Elk Hunt 2010

Well…we survived!

The 2010 Carlton Crosby Memorial Elk Hunt was a great success in so many ways, except for the fact that we didn’t harvest an elk…though were incredibly optimistic.

On the drive up to Burnt Mountain on Thursday, Oct. 21st our team of seven including me, Wyatt Johnson, Mike Wallace, Dave Sanders, Mark Tolliver, Ned McAffry and Greg Cramer saw a pretty good sized 4 x 4 bull just walking down the road.   On Friday while scouting out hunting locations one of our partners saw a small bull and several cows halfway up the mountain.  We went to bed Friday night with images in our heads of herds of elk just waiting to be taken.  When we woke up on Saturday, though, we had 3 or 4 inches of snow…and not a single sign of an elk!  We could have taken at least two Boone and Crockett sized Mule Deer over the weekend but we didn’t have the proper tags.  But we hunted and we fellowshipped and we studied.  Our time around the fire was terrific and the discussion was lively.  By the time we made it down the mountain we had each other’s back!

Now, about that trip down the mountain… We’d already had a good 3 or 4 inches of snow on the ground when the reports came that we might get as much as two feet of snow by Tuesday.  But Monday morning we had nothing but rain.  So our new friend, Tim, (I’ll get to him later) and I decided to embark on a multi-mile hike to another mountain to see if we could find the elusive Wapiti.  We had only gotten a mile or so down the trail when we had to turn back because of the snow which was now falling heavily.  Fearing the big snow that was to come and the difficulty getting down the mountain we decided it was time to go.  It took us roughly two hours to pack up but in that short time we had nearly a foot of snow on the ground. Before we would get to the bottom of the mountain the snow would be over a foot and a half and the winds whipping up to 40 and 50 miles per hour!

The journey to the bottom was slow but steady until we passed “Last Chance Gulch.”  Rising up the steep and steadily hill with snow falling in blankets the back wheels of Mike’s truck began to spin.  He was hauling a heavy trailer which was then loaded with our wet tent and two wheelers among other things.  As the read of the truck slid toward the cliff the trailer went too.  If it weren’t for the Christmas Tree pines lining the trail we may have lost both trailer and truck!  After unloading my 4-wheeler Dave and Greg drove my truck to the bottom of the mountain.  I went to render assistance to Mike, Wyatt and Mark.  It took us roughly 4 or 5 hours but we got the rigs pulled back on to the trail only to get them stuck again!  We were running out of daylight.

The only recourse left was to drive my four-wheeler out to call for a tow truck.  We had no phone service on the mountain.  But in the time it took for the tow truck to arrive a friendly Jeep pulled behind Mike’s truck and were equipped with an extra set of chains that perfectly fit his oversized back tires.  With proper traction Wyatt then turned into Speed Racer and drove the truck and trailer to safety.  I can’t tell you a more beautiful sight than seeing that truck and trailer at the bottom of the hill as we pulled up in a tow truck (he still charged us, though!).

While we made it down from the mountain we still weren’t out of the woods.  After spending the night in beautiful Basalt, CO and eating breakfast with Tim in Glenwood Springs we had to pass through Vail Pass.  Unknown to us as we headed down the highway was that Vail Pass was closed!  However, as we neared Vail we received word that the pass was just opened…but it would still be very slick…it was.  It took us several hours to drive what should have been a relatively short trip to Denver…but we were now back on dry ground.

So…we prayed for a good harvest and that’s what we got.  We didn’t tag an elk but we made a new friend.  We needed his wisdom and he needed our fellowship.  Tim was camped across from us all by himself.  After being invited to eat with us he ended up taking part in our devotions and our fellowship…even keeping his chair in our tent.  He became such a good friend we made the decision to hunt with him next year near his home in Canon City.  I’ll give you those details as soon as they are firmed up.

Yeah, I know, why would you want to take part in an event that’s so…unsafe?  Well, how else can you learn that you’re not the most powerful force in the universe?  Think about it.  Love to have you next year!

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2010 Dove Hunt Pictures