I was thinking that you ought to be ready for a deep-country elk hunt now. I'm not going to be in half the shape you are this fall, but I'm going anyway. Just slower...
I would be a damn good pack-mule right now for an elk hunt. Between the running, biking and the "daddy shoulder rides" my 5-year old gets, the legs are ready for anything.
I'll bet I could fit a lot of elk in my Kelty Yukon external frame pack.
