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Got high this weekend

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Got high this weekend

Postby 7mmfan » 05 26, 2020 •  [Post 1]

No. Not that kind of high. Although the lack of oxygen making it to my brain from a winter/spring of being stationary might have given me a similar feeling.

Saturday my Dad and I headed into a Washington wilderness area a few miles off trail to check out a basin that I want to deer/bear hunt this fall. I expected some snow, but wasn't sure how much. Turns out, there was A LOT.

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We crushed sub alpine brush for a couple miles before breaking out onto the snow line. We then hiked up up up hill another 3 miles on a snow hike. Made it to a small basin that has an unnamed lake in it that I intend to use as a base camp for bear and the early high buck hunt. We encountered fresh bear tracks at snow line and found where it had been rolling around in the snow. Then cut 2 sets of buck tracks coming DOWN the ridge to snow line. We backtracked them nearly 3 miles up hill over 6'-8' of snow. I've heard of big blacktail bucks wintering up in the alpine if they can find good old growth timber stands to stay in. My guess is that's what these 2 bucks did. I hypothesized that they were traveling down to snowline for green up and better food.

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All in all, 8.5 miles round trip, 3000' elevation gain with a fully outfitted back country pack made for a great day in the woods and a worthy leg stretch. Can't wait for the basin to melt out a little so we can back out there and see some critters.
I hunt therefore I am. I fish therefore I lie.
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7mmfan
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Re: Got high this weekend

Postby 7mmfan » 05 26, 2020 •  [Post 2]

Few more.
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I hunt therefore I am. I fish therefore I lie.
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Re: Got high this weekend

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 28, 2020 •  [Post 3]

Nice day trip! Thanks for sharing.
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Re: Got high this weekend

Postby Lefty » 05 28, 2020 •  [Post 4]

Looks like fun
I’ve been in the winds in Wyoming a couple times in June
Postholing really stinks and finding a tent site gets tough
Love that bear track!!!!
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Re: Got high this weekend

Postby 7mmfan » 05 29, 2020 •  [Post 5]

Luckily we didn't post hole much. There was enough snow that it was pretty easy walking really. As we got closer to snowline coming down, we encountered some voids around melted out trees that hadn't sprung through the surface yet and we had a couple surprise waist deep drops. None the worse for ware though.
I hunt therefore I am. I fish therefore I lie.
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