Caribou Gear

1000ft in .7 miles.

Looks pretty open on the side I’m dropping down to a creek bottom. Heavy timber going up other side.
If it were me, I'd also be thinking about what the elevation is and how long I'm going to have to acclimate, being from down low. I have to temper what's normally fine for me when I'm going to be at 10,000 feet instead of 2,000 feet.
 
That actually doesn't sound too bad. Hardest hike I've done in western Montana (on a trail) was 0.6 miles horizontal distance, covering 1500 feet elevation gain. With a full overnight backpacking pack. Sucked but doable, just don't lose your balance.
 
Are the seasonal streams dry? If not there is water running on the private ground, per your map.

If the hike is too steep for comfort in either direction you can traverse and make your own switchbacks.
 
Man, I’d way rather do the climb to where I’m hunting than kill something below and have to pack uphill a significant distance.

We had a ridge that went up 1400 foot in about 3/4 of a mile, I’d way rather do that than drop 1000 in .7.
 
I had a spot JUST like that (actually had to check OnX just now!!!) and I had one of the craziest near disaster hunts going in and then trying to get out the next day after a storm. I’ve never been back in 20 years other than to glass from the overlook a few times over the years. I know theres elk in it, just can’t forget that crappy wet night, and dangerous climb out across flooded ravines and then up steep talus to the road.
 
So two routes from this week.

600 yards 1600ft of elevation - little puckery… mostly walking though

1 mile 2000ft- it’s a pump but doable

It’s going to depend on a lot of factors how crappy it is, footing/ is it wet, is it consistent grade or benchy with steep spots.

Overall all yeah totally reasonable, probably won’t want more than say a 65 lb pack on going up so consider multiple trips.
 
I’m e scouting for a deer tag I just picked up in a unit I’ve drove through but no boots on the ground experience. I’ve found a promising looking spot but I’m expecting it’s going to be a bigger hole then what it looks like on the map. From your experience how bad is a 1000ft drop in elevation over a .7 mile trip down. I measured it on GE with dropping down with the contours as best as I could. Thanks.
Think of the road headed to hidden valley lake😜😜
 
This is what I’m looking at. Hoping to catch a buck slipping up the creek from private. Thanks for all the reply’s.
Stupid question, but what are they slipping up the creek for? From the pictures and topo, it seems they would stop short on you unless they were going over the top. Hard to tell, so I ask sincerely.
 
I have learned to think of slopes in percents. It's a useful metric, because you can picture roads and trails and know their percent-slope and gage your hike against those.

That averages out to a 27% slope. Steep, but nothing insane.
On my lunch break I do 1700’ in 1 mile (32% slope) on the local “M” hill. It’s not even close to falling down steep.
 
Stupid question, but what are they slipping up the creek for? From the pictures and topo, it seems they would stop short on you unless they were going over the top. Hard to tell, so I ask sincerely.
I would hope to get a drink and bed. The private below that I’m hoping they will be on is completely open. They are wild animals so who knows what they will do but that’s why I want to look at that area. They also could get pushed down from the top. A lot of forest roads and pressure should be above this area. Just looks like one of those overlooked spots off a Hwy that could work. Who knows. Also the private I’m talking about isn’t the piece in the screenshot. It’s directly below the creek to the left of my picture. Just didn’t get it in the shot.
 
ONX and CalTopo (free and good) have good steepness tools that assign color codes and grade percentages.

Even though I can get a number (45%) assigned to the steepness of a slope, I still think the map was lying to me once I start climbing it.
 
I took my dad and my brother on a hill that is 1300ft in 1/2 mile last week in Montana, if you are in good shape it should take about 40-45 minutes, with my dad and brother in tow calling me all sorts of profanities, it took us about 1:10. I feel like I am in really good shape when it comes to hiking, I spent more time than i would have wanted to waiting on them, but that's what I get for not being the tagholder this year.
I still feel that maps lied to me on that hill though. more hiking to prepare for going into next year for me (and by god I'm calling them every week to make sure they are too).

that hill was not the reason we didn't get into elk. the lack of elk in the bob are the reason we didn't get into elk consistently (at least that's what I will keep telling my dad and brother)
 
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