Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns A great trip...

Ya know that "nice" mountain across the highway.... Well I found out yesterday why everyone I see in the parking lot looks like an Olympic athlete...because it ain't for old people...like me... But I decided just to take a "walk" up past treeline knowing I was not going to make the top...

So about 1000 I start walking...and it is UP from the moment you step out of your car... And what makes it worse is this starts at 7000' and works up to 12600...and at home my driveway is at 380'...but I walk anyway. I've done a bunch of the White Mountains in NH but this "hike" is STRAIGHT up all the way.

The innocent view from the trailhead...


..steep.



Getting up there...



...almost to treeline and now it really gets steep and slippery...this is important later coming down!!

This what you have to climb "up" to look "down"....and this is 3K' above the parking lot and the parking lot isn' all that far away horizontally....





Mackay's place is right over the tip at the base of the next hills...



View of the mountain peak from where I stopped...everything further gets real "tight" and I am beat...and still have to walk back down before dark..



This part of the ridge has to be climbed on all fours....

Mackay's place is just to the left of the house with the big driveway...



Another view of the scramble...after Chicken Out Ridge...Mackay has been over it...



That is my truck just to the right of the path 3K' feet below...



Mt.Dicky also across from the cabin..



Small year round ice flow part of the way down the mountain...



Took me 5 hours to get up and two to get down...but the views were worth every step...

Bob

and so today just to keep the exercise fresh I climbed the hill behind the cabin to see if there was any holes min the 800 yard pistol target. I could see at least one and it was there along with another....





I think the second one was one of the lower powered round nose ones I fired this morning as the hole was smaller. The first one I know was a 255 LBT as I saw the hit...

It just slightly dented the t-post..



Also managed to hit the 110 yard gong 5/5 with the FA .41 and 2/2 with the USFA .22 Magnum...


..and that was the morning...

Bob

woo ...

What a grand time and adventure you are having! Seeing sights that few see, and doing things most men your age would get tired out from by just watching someone else do it on TV.

Nice story, I am enjoying reading of your continued adventures.

It has been a fun trip... I was just starting to post the afternoon "adventure" when Mackay and his daughter pulled into the cabin...

Friday afternoon it was another cloudless 75* day and wanting some fresh meat, like a hamburger, for dinner decided to ride to Challis 28 miles away..and is the nearest town. On the way up Rt 93 there was a sigh SPAR CANYON ROAD/RT 20 20 miles..so I took the long way to the market... It was 20 miles of dirt road to Rt 20 and another 6 or so miles to Rt 75 that comes into Challis from the SW...and in all that time I saw ONE car.

Beginning of the road...



There are a lot of off-road trails to explore...



Top of Spar Canyon..all down hill from here...



Road is big enough for two TT rigs to pass in most places...



..and ends at RT.20 and the Salmon River...





4-wheeler road to the top of the world..

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Saw this sigh and figuring my time here is getting short better take a look...











..and so I rode 55 miles to get a hamburger instead of 28 but was worth the fuel and time...the KLR gets 60+ on pavement and over 50 dirt..with a 6 gallon tank it is hard to run out of fuel..

Bob

..and so we started Saturday morning with a two mile walk to see the horses before dawn...



The neighbor later told me that at the same time there were 75 elk across the highway feeding just out of sight from where I was....

Once it warmed up a little..iot was the first freeze at 30*...we went fishing..didn't catch anything but didd see one small mule deer buck and a doe with a fawn...



Then for some shooting..Mackay with a Tikka with 10X US Optics on board..his first group was a cloverleaf at 100 yards...



Then it was Kimbers turn to break some water filled jugs practicing for her upcoming mule deer hunt...



Mackay shooting at the 800 yard target with a Glock 21...and yes he did hit it...



Dark spot in the upper right corner of the pic near the cloud is the brass...

So after firing a bunch of rounds it was time to check the target. This time we went straight up the hill instead of going to the 800 yard gong and sidehilling it across... Gotta say it is getting easier...Kimber carried the backpack and she ran up the last 50 yards...




New holes in the target...four. I put one new hole in Friday while cooking the hamburger that In could see when I made it..wind was blowing and hit the target once out of 9 rounds.

When Ted fired the Glock we saw a puff of dust come up behind the target...he had enlarged my hole. After he shot I fired five rounds from the Freedom Arms and hit the target 2/5... The two holes in the center and one large hole below them are the new ones. The one in the upper left I did the first session..







Mackay with Kimber and beloved Glock...



..back of target.




One of my bullets from Friday that hit right in front of the target and threw dirt on the target...

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Kimber loves to look in the bullet strikes trying to find expended bullets...



and she came up with one of mine...a 255 grain Cast Performance LBT WFN-GC...



255 LBT on right and home cast 245 RN left...I think the RN is the one that went through the right side of the target and hit the t-post as I found it on the ground 3' right of the t-post.





Sunset..moon rise over Mt. Bora.....



and a campfire with marshmallows...not a better way to end a day...



Bob

I was right in your area yesterday afternoon. Went on a road trip from Boise to Salmon to Missoula Friday, then Missoula down 93 to Idaho Falls yesterday.



Closer look at Mt. Borah. In fact, if you look close, I think that's you there next to that 2nd tree from the top, bent over and huffing and puffing...

I tried to get someone to climb that mountain with me about six years ago and got a firm promise but then she backed out. Not sure I could make it at this age any more and wouldn't want to try it alone.




I've seen a lot of nice places in the West, the part between Stanley and Salmon is Tall, Steep and Rugged, and the area up in Western Montana around Missoula to Butte and Helena is about as pretty as any place I've seen, but that Lost River Range just exemplifies majestic grandeur if ever I've seen it. Jagged rocky peaks above timberline that go on for miles and miles. IMO they make the Sawtooths look second rate.

Jim...when you stopped to take the picture of Mt Bora there was a house right in front of you on the right...that is where we were talking to the neighbor when you took the picture...

Bob

Friends,

First I must say that Bob got some great shots. He is as quick with a camera as he is accurate with his beloved .41s.

Great story telling posts too. Kimber and I had a great but all too short weekend. She was a seriously happy camper blowing up expired cans of corn with my old Colt M4.

With the stock totally collapsed so it fits her, and no recoil to speak of, it should make a good little deer gun, though not traditional by any means. That being said, watching her shoot over her hunting pack and nail water bottles, I think she should do ok with the little carbine if the right opportunity presents itself.

A great weekend and Bob is really getting in shape trucking up and down the local hills around the cabin.

Cheers!

Bob and Mackay--

some mighty fine medicine there in those narratives and pics!

potent magic...

Love the area but usually just pass through to go steelhead fishing and sometimes use to fish at Mackay res with my old buddy before he passed. Need to pack my 4wheeler over there and go for a ride. Been debating trying Mt Borah (my high school was named after) before I get too old. My hunting grounds are in the Little Lost valley and I am heading there next weekend.

Well this is my last day at Mackay's cabin...have been here since August 1st and it is time to head out...

It was a full moon the other night and was cloudy but was able to get one ok photo...







Food has been great half pound elk burger with noodles and salad...



This morning I hiked the hill up to the 800 yard pistol target before sunrise to check to see if any of the 10 .41 Special slugs hit the target...there was one new divot in the dirt a foot in front of the target but no new .41 holes. I had also taken 6 or 7 shots with a M4 .223 sitting with a sling that Mackay spotted for and there were 3 .223 holes out the back of the OSB...

Before sunrise...





It was 45* and the wind was 25+ mph...I hunkered down to wait for sunrise and had a buck antelope pass 50 yards in front of me. Had the phone in my pocket and couldn't get it out to take a picture before he spotted me and trotted around the hill.

Sunrise at the top of the hill...



Time to pack up and move on...next stop...shooting with Idaho Shooter....

Bob

Hi Bob,

The e-mail does not want to transmit tonight.

Looking forward to your arrival tomorrow.

Still got my phone #?