Jesus Moment

[Hunting Wife]

One of mine was completely out of my control. Flying home for Christmas in college. Flight into Portland all of a sudden hit some insane turbulence. Overhead bins popping open, ceiling panels falling, people crying. I was pretty sure we were not landing rubber-side down on that one.

Other one was for work. Week-long electro fishing trip into the Gunnison Gorge in
Colorado. Helicopter took us and all our rafts/gear/camping stuff in, we shocked for a week, then float out. Had three heavy boats coming out, and ours ended up wrapped on a rock in a boulder garden. Three of us were hanging off the high side trying to keep it from totally getting wallpapered there while the other boats pulled over and people were throwing lines to try to get us extricated. Took about 30 minutes, but we eventually made it out with nothing worse than bruises. That was scary.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

Europe:” Or, have you ever thought, wondered, or worried about your time here on earth coming to an end while hunting, fishing, camping?”



First, great question! It made me think about a few of my “Come to Jesus” moments while out and about in the wilds of our great nation. Here is one that made me pause a bit and thank my lucky stars.



Early September found me sitting on a high mountain pass watching a band of Mtn. Goats. This pass was located between two large drainages with the south facing basin providing that grand open alpine basin vista view. I had hiked up the steep, V-shaped, rock infested north facing drainage that ended in a named glacier at the pass. The divide between these two was a very narrow, U-shaped, rocky spine connecting two peaks. This spine provided the snow trap and shade for the glacial area head wall and I was glad to be there taking in the magnificent views.



The goats were on the opposite side of the spine doing what goats do and I was enjoying watching the kids play in the snow of the glacier. After a spell, the goats lined out and started my way on the top of the spine. They filed past me at less than 20yds and I smiled watching the nanny’s eye roll to my position as they passed. I think back to that moment and remember kicking myself for not digging the camera out of the pack when I first arrived. Those pics would have been priceless for the memories of that day and would have probably saved me from the “Jesus” moment to come. Anyway, the goats continued up the spine until they disappeared over the horizon. I got the great idea of following as there were two or three additional basins off of that peak that I had wanted to check out. What better way to check out new country than following critters that you are interested in at that moment? That question works with most animals, goats, not so much! The spine would crest out on one cliff band after another and I continued to climb with the goal of following the goats and reaching the top. During the climb, I maneuvered up though some sketchy spots with one being on the extreme side. That extreme spot was a narrow break in a cliff that was nothing but a gravel chute approximately 10’ wide at the bottom and 2’ wide at the top. This cut spewed gravel over a high cliff and I was dumb enough to enter. Once in the cut, I had to use the solid rock side walls for any and all finger or toe holds. Not a fun place to be while wearing a pack with a bow tied to it. I made it to the top of the cut to find a scree/gravel band between the cliff that I had just ascended and the summit. Climbing up that scree slope was both difficult and scary but I finally made it to the top. No “Jesus” moments yet but the pucker gauge was pegged out several times during the climb.



The peak summit was nothing more than a narrow tiered flat roughly 80yds long encircled by cliffs. I had envisioned traversing the main spine that connected that peak to several others down range but that spine was interrupted by cliff beaks that I would not be able to cross. I knew that I did not dare try to back track my ascending path. I could not hike the broken spine. I was literally sitting on the top of this mountain befuddled on what I was going to do! I had my ascending route behind me and a punch bowl, cliff walled, basin in front, cliffs all around and the sun was getting closer to the horizon. The cliffs that encircled the basin in front of me looked like a no-go but there was one talus chute that flowed into a boulder field that dropped into the bottom of the basin. If I could only find a path to that talus chute I’d be home free. I knew that trying to assess a path to descend down multiple cliff faces is very difficult but not impossible. After some time, I had come up with a probable path that would require me to lower my pack, with bow attached, to a wide ledge below. I then had to lower myself over the cliff, hanging by my fingertips, then let go and drop to a very narrow ledge that would eventually allow me to drop onto the ledge that my pack would be lowered to. I should first state that I didn’t just eyeball this plan before attempting to drop myself over a cliff! I came to this plan by first harnessing a rock and lowering it down to the ledge to get a height measurement in order to assess the distance of the drop needed. I also used the lowered rock’s size to determine the width of the ledge. The drop was only going to be 12 to 14 inches. The ledge was roughly the same. The cliff below the ledge appeared to be several hundred feet straight down, another small ledge followed by an additional several hundred feet to the rocks below.



Hanging by my fingertips, cheek pressed up against the rock face, toes pointed down as far as my boots would allow, that was my “JESUS WHAT HAVE I DONE” moment! Relaxing my fingers was the hardest thing that I have ever asked my body to do. Once done, I stuck the landing like an Olympic gymnast and managed to complete the climb down with only pegging out the pucker factor gauge a few more times!



I love goat country,



Mtnhunter



PS: The goats that I followed to the top were on the cliffs of that little basin, opposite my location, watching this whole event. I’m guessing that they were laying odds and taking bets!
PPS: If I had my camera out, I would of probably spooked the goats trying to get the photos taken. I then would of continued down the south facing drainage as I had originally planned. Someone up there wanted to teach me something! Be smart while in goat country, lesson learned!!!

 

[Wyohunt]

Picked a campsite in the dark....20yds from a 600 ft cliff. In the 80s before headlamps. Drinking involved.

 

[rwc101]

Post-hunt libations got a little out of control after day one of pheasant camp this year. Said "Jesus" quite a bit the next morning.