially up the FS25 to FS99, just beautiful and not too many people.  Seeing the blast area and Spirit lake is very very cool.

2) ELK!  They're everywhere.  I know its spring and they've got no worries, but I saw animals all the way there (Eatonville) and when I arrived, both inside and outside the unit.  I probably saw 20 bulls and 40 cows/calves, no big herds, just groups of 2-8 or so.  Actually, maybe I saw more than that, but it was quite a few

3) Walking on pummice sucks.  Also, there's some pretty sketchy areas where I can see that lots of pummice has sloughed off and if it were to have happened when I was on it, it would've been certain death, like legit death. 

4) Saw the first cougar prints of my life, a little bit hair raising.

5) These elk are like mountain goats.  Things that my 28 year old self, with trekking poles, could physically not traverse for fear of toppling down the hill when the loose gravel gave way...were littered with elk paths.  I would've thought mountain goat, but I saw elk on them. 

6) No matter how you slice it, the haul out is going to be brutal, I already feel sorry for my friends

7) There is no cell service from basically Morton to the top.  On the way down its about 2 hours before you can send a text message.

Did i say elk everywhere?  I'll try to post a few pics tonight or tomorrow.

[luvmystang67]

Also, does anyone know how much more growth to expect on elk?  It looked like the raghorns had not developed much of their main beams yet, so I'm thinking some... but I saw some that looked like dandys already and I'm wondering if they're likely to get point #6 or not.

[PolarBear]

They still have a month 1/2 or so  left.  Plenty of time to add some major bone

[luvmystang67]

They still have a month 1/2 or so  left.  Plenty of time to add some major bone

 

I just got a little "excited" at my desk...

[D-Rock425]

#6 is funny to me you don't have any friends

[kentrek]

Youl get spot service a few miles from the end of the 99 road

Just wait until you put 90#s on your back on a pumice hill....it will literally make you cry

The bigger bulls up there will have around 300+ pounds of boned out meat...if you don't have friends, make some ! Il be busy....

[luvmystang67]

Youl get spot service a few miles from the end of the 99 road

Just wait until you put 90#s on your back on a pumice hill....it will literally make you cry

The bigger bulls up there will have around 300+ pounds of boned out meat...if you don't have friends, make some ! Il be busy....

I did see one person using a phone there, with limited success.  I was too exhausted at the time to bust mine out from the depths of my bag

[kentrek]

There's also boosters available these days...i don't have one yet but might be something to look into

[luvmystang67]

Some pics (this is like a warmup, the elk pics will come when i take snapshots off my video camera).

What you're seeing here in order are:

top of Ape Canyon
Cougar Track
Most of the hunt area
Plains of Abraham
Flowers (I know... lame)
My tent set up (thanks for the borrow Mitch)
Two pics of elk from my iphone zoom, they're bulls, those are smaller ones I believe.  iPhone zoom not super great.

[MLBowhunting]

Looks beautiful

[nw_bowhunter]

WOW. that looks like some serious work.. Way to get after it...Good luck

[Ghost Hunter]

So, you haven't seen hunters trail yet?   Sounds like the easy stuff.   Amazing country indeed.