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Crying through the inreach in Medellin, Co - beam me up wllm

DouglasR

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 9, 2019
Messages
4,151
Location
East central, Il
Posting this in other big game because it’s technically a bear hunt even though it’s mostly just a camping trip and there’s prob a better chance of me hitting a bear with my car than with a rifle.

sorry if it’s too long and basically just describe y’all’s day to say life, but this is some out of the ordinary ish for a trucker from the shire.

* @MTLabrador You were right, I can’t 1 trip a bear out of this spot at least not on my first time in there.

“there are levels to this”

Day 1: drive out to Colorado, stop by one of my old haunts, throw some brats on the grill and have a wonderful evening enjoying the beauty of the mountains.
17FA651B-86B4-42B9-86BC-9633DD8BEA46.jpeg

Day 2: Sleep in. Get up and drive a couple hrs further west.
Park at trailhead next to another Illannoyian, load up my pack and hike in.
went about 3/4 mile up trail, hung a left and bushwhacked through thick nasty ish and started up a hill to get to a ridge I was hoping to be able to glass from.
For a flat lander this climb got pretty f***ed pretty fast but I really had the eye of Cam at this point so I just kept going and going.
Right before topping out the ridge there was 1 section that was maybe 15-20ft of smooth rock that I would think had to be class 3.
Definitely had to use my hands and plan out the route before I did it.
I went up once without my pack walked the ridge and tried to find a better spot but I couldn’t.
I thought about emptying out my pack and shuttling gear up in multiple trips but in the end I said F it and just pulled one big job. Lol
However, once I got up there I 100% decided I was not going back down through that steep ass unstable Mars dust.
Got up on the ridge, dropped down over the back side of the ridge to the dotted blue line to get water and too my surprise
“Rut-roh” there ain’t no water here and it’s a mile as the crow flies through country I have no idea about to the nearest creek.
Glad I carried in 3 liters because I definitely almost only took 2 to save weight.
glassed from the ridge till sunset. Pretty sure I could hear something big raising hell in the brush 200yds below but could never get eyes on it.
B4A62EBD-591D-4D69-95E3-570CBEB4BC47.jpeg

9F6BD03C-68EB-4CF6-9A40-0D8858318D2F.jpeg
Day 3: glassed ridge again in the morning, didn’t see anything, loaded up and headed for the creek a mile away.
Did a lot of hiking through blowdown and and thick ish.

At one point I dropped down into a hole so deep I’m pretty sure I was actually in Medellin, Columbia. There was an unbelievable amount of old propane cylinders and trimming scissors.
It’s none of my business how you use your public lands but seriously clean up your mess when you leave.
I looked around for souvenirs, found a Cumberland gap quarter and put it in my pocket.
bad move.
You don’t steal from those people.
9224FAEC-6D9A-4C4D-AAC2-2B0E4E552AB1.jpeg86AC74C1-2F91-46B1-8B3F-DF0A3B3BF23D.jpeg

Continued on, finally found some openings with sign that you could prob still hunt through.
D4470367-C1AA-4A1D-A4EF-FC363A25E2DE.jpeg

by this time I had been hiking for several hrs and while it was cool to be out in a huntable area and seeing sign it was hotter than absolute hell and I was out of water.

so I look at my onX system and try to identify a nice open path 500ish ft down to the creek bottom.
bad idea, that open area was more thick ass Mars dust.
I started dropping down that mother f***er and immediately regretted it.
Inner monologue throughout this down climb:
“wtf are you doing you stupid mfer? You’re a $*)Q!#@$ trucker from central Illinois not a mountain man”
So to get down this I’ve basically got my left leg fully extended in front of me leading the way with my right leg tucked and I’m laying on the side of this hill as I try to side slide from bush to bush back over towards the thick trees and shit.
blowdown sucks but it’s definitely better than free falling to your death.
btw, as a guy who jv wrestles and slides down mountains with his left leg forward I’ll be moving my rifle over to the left side of my pack.
I beat tF out of that thing in that down climb and at one point it popped off my pack and went for a quick slide but thankfully got jammed up in a bush like 10ft below so I was able to get it.
I get back over to the thick shit where I can hold on and thank god.
start hiking down through the blowdown and dehydration is really stating to set in.
I get about 200yds above the creek and say f it.
ditch my pack, stuff my water filter bags in my bino harness, strap my empty nalgene to it and start bombing for the creek
bottom.
When I get there of course the creek is like 100ft down a cliff but thankfully the master programmer decided to show mercy on me and put a decently safe goat path down to the creek right where I was at.
I couldn’t do it with a full pack but it wasn’t horrible.
had some descent cramps.
Drank lots of water, hiked back up to pack, got the rest of my water bags, hiked back down, filled them up, hiked back up all the way to the top and set my camp in the most huntable spot with the most sign because it was the only flat place I could find. 🤦‍♂️
moving around the tent was hard that night. Lots of cramps.
at this point one of my alter egos @bitchmadehunter took control of the hunt and decided he was finding a safe route back to the car the next day...

C593F0EF-84B4-4E31-B6F4-880D1C0B0E4C.jpeg
 
Nice “camp” you stumbled across. I know of a similar looking one in a remote patch of Idaho. I made use of a couple propane cylinders and the Coleman stove when I found it. It has two awesome homemade wood stoves laying in it. I’d love to have one but the pack put would a killer without stock
 
Nice “camp” you stumbled across. I know of a similar looking one in a remote patch of Idaho. I made use of a couple propane cylinders and the Coleman stove when I found it. It has two awesome homemade wood stoves laying in it. I’d love to have one but the pack put would a killer without stock
I might’ve stumbled upon one in another unit last year.
(Just following my nose) teehee
When someone on here suggested that it was an abandoned grow I was skeptical, but given all the small scissors laying around this place I’m guessing that’s what it was.
2E66F3D9-73BD-4B4C-BAD7-B9425EE35615.jpeg
 
I might’ve stumbled upon one in another unit last year.
(Just following my nose) teehee
When someone on here suggested that it was an abandoned grow I was skeptical, but given all the small scissors laying around this place I’m guessing that’s what it was.
View attachment 194163

this is where the underground barbershops were during the lockdown
 
I might’ve stumbled upon one in another unit last year.
(Just following my nose) teehee
When someone on here suggested that it was an abandoned grow I was skeptical, but given all the small scissors laying around this place I’m guessing that’s what it was.
View attachment 194163
Awesome write up, I did a ride along with a game warden a number of years ago now. When weed was first becoming legal in Colorado there were illegal grows all over on the public lands. Most run by cartels. They regularly had to go in and clear them out. Some were small little camps. some full blown with irrigation and pulley systems to get jet sleds over a mile to within a hundred yards of roads.
 
Good stuff, and on the bright side you don’t have to deal with a stinky bear and an expensive taxidermy bill.
 
Day 4: rest the legs or beat the heat?
Given the cramping the night before and my general lack of motivation as a human I decided to sleep in and didn’t get hiking till 9:30.
I decided to try to blaze a path straight down hill to the road.
It was only like 1000yds, I knew it was gonna be thick and steep in spots, but I was hoping I could just keep going and pop through.
It started off wonderful. It was almost like there were little trails down to benches the entire way down...
And then it got thick.
I think I had thawhacked my way downhill for an hour or so before coming to a cliff.
At this point I had to to do some thinking.
how many drinks had I taken out of my water bladder?
can I thawhack my way back uphill around this cliff and back down without running out of water?
what if there’s another cliff?
Another hole?
another spot too thick to crash through?...
nope...
The way is shut...
This route isn’t gonna send...
It was at this point @bitchmadehunter had to do something he doesn’t like to do.
something he doesn’t want to do.
I gotta go back up the way I just came down, climb back down to that stupid f***ing creek, re-up the water supply and spend another night.
I hike back up through that thick shit obsessively checking onX to make sure I was going back up the way I’d come down.
Idk how long it took me to get back to my camp spot but when I got there I was freaking thirsty and starting to get some really wonderful cramps again.
As I did the day before, I dumped out everything from my pack but the food bag, water and my sleeping bag.
I brought the sleeping bag because at this point I was really hot and tired and starting to contemplate a worst case scenario in which I end up incapacitated down by that creek somewhere and have to ghetto bivy while smashing the sos button.(once you got down to the creek there was no gps signal so it wouldn’t have mattered)
by the time I get to the creek I’m having the worst cramps of my life. I just kept filling my nalgene over and over again.
Filtering through the squeeze filter was a pain.
as I would squeeze it my hand would cramp up and refuse to release and when I tried to use the other one to pull my fingers straight it would clamp down and lock up so yeah that wasn’t fun.
At one point I slipped and fell down on the rocks by the creek and my abs cramped up to where they wouldn’t release for several minutes.
Like the top right one was bulging through my skin.
I ended up just laying down in the cool comfort of the wet creek mud for a few minutes and finally it let go.

Drank tons of water and cooled off down there for a couple hrs. like gallons of water.
until my piss turned from brown back to its usual crystal clear.
forced down a peak and as much food as I could.

On the hike back up out of that forsaken place I ran into a muley doe at about 50 yards.
She looked at me and laughed “dumbass”
and casually walked off.
Got camp set up and crawled into bed.
Looking back, I was probably overreacting, but I was terrified.
I knew I could make it back to the ridge I’d initially climbed in on, but if I could not find a safe way down I would more than likely be completely out of water and have to back track 2-3mi to that damned creek and I really don’t know if I could’ve made it in that cruel Colorado suns heat because there’s no freaking water.
so as I’m sitting there getting all pissy eyed, thinking
“Wtf were you thinking”
I did what any man of the modern world would do and sent a text to the most interesting man in the world...
Wllm1313

douglasr-
“Dude can you see my exact location on this? I’m seriously scared I’m not gonna make it out of here tomorrow. Can you in any way shape or form describe a way out of here via text and please just tell me I’m gonna be ok”
Wllm
“I think you can just walk down the nose of that ridge. You’re gonna be fine it’s just gonna suck.
Douglasr- “thanks man, if this doesn’t work out please don’t let @rwc101 know what happened.

Laugh if you will, but it seems like that guy’s looked at a lot of topo maps in his life so yeah, if anyone can tell you the best way to go...
Thanks man!
*this was before I’d read his recent Alaska story. That guy’s messed up. I’d never walk where he walks.

set my alarm for 5 the next day and tried to go to sleep.

I don’t have many pictures from this day because I didn’t want any.
I think this was some of the fun but it wasn’t the worst.
51D1358A-C76A-4033-9E5D-1A05911E88D7.jpeg
 
Day 4: rest the legs or beat the heat?
Given the cramping the night before and my general lack of motivation as a human I decided to sleep in and didn’t get hiking till 9:30.
I decided to try to blaze a path straight down hill to the road.
It was only like 1000yds, I knew it was gonna be thick and steep in spots, but I was hoping I could just keep going and pop through.
It started off wonderful. It was almost like there were little trails down to benches the entire way down...
And then it got thick.
I think I had thawhacked my way downhill for an hour or so before coming to a cliff.
At this point I had to to do some thinking.
how many drinks had I taken out of my water bladder?
can I thawhack my way back uphill around this cliff and back down without running out of water?
what if there’s another cliff?
Another hole?
another spot too thick to crash through?...
nope...
The way is shut...
This route isn’t gonna send...
It was at this point @bitchmadehunter had to do something he doesn’t like to do.
something he doesn’t want to do.
I gotta go back up the way I just came down, climb back down to that stupid f***ing creek, re-up the water supply and spend another night.
I hike back up through that thick shit obsessively checking onX to make sure I was going back up the way I’d come down.
Idk how long it took me to get back to my camp spot but when I got there I was freaking thirsty and starting to get some really wonderful cramps again.
As I did the day before, I dumped out everything from my pack but the food bag, water and my sleeping bag.
I brought the sleeping bag because at this point I was really hot and tired and starting to contemplate a worst case scenario in which I end up incapacitated down by that creek somewhere and have to ghetto bivy while smashing the sos button.(once you got down to the creek there was no gps signal so it wouldn’t have mattered)
by the time I get to the creek I’m having the worst cramps of my life. I just kept filling my nalgene over and over again.
Filtering through the squeeze filter was a pain.
as I would squeeze it my hand would cramp up and refuse to release and when I tried to use the other one to pull my fingers straight it would clamp down and lock up so yeah that wasn’t fun.
At one point I slipped and fell down on the rocks by the creek and my abs cramped up to where they wouldn’t release for several minutes.
Like the top right one was bulging through my skin.
I ended up just laying down in the cool comfort of the wet creek mud for a few minutes and finally it let go.

Drank tons of water and cooled off down there for a couple hrs. like gallons of water.
until my piss turned from brown back to its usual crystal clear.
forced down a peak and as much food as I could.

On the hike back up out of that forsaken place I ran into a muley doe at about 50 yards.
She looked at me and laughed “dumbass”
and casually walked off.
Got camp set up and crawled into bed.
Looking back, I was probably overreacting, but I was terrified.
I knew I could make it back to the ridge I’d initially climbed in on, but if I could not find a safe way down I would more than likely be completely out of water and have to back track 2-3mi to that damned creek and I really don’t know if I could’ve made it in that cruel Colorado suns heat because there’s no freaking water.
so as I’m sitting there getting all pissy eyed, thinking
“Wtf were you thinking”
I did what any man of the modern world would do and sent a text to the most interesting man in the world...
Wllm1313

douglasr-
“Dude can you see my exact location on this? I’m seriously scared I’m not gonna make it out of here tomorrow. Can you in any way shape or form describe a way out of here via text and please just tell me I’m gonna be ok”
Wllm
“I think you can just walk down the nose of that ridge. You’re gonna be fine it’s just gonna suck.
Douglasr- “thanks man, if this doesn’t work out please don’t let @rwc101 know what happened.

Laugh if you will, but it seems like that guy’s looked at a lot of topo maps in his life so yeah, if anyone can tell you the best way to go...
Thanks man!
*this was before I’d read his recent Alaska story. That guy’s messed up. I’d never walk where he walks.

set my alarm for 5 the next day and tried to go to sleep.

I don’t have many pictures from this day because I didn’t want any.
I think this was some of the fun but it wasn’t the worst.
View attachment 194210
If @wllm1313 gives you a spot to check out, a casual hike, or a way out… You are in for an adventure! The almost lost a limb, hate my life, why do I do this, kind of adventure. But looking back on it makes for one hell of a trip. Glad you made it out @DouglasR D431FCC4-52B4-42C8-B5A0-C027FFD7FACB.jpeg
 
sorry for your tough situation here. But, it’s making for a better story than if you had walked up a mountain and shot a bear and walked back out. Quote of the day “you’re going to be fine…it’s just going to suck“

but I‘ve got to hand it to you, you are doing a great job getting away from the crowds of other hunters!
 
At least no jungle tripwire sets and you were able to get out before they found your head on a pike pole!
Bright sides to everything 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
Day 5:
Get up at 5, load everything up, force down another peak refuel and start trying to get the heck out of there.
I measured the line distance on onX and started counting every single one of my steps.
Thankfully the hike back to the abandoned camp wasn’t bad at all.
Remember that Cumberland gap quarter I stole from there on my way through?
yeah, I put that shit back where I found it on some Brady bunch Hawaii episode shit.
that thing carried the cruelty and malice of Gustavo Gaviria himself.
F40D74A5-56BB-45B2-8BA1-CB5BB43AEF01.jpeg

The camp was a turning point.
Gain another 600ft of elevation up to the ridge I’d come in on and was scared of or try to stay on contour from where I was, bushwhack around to the nose of that ridge and try to walk it down as wllm had suggested.
after spending several minutes staring at the hybrid onx map I decided to try to bushwhacked and take the nose out.

it worked.
there were definitely a few cliffs and thick spots where I was begging god please, please, please don’t let this become completely impassible but after a few hrs and a couple back tracks I was 70yds from the trail fully engulfed in oak brush, choke cherries and whatever tF else kind of nasty ass bushes grow out here.

70 yards?
#*^@#* you.
head down and drive.

omg?
Is that the trail?
Yes! Yes! Yes!

sweet relief.

got back to the car, headed for town, booked a hotel room and headed for the a/c.
 

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