. ❘❘
A
t Mountain Monarch’s base
camp far below the so-called
Ram Hole, Chuck Wahr and
I were assigned spacious
dome tents furnished with comfort-
able cots, just yards away from a clear,
running river loaded with grayling,
grizzlies and moose sign. It was a fine
summer day in Alaska’s Brooks Range,
but the sweet setup would be fleeting.
Few amenities awaited us up top where
we hoped to find the white rams.
Soon we set about organizing our
gear, part of which involved help-
ing ourselves to the food outfitter
Dave Leonard had ferried out from
Bettles in his brown Piper Cub. SinceBIGHORN SHEEP
Gear-intensive high-country hunts require specialized lightweight
equipment, but not all of the essentials can be bought.
By John Zent, Editorial Directorindividual rations had to go into each
man’s pack and then be carried every
step to distant spike camps, the trick
was to take enough to fuel six or seven
days of strenuous exertion, but not an
ounce more than necessary. I snagged
sticks of hard salami, cheese, navy bis-
cuits, a gallon of trail mix, chocolate
and granola bars, oatmeal and a sheaf
of Mountain House dinners. Hopefully
the trail would yield up some edible
berries, too. Would it be enough?
But the real question facing back-
pack sheep hunters is how little
will make do? I was anxious to try
my pack, having borrowed a sleek,
internal-frame job to replace my old Photo: Lon E. Lauber