Brooks Range Dall Sheep - Foot on the gas!!!

[Karl Blanchard]

Great write up, I am glad I can afford to go on an outfitted hunt, but no outfitted hunt will ever compare to the trip you had, I am beyond jealous, so freaking awesome, especially this year.  No amount of money can buy what you experienced, super happy for you guys.  I just can't like this enough!!! Congrats to both you and your brother Karl.  I hope my trip next year can even provide half of what you experienced, time to start training, August will be here in no-time!

Hey man, guided or unguided, rams don't come easy. At the end of the day you'll have to climb the same mountains, walk the same scag, and carry the same packs as we did. It will be every bit the spectacular adventure that we had! Start walking uphill with weight in a pack like right now 

[ShaneTyTrey]

Have a 1,000 vertical climb behind the house we do 4-5 times a week, going to add 40lbs starting next week and go up from there if needed.  Any other suggestions!

[Karl Blanchard]

Have a 1,000 vertical climb behind the house we do 4-5 times a week, going to add 40lbs starting next week and go up from there if needed.  Any other suggestions!

oh man I'm jealous of your hill! You'll be good to go. Really nothing else to add if you're already getting hills in. Not sure where you're going exactly but if I had to go back to the spot we were at I'd try and figure out how to train for the muskeg hiking. Maybe wearing ankle weights on all my training hikes  My hip flexors just got destroyed on this hunt. Definitely go through your "kit" with a fine tooth comb to try and trim as much weight as you can. I'm assuming your guide will likely carry a lot of stuff and tell you not to carry a lot of things?

[trophyhunt]

For those without a 1,000 vert hill in their backyard, the one piece of workout equipment I’ve found that makes a real good impact, the stair master! One hour, burn baby burn!!

[frazierw]

Trip of a lifetime for sure, what a great experience for you and your brother.  Thanks for taking us along on the ride with you guys!

[ShaneTyTrey]

I bought a stretching routine that is about 8-10 minutes a day designed to specifically target your hip flexors, quads, hamstrings and calves.  Really want to improve flexibility and core strength to make hunt more enjoyable.  Ankle weights are a good idea, will have to try that, I don’t think where I am going in the Alaska Range I will have as much boggy stuff but we will see.  Thanks for the pointers.

[Shawn Ryan]

What a great story. Both the writing and pictures and the actual story that you lived with Michael. There will be few other hunts that will compare equally with that adventure. From the gear winnowing, stadium stairs, to sloggy muskeg, scree, rain, and fog, you two prepared and endured for success. Though surprised by the few number of rams taken there in the past years, I'm not surprised that two of them are yours. Your success against such dismal odds is testament to who you are as hunters and athletes.  You were rewarded for your efforts and persistence and that's the best type of reward. Few people and few hunters grind so hard they can't lose. You two don't appear to be lacking on the grind and your success to failure ratio proves it. I'm happy for your success and happier for the man it makes you.

[Karl Blanchard]

What a great story. Both the writing and pictures and the actual story that you lived with Michael. There will be few other hunts that will compare equally with that adventure. From the gear winnowing, stadium stairs, to sloggy muskeg, scree, rain, and fog, you two prepared and endured for success. Though surprised by the few number of rams taken there in the past years, I'm not surprised that two of them are yours. Your success against such dismal odds is testament to who you are as hunters and athletes.  You were rewarded for your efforts and persistence and that's the best type of reward. Few people and few hunters grind so hard they can't lose. You two don't appear to be lacking on the grind and your success to failure ratio proves it. I'm happy for your success and happier for the man it makes you.

  Wow! Man I really appreciate all that Shawn. You are spot on about the grinding part being dialed. I'm beyond sub par in the fitness department or the skills department but I definitely have the "embracing the suck" part licked I just keep my head down and hold onto the back of Michael like an old pack mule.

[ridgefire]

Huge congrats and thanks for sharing your adventure. Do you mind sharing how you were drying your boots and socks out or were they constantly wet?

[Karl Blanchard]

Huge congrats and thanks for sharing your adventure. Do you mind sharing how you were drying your boots and socks out or were they constantly wet?

Neither of us ever had leaky boot issues. Some sweat but tossed insoles into the sleeping bag whenever we were in them.

[ridgefire]

Maybe I missed it but are those Hanwag Alaska GTX boots in your picture?

[Karl Blanchard]

Maybe I missed it but are those Hanwag Alaska GTX boots in your picture?

yes sir. I've got well over a half can of snow seal baked into them. Michael had Lowa Tibets.

[Caseknife]

Karl, that was an awesome hunt and write-up.  Have to live vicariously through your hunts, probably never get to do a hunt like that, way to go.  Just caught up on this thread.

[Karl Blanchard]

Karl, that was an awesome hunt and write-up.  Have to live vicariously through your hunts, probably never get to do a hunt like that, way to go.  Just caught up on this thread.

Thank you sir. I appreciate you taking the time to read it all.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Simply amazing, congratulations Sheep Hunters, thanks for the ride.👍