I didn’t expect to fall in love with Alaska…
Brad and I went fishing in Seward about 5 years ago, and I loved it! But I was so cold! And being it was their warmest time of year and I am all about sunshine and summertime- I never expected the place to grab my heart.
I figured for me to be warm enough in such a place- especially near a town called “Cold Foot”- I’d have to be dressed like that kid from “A Christmas Story”- not quite my style!
Or maybe I could handle the cold being dressed head to toe in fur- and I totally dig fur!- but I’m not sure Brad would want to be hanging around someone dressed like a mountain man all the time 😉
Despite the cold, I jumped on the chance to join Brad for a Dall Sheep hunt in Alaska. A resounding theme for us lately has been, “Do it while you can” I could have found plenty of excuses not to go- I’m too out of shape, how can we leave 4 kids to start school without us, I’m too scared…
One of our favorite clients of all time, Ivan Owen, pulled Brad aside one day while out on a hunt with us. He was a man who had done it all, and who commanded respect. He told Brad, “Your life is about half over. Don’t wait to do the things you should do–
It’s later than you think…
That was the last time Ivan made it out. He passed aways shortly after speaking those words, and though it’s been over a decade- his words still impact us.
We originally thought our buddy Larry would be joining Brad, but when that didn’t pan out- I was next on the list. Hunting is nothing new to me– but sheep hunting is hard core!! Scarcely have I seen girls in any Dall sheep hunting pics- and in reading about sheep hunting, some very manly men have said it is one of the toughest hunts ever- both physically and mentally- and many have been training for years and even their whole lives for this!
We were a month out when we decided to go for it, so to say I was intimidated was a bit of an understatement.
After cranking out 4 babies and getting into mom mode and the busyness of life, I’d let my passion for health and fitness kinda slide to the backburner. After starting to drink Mtn Ops for my angry belly the end of 2018, our family decided to start their 90 day fitness challenge in March, and Paige and I kept going once the 90 days was up with the addition of some jogging, and added 50 burpees a day for the month leading up to the hunt- so at least I had started getting back on the fitness bandwagon, but still a far cry from feeling comfortable climbing the mountains of Alaska– but I’m game! And Brad is a total Rock Star, he assured me I’d be fine and I love that he’s not the kind of guy who is going to throw me under the bus when things get tough- I take comfort in knowing I am more important to my man than a once in a lifetime sheep hunt 😉 I have seen some guys who I’m not so sure feel the same way about their wives. Brad actually even offered to let me be the one to do the hunt- “We can get you the license and you can shoot it- I don’t have to be the one to do it if you want to.” I knew he was dying to do it, but would have given the slot to me in a heartbeat. That’s true love right there people!
And a huge motivator for me to get up there- besides the endless beauty and wild wonder of Alaska- was the people.
One thing I love about the hunting community is that in it I’ve found some of my very favorite people!
And one of my favorite hunting families happens to be in Alaska 🙂 Brad went on a bear hunt with Jonah’s Alaskan Outfitters about 5 years back- and totally loved it! Over the years, we’ve been fortunate enough to have Jonah and his family out our way a few times, then Brad took Cody and Paige back up to their place for a black bear hunt this summer. Every experience with them has been fantastic- so I couldn’t wait to see Jonah, Skylar, and the boys again! And we were super excited to see the latest expansion to their operation. In previous years base camp has been a tent camp, but this year they really stepped it up with a lodge and cabins- AND hot showers and a sauna! I can now attest to the total awesomeness of a hot shower, fresh cooked meal, and a warm, dry bed after living in a cold, wet tent and eating freeze dried food on the hunt 😉 Though, I will say that every aspect of the experience was incredible!
Another great addition to Jonah’s has been a float plane. Already, one of the great perks of hunting with Jonah is that he pilots his own planes- so no worries about chartering your flight into camp and being stuck there the whole 10 days even if you tag out early like most places, or having no options if you’re stuck in a bad spot. A float plane allows better access to a lot more hunting ground, so with a wheel plane and a float plane- the options are endless.
Brad is a pilot, but after his plane burned up in a fire before we ever met- I’ve never had the chance to fly with him and haven’t been in a small plane since I was pretty young. Brad is super impressed with Jonah’s piloting skills- so having that extra confidence from someone who knows the difference took away any edginess I might have had about jumping into a little plane and flying through the rough country. Once I got over worrying about being sick on the plane, I absolutely loved flying in and out of camp!
One of the guides, Harold, had spotted some good rams near his camp, so Jonah hauled us there, while simultaneously flying the tagged out hunters back to the lodge.
Nestled in the brush by a little creek not far from where we landed, our camp left nothing to be desired.
It got even better when Harold cooked us up some fresh backstraps (donated by the last hunters) on sticks over the fire and I figured this sheep hunting was alright 😉 Then he told us the story of the guys we’d just met on their way out. They had climbed up this insanely steep, rock covered mountain that loomed in front of our camp. It looked intimidating, but it’s almost impossible to gauge the brutalness of the terrain without experiencing it for yourself. They had clawed their way to the top, while dodging falling rocks, and hung over the knife edged top by their armpits, with toes on nothing but a tiny ledge. To get the hunter in a shooting position, Harold had held him by his ankles over a jagged, rocky cliff! After all that, it took 11 hours for them to get down from where they were!
I swallowed hard at the reality of what was in store and prayed real hard that we didn’t have to go there.
I am really afraid of heights, but I knew signing up for this that my fear would likely be challenged. I was prepared to stare my fear in the face- but I felt like that mountain was more than I could physically handle. Our beloved Ivan had also told us that he’d lost his first wife in the ice fields of Alaska- though we don’t know the story, you’d better believe I was thinking about that when faced with the possibility of climbing the jagged rock cliff mountain! Alaska is unforgiving country that will swallow you up without hesitation.
I felt good the next morning when Harold laid out the game plan- it did not include climbing the crazy rock cliff mountain, but instead a hike around, up and over another set of not quite as intimidating mountains. I loved how Harold and Lance both never made me feel like a burden. While I fully believe men and women are created equal- I do not believe we were designed the same. Men are supposed to be tougher- and I am fine with that! But I never want to be a hassle or a burden and I knew I was going to slow the guys down- they were patient and kind the entire time 🙂 They also didn’t mind taking the time to video-which was really important to us- and even pitched in on operating cameras.
The hike got hard much sooner than I would have hoped, and I can’t say I ever really got into my groove like Brad did. I felt like I could go all day on the relatively flat terrain, but climbing those inclines had my legs burning in a hurry. A good reminder that staying in shape is a lot easier than getting back in shape- I was wishing I’d started those Mtn Ops workouts sooner! The views were a good distraction from the difficulty, but I found myself really looking forward to spotting some rams!
We stopped to glass some ewes and lambs, stopped a few times to take off layers, then after some tough climbing, we reached the saddle at the top and stopped for a snack break. It was like trying to eat after doing 100 burpees, so I choked down a couple bites of cheese and jerky and settled on drinking some Mtn Ops. I put all the layers back on as it was freezing at the top! I can’t believe how quick I would go from freezing to burning up to freezing again- those layers are so important!
This trip more than any other has made me a believer in great gear.
While I’ve done plenty of hunting, I’d never been on a backpack hunt. I’m a girl who likes to save money so I tend to get by with what we have and just wing it probably a lot more than I should. But I also knew that what we were doing was not something to take lightly. Brad has gone on pack hunts- and the saying he got from one of our guides, Darrell, is- “Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain.” Carrying everything on your back definitely changes the way you pack, and every piece of gear needs to function well. At home, we wear our Carhartts for just about everything! Ranch work, church, hunting– you name it- but all those layers, albeit tough and warm, can be kinda bulky and heavy. We already had some gear from Brad’s past pack hunts, but with 2 of us going we were going to need more. Brad had a moose hunt lined up right after Alaska, so I figured we’d get him set up good and I could kinda use what we already had in addition to a few extra items. Jonah sends out a fantastic list of what you’ll need for the hunt, and since it happened to show up just before Brad’s birthday I figured we’d bite the bullet and load him up on gear and call it a birthday present 🙂
I didn’t want to invest in a ton of expensive pack hunt gear for myself until I found out if I loved it or not- but what I learned is that the quality of your gear can determine whether or not you love the experience.
More on gear later, let’s get back to the hunt-
By the end of our snack break, my whole body was shivering with cold and I clenched my teeth to keep them from chattering. While the break was nice, I was ready to get moving again so I could warm back up. We proceeded on, hiking over the ridge to climb to the top of an adjoining higher mountain. We hoped to find rams on the back side of that. But pretty soon Harold was dropping down and glassing something just below us. We were expecting a much farther hike, but I was pretty pumped to think this might be it. Turned out there were 8 rams in a spot across the ridge but out of sight from where we had stopped for snacks- and a few of them were shooters.
I might have gotten a little buck fever at the thought of not having to climb that next mountain 😉
The guys decided the biggest of the rams was perfect- but even though they seemed pretty close, they were 644 yards off and we hoped we could get a little closer. We snuck down the mountain, but most of our progress was just a drop in elevation and didn’t gain us much distance–it was that steep! The best we could do without blowing the hunt was 535 yards. Brad had asked Jonah before coming out which gun he should bring. Basically what he said was that the farther you can shoot the better your chances. We’ve got a couple of great long range guns- but only one that you’d want to carry on your back for any length of time. Brad brought his Best of the West rifle with Huskemaw Scope and Hornady 143 gr. ELDX ammo- a super accurate, light weight set-up designed for distance. Brad has done a lot of shooting in his day- my favorite shot being an off- hand 150 yard shot through the trees when he drilled an elk on the run- and though he hadn’t shot this gun a ton, it was spot-on with one shot at the range when we arrived, so when Harold asked Brad how he felt about this shot, Brad responded, “I got this”.
Brad is one who stays cool under pressure- and the pressure was on! The most I’ve seen him with heart pounding was sighting in on that sheep!
I was focused on filming the shot, while the guys sized up and discussed the rams. We were able to take time to set up the camera and figure out where the big ram stood so there was no chance of shooting the wrong one. Lance laid down his pack for a rest and Brad nestled in behind it. Even though we could feel his heart pounding, the end of the barrel was rock steady. Snow began to fall as Harold confirmed it was the ram standing broadside on the top right and Brad said, “OK, here we go.” He breathed deep a couple times, then exhaled and we all held for the shot. Brad touched it off and in a moment that felt like forever, we waited to see if the ram would drop. One shot and he drilled that ram! Whew! I can’t tell you how great it felt to have a sheep down!
We took a few minutes to let our adrenaline settle a bit, and worked our way down the mountain and over to the ram.
He was so beautiful, and we are so thankful for the opportunity to harvest such an amazing animal! Those horns were impressive and heavy! I was so surprised at how soft his hair was! And we already knew the meat would be delicious! We cleaned him up and took pictures- then the work began. Rain started in as the guys worked to cape and process the sheep.
Harold, Lance and Brad worked hard and finally we were packed up and ready to begin the hike back to camp. Instead of the climb back up the mountain we had come in from, we decided to take the less intense way around the mountain back to camp. It was long! And with rain still coming down, the rocks were so slippery! It was tough to decide the better route between side stepping on the slippery hillside rocks, and sinking into the squishy, wet tundra along the bottom.
About the time the rain let up enough for me to shed my rain gear, it started in again. I should have stopped to put it back on, because by the time we reached camp I was wet and cold. And exhausted! We all were! I had by far the lightest pack of all, but by the time we reached camp, every step was pretty tough! I’d never been so happy to see a tent, and we all retreated to our tents for a break as the rain continued to pour. I crawled into my sleeping bag wet, knowing it wasn’t smart. I was so tired I almost didn’t care, but finally put dry clothes on. I had been so cold the night before with all my clothes on, and now a lot of those clothes were wet. Brad gave me his puffy jacket and Harold spoiled us by delivering a hot dinner to our tent! Our friend Larry had so kindly offered to freeze dry some meals for our trip. My stomach is crazy, and food that agrees with it can be hard to find, so before the trip Larry freeze dried and packaged up some belly friendly food I had made. We had it that night, and man was it delicious!
The next morning our tents were covered in ice, and the condensation had water dripping in on us. Another chilly night with just a little better sleep than I’d had the night before had me really looking forward to the cozy bed back at our cabin. I slipped into my icy boots and discovered the deliciousness of a hot Mountain House breakfast skillet meal after a long, cold night. Everything tastes better at camp!
I loved filling our water bottles straight from the creek and one of the best feelings is the warmth of the sun on your back when the chill of the night has sunk into your bones. We hung around talking, and took more pics and video before Jonah picked us up to fly us back to the lodge.
I was greeted at base camp with a hot bowl of chili and took one of the best hot showers of my life 🙂 I knew that night I’d have to sleep good in a warm, dry cabin- and I sure did!
Brad arranged for our flights out the next day, and just like that- our trip was coming to an end! It seemed too quick and just right all at the same time. We decided to take the head, cape, and some of the meat home with us, as opposed to leaving it to be shipped by an expeditor- somehow that word just sounds expensive 😉 We ended up really tight on time getting the sheep plugged with Fish and Game and racing to the airport in Fairbanks, but everything worked out fine and we made it home with no problems.
I’ve got some sheep meat cooking up for supper as I write this, and while I’m super glad to be home- there’s a part of me already missing sheep camp! Alaska- you got me! The place, the people, the thrill of the hunt- all of it! I’ll be back for more!
And to Brad- the more I hang out with you, the more respect I have for you- way to nail that shot! Thanks for choosing me and for loving me so well 🙂
Back to the gear-
I had thought that $600 for a sleeping bag was one of the most absurd things I had ever heard of! But I ordered a KUIU one for Brad. We already had what we thought was a great $100 Ledge sleeping bag from a past hunt so I took that one. Brad stayed nice and toasty and I froze!! Even after putting all my clothes on inside the sleeping bag. We are pretty close to the same when it comes to hot/cold, so we are a pretty good side by side comparison. I literally tossed and turned almost all night, and prayed to just fall asleep and finally did for a bit not long before it was time to get up. I slept a little better the second night wearing Brad’s puffy jacket. Only my bottom half was cold then. I really regretted not getting myself a sleeping bag!
Another regret was not getting myself a puffy jacket, and puffy pants for both of us. I already had an Arc’teryx Atom LT Hoody and I figured what’s the difference. I got Brad a KUIU Super Down Jacket, and it was way warmer! It is so lightweight I could hardly believe it could be that warm! I’m putting the Super Down Pro- one notch warmer- on my wishlist cuz I spend so much of my life being cold! Also, the puffy pants would have been a game changer- though with a better sleeping bag I may not have needed them so much. A great tip we learned from Lance was to keep a pair of puffy pants, a puffy jacket, and a pair of socks in a dry bag inside your pack, so that if/when you get wet, you’ve got a way to warm up quick.
One thing I did get for both of us was KUIU rain gear– and I’m glad I did. I had asked my friend, Sarah, before the hunt if she had any recommendations- as she’s been on way more hunts than me- and her advice was- dry shampoo, baby wipes, and rain gear times 100! We had some super cheap Frogg Toggs I’d gotten on Amazon, but with potentially spending 10 days in the field, I was afraid to rely on them. Our KUIU rain gear did not let us down, and it dried back out super quick! I love that the legs zip open so you can slip them right on over your boots. The only reason I got so wet was because I’d taken my rain gear off during a break in the rain and didn’t take the time to put it back on.
We both got the Attack Pants from KUIU- I loved them and Brad liked them. One thing I’d love to see KUIU offer is tall sizes in clothing. Brad is 6′ 4″, and while I know weight is a big issue- all the clothes I got him are too short. No fun bending over and having your back exposed! Hopefully they’ll add tall options in the future. I really wanted to try KUIU’s zip off base layer bottoms, because layering up and down is so important, but they were sold out- they sound fantastic!
Packs– So this is a biggie! I think a pack and boots maybe more than anything can make or break you on a hunt! We have a hand me down pack that is adjustable- I may be wrong, but in hindsight I’m going to say that a one-size-fits-all pack is just not the way to go. Lesson learned. Brad used said pack on an Arizona Coues deer hunt a few years back, and it killed his back! We blamed it on the weight they carried and all the hiking, but Brad came home from that hunt with a very messed up back that was a problem for a year! He tried a chiropractor, and we seriously considered surgery when it finally started to feel better. While I really didn’t blame the pack for his back trouble, we did need another pack for this hunt, so we went all out and got him a KUIU Pro 6000 setup- we have heard some great feedback on these packs and with Brad’s moose hunt right after this one, I knew he’d get plenty of use out of it. Since our other pack was OSFA, I adjusted it to fit me and figured we were good to go- I have a great back after all… We booked this trip pretty last minute and had been crazy busy, so it was just over a week from the hunt when we started hiking with our packs. As Brad said- “We should have started this a long time ago, but the second best time to start is now.” Brad felt awesome in his KUIU pack, and I really didn’t know how I was supposed to feel. We did a real short hike the first day, but after a 2 mile hike the second day, my spine felt like a partially crushed pop can. Definitely not how it’s supposed to feel! Suddenly I’m having all these regrets and wondering if I should order a pack for myself, but time is not on our side. I’ll tough it out. Another hike and a worsening back and I start hiking with no pack to try and save myself for when I really need it. All the things I shouldn’t be doing, but we’re down to the wire now so I’m just going to have to suck it up. Days before departure, I’m at a hair appointment talking about the upcoming hunt, and mention how I hope I don’t regret not ordering myself a new pack when my hairdresser, Kori- who is totally fabulous- says she has a great women’s pack that I can borrow! What?! This is kind of a biggie, you don’t have to do that, I say- but I am also not looking forward to the possibility of ruining my spine! I got Kori’s pack just before our trip, and my spine, which was just starting to feel better had no pain at all after hiking with Kori’s pack- whew! It was way lighter and could not hold as much as the other pack, but by now I’m saying “ounces equal pain” and packing as light as possible, so I make it work. So thankful for Kori saving the day!! I now refer to the other OSFA pack as the “Back breaker” and am on the quest for a good pack for myself for the future. Our guide, Harold, told me about a pretty sweet sounding women’s pack (I think from Kifaru) that adjusts smaller for use as more of a day pack or bigger for a longer hunt. Anyone tried it??
I used to think that sore, cold, and blistered feet were just part of it, until our friend Sarah got us onto Kenetrek boots a few years ago. My life was changed! I tried saving them for hunting only, but wear them pretty much every day now- for ranching, hunting, woodworking, adventuring- I’ve even worn them to church I love them so much. They took great care of our feet in Alaska, though mine were wet the second day and Brad’s were not- I take smaller steps and stepped in a lot more water that he could step right over…
Pillow– I used an inflatable neck pillow that turned out to be a piece of junk, so I slept on my jackets and extra pants until I was so cold I had to put them on. Brad used a small, compressible camping pillow and slept like a champ.
Mtn Ops– I really can’t say enough good about this company! I am so thankful for their supplements- they agree with my grouchy belly! I drink a ton of Magnum when actual food is hard to choke down, and Ignite gives me a nice boost throughout the day. It also totally kept me going during this hunt! We have tried a lot of their other products too and love them all. I loved sharing my stash with the guys who worked so hard for us up there- the trail packs are super handy! My only regret is not starting their workouts sooner- but as Brad says, “The second best time to start is right now.” I am even more motivated after this hunt to get into better shape and stay that way, so that I’m ready for anything!
I read a lot about trekking poles before the trip, and decided against them because it was one of the most listed items in a forum talking about “all the things I don’t bring on hunts any more”. But, when we showed up at camp- everyone had them! Brad and I each ended up using 1 loaner trekking pole and they definitely helped once we got the hang of them.
Other things we brought were merino wool pants and undershirts- which I wore constantly, wool socks, baby wipes, gloves. I bought a couple of KUIU neck gaiters before the trip and we loved them. Super handy for keeping warm and covering your face and/or eyes while sleeping for warmth, bugs, and blocking the light…
*UPDATE* Since this hunt- Brad got me my own KUIU pack, a puffy jacket, and puffy pants and I LOVE them!! I tested them out on Brad’s moose hunt, and they are everything I hoped they’d be 🙂
We’re working on Season 2 of our show, “Rockin’ 7 Ranch Life”- and we’ve got some awesome episodes coming together! Stay tuned for airtimes, we’d love for you to tune in! In the meantime, you can check out Season 1 here 🙂
Great article and photos Heather! Really enjoyed it! “Do it While You Can” is great advice which I have lived by and, now that I am a bit older, am glad that I did! While I can still do most of the crazy adventurous travel and things I did when younger, I have had to make a few ‘modifications’ since passing the 60 mile marker. All the tips and recommendations are great too. So glad you went on that hunt, toughed through it, documented it and made us proud!