I'm laid up here after shoulder surgery and well, frankly it IS the middle of winter. Gonna be a month before planting any salad and peas and two months til turkey season.

Let's post some pictures! Anything, last year's hunts, backpacking trips, fishing, hiking, scenery...anything will do. I just like seeing others' photos. I'll start, and yes, most of you have probably seen most of these:

Rock Chuck packing in our camp last October with "the boys" during our Idaho mulie hunt.



We were camped about two miles back down in that "hole" in the background. This morning we were hiking back to retrieve our previous days mule deer kill with the two largest llamas, Jack and Blue.



We hunted some beautiful country




The last day was cold with a little snow.



An overnighter with my little gal



Last spring's turkey.



Her first trout!

[img]http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k562/bigtroutphoto/2013/SAM_1698copy.jpg[/img]

First hike early last year.

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I'm sorry to hear that... heal up quickly!

Idaho trip, 2012


Turk's Cap lilly in N. Carolina


A rain shower of Looking Glass Rock in NC




Ivester Gap in Shining Rock Wilderness, NC

Thanks, doing okay and already working on moving it some per Dr. orders.

Narcotics are good!

What's the surgery, and what's the doc's prognosis for backpacking?

I had calcification in my shoulder joint and juncture where the collarbone meets the shoulder. This crap rubs muscle and tendon tissue and some positions would about bring me to my knees. I've never felt pain like that. I had to be extremely careful last Fall when mounting a pack on my back!

Doc is aware of my outdoor activities, backpack hunts, etc. His 2nd grader is classmates with mine and he's always been interested in my Idaho backpack trips. He has a 10 year old that deer hunts. The Doc isn't a hunter, but takes his son and encourages it. He also know I've been taking my girl on short backpack trips.

He conveyed to my wife, post surgery, he was alarmed at how much my shoulder had stiffened. He said get out of the sling in 24 hours, start moving my arm, and start PT next week. He indicated that when that stiffness is present to the extent it is, the muscle can quickly "shrink wrap" the shoulder joint causing lockup.
He told her "as active as he is, he needs to start moving tomorrow, I don't want that joint to lock on him."

He also gave me another Prednisone pack, which can be some nasty stuff, but is very effective against inflammation. This I believe he did so I can get started NOW on PT.

So I'm already moving and today (48 hrs) I will remove the bandages. I should make a full recovery but I have to get busy and serious now with PT and be diligent about it.

I won't see him again for 1 1/2 weeks but start PT Wednesday.

Not really sure what causes this, most likely osteoarthritis related. I have some friends who very much is involved in more natural cures and preventive diets. Magnesium seems to be related to calcium absorbtion. I'm looking into that but being active and staying in relatively good shape for my age, I think sometimes it's just the "luck of the draw".

Brad, here ya go.(and anyone else interested)

Here is a couple surgical photos of my joint showing the calcium deposits in the joints. Doesn't require much imagination to understand results of that crap rubbing against tendons and nerves. Ouch!




This is after cleaning it out. You can see inflammation. I have no concept of the orientation of these photos but you can clearly see the joint cleaned of that nasty calcium deposits.






Anyway, that gives some idea. Clearly not the intent of "let's post some photos" but for those of you who are active, and everyone on this forum is, especially those middle age dudes, be aware of pain and if it steadily increases, don't ignore it.

And you younger guys, take care of your joints while you can. "No pain, no gain" is BS. Use your head or you may end up paying later on. There's ways to stay in shape without damaging yourself.

Agreed with all the above.

Thanks Snubbie... sorry, didn't mean to hijack your thread, but any surgery is a tough thing, and I wasn't aware you were lined up for it.

Do what your PT says and heal quickly... looking forward to more of your trip photos from the future!

Best,

Brad

I ran into these guys a couple years ago while bowhunting deer (didn't have an elk tag). That 6x6 would have had his own harem anywhere else but he was a satellite bull to a huge one further up the hill. That one had 20+ cows and he wasn't sharing.



Mrs Chuck on a trip to some lakes at about 9k.
Snubbie - if you were to get out here sometime in the summer, I'd take you up up there. It's about my favorite spot. The 2d pic is the 2d largest of 4 lakes up there. However, I've NEVER seen a deer in there. Not one.




elk hunting with the Mrs. (there's a long story with this pic)


...and finishing off the day with a creek cooled long neck.

Great pics!!

Snubb- sucks about the shoulder. Get after it in PT! Muy importante, especially with shoulders!

We hiked the Chilkoot trail mid August of 2012.

After a couple days on the flat you start up. This is looking back down the trail.





Looking ahead from "the scales" where miners had to weigh their ton of materials before they could cross into Canada.



And yet more climbing with a false summit.




Over the top now heading down into Canada.




Looking back up at the summit. That box at the top is an outhouse.




We lucked out and had great weather the whole trip.



[img]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e130/mycalypsogreen/P1010356_zps306741f4.jpg[/img]



Bear Loon lake.

[img]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e130/mycalypsogreen/P1010377_zps9ab9bee8.jpg[/img]

Then on to Bennett to meet the train back to Skagway. I think we did it in five days, 33 miles starting at sea level. I think the summit is 3,600'

http://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/chilkoottrail.htm

No pain no gain is true til about 35

After that, getting to the point of pain is the trick without exceeding that level. This in my opinion is where the damage threshold is complicated

At 50, injury recovery is brutal. What hurt or made me miserable for a week in my 20s is now many weeks of recovery.

Not sure what 60 or 70 has in store for me yet, I'll let you know.

I'm 65 and so far I haven't had any serious stuff to recover from. I did jam my left ACL about a year ago at work but it healed without surgery and I was able to do the pack trip with Snubbie in Oct.

Snubbie posted this pic of me with 2 of the llamas but he failed to mention that the trail is every bit as steep as it looks. Even with no load, it'll get you puffing. A couple weeks before the season, I took 2 partially loaded llamas up it on a scouting trip and they got a workout. We ended up camping below this stretch because it was so steep that I couldn't find a decent camping spot with both feed for the llamas and enough flat space for the tent.

OK

I really want to do this trip sometime! Thanks for sharing the pics!

Hey I'm game.
Snubbie, hope the shoulder is healing well! I knew I was having my knee replaced about a week after modern in WA this year.
Was really hoping not to hike too much or have to track and drag anything too far.
Day one, afternoon one I'm walking through a wheat field to a hay bale blind on the edge. Never got to the blind!
I saw doe ears just over the rise in front of me and backed off before spooking her. Cut down the draw to the edge of the field to see four deer moving onto the field in front of me. They had no idea I was there.
I hustled up the hill behind them, got low as I neared the top and this old buck was feeding his way up the other side. I went to ground on my fanny pack but was too low. Got into the sticks, ranged it at 286, turned my bdc dial to 290 and pulled the trigger on the Winchester 88 in .308. Never had a boom flop before but I was so grateful to see this guy go down with his hooves about 3 feet in the air before falling back to earth.
Best part was driving out into the field and throwing him in the Suburban by 4:00PM!
For an old deer the meat has really been good.

Sorry to hear about your shoulder. I have been thru the whole frozen shoulder joint thing. Its a real SOB. Stay after the PT as much as you can stand and hopefully you can head off the joint freeze up.

My 26 year old daughter and I backpacked in the Sawtooth Nat Forest.

Here are some photos she took with a little point and shoot Lumix waterproof camera.

Daybreak from the tent:



She took this photo while landing this little brookie just to try out the waterproofness of the camera.

Nice shot. Early morning shots often catch water at it's smoothest. This sun rise is one that I took a couple years ago at a high elevation lake.

Here are some pics from my fun (but unsuccessful) solo mule deer hunt in the Pecos Wilderness:

Spent the first night getting snow + rain + hail. I was packing light with just the rainfly and poles, but it did OK.


Hiking further up canyon into one of the creases


HOPE!






Final morning. Had seen a few deer on this ridgetop and set up for an sunrise opportunity. No deer that morning...

Shoulder surgery is painful, having rotator cuff surgery on both, I can testify. Meanwhile pictures are good therapy...

The girls packing out of the highcountry last summer...

Tell me about this snow cave. I don't believe I've ever seen this. Looks like it is a huge mound of snowpack that has melted or otherwise been eroded from within.

The Tetons from the Snake River during a float last summer


Another shot of the Tetons and Snake



A Bighorn Ewe on Mt. Washburn, YNP last summer.


Sawtooth Nat Forest, Idaho

Tough spot to get into, but my wife and her girlfriend (both over 50 yo) managed it well. The Snow bridge is made by the outflow from the lake above. The photo was taken last Sept.

Some statue I saw in New York...

deep snow in mtn valleys often melt that way. The water running under them carries more heat than the air and it starts melting above the water.

That's a cool shot!

NC needs an elk season!

A different pack, and different snow bridge:













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And the girls packing out...

Cool stuff guys- I can't wait for the summer!



Short hike/Rock Blasting Session...



Awkward Position Rockchuck blasting!



Elk hunting, I swear...



Camp

This is one of my top 3 favorite places on Earth. I've seen a bunch of deer die here.





Pretty classic mulie country come late October-Winter (Early September, though)



My Dad/Hunting Partner on the packout of my buck this year.



Elk hunt with 30338 this year. Unfortunately I proved to be a bad-luck charm.



Pretty good haul into where this pic was taken.



Tanner

MT don't suck.













[img]http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m285/mtmiller2006/MT%20hiking/72.jpg[/img]

Awesome pics Miller!

Morning piss:



Travis

Very.



Travis

Travis

This guy's lovin' it.




Travis

Were you through hiking the Bob? Foolish endeavor without Adair's guidance.

Tanner

Northern Utah near the Idaho border



Old mill in Cades Cove, Great Smokey Mtn Nat. Park

[bleep]' axe killed my back.



Travis

Great pictures! Let's keep it up


Here's something a little different. How about a comet.




Rock Chuck in the snow. We had climbed up predawn from way down there behind him.

Idaho

Looking down on the lakes from picture above ^

Our sheep camp got a little wet and cold last year:

One of our elk camps from last year:

A spring bear camp, on a trip that turned from a hunting trip, to a camping trip:

A grand old river ends:

Some trails just beckon:

A solo bear trip, sitting watching a spring storm blow in:

This has always been one of my favorite shots, taken north of Sun Valley, ID. The 2d shot is from the same spot but turning 90 degrees. I've taken 3 nice bucks off the top of that rock pile. I dragged Snubbie up there last fall when it had snow on it and he decided that I'm out of my freaking mind. Snubbie is very perceptive.





This is a strange one. It's in the same area as the previous 2 pics. This is a volcanic rock, about 6' in diameter, sitting on top of a granite/basalt ridge. It's totally out of place. If it was thrown here by a volcano, it had to have flown a lot of miles.



And finally the Chucks looking over the Exit glacier in AK

I like pictures of old dead trees too. Yours reminded me of this one:
This band of ewes and lambs were on the ridge in the back of that tree picture. We climbed up beside them the next day:

This tree isn't dead.



this has nothing to do with hunting, hiking, or camping. It's a stud buck we used to have who was good for entertainment value. We called him Buford because he was one.

Here are a few random shots, last year's horns with a Kifaru LH Guide pack:



Summertime, and the livin' is easy:



These guys are serious:



My good side:



Native cutts:





Goat rope, without the rope:

[img]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p46/cpwatts_2006/DSCN1479.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p46/cpwatts_2006/DSCN1425.jpg[/img]

parting shot:

[img]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p46/cpwatts_2006/P9110128.jpg[/img]

Almost sunup in the Montana Beartooths.


And here it is!


Looking back.


My destination.


The fruit of my labor.

how'd ya cook 'em?

I turned 'em over to my SIL after I got back home that night.

that's cheatin'

Naw, just being smart!

I see that I mislabeled the third picture. Actually that was on my way out that evening.

I drive passed that barn every day.

Do you like old buildings? This abandoned ranch house sits right next to I-84 a few miles south of Baker City, OR.



I like sunsets. This is the Gulf of Mexico from the air off the west coast of FL


Idaho's Sawtooth mts in the fog

There is a prevailing wind on the prairie in Oklahoma:

Speaking of houses, here's the house I designed and built solo 2012/13:

I volunteer for a local SAR team. In January of 2013 we did 3 searches for missing persons in 3 weeks. By the end of the 3rd my left knee was killing me. Waited around a couple of months and it got no better. I had a large portion of the meniscus taken out in April. At 55 I was concerned my hiking might be over, but I had a good surgeon, good therapist and I responded well. My wife and did an 11 mile round trip up Mount LeConte in SMNP 10 weeks after surgery just to prove to myself I could do it.

Seems I've seen that Bonsai before

Cool! I've only passed it twice. Great landscape, it caught my eye both times. I suppose because it's the only thing out there!

Beautiful house Brad, I've heard of it but not seen it. You did a good job!

This thread only serves to tell me that I need to head west....

Hope you get well soon. I'm a little worried about my shoulders/collar bones. I've badly broken and dislocated both of my collar bones (racing motocross), the right one just a couple years ago and my shoulders are definitely not the same now. Over time I could have issues. You should be ready to go for Fall hunting in the Rockies!

Great thread by the way! I'll try to add to it once I get back to that side of the globe.

Down on the Rez, complete with satellite dish...

Thanks. I'm doing amazingly well. My mobility is improving by the hour almost. Started PT yesterday & he got me pretty sore but prognosis is fully recovered mobility. Just need to push without pushing too far and getting inflammation.

When I was in the basic training in '70, the term PT wasn't physical therapy. It was physical training. We learned to hate the term. As we crashed at the end of an arduous workout, we were "encouraged" to all yell 'more PT drill sergeant'!! If we didn't yell enthusiastically enough, we got the more PT we'd asked for but didn't want. It was a no-win deal.

PD hunting camp...

Here's a couple totally unrelated to anything on here, a bit out of this world you could say. The first one is about 2.5 million light years away. The second is about 1300 light years away. I shot both of these in 2007. Haven't done much astrophotography in a while. I need to drag the stuff out and do some more.

Andromeda:



The Great Orion Nebula:

Back down to Earth

A camp last spring in Pisgah NF




A cold late winter hike to a place near my home. The "Blue Ridge Escarpment" drops off here providing view across the foothills and Piedmont. You can see around 70 mile here I'd guess. It was spitting some snow that day and the wind was cold. I found some fatwood and collected it to put in my fire kit.

Goat camp in Nv.

-Doug

Looks kinda familiar!

I bet it does!!!

Beautiful pictures everybody!

God did a great job in putting this world together, didn't he?

Coues country I covered this year.














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Ha! Indeed He did!

Yours truly

Not really the theme here.But I sold my last dirt bike this winter, figured 20+ years without getting killed was a good run. (but several weeks in the hospital)

Johnathan Brownings rifling machine (Johns father)



I think this little guy has identity issues..



Before


After

Flying the beartooth:

I know that lake well...

GuNR standing on Brad camp site.

HA! That's great!

Something you don't see every day:

A little of my "art imitates nature" summit work...

A visitor...

Fishin'

Curious locals

Nice Craig!

Here's one I woke out of a dead sleep:

Bighorn dying from wolf attack:

An old cabin I lived in one winter...

The area...

Couple visitors in my yard...

As long as yard animals are allowed...
Yard Moose


Half way through a game of Twister (I won).




Hey you guys!


Little better picture with the local training hill in the background...


Different kind of animal


Spring bear a few years back
[img]http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll201/cwh2/PWS/IMG_8392.jpg[/img]

Nice pics all. Great thread!!!!

Stoned sheep.


Li'l bitty sheep




Think there are two rams in this picture.


Where the other ram stopped rolling.

Couple years back...

Brooks Range Caribou






Was starting to wonder if we'd make the top just above here, this was on the way out and neither of us could see anything in the fog/snow. I'd sweep both poles at every step, then walk toward the less steep one. Clear and sunny on the other side.

Chris, you suck! I am incredibly jealous.

Fantastic photos guys!

Just lucky I guess

That's all that was in photobucket. Loading a couple more now.

This cow had twins, which put on quite a display a couple times. She lost one, but thats the way it goes...






Twister moose, full on molting.



I know its the backpack hunting forum, but does sea life count?




A sleeping whale



A couple idiots getting too close to a sleeping whale and waking it up.

[img]http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll201/cwh2/IMG_0093.jpg[/img]

A couple years ago we ran into a pod of killer whales. Never did get the boat maneuvered correctly for the light.

[img]http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll201/cwh2/IMG_1010.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll201/cwh2/IMG_1011.jpg[/img]

No Wake Zone


Not my house... but I wish it was, that's a sweet lawn that you never have to mow.



Ice cube.


Evidence of global warming. The ice cube tray is melting.


Big 'ol mountain behind a mechanical snowshoe.

I think we determined this was a harbor porpoise rather than a Dall's. We see a lot more Dall's, but this guy was by himself and was having fun chasing the boat.

Just letting out a breath.


Kind of a neat shot where he popped right through the reflected mountains.





An auto-dispensing ice cube tray. Temp and tide can make this a tricky place to get to, as it ices out all at once in the spring and then continues to kick ice out for a big part of the summer. Heard a guy on the radio lamenting that they'd set up camp in this bay, and the next day you couldn't get in there without bumping tons of ice. That camp might still be there.


A scraggly looking goat about a half mile out from the glacier.





[img]http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll201/cwh2/OX5O7420.jpg[/img]

Ok, photobucket sucks, my internet connection is really slow, and it is sunny outside, so no more for now. If you guys are tired of marine animals, let me know and I'll stop posting them.

Snubbie, hope your PT goes well, listen to those folks and don't be a hero.

We made the top ten!

http://www.placestoseeinyourlifetime.com/top-10-ice-caves-in-the-world-5023/

Hiked out to our local ice cave today. A couple pics are from this summer.

Entrance



Looking back out
















Moulin at the end.


[img]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e130/mycalypsogreen/Icecave2013-14083_zps72f84cc4.jpg[/img]

Can you tell me what axe/hatchet you are carrying on your belt and the usefulness of it please.
Im thinking a GB?

As monte python would say " and now for something completely different"

I do the population studies on our hunting concessions for the White Rhinos. Using trail Cameras and by darting them. We dart the females frequently to check health and for pregnancy. The Darting is by my hunters that choose to do a "green hunt" and shoot them with a dart rifle. We do this from the ground by spot and stalk or from a chopper cruising the tree tops.


Game Camera Photo

From the cab of my land cruiser

Inside the archery ground blind, yeah it's freaking close!
Trail camera

[SIZE=4]This is me, we are reviving a big old cow after darting her .[/SIZE]

Cool stuff Jim!

Man I love the looks of that country...

Some more NV, this time from an antelope hunt.

-Doug

We saw sheep, deer and antelope in this canyon, just didn't bother getting any pics of the antelope.

I was putting a camera stalk on the sheep when I jumped this guy from his bed.


The sheep looked down the canyon for a bit wondering, "what's wrong with that guy?" as the deer bounded away. They finally saw me and posed for awhile.


We were treated to some great sunrises.




This little gopher snake thought he was bad.


This fox let me have some photo fun.


We saw an awesome Black Rock Desert dust storm. It is hard to comprehend from these pictures, but the front of the dust wall here is about 3000' high.
[img]http://desertbighorn.smugmug.com/Ou...nt_DayFour_BlackRockDustStorm_-1-4-L.jpg[/img]

Oh yeah, success was had. Heading back down to the Razr in the far valley below. We did an all day hike, climbing a couple thousand feet up to the antelope. :-)
[img]http://desertbighorn.smugmug.com/Ou.../i-VLkcVmw/0/L/Mikes_antelope_-1-8-L.jpg[/img]

Maybe...

Nice house, Brad!

Great pictures everyone! Threads like these are really great.

Yes, it's the GB Wildlife Hatchet. I was out that day looking for fatwood. That area burned a few years ago and there's some old pine stumps. I had success BTW. The hatchet was handy digging into those stumps.

Some more crap from my Photobucket... Apologize if these have been seen before...
















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That's a tough little sister right there. I need to upload some of my own elk hunting pics...

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The bro (don't ask about his hat....)

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