1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,400 Speaker 1: Hey, hey, everybody, It's Friday. Quarantine cast is coming at you. 2 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: I'm here in a tiny room and Boza, Montana, and 3 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: Phil is in the same tiny room he's been in 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: all week. Say hey, Phil, hello, we made it through 5 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: the week? We did it was well the last day 6 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: of the week. Yeah, one more day to go, and 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:19,119 Speaker 1: then you got a weekend. You can do whatever it 8 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:23,119 Speaker 1: is you can do outside. I suggest you spend the 9 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: day outside. Phil. Do you have any plans for the 10 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: weekend that might include going outside? I don't, but I 11 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 1: will absolutely be making them because I am getting a 12 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: little stir crazy and I think the weather is supposed 13 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: to be nice in in Bozeman, Montana. I think so. 14 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: So I'm gonna we'll report back you on Monday. What 15 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: we did over the weekend. That was very productive. But 16 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: I feel like we've had a productive week. We've we've 17 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: told a lot of stories. We have launched the Great 18 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: Hand Turkey Contest of that hopefully will distract all of you. 19 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: Um I'd like to see. I was very much enjoyed 20 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,279 Speaker 1: when we did the contest from episode one hundred. How 21 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: many of you kind of like gathered around the table 22 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: to draw pictures of Phil. I felt like Phil brought 23 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 1: you together. Phil's voice face brought you together. So let's 24 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: let the hand turkeys bring you together and get you 25 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: into this this weekend. It should be nice weather for 26 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,320 Speaker 1: everybody's Spring is kind of creeping up on us. Um, 27 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: screw the coronavirus, screw COVID nineteen. We're gonna keep moving on. UM. 28 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 1: We're gonna give you a full slate of shows next week, 29 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: so we're excited about that. But this week we got 30 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: to get to one of my favorite stories of all time. Um, Phil, 31 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:29,759 Speaker 1: you missed this story, but you're gonna love it. Man. 32 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 1: It is a It's a barnburner. We got Col Kramer 33 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,559 Speaker 1: uh from Adventure Mountain Hunts up in Alaska. He does 34 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: all types of hunts and Kodiak and elsewhere. He's one 35 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: of my favorite people, one of my better friends in 36 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: the world, and we've had some adventures together. Also DJ Bell, 37 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: my good buddy from Austin, Texas, formerly a co worker 38 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: on mine, but still a very good friend. We all 39 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: went to Kodiak, Alaska in search of blacktailed deer and 40 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: we had just about one of the craziest adventures I've 41 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: been a part. We got stuck, we got snowed on, 42 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: We got eighty mile narrow winds um. We we hiked 43 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: thirty miles with a hud pound packs. We went through 44 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:15,959 Speaker 1: some crazy stuff which somehow, some way benefits us during 45 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: this quarantine. Um, those hardships turn out to be good 46 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: lessons for what we're doing right now. So that's something 47 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,519 Speaker 1: you're gonna want to listen to. Um. Phil, all I 48 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: need to know from you is are you ready for 49 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:46,519 Speaker 1: this show? Yes? Please, let's start it go. Oh hey, 50 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: Cole Cramer, how are you doing, Buddy? I'm doing great. 51 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,399 Speaker 1: Ben O'Brien, how are you we're coming to You're coming 52 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: to me straight from Cody, ak Alaska? Is that correct? Correct? 53 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: The moondo? What are you drinking? You drinking coffee? I'm 54 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: drinking some coffee. This is uh that black rifle coffee, 55 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: especially dark roast murdered out black rifle coffee. Okay, are 56 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: you gonna talk in that accident the whole time? Are 57 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: you gonna know it's just when we talk about coffee 58 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: on the coffee. DJ Bell from Austin, Texas say hey, buddy, 59 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: hey buddy, now we're all together. We're from various different backgrounds. 60 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:30,279 Speaker 1: You guys are both from the great state of Kansas. 61 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: Is that correct? That's right. Yeah, we're both proud Kansas members, 62 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: members of Kansas. Now, you guys want to go ahead, 63 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: And you guys grew up in uh small towns that 64 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: were very close to each other, right, Yes, we did. 65 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: I grew up in pratt Kansas, and DJ, go ahead 66 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: and tell the audience where you grew up. I grew 67 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: up about thirty miles from pratt Um nearest town maybe 68 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: had about fifteen people in it um. I went to 69 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: high school and Medicine Lodge, Kansas. Wow. Wow, that's unbelievable. 70 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: And you and you found yourselves at one point some 71 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: years ago together uh in a tent on Kodiak Island, 72 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: an eighty mile in our windstorm. Yeah. I knew we 73 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,919 Speaker 1: had a special bond when we got in those close quarters. 74 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: As you know, some people would be rule intimidated by 75 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 1: a person you don't know. But I could just tell 76 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: by DJ and his mannerisms that he was a good guy. 77 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 1: You can say the truth came out, you know that. 78 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: I mean, we're basically brothers. Yeah, you would you reflect that, DJ? Yeah, 79 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 1: you know, Colen I exhibit some rugged handsomeness that you 80 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:51,559 Speaker 1: can only find in south central Kansas. That's true, that's true. Yeah, 81 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: it's I'm bragging. It's just facts. I think it's a 82 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: soil content thing there with the wet corn, a lot 83 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: of pesticides, low load load of middling i Q. But handsome, 84 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 1: broad at the shoulders, uh strong backs. Yeah. I mean 85 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: your your ancestors got halfway to the west and then 86 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 1: gave up, and it's like, we'll stay in Kansas, so 87 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: you should be proud of You're very proud of that. 88 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: Now I'm drinking a white claw, so I'm feeling a 89 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: little bit a little bit hyped up here. Uh DJ 90 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: are you You're you're playing like you're at home with 91 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: your kids during the quarantine. It's four o'clock in the 92 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: afternoon here, so I'm still uh clear liquids at this 93 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: point in time. I need to wait a couple of 94 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:48,119 Speaker 1: hours before partaking anything. I got a lot of daddy 95 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: and to do the rest of the Day's actually in 96 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 1: his child's room right now, drinking white claws, and it's 97 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:59,840 Speaker 1: actually three o'clock. So up up in Montana, they get 98 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 1: the jump on things, people. I need to entertain myself. 99 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: If anything else, there's no way, there's no way to know. 100 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: But we're all gathered here today. It sounds like I'm 101 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: at church. We're all gathered here today to talk to 102 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: tell us to a particular story. Um, what the the 103 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: THHC Daily Quarantine Cast is about? Really? Among other things, 104 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,679 Speaker 1: is UH allowing me to drink white claw while talking 105 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 1: about awesome hunting stories with my buddies and so um, 106 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 1: And I imagine that's entertaining, at least to some levels. 107 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: So today we're gonna tell I think what I would 108 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 1: say is the most entertaining story of all all the 109 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:38,719 Speaker 1: stories I have to tell, and that is a trip 110 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 1: to Kodiak, Alaska in search of blacktailed deer, which are 111 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: not hard to find uh on the island of Kodyak, Alaska. 112 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: And let's just start with Cole. Cole, give us a 113 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:56,840 Speaker 1: rundown of of your guiding service. What brought you to Kodiak, 114 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,480 Speaker 1: because you brought us to Kodiak, and so we should 115 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: probably start of how you came to be there and 116 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: what you do there. Well, I don't want to get 117 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:07,839 Speaker 1: to drawn out here and down a bunch of rabbit holes, 118 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: but um, just so everyone knows that is not coming 119 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: from my mind. It's coming from Ben's chip bag. There. 120 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 1: While I'm explained, I'm just being so entertained by your 121 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: story that well, I've been up in Kodiak for seventeen years. 122 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: At that point, I believe I was there. You know, 123 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: I think I'm going on eighteen years. I don't know, 124 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 1: but at that point, I think you guys came in 125 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: two thousands sixteen, I believe, and uh so, yeah, I 126 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 1: started my guide service. I don't even know, probably in 127 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 1: two thousand and seven ish. I really don't know. It's 128 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: been a while, but regardless, one of my main hunts 129 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: I do is sit a blacktail deer. And when Mr 130 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: Ben O'Brien and I met through Yetti, that was one 131 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 1: of the things he said he wanted to do. So 132 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: you put together a trip uh through yetty Um with 133 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 1: some of your finest individuals that worked there um I 134 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: would say probably the finest UM individuals and came out 135 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 1: tested a few products and uh but you know, I 136 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: remember asking you guys before he came in. I said, 137 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: you know, it's gonna be late season. It was, I believe, 138 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 1: after Thanksgiving and we have the very high risk of 139 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: waterways and ocean bay's freezing up if things turned south, 140 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:36,559 Speaker 1: And I said, this could get real western, and Ben said, 141 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: you know that's fine. I want these guys to see 142 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: what it's all about. Let's throw it at him. Let's 143 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: let's do it, let's do the rough one. And so 144 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: I think that's kind of what I was I did. 145 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 1: I remember saying that. But also, DJ, maybe you could 146 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: back me up on this. I do you remember Coles 147 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: saying like this, this waterway here that we're hunting near 148 00:08:56,920 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 1: has never frozen in my lifetime. Do you remember that 149 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: never frozen. No one's ever gotten sick. And don't worry 150 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: you'll you'll never see a bear on this trip. Yeah, 151 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 1: he opened up with these planes have never crashed. Wait 152 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: a second, you're acting like everything you're saying it actually happens. 153 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: So I mean we can't. Don't. Don't get too reckless 154 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 1: with the facts here. No, no, no, none of that, 155 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 1: None of that happened. Cole Is is one of the 156 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: most in all seriousness. We have a hard time with 157 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:31,559 Speaker 1: seriousness here, but on all seriousness, cool is one of 158 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: the most capable um back country guides of any kind 159 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: that I've ever run across. And I knew that going 160 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 1: into it, both by reputation and by um, you know, 161 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: just talking to him and knowing what the song would be. 162 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: But we had some products we wanted to test. That's 163 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: neither here nor there, but um we wanted to test 164 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:51,840 Speaker 1: them in some of the most adverse conditions possible. So 165 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 1: my birthday is actually December two, and I was my 166 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,680 Speaker 1: birthday was on the second or second day of this trip, 167 00:09:57,720 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 1: I think, So we must have left out the last 168 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: day of November. That sounds about right. And if you 169 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 1: don't know about the last day of November in Kodiak, Alaska, 170 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: that's not the most pleasant time to be trapes in 171 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: around outside, is it coal? No, it can get pretty harsh, 172 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 1: you know, if you had It's very typical in November, 173 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 1: especially get into December. You can get up some extremely 174 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 1: high north uh northwest winds westerly winds, and then you 175 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 1: better be in a pretty good spot to be able 176 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: to take those kind of winds, otherwise you could get 177 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: absolutely destroyed with you know, on the low end of 178 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,160 Speaker 1: and on the upper ends of you know, our ones. 179 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 1: So kind of have to have your act together if 180 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: you're gonna go out that late in the year in 181 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 1: tent camp, DJ had to this point, what was your 182 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: You had some hunting experience, but nothing like this, right, Yeah, 183 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 1: that's the only time I had done any backcountry hunts. 184 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 1: So this is the first time flying into the spot, 185 00:10:57,640 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 1: hiking a couple of miles back to where we're going 186 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 1: to be for a few days. Um. I didn't know 187 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: what to expect because I knew I couldn't trust either 188 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 1: you or Cold give me the straight low down. So 189 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: that it's weird. What a weird though? Um? Yeah, DJ 190 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:23,479 Speaker 1: was there as a he was behind many of the 191 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 1: groundbreaking products that yet he had put out to that point. 192 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: And DJ and another member of the product team, Derek, 193 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 1: we're there um to both take part in the hunt, 194 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 1: but also kind of get an idea of what Cold 195 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 1: would use, you know, for for these trips because they 196 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: are it's a pretty intense trip. Um. So, Cole, could 197 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:43,920 Speaker 1: you give him a rundown of kind of what the 198 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: trip entails from take off two, landing um, and then 199 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 1: the hunt. Yeah. So you know, some of my hunts, 200 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: we do a wide variety of things, but on this 201 00:11:56,320 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: particular when we're really wanting to test some stuff, uh uh, 202 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:04,720 Speaker 1: you know, we we go out to remote location. I 203 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 1: try to get into some spots where not a lot 204 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: of people like to go. And on this particular deal, 205 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: we were actually air dropping some gear and throwing stuff 206 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:17,680 Speaker 1: out of the airplane and uh seeing how it would 207 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 1: hold up. And everything held up just fine as usual, 208 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:24,679 Speaker 1: and you know, then we hike up several miles to 209 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: where we camp and then just stay out there. And 210 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:31,439 Speaker 1: I kind of want to be, you know, right in 211 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: the middle of everything and and uh and not have 212 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: to go too far from camp if you don't really 213 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 1: want to. But sky is a limit out there obviously, 214 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: as you could see. But typically that time of year, deer, 215 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 1: you know, if there's plenty of snow, they're being pushed 216 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 1: off the mountains and down into the flats or just 217 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: down lower elevations or on beaches. And and I think 218 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: that we definitely experienced that with the amount of snow 219 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: and cold, the deer were definitely on survival mode at 220 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 1: that point. They were pushed down to the flats and 221 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: and heavy feeding was going on. Yeah, that was it 222 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 1: was of the most impressive sites to look out across 223 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:12,959 Speaker 1: the kind of the hummocks the flats and where we camped, 224 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:16,559 Speaker 1: and to see you know, uh, kind of depression that 225 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 1: you would say a field, but it wasn't a field, 226 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 1: like an open meadow full of deer. Hundreds of blacktailed 227 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 1: deer in it Um. It was quite sight to see you. 228 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 1: But when we when we arrived, um the ideas take 229 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: that float plane from a dock in in Kodiak and 230 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:38,560 Speaker 1: fly it um and landing a you'd call it a 231 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 1: lagoon cole yea a waterway area after drop air, dropping 232 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,600 Speaker 1: all the gear in and then we jumped off the 233 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 1: plane and DJ you could probably test. We immediately jumped 234 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 1: off the plane and there was blacktailed deer on the beach. Yeah. 235 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: I remember one of our pilots wanting to chase down 236 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,559 Speaker 1: a d here with a handgun at some point, which 237 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 1: was that seems reckless. Come on, that seems I think 238 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 1: maybe I think he said he wanted to, but he 239 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: didn't actually do that. He Yeah, he did have designs. Uh. 240 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: And if you'll know, like an Alaskan floatplane pilots, Alaskan 241 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 1: pilots of most sorts um on single engine aircraft are 242 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:25,680 Speaker 1: are a little bit you have to be a little 243 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: bit crazy to do that job. You're not just doing that, 244 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 1: uh as a leisure activity. You gotta have some screw loose, 245 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: and and there was a few pilots. The pilots we had, 246 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 1: they had their screws loose in the right spots. Well, 247 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: and I can't really afford the pilots who don't have 248 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 1: you don't have all their you know, nuts and bolts 249 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: tightened down really good. So a mine are typically the ones. Well, 250 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 1: this will come back in the story because the one 251 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: of the reasons why we actually got off uh the 252 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: beach and back to Kodiak was because we had a 253 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 1: few pilots that were brave enough or dumb enough, depending 254 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 1: on how you look at it, to come and get 255 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 1: us when a lot of a lot of pilots wouldn't 256 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 1: have been. They've been able to pull it off. So 257 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 1: that's a good That's probably where this story will end. 258 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: But so we hike in. We had a photographer with us, 259 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: the great and powerful Ben Potter of cana Outdoors. He 260 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 1: was shooting a bunch of photos. We love Ben potterish um, 261 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: so we so basically we hike in. I don't know 262 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 1: how many miles we hike in from from the landing 263 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 1: spot there. We can make it up. You can make it. 264 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: We're making it up. Okay, so we hike in. I 265 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 1: feel like everyone else and just make up large numbers. 266 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 1: Yes and uh, and there we saw sevent deer frolicking about. Uh. 267 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 1: They were blackouts. But so so we're we're hunting blacktailed deer. 268 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 1: And the first thing we had to do, well, we 269 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:00,080 Speaker 1: already had one of our guys, Cole had said and 270 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: to go ahead and set up the camp. So when 271 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:04,800 Speaker 1: we got there, tents are set up. Cook cook tents 272 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: set up. Mm hmm. And I'll give DJ a chance 273 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 1: to describe the camp set up where we were what 274 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: it looked like. Yeah, if I remember right, we were 275 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: right along the edge of the river that never freezes 276 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 1: and had one master tent that I would describe as 277 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:28,960 Speaker 1: probably like, uh, I don't know, it's the nicest home 278 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 1: you could find. Master bedroom where Cole got to sleep. 279 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:39,360 Speaker 1: The four guy that Cole brought along with us was 280 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 1: an a tent that I think he could almost crawl into. 281 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure his feet had to stick out the 282 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: end of it. And then the rest of us were 283 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 1: all congregated in a mess sense of a tent that 284 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 1: um was comfortable enough to get by. Now I will 285 00:16:56,360 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 1: anyone else who's listening, who actually knows about base camp tents. 286 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 1: They were in two Barney's bombshell tents. One of them 287 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 1: was a ten by ten, the other one was, I 288 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:11,399 Speaker 1: believe a Kodiak condo, which are of the highest of 289 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:16,919 Speaker 1: quality tents for all campers that come to Alaska, but 290 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 1: for the city folk that come sometimes from Austin, who 291 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 1: have you know, let's just say desk jobs and steal 292 00:17:25,600 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 1: staplers for a living or something. Um, you know, it 293 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 1: could be a little harsh on them. Let's just say no, 294 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: it's understood. I remember Dj is a very tall individual. 295 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: DJ you six four six, Yeah, I give you six four. 296 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: I'm I'm an even six ft in that case, um, 297 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:49,359 Speaker 1: very average hype person. And we had the other gentleman, Derek, 298 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 1: was in our tent to and we slept three to 299 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 1: a tent and um, it was fine. And then we 300 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: would we would kind of saunter over to Cole's little 301 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 1: shanty there and in i'd there he would be cooking 302 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:08,160 Speaker 1: various mountain house meals, making coffee. It's kind of like 303 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: his own little, you know, continental breakfast area of a hotel. 304 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:16,600 Speaker 1: It's very Cole knows how to get it. Done. So 305 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 1: here's the thing by the cook tent. Uh, we need 306 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: space for everyone to sit in and there's really only 307 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,760 Speaker 1: room for one cot in there, and that's mine. And uh, 308 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:32,760 Speaker 1: someone has to get up very early to get things 309 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,440 Speaker 1: rocking and rolling. You know, we gotta get the water 310 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:39,920 Speaker 1: go on. Uh, you gotta start cooking early. It wasn't 311 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 1: just mountain house meals. I think I made you guys 312 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 1: eat mountain house until you killed a deer, and then 313 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 1: we started eating deer. We did have a lot of good, 314 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:53,120 Speaker 1: delicious deer meals. But the tent you imagine this, the 315 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 1: coal's palace full of roughly at this point, like what 316 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,640 Speaker 1: five dudes, six five dudes? And there six dudes in there, 317 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 1: Six men in a in a small tent. Am I 318 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 1: getting that count? Right? Yeah, that's right, I think so 319 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,359 Speaker 1: six of us. And there's a wood stove. We had 320 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 1: a um I think far a wood stove I put 321 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:14,840 Speaker 1: in the tent. So yeah, Which it's nice in there. 322 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:16,680 Speaker 1: And so that's our camp set up. That's what we 323 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 1: hike into. And we hike along this ridge and along 324 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: and into into our camp. And um, it was cold 325 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: the first morning we went in there, but it was 326 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: it was generally comfortable when we hiked, and I remember thinking, 327 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,479 Speaker 1: what a beautiful place. Snow on the ground, very very 328 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 1: low chance of seeing bears. Um, you know, no no 329 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 1: high winds. When we landed, it was a generally calm 330 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,000 Speaker 1: and nice a nice time. We hike into camp, we 331 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 1: get set up, it's beautiful. It's a beautiful spot hole 332 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: has picked out for us. Um. There's deer everywhere. We 333 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 1: can glass ere from camp. I remember thinking this is 334 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:54,320 Speaker 1: gonna just be an idyllic breeze. We're going to come 335 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:56,360 Speaker 1: in here and we're gonna get get the job done, 336 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:58,680 Speaker 1: to come out with a bunch of meat, and and 337 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 1: and the cool stories and and and Cole you could explain, 338 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 1: like the idea is to drop camp and then float out. 339 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:09,600 Speaker 1: Is that correct? You drop rafts in there. Yes, that's correct, 340 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:13,120 Speaker 1: So you drop rafts in and float out on this river, 341 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:15,560 Speaker 1: which will come to be important later in the story. 342 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:17,639 Speaker 1: But the first morning we get up and go hunting. 343 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:22,640 Speaker 1: It's again a crisp, cold morning, but uh the sun. 344 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 1: Nice morning. Were hiking up a ridge and we're looking 345 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,879 Speaker 1: at across the humming flat that kind of gently rolls 346 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 1: into um. You know, one of the many mountain ranges 347 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: on Kodiak Island, and uh, we see many, many many 348 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:43,200 Speaker 1: bucks running around, don't we didn't We dj tons of deer. 349 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:44,919 Speaker 1: I know we split up that day. I think you 350 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: went with Cole and Potter and then Derek and I 351 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 1: went with was it Aaron h And we just saw 352 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: so many deer that as it started to snow later 353 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,880 Speaker 1: in the day, they really popped. Well it's that white now, 354 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:04,120 Speaker 1: mm hmm. And it wasn't long call before we got 355 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:07,679 Speaker 1: into something, right, it was day one, Yeah, it was 356 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 1: day one, and I remember looking out there seeing a 357 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 1: pretty decent buck and you know, from our rise, and 358 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:15,880 Speaker 1: I thought, okay, let's just make our way out into 359 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: this flat and get a little closer to this buck. 360 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:20,200 Speaker 1: You know what I mean. Each of you have two 361 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: deer tags, so we've got six bucks to potentially take, 362 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 1: so you know what, there's no reason to mess around. 363 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:30,640 Speaker 1: Might as well start moving towards some deers. So that's 364 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: what we did. And I remember, you know, just kind 365 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: of banking our way off there and heading out towards 366 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,440 Speaker 1: the first or not the first buck, but the largest 367 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: buck we had spotted from that area. So I'll let 368 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: you continue on if if you remember, I mean, look 369 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:49,879 Speaker 1: at the big part of this hunt um comes after 370 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 1: it was over. But I would just say as to 371 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:56,119 Speaker 1: not you know, the labor, the actual deer being killed. 372 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 1: We see a buck, make a move, get in tight, 373 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: and it's freezing cold by this point, the winds blowing, 374 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:07,399 Speaker 1: My hands are freezing, the snow is coming down, with 375 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 1: lots of snows coming down. At this point, it's a 376 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:12,400 Speaker 1: tough I mean, we're not too it's a d yards 377 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:14,919 Speaker 1: shot maybe something like that. Once we get in tucked 378 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: in and we're in this these hummocks hummacks, if you 379 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 1: don't know, are kind of just just undulations in the 380 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 1: ground where there's where there's a little micro hill and 381 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: then a depression and another micro hill and just kind 382 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:27,919 Speaker 1: of goes up and down and up and down. And 383 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,040 Speaker 1: so it's it's kind of perfect if you can get 384 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:33,239 Speaker 1: it right to to to sneak up on stalk up 385 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:35,640 Speaker 1: on an animal. So we stalked up on the first 386 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 1: year and I look at it and from what I 387 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 1: know about Kodiak Blackfield here, I know it's a giant 388 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: well not to step in. But as we made our 389 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:48,400 Speaker 1: way closer this buck and started to sneak in on 390 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: this first particular buck. We looked at I in my 391 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 1: peripheral off to my left, I noticed a rack of 392 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 1: which looked like a bush sticking up, and it happened 393 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:02,120 Speaker 1: to be a much larger buck. And so that's when 394 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: we're like, look off to the left, right over here, 395 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: and his buck was laying down in a depression. All 396 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: you could see was his horn sticking up, and he 397 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 1: was a substantially larger buck than the buck we were 398 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:15,919 Speaker 1: actually going after. So then we didn't really have to 399 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,720 Speaker 1: shift or anything. It was just we had to pay 400 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:21,600 Speaker 1: attention that Casey was looking towards us, and so that's 401 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:25,160 Speaker 1: when we got set up on him. And like you mentioned, 402 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:27,479 Speaker 1: if it works out correctly, you can really just use 403 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:30,680 Speaker 1: those hummacks as like a shooting bench pretty much. Yea. 404 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: At this point, it's just like a wet, cold snow. 405 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:36,400 Speaker 1: I mean, you're by the ocean so that the humidity 406 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: is there, so it's it's it's not one of those 407 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:40,199 Speaker 1: snows and you just dust off your jacket. It lays 408 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 1: on you and I remember, you know you have that 409 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,400 Speaker 1: that snow that's laying on you, the winds blowing. It's 410 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 1: hard to see. I remember my scope kept getting caked 411 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 1: with snow, and and you're laying against the hummock and 412 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 1: you're sliding around your pack, sliding around. So eventually I 413 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,439 Speaker 1: get set up on this deer and I don't I 414 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:00,879 Speaker 1: have like some recollection of exactly how it went down. 415 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:03,040 Speaker 1: But it was a one shot, one kill. He kind 416 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 1: of stood up to where I could get a shot 417 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:08,640 Speaker 1: above the hummock, put one in him, and he flopped 418 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 1: up over the next home became was down. It was 419 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:14,639 Speaker 1: It was as as simple as these things get um. 420 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 1: And this was, you know, a couple hours after we 421 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:19,199 Speaker 1: hit out of camp. This was not a you know, 422 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:22,679 Speaker 1: an all day affair. We were we were done, and 423 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,919 Speaker 1: this is a giant blacktail buck. I'm super excited about it. 424 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:27,639 Speaker 1: And we do our thing. We take our pictures, we 425 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:32,959 Speaker 1: got them, we put them in our packs, and um, 426 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:35,719 Speaker 1: that's it for that deer. And did you guys kill 427 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:38,440 Speaker 1: DJ Did you guys kill a deer the first day? Yeah? 428 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure I shot mine on the first day 429 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:43,719 Speaker 1: as well, but I remember right, it might have been 430 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:46,960 Speaker 1: after noon and a little bit after you had shot yours. 431 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:50,920 Speaker 1: We had set up kind of a snow canopy with 432 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:53,920 Speaker 1: checking poles and a little tarp that Aaron had so 433 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: we could just glass around because we were seeing tons 434 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:01,080 Speaker 1: of movement of deers throughout that more in early afternoon, 435 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:05,440 Speaker 1: and finally had one pop up within a hundred yards 436 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:09,399 Speaker 1: with I mean those blacktails such just a beautiful white 437 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:12,399 Speaker 1: throat patch that I don't know. It was one of 438 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: those pictures in your mind that you'll never forget. That 439 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 1: we were able to get in pretty close on it 440 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: and get a nice shot um that Fortunately for me, 441 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,719 Speaker 1: it was one shot down and we were cleaning up 442 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:29,080 Speaker 1: a deer within a few minutes with Derek on looking 443 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:30,879 Speaker 1: around for bear just to make sure nothing was going 444 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:34,280 Speaker 1: to sneak up on us. Yeah. I mean, like I said, like, 445 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: the funny part about this trip is that the deer 446 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,919 Speaker 1: hunting wild was fantastic. When we killed all six of 447 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 1: our deer, and I wasn't almost less than three days, 448 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:48,199 Speaker 1: right Cole two and a half days? Um, you know, 449 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:50,960 Speaker 1: I don't recall I think it was. It probably had 450 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: to be around three days or so. Uh. You know, 451 00:25:56,200 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 1: your your second buck, I recall was was pretty cool, 452 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: um because I remember seeing that buck on a previous 453 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 1: hunt that we didn't get with an archery hunter and uh, 454 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: and so that was super cool to see him again. 455 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:15,359 Speaker 1: He was pretty unique. And uh, you know when you 456 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 1: took that buck that that was really cool. And and 457 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 1: then aft remember right if you recall, you looked like 458 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:27,520 Speaker 1: a uh, modern day Jeremiah Johnson coming out of the 459 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 1: coming out of the mountains after and I'll let you 460 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: explain that, but yeah, I mean we killed that second buck. 461 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:37,520 Speaker 1: It was very like you could have replayed the first 462 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 1: day and the second day we picked up to look 463 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 1: over the same kind of humming flat and saw this 464 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:44,439 Speaker 1: buck that you kind of known was in that area 465 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:46,920 Speaker 1: and made a stock. I think I missed him on 466 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:48,920 Speaker 1: the first shot and then dumped them on the second shot. 467 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:51,399 Speaker 1: If I remember correctly, I know there was more than 468 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:54,919 Speaker 1: one shot. Um, not that that matters, but it was. 469 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 1: It was it was astounding how similar a spot we 470 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: were in. I mean, we were, you know, five yards 471 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:02,199 Speaker 1: or last maybe even then away from where I had 472 00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 1: killed the buck the day before. And so to me, 473 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:10,719 Speaker 1: you know, this wasn't easy hunting because the conditions were awful, 474 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 1: but um, you know we were we had there are 475 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 1: foxes everywhere, you know, we all had fox We're all 476 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 1: able to shoot. I think two foxes each and um 477 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 1: and we're when you we we shot this. We're taking pictures, 478 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 1: Ben Potters, taking pictures of um, of this deer. And 479 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:32,399 Speaker 1: once you get once you started gutting a deer, that 480 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:34,760 Speaker 1: blood gets in the snow, that scent gets going around. 481 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 1: These foxes are coming. There's crossfoxes. What is the cross fox? 482 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:40,440 Speaker 1: Silver fox? Red fox? Is that right? Kind of what 483 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:44,560 Speaker 1: you see? You have been in there? So fox game 484 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:47,680 Speaker 1: rolling by, checking out the checking out the dead deer. 485 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 1: I got my rifle out and smoked him about a 486 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:53,680 Speaker 1: hundred yards and then on the way out, I'm like, well, 487 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 1: I want to get some camp meat. And there was 488 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:59,720 Speaker 1: a charm again, just hanging tight on one of these 489 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:03,919 Speaker 1: hanging tight on one of these uh hummic flats, and 490 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 1: I said, well, if I could shoot him in the 491 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 1: head with my rifle, we can definitely have some camp 492 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:11,680 Speaker 1: meat out of this ptarmigan. And damn if I didn't 493 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:14,280 Speaker 1: pull my rifle up, put it on his head and connect. 494 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 1: So I felt I was going back to camp with 495 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:21,160 Speaker 1: a fox, a deer, and a ptarmigan all my back 496 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:25,520 Speaker 1: and hang on, I believe you shot two foxes. Oh yeah, 497 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:28,480 Speaker 1: I did shut one fox came up. I think the 498 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:31,280 Speaker 1: red fox came up first. You shot the red fox, 499 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: and then the silver fox came up, and so you 500 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 1: have to shoot the silver fox because he's the most 501 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 1: prized and so uh so here you had two foxes 502 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 1: Atarmigan in a huge black tail strapped onto your back. 503 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:46,080 Speaker 1: And I didn't even want to help you because if 504 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 1: I don't know, you have to carry all this because 505 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 1: this looks super awesome. So we'll have to put that 506 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 1: picture up, all right, people, people, people will not believe it. Okay, 507 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,280 Speaker 1: it was. It was a Kodiak slam if if there 508 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:01,360 Speaker 1: ever was one, that's for sure. But I mean, I'm thinking, 509 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: here's cold Kramer providing the ultimate adventure. The weather has 510 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 1: been in gnarly but not awful. We're killing deer I 511 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 1: had tagged out and when essentially what amount it's a 512 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:17,200 Speaker 1: six or seven hours a hunting total, I would say, um, 513 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 1: for the whole whole shebang. These are two giant blacktail deer. 514 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:24,960 Speaker 1: They there's a double pedestal amount that the Great Taxi 515 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:28,080 Speaker 1: Room Chris Kamack made for us. After this trip. That's 516 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:30,440 Speaker 1: it's it's out of my garage is now sitting in 517 00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 1: my office as I redo it. Um, it's one of 518 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:35,160 Speaker 1: the more beautiful mounts. And when people see that these 519 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 1: two deer, they they that then they realized they're not 520 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:42,800 Speaker 1: a mule deer, they're actually blacktail deer. Um, they're often shocked. 521 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: I mean, these are two two beautiful box man and 522 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: those you'll find out in a minute here if they're 523 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,680 Speaker 1: attached to great memories. But funny enough, like just the 524 00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:55,560 Speaker 1: hunting was pretty you know, I didn't take any long, 525 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: crazy shots. Um. Everything kind of just seemed to fall 526 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:00,400 Speaker 1: in place, at least for me and you on hunt 527 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:04,200 Speaker 1: with Ben as a photographer and DJ. You and Derek 528 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:07,240 Speaker 1: had a great couple of days, right we did. I 529 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:10,360 Speaker 1: know I shot one first that first day, and I 530 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:14,720 Speaker 1: don't remember. I think Derek shot his first either late 531 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 1: that first day or that second day across the river again, 532 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,640 Speaker 1: but he made a nice shot on a buck, you know, 533 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:26,520 Speaker 1: a hundred hundred fifty yards away and in a great 534 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 1: spot to get a clean back to camp within within 535 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:33,880 Speaker 1: a couple of hours. Yeah, And I'd like to point 536 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 1: out that you know that first day, if I recall, 537 00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:41,640 Speaker 1: I mean that first day it started, it wasn't blowing 538 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 1: super hard, but it was snowing pretty heavily, like you said, 539 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 1: And from that point on the weather got pretty brutal. 540 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 1: It was very cold. It was either snowing or blowing 541 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:55,680 Speaker 1: every day, and we hunted every day. I don't think 542 00:30:55,800 --> 00:31:00,840 Speaker 1: we there, you know, I don't think anyone uh uh. 543 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 1: We never set out a day of hunting. Um, it 544 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 1: was like you say, three, three or four days. But 545 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:10,600 Speaker 1: it was brutal the rest of the island. Some people 546 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:15,560 Speaker 1: were on lockdown. Um. There were nights that we I 547 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:18,120 Speaker 1: know the one night we we got over eight amount 548 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,480 Speaker 1: our winds out there because the pilot said it blew 549 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:23,440 Speaker 1: over eighty and in town it clocked in and over 550 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 1: a hundred. Remember, it was brutal. And we never we 551 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:30,520 Speaker 1: never did sit in the tents or then. We were 552 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 1: out hunting every single day. Uh. And you know every 553 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 1: day people brought in bucks. And I'm not d dj 554 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:41,719 Speaker 1: was that year buck or Derek's buck that the horns 555 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 1: popped on that was, but yeah, they were dragging him 556 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:50,640 Speaker 1: around that horn popped off. Yeah. I remember saying something 557 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:53,400 Speaker 1: to Aaron and kind of everyone but made more more 558 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:57,240 Speaker 1: towards Aaron. Hey, just be cautious. These horns could pop. 559 00:31:57,600 --> 00:31:59,520 Speaker 1: I tend to see like once it gets pretty cold 560 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 1: and brutal, seems like their horns start popping easier. And 561 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:09,160 Speaker 1: uh yeah, I remember seeing the handful of horns come 562 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: in and I thought, uh that someone must have popped one. 563 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:20,240 Speaker 1: When that not Antler. Oh he looked up and he 564 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:22,320 Speaker 1: saw Derek and he I thought he was going to 565 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:27,080 Speaker 1: start crying. Man, Aaron is the nicest guy, a great guide, 566 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: and uh yeah he uh, you know, he's been guiding 567 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 1: for several years now, but that was, you know, still 568 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 1: early on in his guiding career. So it's you know, 569 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:39,840 Speaker 1: to think that a client was gonna yell at him 570 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:42,680 Speaker 1: for busting the horns off, but it happens you can 571 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 1: put him back on obviously. Well, I mean we I 572 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:47,600 Speaker 1: remember a couple of nights where the wind was halinged, 573 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 1: but that second afternoon is when the wind got crazy. Yeah, 574 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:54,000 Speaker 1: and I stayed. I think I might have stayed around 575 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:57,560 Speaker 1: camp the glass and I remember Ben Potter was with 576 00:32:57,560 --> 00:32:59,800 Speaker 1: me and we were taking some photos and it was 577 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:03,920 Speaker 1: so cold you could not we were stepping out of 578 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:06,040 Speaker 1: I think, DJ, this is when you shot your second buck, 579 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:07,560 Speaker 1: but it was so cold. We were trying to take 580 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:10,320 Speaker 1: some photos and help clean some stuff up around camp, 581 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:12,400 Speaker 1: and hiking up to the some of the hills above 582 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:14,640 Speaker 1: us to glass and it was so cold. If you 583 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:17,520 Speaker 1: took your glove off, it hurt immediately. I mean it 584 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:21,360 Speaker 1: was rough, dj Um, I've wiped out a lot of 585 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:24,760 Speaker 1: our personal memories. But was that you was I with 586 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 1: you on your second book? Or was that with Derek? 587 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:32,000 Speaker 1: You were with Derek his second buck My second bucket 588 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:35,360 Speaker 1: was aaron and I laid a second when Finn was 589 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 1: in a camp, and we fortunately found one and shot 590 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:40,920 Speaker 1: one kind of down in a hole out of the wind, 591 00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:43,720 Speaker 1: because otherwise I don't know how we would have got 592 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:47,920 Speaker 1: that thing cleaned up in time. I remember thinking, number one, 593 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:50,080 Speaker 1: how are you going to make a shot longer than 594 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:53,000 Speaker 1: fifty yards and not have a wind drift of seven 595 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 1: inches on any on any shot? And how are you 596 00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:59,680 Speaker 1: gonna how are you gonna get a deer u out 597 00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:01,440 Speaker 1: of there? You can even stand up at some point 598 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:03,160 Speaker 1: in the wind. So the first, the first couple of 599 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:06,280 Speaker 1: days where it felt really nice, man, it turned it 600 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:08,160 Speaker 1: turned quickly, like you said, when it started snow, and 601 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:10,359 Speaker 1: you can still deal. But eventually it just got so 602 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:14,880 Speaker 1: damn Yeah, I recall at that point because that that's right. 603 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:20,359 Speaker 1: It was Derek and I and uh, who else would well, 604 00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:23,400 Speaker 1: I think Potter was with me that day and everyone. 605 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:32,799 Speaker 1: I'm trying to think here we shot his us. Yeah, yeah, 606 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:36,439 Speaker 1: he Potters with us, and uh, because there's a group 607 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:40,440 Speaker 1: of us, and I recall we made a big circle 608 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:43,239 Speaker 1: around that flat that you got your buck on or 609 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:46,439 Speaker 1: your bucks, and when we end up spotting this book, 610 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:48,120 Speaker 1: it's like deer, we're just coming out in there to 611 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:50,759 Speaker 1: feed like cows, you know, they needed to get out 612 00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:54,240 Speaker 1: are off the mountain. And I remember when he shot 613 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 1: that buck, there was other bucks out there and they 614 00:34:56,640 --> 00:34:59,440 Speaker 1: didn't even care. They're just like we have to feed 615 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:02,440 Speaker 1: because it was so cold and so brutal. And we 616 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:06,759 Speaker 1: worked on that deer and um, you know it's it's 617 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,840 Speaker 1: so cold and people in the mountains are colder areas. 618 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:12,080 Speaker 1: When you gotta butcher your animals right there, you know, 619 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:13,799 Speaker 1: as soon as you start skinning them, your you put 620 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,839 Speaker 1: your hands on that warm carcass like ah, because I 621 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:20,359 Speaker 1: remember my hands were frozen trying to work on that 622 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:25,080 Speaker 1: on that buck. But but yeah, it got downright brutal, 623 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:27,799 Speaker 1: and I thought, man, this is good now we've got 624 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:30,040 Speaker 1: I think at that point, we've gotten all of our bucks, 625 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:33,839 Speaker 1: and I was thinking, okay, perfect, we gotta get out 626 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:38,000 Speaker 1: of here. It's uh, it's getting downright brutal, um, you know, 627 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:41,319 Speaker 1: because I mean, you know, you can have bays and 628 00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:44,239 Speaker 1: rivers and everything start freezing up. So I thought, yeah, 629 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:47,520 Speaker 1: it's probably good we're done, and um, tomorrow we'll start 630 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:50,279 Speaker 1: getting out of here, I guess, yeah, yeah, And and 631 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:52,399 Speaker 1: we all felt I mean I felt great. We were 632 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:55,960 Speaker 1: packing up to leave, packing the raffle of stuff. I mean, 633 00:35:56,000 --> 00:36:00,600 Speaker 1: we had acquired now what would now frozen six bucks 634 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:03,400 Speaker 1: worth of meat. I mean, that's fortunds of meat per animal, 635 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:07,440 Speaker 1: maybe even oh it's sixty less than that, sixties really easy, 636 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:12,279 Speaker 1: um behind the head and the ailers. Yeah, yeah, no, 637 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:14,680 Speaker 1: it's a fair amount of meat per buck. Those were 638 00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:18,600 Speaker 1: all older, mature bucks. So you're just so strong, so 639 00:36:18,719 --> 00:36:21,959 Speaker 1: you think, yeah, yeah, no, I remember carrying a big 640 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:25,440 Speaker 1: load later on and just feeling like an alpha for 641 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:28,240 Speaker 1: the first time. Right, you definitely look like the major 642 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:32,000 Speaker 1: alpha of the group. Yeah, but being an average height 643 00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:37,439 Speaker 1: and all, yeah, right exactly. But yeah, because um, well, 644 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:39,759 Speaker 1: here I'll let you continue your story. No, I mean 645 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:42,040 Speaker 1: I remember feeling really good. I mean even at you know, 646 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:44,319 Speaker 1: as an aside, like it's my job to go there 647 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:46,319 Speaker 1: and collect certain things. We had gotten a bunch of 648 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:50,000 Speaker 1: great photos. Um, we had tested the products we wanted 649 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:53,960 Speaker 1: to test. We had achieved awesome time. We had laughed, 650 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:56,680 Speaker 1: We dear meat every night after we killed had bucks 651 00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:00,399 Speaker 1: in camp, like we're gathering in the cook tent. If 652 00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:02,440 Speaker 1: you ever hung around cold cramer and long enough, you know, 653 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:05,239 Speaker 1: so you're not gonna have a bad time hanging around 654 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:10,520 Speaker 1: camp talking ship and and joking, and it's as good 655 00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:12,200 Speaker 1: as it could be. I mean, everybody toughed out the 656 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:16,200 Speaker 1: shitty weather, got it Thune. Well, that is the cool. 657 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:18,880 Speaker 1: That's the cool thing about those hunts. That time of 658 00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:21,960 Speaker 1: you're like pretty much once you get into you know, November, 659 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:25,239 Speaker 1: it's getting dark by five, you know, somewhere right in there. 660 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:28,719 Speaker 1: So you're back. You need to get back to camp. Uh. 661 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:32,640 Speaker 1: Typically you know someone will be in the camp kind 662 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:35,600 Speaker 1: of getting it warmed up, and other guys will be out, 663 00:37:35,960 --> 00:37:39,240 Speaker 1: you know, hanging meat. So if I wasn't there getting 664 00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:42,880 Speaker 1: water hot for hot drinks or food ready, you know, 665 00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:45,719 Speaker 1: Aaron be hanging meat or we'd switch off and you know, 666 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:47,440 Speaker 1: grab a couple of you guys. Hey, let's hang We 667 00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:51,680 Speaker 1: gotta get meat hung up in trees. Um and uh 668 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 1: um dealt with you know, to get everything locked down 669 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:57,480 Speaker 1: for the night. Make make some rounds around the tent. 670 00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:00,319 Speaker 1: Make sure nothing's gonna blow away of all your guy 671 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:03,239 Speaker 1: wires are good. But you know, the fun thing is 672 00:38:03,320 --> 00:38:05,439 Speaker 1: that time you're like I'm saying, is you know, by 673 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:08,800 Speaker 1: six o'clock, got every all your chores done outside, and 674 00:38:09,760 --> 00:38:11,799 Speaker 1: now it's you go in. You hang out in there 675 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:15,280 Speaker 1: and sitting around the wood stove blazing away and and 676 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:18,440 Speaker 1: uh you know, everyone just sitting there hanging out and 677 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:21,239 Speaker 1: having a little drink and talking about your day and 678 00:38:21,239 --> 00:38:24,240 Speaker 1: and uh playing and come, you know, trying off your clothes. 679 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:26,560 Speaker 1: Remember you sitting there. It's like steam coming off the 680 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:28,480 Speaker 1: side of the tent because all your wet clothes are 681 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:32,640 Speaker 1: hanging around. Yuh. There's this particular musk that comes from 682 00:38:32,719 --> 00:38:35,120 Speaker 1: six dudes and a six wet duds in a tent 683 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:40,360 Speaker 1: with deer meat and uh uh and the Alaskan dirt 684 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:44,080 Speaker 1: all around. So yes, I mean I remember, that's a 685 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:47,680 Speaker 1: great To that point, it was an amazing trip. Like 686 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:49,680 Speaker 1: we're getting out of there, Scott free. I feel like 687 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:52,399 Speaker 1: and and we got I feel great about it. Where 688 00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:55,680 Speaker 1: we load up these rafts. We had Aaron and his 689 00:38:55,760 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 1: own personal little raft, right, and then calling I in 690 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:04,360 Speaker 1: a raft and Derek and Ben and um DJ and 691 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:07,120 Speaker 1: another Is that right? I got that right camera. Yeah. 692 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:09,000 Speaker 1: If it was two or three rafts or something, I 693 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:12,920 Speaker 1: definitely think it was three. Yeah. These these you gotta picture. 694 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:16,399 Speaker 1: These rafts are loaded down with gear, duffel bags full 695 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:21,680 Speaker 1: of gear, bags full of meat, skull caps and and 696 00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:23,440 Speaker 1: all kinds of you know, I mean you're looking at 697 00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:26,600 Speaker 1: hides all strapped to the top of them. We look like, uh, 698 00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:28,799 Speaker 1: we're pioneering the organ trail at this point. I mean, 699 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:32,799 Speaker 1: we got heavy, heavy rafts. Everyone's always amazed how much 700 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:35,759 Speaker 1: we can fit on there, you know, and it looks overloaded. 701 00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:38,799 Speaker 1: But you know, and I remember thinking as we're loading 702 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:41,359 Speaker 1: those rafts, you know, there's ice all along the edge 703 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:43,319 Speaker 1: of the river, and I kept breaking it down and 704 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:45,640 Speaker 1: everything was you know, ice and over on the rafts 705 00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:48,440 Speaker 1: and you water it splashes up on there, your your 706 00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:51,640 Speaker 1: waiters are freezing, like, man, we're gonna do it. This 707 00:39:51,719 --> 00:39:54,640 Speaker 1: is great because that day was a beautiful, cold day. 708 00:39:55,040 --> 00:39:57,480 Speaker 1: It wasn't much when I thought, this is perfect, this 709 00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:00,000 Speaker 1: is our day, and boy, like you said, we got 710 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:02,000 Speaker 1: out of here scott free. This dude, it was beautiful. 711 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:04,719 Speaker 1: I was like giddy coming out of there on those rafts. Man, 712 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:06,479 Speaker 1: I didn't do a bunch of rafting as you brought 713 00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:08,920 Speaker 1: as DJ kept yelling to me that I wasn't pulling 714 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:12,600 Speaker 1: my weight. Uh, Cole was like dragging or raft while 715 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:15,640 Speaker 1: I tried to paddle, and it just was I felt useless. 716 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:18,919 Speaker 1: But even beyond that, I'll let you chime in there, DJ, 717 00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:22,440 Speaker 1: uh what you were feeling on that day. Yeah, I 718 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:27,480 Speaker 1: was surprised you just kind of forgot to use it. Um, 719 00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:30,680 Speaker 1: I don't know. Thank thankfully you had Coal up front 720 00:40:30,719 --> 00:40:37,920 Speaker 1: there pulling you around back there right now. Yeah, he 721 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:40,840 Speaker 1: was pulling me around, breaking ice and I was just 722 00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:44,440 Speaker 1: just paddling along. Yeah out, I don't even Yeah, but 723 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:47,400 Speaker 1: I'm like, where are you paddling to Ben? Like, I mean, 724 00:40:47,520 --> 00:40:49,719 Speaker 1: that's not even a real paddle method kind of left, 725 00:40:49,719 --> 00:40:51,719 Speaker 1: you know, left. I was just like splashing around like 726 00:40:51,719 --> 00:40:54,640 Speaker 1: a little kid does with a toy duck, like the 727 00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:57,040 Speaker 1: rubber ducky in the bathtub. I remember giving you a 728 00:40:57,120 --> 00:41:01,680 Speaker 1: child's or he really won't have much direction with this, 729 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,400 Speaker 1: but that's fine, we don't. It was just a stick 730 00:41:04,440 --> 00:41:06,719 Speaker 1: that you found on the side of the river. That 731 00:41:06,719 --> 00:41:10,600 Speaker 1: that's anyhow. What were your feelings, DJ though when you 732 00:41:10,680 --> 00:41:13,880 Speaker 1: were loading up that morning? Oh, and I think the 733 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:16,960 Speaker 1: rafting was actually the highlight of the trip for me, 734 00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:22,640 Speaker 1: because you've got this euphoria sorts of filling out your tags, 735 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:25,319 Speaker 1: having a lot of fun, and you're like, all right, 736 00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:27,520 Speaker 1: let's get on the water and let's head back to 737 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:30,560 Speaker 1: the lagoon to get picked up. And at times there's 738 00:41:30,560 --> 00:41:32,279 Speaker 1: a little bit of river running to you catch up 739 00:41:32,280 --> 00:41:33,680 Speaker 1: a little bit of speed, and you kind of feel 740 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:38,000 Speaker 1: like you're in Colorado having to coordinate with your other 741 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:40,600 Speaker 1: boat mate or raft mate to go the right direction. 742 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:43,319 Speaker 1: So I was having a lot of fun, lots of 743 00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:45,839 Speaker 1: sunshine that day, Like you said, it was a beautiful day, 744 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:48,239 Speaker 1: and I know Potter got some great photos coming out 745 00:41:48,280 --> 00:41:50,520 Speaker 1: of there too, because it was just like perfect conditions 746 00:41:51,239 --> 00:41:54,320 Speaker 1: for the end of that trip. Yeah, I remember feeling 747 00:41:54,320 --> 00:41:56,720 Speaker 1: the same way, like the sun's hitting you, you've been cold, 748 00:41:56,800 --> 00:42:00,400 Speaker 1: you've kind of been working hard about having fun, and 749 00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:04,719 Speaker 1: like the feeling it's not euphoria maybe that's overstating it, 750 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:06,960 Speaker 1: but you just feel like you're doing something, like you 751 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:09,759 Speaker 1: feel there's adventure in the air, like you you are 752 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:13,680 Speaker 1: floating out the deer you just killed in Alaska. Like 753 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:16,960 Speaker 1: it's the right setting to feel adventure. You know. However, 754 00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:20,759 Speaker 1: however you would describe it, but it's true perfectly for 755 00:42:20,800 --> 00:42:23,040 Speaker 1: me as a guide, you know, that's part of the 756 00:42:23,080 --> 00:42:26,080 Speaker 1: whole trip. For me, I like giving people a job 757 00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:28,400 Speaker 1: to do and showing them that they can do it. 758 00:42:28,920 --> 00:42:32,680 Speaker 1: And you know, for me up front, uh, in the 759 00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:35,160 Speaker 1: front raft and then looking back and seeing you guys 760 00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:38,120 Speaker 1: back there floating down having a good time. We've got 761 00:42:38,280 --> 00:42:41,960 Speaker 1: you know, deer all over the rafts and I'm just sinking, man. 762 00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:45,799 Speaker 1: You know, these guys that are really good job. Everyone's 763 00:42:46,400 --> 00:42:51,680 Speaker 1: done a fantastic job. Everyone got their bucks, everyone worked hard, 764 00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:57,400 Speaker 1: no one complained. Um, you know, just you know, just 765 00:42:57,520 --> 00:43:01,480 Speaker 1: recollecting the whole thing was just awesome to think. And 766 00:43:01,680 --> 00:43:05,400 Speaker 1: uh and then we float around this corner and I 767 00:43:05,480 --> 00:43:10,280 Speaker 1: was like, oh, huh, I've never wow, I've never seen 768 00:43:10,320 --> 00:43:14,480 Speaker 1: that side channel froze over like that. Yeah. We we 769 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:17,680 Speaker 1: we go from this floric state little boys at play 770 00:43:18,400 --> 00:43:22,160 Speaker 1: um to realizing that we are I don't know, a 771 00:43:22,200 --> 00:43:25,480 Speaker 1: mile and a half roughly from our our end point 772 00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:28,520 Speaker 1: at that we had floated for a while then and 773 00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:32,040 Speaker 1: then you know, there's it breaks a couple different ways, 774 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:37,040 Speaker 1: and uh, when I saw this side channel froze over, 775 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:40,520 Speaker 1: I thought, that's weird. Must just be right here, and 776 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:43,120 Speaker 1: so I started breaking ice and going through it, and 777 00:43:43,160 --> 00:43:46,040 Speaker 1: I think, yeah. Then after a little bit, I thought, 778 00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:47,680 Speaker 1: you know, I better just go up on the side 779 00:43:47,719 --> 00:43:52,719 Speaker 1: hill and I'll just climb up and look out this 780 00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:55,520 Speaker 1: flat and see how far I have to break ice. 781 00:43:56,520 --> 00:44:00,040 Speaker 1: And as I climbed the hill, it became fairly a 782 00:44:00,080 --> 00:44:04,760 Speaker 1: parent to me that, um, as far as the eye 783 00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:09,680 Speaker 1: can see, period, Uh, it is froze over for miles. 784 00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:13,560 Speaker 1: I mean miles and miles and miles. And so that 785 00:44:13,680 --> 00:44:15,920 Speaker 1: was you know, at this point in time, I kind 786 00:44:15,920 --> 00:44:18,279 Speaker 1: of looked down and everyone's just you know, hanging out 787 00:44:18,400 --> 00:44:21,400 Speaker 1: and man, that's fun rafting blah blah blah talking to 788 00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:24,279 Speaker 1: each other. And I'm thinking, wow, I have to deliver this, 789 00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:29,520 Speaker 1: this amazing news to them that, uh, I have never 790 00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:33,719 Speaker 1: seen this happen before, never, you know, I have to 791 00:44:33,719 --> 00:44:35,640 Speaker 1: come up with a plan to get everyone out of 792 00:44:35,719 --> 00:44:38,719 Speaker 1: here now with all of this gear, all these dear 793 00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:42,040 Speaker 1: personal stuff, and we're supposed to fly out in in 794 00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:45,200 Speaker 1: a few hours. It's it's rather late in the day 795 00:44:45,239 --> 00:44:47,480 Speaker 1: by that time, and we had spent the whole morning 796 00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:50,799 Speaker 1: packing these rafts full of stuff, um, not thinking we'd 797 00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:54,799 Speaker 1: have to unpack them and make a camp. Yeah. And 798 00:44:54,840 --> 00:44:57,759 Speaker 1: so I remember, I remember realizing it where you were 799 00:44:57,760 --> 00:45:00,920 Speaker 1: off breaking ice and the guys were behind me kind 800 00:45:00,920 --> 00:45:03,640 Speaker 1: of talking. I was breaking ice with my little kittie 801 00:45:04,840 --> 00:45:07,439 Speaker 1: or that you gave me, and I broke the oar 802 00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:11,040 Speaker 1: on the ice. And just as I broke the oar 803 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:13,800 Speaker 1: on the ice trying to break it, you came around 804 00:45:13,840 --> 00:45:16,560 Speaker 1: the corner from like from your high point, looking and 805 00:45:16,600 --> 00:45:18,200 Speaker 1: I could just see the look on your face. I 806 00:45:18,239 --> 00:45:20,840 Speaker 1: was like, oh, no, man, because I had, I had, 807 00:45:20,840 --> 00:45:24,640 Speaker 1: We all kind of knew what the implications where the 808 00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:27,960 Speaker 1: implications are, however far we are from the pickup point 809 00:45:28,280 --> 00:45:30,719 Speaker 1: is how far we need to get, and we have 810 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:32,720 Speaker 1: I don't know how what it was a thousand pounds 811 00:45:32,719 --> 00:45:34,680 Speaker 1: of gear more than that. I mean, it's a lot, 812 00:45:35,200 --> 00:45:37,640 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff, a lot if you had that 813 00:45:37,719 --> 00:45:41,640 Speaker 1: deer in there, you know. Yeah, So yeah, I remember calling, 814 00:45:41,719 --> 00:45:43,759 Speaker 1: I said, you know, there's just zero chance we're gonna 815 00:45:43,760 --> 00:45:45,960 Speaker 1: make out today. So I had to call the pilot 816 00:45:46,040 --> 00:45:49,600 Speaker 1: and let him know that we're not gonna make it, 817 00:45:50,080 --> 00:45:51,880 Speaker 1: cancel the flights, and I had to come up with 818 00:45:51,920 --> 00:45:58,279 Speaker 1: a solution to get everyone out of here. So um, 819 00:45:58,320 --> 00:46:00,440 Speaker 1: so yeah, we had to set up a camp that 820 00:46:00,600 --> 00:46:03,120 Speaker 1: night and come up with a plan. And it was 821 00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:06,280 Speaker 1: kind of like, Hey, we're just gonna have to get up, guys, 822 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:09,560 Speaker 1: first thing in the morning. Everyone's gonna put an entire 823 00:46:09,640 --> 00:46:12,000 Speaker 1: deer on their back, all the you know, it's all 824 00:46:12,040 --> 00:46:15,960 Speaker 1: obviously butchered up and in game bags, but you're gonna 825 00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:19,640 Speaker 1: have your pack with the with the full buck a piece. 826 00:46:20,480 --> 00:46:22,839 Speaker 1: And we were going to hike out to several miles 827 00:46:22,880 --> 00:46:25,799 Speaker 1: to the pickup point, drop a load, and we got 828 00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:28,520 Speaker 1: to hike all the way back up to our spot, 829 00:46:29,200 --> 00:46:33,080 Speaker 1: grab more gear, and just start hiking back. And you know, 830 00:46:33,320 --> 00:46:37,480 Speaker 1: you guys were up for the challenge. And so that's 831 00:46:37,480 --> 00:46:39,080 Speaker 1: what we did. We got up early and we started 832 00:46:39,120 --> 00:46:45,120 Speaker 1: packing up. I feel I remember, like, you don't get um, 833 00:46:45,160 --> 00:46:48,720 Speaker 1: I wasn't at the news, I wasn't too worried about it. DJ. 834 00:46:48,800 --> 00:46:50,920 Speaker 1: Do you ever feeling like I feel like the spirits 835 00:46:50,920 --> 00:46:52,560 Speaker 1: were good because we put we had to take the 836 00:46:52,960 --> 00:46:55,560 Speaker 1: rafts down, to all the work to unload the rafts, 837 00:46:55,760 --> 00:46:58,080 Speaker 1: through all the work of rebuilding camp to some extent 838 00:46:58,120 --> 00:47:00,080 Speaker 1: to where we all had some structure to sleep and 839 00:47:00,440 --> 00:47:03,080 Speaker 1: cook a meal, try to make the plan for the 840 00:47:03,120 --> 00:47:08,240 Speaker 1: next day. All of it feels rushed. Um, but we 841 00:47:08,239 --> 00:47:11,080 Speaker 1: we still had pretty good spirits. We're still adventuring. We 842 00:47:11,120 --> 00:47:13,319 Speaker 1: had done some hard stuff already. We knew we could 843 00:47:13,320 --> 00:47:15,279 Speaker 1: get it done. Is that that is that where your 844 00:47:15,280 --> 00:47:19,080 Speaker 1: head was at? DJ? Yeah, I would say that. I know, 845 00:47:19,239 --> 00:47:21,279 Speaker 1: between Derek and myself, I don't think we were ready 846 00:47:21,280 --> 00:47:23,000 Speaker 1: for the trip to end. So it's a little bit 847 00:47:23,040 --> 00:47:25,600 Speaker 1: bitter sweet when you're rafting down having a good time, 848 00:47:25,640 --> 00:47:28,279 Speaker 1: but you had such fun that you're kind of like, hey, 849 00:47:28,320 --> 00:47:29,759 Speaker 1: this is all right, this is one more step in 850 00:47:29,760 --> 00:47:32,279 Speaker 1: the adventure and we get to hang around for a 851 00:47:32,280 --> 00:47:34,120 Speaker 1: couple more days and have a little a little bit 852 00:47:34,160 --> 00:47:37,839 Speaker 1: better of a story. You tell um, unbeknownst to us 853 00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:41,120 Speaker 1: that that wasn't the end of the story. Hell no, 854 00:47:41,880 --> 00:47:43,799 Speaker 1: if you would fast forward to the next night while 855 00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:45,880 Speaker 1: we were in that tent, it was not the same. 856 00:47:46,600 --> 00:47:51,440 Speaker 1: We pass over. Yeah, no, we're not gonna pass her. 857 00:47:51,480 --> 00:47:53,640 Speaker 1: That but we get to that the next night. But 858 00:47:53,880 --> 00:47:56,359 Speaker 1: so we get up the next morning. We have all 859 00:47:56,360 --> 00:48:01,000 Speaker 1: our gear, our waiters, all our stuff that we are, rifles, 860 00:48:01,040 --> 00:48:04,239 Speaker 1: everything from the hunt, plus two deer each um well 861 00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:06,440 Speaker 1: roughly one dear each after we split the deer up, 862 00:48:06,920 --> 00:48:09,440 Speaker 1: and then a bunch of camp stuff, and and Cole 863 00:48:09,520 --> 00:48:12,319 Speaker 1: had planned like he could stash a good bit of 864 00:48:12,360 --> 00:48:15,880 Speaker 1: the gear um where we had made camp market and 865 00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:18,799 Speaker 1: then come back later when everything thought and grab that gear. 866 00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:21,880 Speaker 1: That's the tents, the rafts, everything that's not essential to 867 00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:25,200 Speaker 1: get out of there at that moment. But even with 868 00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:29,200 Speaker 1: two trips walking on what is a frozen beachhead, I 869 00:48:29,239 --> 00:48:32,000 Speaker 1: guess at this point like, well, the whole way down 870 00:48:32,080 --> 00:48:33,879 Speaker 1: you can't just walk on the bottom. It was all 871 00:48:33,960 --> 00:48:37,799 Speaker 1: backed up because the lagumas froze over, the fresh water 872 00:48:37,920 --> 00:48:42,680 Speaker 1: was building up against the all the slush and everything 873 00:48:42,719 --> 00:48:44,880 Speaker 1: started to freeze up and so backed up in the 874 00:48:44,880 --> 00:48:47,880 Speaker 1: whole entire valley, so you could not walk on the 875 00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:50,239 Speaker 1: flat of the valley. So there's ice like broken up 876 00:48:50,280 --> 00:48:54,160 Speaker 1: ice and slush down in there, and it was super slippery. 877 00:48:54,600 --> 00:48:57,000 Speaker 1: So we had to side hill the whole way basically 878 00:48:57,080 --> 00:49:00,200 Speaker 1: until we got out there and got out towards where 879 00:49:00,200 --> 00:49:02,799 Speaker 1: you could kind of walk on a beach, and at 880 00:49:02,840 --> 00:49:05,920 Speaker 1: that point, you know, it's still very, very slippery. My 881 00:49:06,040 --> 00:49:08,360 Speaker 1: thing was it wasn't. I mean, you know, as a guide, 882 00:49:08,360 --> 00:49:12,359 Speaker 1: you're you're constantly worried about someone getting hurt. And that 883 00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:17,040 Speaker 1: was my worry for someone, because everyone fell, everyone was 884 00:49:17,120 --> 00:49:19,480 Speaker 1: slipping on the ice, everyone went down. I mean we're 885 00:49:19,480 --> 00:49:22,719 Speaker 1: talking everyone had, you know, pushing a hundred pounds in 886 00:49:22,760 --> 00:49:26,520 Speaker 1: the back on on the first load, and in also 887 00:49:26,640 --> 00:49:32,680 Speaker 1: the second load, and so uh, the first load we 888 00:49:32,719 --> 00:49:36,120 Speaker 1: took out all deer in some gear and when we 889 00:49:36,200 --> 00:49:38,520 Speaker 1: got out there, we stashed it and then we started 890 00:49:38,560 --> 00:49:41,920 Speaker 1: hustling back to camp, back up several miles. We get 891 00:49:42,040 --> 00:49:44,759 Speaker 1: up there and it's like load back up with your 892 00:49:44,800 --> 00:49:49,200 Speaker 1: personal gear and anything else we can grab. And you know, 893 00:49:49,360 --> 00:49:52,680 Speaker 1: these are still heavy packs because you know, you're you're 894 00:49:52,719 --> 00:49:55,239 Speaker 1: you're planning on it being floated out. You know, it's 895 00:49:55,239 --> 00:49:57,560 Speaker 1: not like everyone just brought, you know, twenty pounds of 896 00:49:57,600 --> 00:50:00,720 Speaker 1: personal stuff. You know, it's these are you know, full 897 00:50:00,760 --> 00:50:04,960 Speaker 1: panangas full of of gear per guy, plus some other 898 00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:08,240 Speaker 1: stuff in your pack, you know, other things. And so 899 00:50:08,400 --> 00:50:10,600 Speaker 1: then the second trip you're you're i mean, you know, 900 00:50:10,640 --> 00:50:14,880 Speaker 1: we're hustling and it starts to snow and we I 901 00:50:14,920 --> 00:50:18,560 Speaker 1: remember finally getting out towards the lagoon and it's it's 902 00:50:18,640 --> 00:50:22,640 Speaker 1: later in the afternoon. Now it's pushing three o'clock. You know, 903 00:50:22,719 --> 00:50:24,879 Speaker 1: you can only land on a high tide in there, 904 00:50:25,520 --> 00:50:28,319 Speaker 1: and it wasn't fully high tide. They were gonna come 905 00:50:28,320 --> 00:50:31,640 Speaker 1: before the high tide, and there's certain channels you have 906 00:50:31,680 --> 00:50:33,799 Speaker 1: to land and otherwise you just can't land out there. 907 00:50:34,160 --> 00:50:37,239 Speaker 1: And I remember kind of yelling at everyone because I 908 00:50:37,280 --> 00:50:39,160 Speaker 1: was ahead of you guys, like, come on, we gotta push, 909 00:50:39,239 --> 00:50:41,560 Speaker 1: gotta get out here. These guys are gonna land if 910 00:50:41,600 --> 00:50:43,960 Speaker 1: they if they come. But here it's starting a blizzard, 911 00:50:44,600 --> 00:50:46,719 Speaker 1: and I'm thinking, oh, man, you know we still have 912 00:50:46,760 --> 00:50:48,880 Speaker 1: to push hard to get out there. Number one, to 913 00:50:48,960 --> 00:50:51,200 Speaker 1: drop all our stuff. But number two, I mean, we 914 00:50:51,239 --> 00:50:53,120 Speaker 1: can't just get out there in the planes wait on 915 00:50:53,200 --> 00:50:55,920 Speaker 1: us forever, and I may have to check the water 916 00:50:56,000 --> 00:50:59,240 Speaker 1: levels and radio to them. And sure enough, here comes 917 00:50:59,239 --> 00:51:02,239 Speaker 1: the plane or two two beavers coming in, and I 918 00:51:02,719 --> 00:51:06,320 Speaker 1: honestly cannot believe that they're coming in this blizzard. Um, 919 00:51:06,520 --> 00:51:09,200 Speaker 1: two of our our buddies that are pilots or beavers 920 00:51:09,640 --> 00:51:13,720 Speaker 1: coming in, flying in Unison together, uh, you know, fairly 921 00:51:13,719 --> 00:51:15,440 Speaker 1: close to each other so they can see each other 922 00:51:15,440 --> 00:51:19,840 Speaker 1: where they're at. And for some reason, they're stinking radios 923 00:51:19,880 --> 00:51:24,319 Speaker 1: weren't working very well during that time period. And I 924 00:51:24,440 --> 00:51:26,880 Speaker 1: remember yelling at him on the radio like can you 925 00:51:26,920 --> 00:51:28,760 Speaker 1: hear me? Can you hear me? And they were asking 926 00:51:28,800 --> 00:51:31,200 Speaker 1: me how deep it was, and you know, I'm only 927 00:51:31,200 --> 00:51:33,640 Speaker 1: got knee deep water and these are beavers. And I 928 00:51:33,680 --> 00:51:35,439 Speaker 1: told was trying to tell them to go Land further 929 00:51:35,480 --> 00:51:39,440 Speaker 1: out than taxi up to us. But the snow started 930 00:51:39,440 --> 00:51:42,360 Speaker 1: coming down so hard, and it's such a gloomy time 931 00:51:42,400 --> 00:51:45,080 Speaker 1: period nearly December as it is, they just really can't 932 00:51:45,080 --> 00:51:49,239 Speaker 1: see that well. And I remember what I'm saying, sorry, 933 00:51:49,360 --> 00:51:51,080 Speaker 1: and I thought I heard him say, we gotta go. 934 00:51:51,640 --> 00:51:54,239 Speaker 1: And when they started, you know, leaving, it was like, 935 00:51:54,280 --> 00:51:57,719 Speaker 1: oh man, up until this point, everyone's thinking, who, we've 936 00:51:57,760 --> 00:52:00,200 Speaker 1: made it. They're gonna come with Land. We're going back 937 00:52:00,200 --> 00:52:04,200 Speaker 1: to town and and uh and as the beat that 938 00:52:04,360 --> 00:52:06,279 Speaker 1: they you know, I could hear, I could make out 939 00:52:06,880 --> 00:52:09,759 Speaker 1: when they said, sorry, man, we gotta go, and I 940 00:52:09,840 --> 00:52:14,319 Speaker 1: just thought it to myself, holy crap. And uh, so 941 00:52:14,480 --> 00:52:16,239 Speaker 1: off they went. They had to go back town because 942 00:52:16,239 --> 00:52:18,960 Speaker 1: the snow was getting so so heavy that they couldn't 943 00:52:18,960 --> 00:52:22,800 Speaker 1: really see, and they knew that the water level probably 944 00:52:22,880 --> 00:52:25,319 Speaker 1: wasn't quite high enough. If it was clear out, they 945 00:52:25,320 --> 00:52:27,920 Speaker 1: could have landed in some tight little channels and then 946 00:52:27,960 --> 00:52:30,080 Speaker 1: tax it up, but you just couldn't see anything, so 947 00:52:30,120 --> 00:52:32,200 Speaker 1: it's way too risky. And plus they're just worried about 948 00:52:32,200 --> 00:52:34,520 Speaker 1: getting back to town. So they they took off, and 949 00:52:34,560 --> 00:52:37,760 Speaker 1: I had a genuine concern for their lives as well, 950 00:52:38,080 --> 00:52:40,279 Speaker 1: but I just couldn't believe that they actually battled to 951 00:52:40,320 --> 00:52:42,120 Speaker 1: get out there just to try to pick us up. 952 00:52:42,600 --> 00:52:47,400 Speaker 1: So yeah, as they as they turned around and go 953 00:52:47,480 --> 00:52:50,640 Speaker 1: back towards town, here I see everyone like starting to 954 00:52:50,960 --> 00:52:53,320 Speaker 1: group up and come up to me like, Okay, what 955 00:52:53,440 --> 00:52:56,080 Speaker 1: you know, are they landing or what's going on? And 956 00:52:56,320 --> 00:52:59,520 Speaker 1: I remember having to deliver the bad news you guys, like, 957 00:53:00,040 --> 00:53:04,040 Speaker 1: uh um, sorry guys. They they had to go, And 958 00:53:04,400 --> 00:53:06,560 Speaker 1: you know what, what were you guys thinking at that point? Well, 959 00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:08,520 Speaker 1: like I said, like, as you're telling the whole story, 960 00:53:08,560 --> 00:53:11,960 Speaker 1: like to go back to a little bit of where 961 00:53:12,800 --> 00:53:15,120 Speaker 1: how the day win. This is a full day of hiking, 962 00:53:15,320 --> 00:53:19,560 Speaker 1: like a full day of side killing. Yeah, from dark 963 00:53:19,600 --> 00:53:21,960 Speaker 1: to dark with a hundred pounds in your back. So 964 00:53:22,040 --> 00:53:23,839 Speaker 1: there's a couple of times there's a photo of all 965 00:53:23,880 --> 00:53:27,359 Speaker 1: of us like resting, taking a rest on. I think 966 00:53:27,400 --> 00:53:30,760 Speaker 1: the second the second trip back to the to the 967 00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:34,200 Speaker 1: to the beach, where we look like the most depressed. 968 00:53:34,400 --> 00:53:35,960 Speaker 1: We look like the most like a boy band that 969 00:53:36,040 --> 00:53:40,240 Speaker 1: just lost their contract, like it is not it is not, 970 00:53:41,120 --> 00:53:43,360 Speaker 1: it's not a happy time, like maybe the first trip 971 00:53:43,400 --> 00:53:45,879 Speaker 1: out there. So we walk a couple of miles side 972 00:53:45,920 --> 00:53:49,000 Speaker 1: hill in ice for two miles. Eventually we started putting 973 00:53:49,000 --> 00:53:52,120 Speaker 1: on our we would we got out our waiters and 974 00:53:52,160 --> 00:53:55,120 Speaker 1: just wore our waiters because it was so ridiculous. So 975 00:53:55,160 --> 00:53:57,000 Speaker 1: we got out there, we dropped our packs, we have 976 00:53:57,160 --> 00:53:59,319 Speaker 1: some food, We're still feeling pretty good. But by the 977 00:53:59,360 --> 00:54:02,360 Speaker 1: time we get back to camp the second time, load 978 00:54:02,440 --> 00:54:04,799 Speaker 1: up another hundred pounds. We were all kind of like 979 00:54:04,880 --> 00:54:08,160 Speaker 1: reluctantly putting those packs back on, knowing what we had 980 00:54:08,200 --> 00:54:10,960 Speaker 1: to do now. And by the time we made it 981 00:54:11,000 --> 00:54:15,479 Speaker 1: out there, I remember how desperate I was to get 982 00:54:15,520 --> 00:54:18,600 Speaker 1: that thing off my back. When I when we saw 983 00:54:18,640 --> 00:54:21,040 Speaker 1: the beach at Ben Potter made it before me, but 984 00:54:21,080 --> 00:54:23,040 Speaker 1: I was chugging along. I was real confident that I 985 00:54:23,040 --> 00:54:26,680 Speaker 1: was kicking ass, and I just remember you up there, 986 00:54:26,760 --> 00:54:29,120 Speaker 1: him up there before me, and he's taking photos and 987 00:54:29,200 --> 00:54:32,879 Speaker 1: I'm just is I'm feeling like a badass at this point, 988 00:54:32,920 --> 00:54:35,239 Speaker 1: but I'm also desperate to get this damn pack off 989 00:54:35,280 --> 00:54:38,040 Speaker 1: my back. And at that point it was nice out 990 00:54:38,760 --> 00:54:42,040 Speaker 1: like it was, it was relatively okay. And then by 991 00:54:42,040 --> 00:54:45,280 Speaker 1: the time Derek DJ got up there, that snow started 992 00:54:45,280 --> 00:54:48,760 Speaker 1: to drop into the freaking lagoon like you wouldn't believe. 993 00:54:49,480 --> 00:54:53,960 Speaker 1: And there is a what I would the one of 994 00:54:54,000 --> 00:54:56,959 Speaker 1: the photos of the trip is a photo of you 995 00:54:57,239 --> 00:55:00,279 Speaker 1: call waiting halfway out, like nipple deep in the water, 996 00:55:00,400 --> 00:55:02,640 Speaker 1: waving your hand up in the air. I just said, 997 00:55:02,719 --> 00:55:05,879 Speaker 1: knee deep. You can't say it was nipples, said, yeah, 998 00:55:05,880 --> 00:55:07,840 Speaker 1: I said knee deep. I'll go waist deep right in 999 00:55:07,880 --> 00:55:11,520 Speaker 1: the middle somewhere nipples in your knees. Well, you were 1000 00:55:11,560 --> 00:55:16,240 Speaker 1: in the water. There was there was great white sharks 1001 00:55:16,280 --> 00:55:20,359 Speaker 1: swimming around. You had you had just saved an old 1002 00:55:20,440 --> 00:55:25,279 Speaker 1: lady uh Cross Street. Yeah, no, it's crazy. There was 1003 00:55:25,280 --> 00:55:29,959 Speaker 1: a bear on a surfboard. Um, you're out there, wave 1004 00:55:30,040 --> 00:55:32,680 Speaker 1: into this plane. You got your like you could see 1005 00:55:32,680 --> 00:55:34,920 Speaker 1: how desperate the wave is. You got your radio in 1006 00:55:34,920 --> 00:55:37,480 Speaker 1: your hand trying to talk to him, and and all 1007 00:55:37,560 --> 00:55:39,799 Speaker 1: that DJ, Derek and the rest of our crew could do, 1008 00:55:40,040 --> 00:55:42,560 Speaker 1: and myself and just kind of stand there and watched 1009 00:55:42,640 --> 00:55:45,680 Speaker 1: this and try to think of like what might happen. 1010 00:55:46,080 --> 00:55:52,600 Speaker 1: And it was cold, snowy, getting dark when we finally 1011 00:55:52,640 --> 00:55:55,120 Speaker 1: got the news that we had to get some of 1012 00:55:55,160 --> 00:55:58,000 Speaker 1: our stuff back on our backs and hike in the 1013 00:55:58,120 --> 00:56:04,560 Speaker 1: dark the two miles back to the ten. How many 1014 00:56:04,600 --> 00:56:07,160 Speaker 1: miles was it? I feel like a man. No, it 1015 00:56:07,280 --> 00:56:10,720 Speaker 1: was like I think it was four miles four miles. So, DJ, 1016 00:56:10,840 --> 00:56:13,120 Speaker 1: what's your Describe your feeling as you got the news. 1017 00:56:14,239 --> 00:56:18,759 Speaker 1: I've often described you as like a little mountain goat Ben. 1018 00:56:19,600 --> 00:56:22,120 Speaker 1: It seemed like you have the spark plug and ability 1019 00:56:22,160 --> 00:56:25,480 Speaker 1: to get through anywhere at any time. And I remember 1020 00:56:26,120 --> 00:56:28,640 Speaker 1: when the plane left, like you hear the hum and 1021 00:56:28,640 --> 00:56:32,319 Speaker 1: all of a sudden the humes gone. My energy level 1022 00:56:32,520 --> 00:56:35,799 Speaker 1: completely lost, like it just left us all I think. 1023 00:56:35,840 --> 00:56:40,040 Speaker 1: And I remember that walk back was was the slowest 1024 00:56:40,400 --> 00:56:43,600 Speaker 1: hike I think maybe of my life, because there's quite 1025 00:56:43,600 --> 00:56:48,080 Speaker 1: a bit of dejection of oh man, okay, we've got him. 1026 00:56:49,160 --> 00:56:52,399 Speaker 1: It's already sketchy as it is when it was light out, 1027 00:56:52,480 --> 00:56:54,200 Speaker 1: but yet now we got to find a way back, 1028 00:56:54,320 --> 00:56:57,000 Speaker 1: not get hurt, and then try to have some semblance 1029 00:56:57,040 --> 00:57:00,600 Speaker 1: of the meal before we not off a sleep in 1030 00:57:00,640 --> 00:57:05,960 Speaker 1: a cluster little tent. Well. And when that happened, you know, 1031 00:57:05,960 --> 00:57:08,000 Speaker 1: when the plane left, I just remember turning to you guys, 1032 00:57:08,040 --> 00:57:11,160 Speaker 1: say sorry, guys. And from my point of view as 1033 00:57:11,200 --> 00:57:14,160 Speaker 1: a guide, this is the this is typically the time 1034 00:57:14,200 --> 00:57:17,200 Speaker 1: period where you start hearing the grumbles and the swearing 1035 00:57:17,240 --> 00:57:21,200 Speaker 1: and the and and just all the negativity coming out. 1036 00:57:21,600 --> 00:57:24,800 Speaker 1: And I said, guys, sorry, but we gotta hike back 1037 00:57:24,880 --> 00:57:27,280 Speaker 1: up to where all of our camp stuff is. Um, 1038 00:57:27,920 --> 00:57:30,760 Speaker 1: grab just your personal goods that you need for the night, 1039 00:57:31,040 --> 00:57:35,120 Speaker 1: so sleeping bag, pad and just your personal things. We're 1040 00:57:35,120 --> 00:57:38,600 Speaker 1: gonna leave everything else right here where the plane can 1041 00:57:38,760 --> 00:57:42,120 Speaker 1: hopefully get us tomorrow. If it doesn't, you know, freeze 1042 00:57:42,160 --> 00:57:48,080 Speaker 1: up even more. And uh so we grabbed our personal 1043 00:57:48,120 --> 00:57:51,080 Speaker 1: stuff and and but as we're doing that, I just 1044 00:57:51,120 --> 00:57:53,520 Speaker 1: remember kind of looking around and and I will tell 1045 00:57:53,520 --> 00:57:56,320 Speaker 1: you your guys credit. Not one of you guys said 1046 00:57:56,880 --> 00:58:00,920 Speaker 1: anything out loud, negative or anything. Everyone knew they had 1047 00:58:00,920 --> 00:58:03,680 Speaker 1: a job to do. Everyone just loaded up what they needed. 1048 00:58:04,440 --> 00:58:08,200 Speaker 1: And you know, I know we were all thinking it inside, 1049 00:58:08,360 --> 00:58:11,360 Speaker 1: but at that point. I mean, honestly, that's the thing 1050 00:58:11,440 --> 00:58:13,960 Speaker 1: that Beat in the Wilderness teaches you. You can't just 1051 00:58:14,080 --> 00:58:17,280 Speaker 1: lay down and say I'm done, I give up. You can't, 1052 00:58:17,280 --> 00:58:21,240 Speaker 1: but you're gonna have a really, really shitty night. So uh, 1053 00:58:21,280 --> 00:58:23,400 Speaker 1: but so everyone loaded up. They knew they had a 1054 00:58:23,480 --> 00:58:25,880 Speaker 1: job to do, and then we hiked our way back up. 1055 00:58:26,320 --> 00:58:28,000 Speaker 1: It took our time getting up there, and we I 1056 00:58:28,040 --> 00:58:30,640 Speaker 1: think that night we just set up the one big, 1057 00:58:31,840 --> 00:58:33,840 Speaker 1: big tent and we had all six of us just 1058 00:58:33,960 --> 00:58:36,920 Speaker 1: laid in there. Yeah, I mean it took us. It 1059 00:58:36,960 --> 00:58:38,720 Speaker 1: takes you hours. I mean, I don't know how many 1060 00:58:38,800 --> 00:58:41,600 Speaker 1: hours to get to to go those miles to get 1061 00:58:41,640 --> 00:58:43,400 Speaker 1: back to the tent. But then the tent is you 1062 00:58:43,440 --> 00:58:46,360 Speaker 1: have to put the tent back up. I don't know why. 1063 00:58:46,520 --> 00:58:48,880 Speaker 1: I remember this as being the worst moment, but putting 1064 00:58:48,920 --> 00:58:53,360 Speaker 1: the tent back up, I remember being the most And I, 1065 00:58:54,280 --> 00:58:56,280 Speaker 1: as DJ was saying, I felt like when the pack 1066 00:58:56,360 --> 00:58:58,360 Speaker 1: out to get to the beach, and I felt the 1067 00:58:58,360 --> 00:59:00,400 Speaker 1: most capable I've ever felt my life. I'm like, man, 1068 00:59:00,680 --> 00:59:02,280 Speaker 1: you know, we got a hundred pounds in my back, Like, 1069 00:59:02,680 --> 00:59:04,960 Speaker 1: let's go. Man, I feel good, I'm gonna get this. 1070 00:59:05,240 --> 00:59:07,120 Speaker 1: Give me a Snicker's Bar and let's fucking get it. 1071 00:59:07,240 --> 00:59:10,880 Speaker 1: Like I felt great, but I remember, like we're returning 1072 00:59:10,880 --> 00:59:13,040 Speaker 1: back to the tent, having to put the tent back 1073 00:59:13,120 --> 00:59:16,600 Speaker 1: up somehow. Is this like in the cold in the dark. 1074 00:59:17,080 --> 00:59:19,720 Speaker 1: It was just such an insult to me having to 1075 00:59:19,800 --> 00:59:23,960 Speaker 1: like erect this tent again, um and go crawl into 1076 00:59:24,040 --> 00:59:26,840 Speaker 1: it and eat like a mountain house meal and sleep 1077 00:59:27,000 --> 00:59:30,800 Speaker 1: six people all around the outside of this tent um. 1078 00:59:30,840 --> 00:59:32,360 Speaker 1: That was a low point. I think all of us 1079 00:59:32,360 --> 00:59:35,040 Speaker 1: were kind of like still laughing, still joking and trying 1080 00:59:35,080 --> 00:59:36,760 Speaker 1: to make it good, like you were saying. Cold. I 1081 00:59:36,800 --> 00:59:39,360 Speaker 1: was proud of the whole crew. Nobody flipped out, nobody 1082 00:59:39,960 --> 00:59:44,120 Speaker 1: lost it. Everybody kept their heads, but nobody was like 1083 00:59:44,240 --> 00:59:46,120 Speaker 1: we had such a good time prior to that. It 1084 00:59:46,240 --> 00:59:49,120 Speaker 1: was such such a low feeling to not really know 1085 00:59:49,200 --> 00:59:53,080 Speaker 1: what was going to happen. To put this in perspective 1086 00:59:53,120 --> 00:59:55,800 Speaker 1: for people, I mean, when you come up to Alaska 1087 00:59:57,080 --> 01:00:01,520 Speaker 1: and there's it happens a lot of times where you 1088 01:00:01,600 --> 01:00:05,080 Speaker 1: break camp and the weather picks up and the pilot 1089 01:00:05,080 --> 01:00:06,760 Speaker 1: can't make it in they call you and say sorry, 1090 01:00:06,840 --> 01:00:09,360 Speaker 1: we can't do it, or they just don't show up. Okay, 1091 01:00:09,960 --> 01:00:13,000 Speaker 1: and um and then so you have to you feel 1092 01:00:13,000 --> 01:00:16,680 Speaker 1: a little dejected and you put camp back up, and 1093 01:00:16,680 --> 01:00:18,840 Speaker 1: that's just the way it is. But this is it's 1094 01:00:18,880 --> 01:00:22,640 Speaker 1: a different level when you were dealing with extreme weather 1095 01:00:23,440 --> 01:00:26,520 Speaker 1: and having to hike hours back up to where your 1096 01:00:26,600 --> 01:00:29,840 Speaker 1: camp is and then have to set it back up. 1097 01:00:29,920 --> 01:00:33,520 Speaker 1: It's a it's a new level of just you know, 1098 01:00:34,720 --> 01:00:37,520 Speaker 1: I would say depression or whatnot that that like literally 1099 01:00:37,600 --> 01:00:41,080 Speaker 1: hits you like, wow, we now we have to We've 1100 01:00:41,080 --> 01:00:43,480 Speaker 1: already done two round trips. Now we have to do 1101 01:00:43,960 --> 01:00:45,920 Speaker 1: you know, hike all the way back up there and 1102 01:00:45,960 --> 01:00:49,000 Speaker 1: set up our big camp, you know. And so it's 1103 01:00:49,040 --> 01:00:51,600 Speaker 1: not like you just go back to your lake edge 1104 01:00:52,360 --> 01:00:55,600 Speaker 1: or whatever and set your tent right back up. So 1105 01:00:56,040 --> 01:00:57,600 Speaker 1: that was you know, I've had to do that a 1106 01:00:57,600 --> 01:01:00,840 Speaker 1: billion times, but so that was that was definitely one 1107 01:01:00,880 --> 01:01:05,400 Speaker 1: of the uh rougher time to do that. But you know, 1108 01:01:05,440 --> 01:01:06,920 Speaker 1: as a leader, you kind of just kind of like, 1109 01:01:06,920 --> 01:01:08,920 Speaker 1: all right, guys, load your ship back up, let's go. 1110 01:01:09,320 --> 01:01:11,280 Speaker 1: And and that's exactly what you guys did. So my 1111 01:01:11,360 --> 01:01:14,760 Speaker 1: point of you guys did awesome, you know, and I 1112 01:01:14,880 --> 01:01:17,120 Speaker 1: think when we got back up there, everyone was, you know, 1113 01:01:17,400 --> 01:01:19,000 Speaker 1: you get you just do what you gotta do. You 1114 01:01:19,040 --> 01:01:22,240 Speaker 1: get in the tent and everyone is is stoked once 1115 01:01:22,280 --> 01:01:23,919 Speaker 1: you get in there and you put your pad down, 1116 01:01:24,240 --> 01:01:27,240 Speaker 1: getting your sleeping bag, you know, get your meal. It 1117 01:01:27,360 --> 01:01:32,160 Speaker 1: does get people back in a better mood, right and um, yeah, no, 1118 01:01:32,560 --> 01:01:35,160 Speaker 1: I think you know it's funny. And we sit now 1119 01:01:35,320 --> 01:01:37,200 Speaker 1: kind of in uh we were talking about this in 1120 01:01:37,280 --> 01:01:39,640 Speaker 1: some other shows this week. You're sitting now in a 1121 01:01:39,720 --> 01:01:43,800 Speaker 1: weird kind of I don't know, weak point for our 1122 01:01:43,840 --> 01:01:46,560 Speaker 1: society where we're not we don't have the structure we're 1123 01:01:46,640 --> 01:01:49,920 Speaker 1: used to, we don't really have the services we're used to. Like, 1124 01:01:50,040 --> 01:01:56,040 Speaker 1: things are a little bit weird, and it's strangely analogous 1125 01:01:56,600 --> 01:01:59,800 Speaker 1: to being able to survive or you know, we weren't. 1126 01:01:59,840 --> 01:02:01,680 Speaker 1: We weren't like close to death or anything, but be 1127 01:02:01,760 --> 01:02:05,040 Speaker 1: able to to conquer the things that we had to 1128 01:02:05,080 --> 01:02:09,280 Speaker 1: do out there that those days, being cold, being tired 1129 01:02:09,280 --> 01:02:13,120 Speaker 1: of being hungry, but still you know, back hurts, shoulders hurt, 1130 01:02:13,680 --> 01:02:15,520 Speaker 1: hundred pounds on your back, you know, being able to 1131 01:02:15,560 --> 01:02:17,400 Speaker 1: do those things in a place where there isn't any 1132 01:02:17,440 --> 01:02:20,280 Speaker 1: comfort around the corner. You can't walk in to a 1133 01:02:20,320 --> 01:02:25,240 Speaker 1: place with heat. Um, like that's kind of weirdly useful 1134 01:02:25,360 --> 01:02:28,400 Speaker 1: right now. Um, because if you've done that comparing to 1135 01:02:28,600 --> 01:02:31,480 Speaker 1: like not being able to go to Chipotle on a Thursday, 1136 01:02:31,520 --> 01:02:34,680 Speaker 1: who gives a ship. Um, once you've experienced something like this, 1137 01:02:34,720 --> 01:02:38,040 Speaker 1: So it's weird how it has its it has its 1138 01:02:38,040 --> 01:02:41,040 Speaker 1: benefits in the situation we're in now and we're simply 1139 01:02:41,080 --> 01:02:44,040 Speaker 1: being asked to sit in our houses. Um, that's no 1140 01:02:44,160 --> 01:02:48,680 Speaker 1: big deal. But anyway, anyway, we get up the next morning. 1141 01:02:48,680 --> 01:02:51,160 Speaker 1: I think we were all feeling a little bit better. Um. 1142 01:02:51,200 --> 01:02:53,480 Speaker 1: I know, I don't know I had if this had 1143 01:02:53,520 --> 01:02:56,360 Speaker 1: happened right away. But the worry was the tide would 1144 01:02:56,360 --> 01:02:58,959 Speaker 1: have been out so far by the time that there's 1145 01:02:59,080 --> 01:03:01,680 Speaker 1: play the low planes would come back, that we would 1146 01:03:01,680 --> 01:03:03,920 Speaker 1: be in there for days longer until the tide came 1147 01:03:03,960 --> 01:03:07,640 Speaker 1: back up enough for us to get of somebody to learn. 1148 01:03:08,400 --> 01:03:10,520 Speaker 1: So so what we had to do, because that was 1149 01:03:10,560 --> 01:03:13,880 Speaker 1: the whole thing that I had to think about, Um 1150 01:03:13,920 --> 01:03:17,680 Speaker 1: that day, that the planes couldn't get us because um, 1151 01:03:18,280 --> 01:03:21,720 Speaker 1: because of that situation, that was the last day that 1152 01:03:21,800 --> 01:03:24,400 Speaker 1: they could actually land in there for a few days, 1153 01:03:24,520 --> 01:03:28,640 Speaker 1: several days, and with the tide on floats because the 1154 01:03:28,720 --> 01:03:30,800 Speaker 1: high tide would come in in the dark. These are 1155 01:03:30,840 --> 01:03:37,000 Speaker 1: extreme tides and kodiak and uh, so I I was 1156 01:03:37,040 --> 01:03:43,720 Speaker 1: thinking that night, Okay, well, now the hurdle is seeing 1157 01:03:43,760 --> 01:03:46,480 Speaker 1: if these guys can get their wheel plane lined up 1158 01:03:46,480 --> 01:03:48,240 Speaker 1: to where they can land on this beach that they 1159 01:03:48,240 --> 01:03:53,840 Speaker 1: have never landed on before. And so um, you know, 1160 01:03:53,920 --> 01:03:57,160 Speaker 1: trying to set up those logistics with those guys, and 1161 01:03:57,200 --> 01:04:00,160 Speaker 1: it's gonna be multiple loads with this plane with all 1162 01:04:00,200 --> 01:04:03,160 Speaker 1: of us and the deer and our gear and everything. 1163 01:04:03,280 --> 01:04:05,919 Speaker 1: So uh, they you know, we got the plan put 1164 01:04:05,920 --> 01:04:09,080 Speaker 1: in place, and um woke up next morning. This time, 1165 01:04:09,600 --> 01:04:13,440 Speaker 1: I recall, we actually loaded up the base camp tents everything. 1166 01:04:13,480 --> 01:04:16,000 Speaker 1: And these are you know the tents alone or or 1167 01:04:16,120 --> 01:04:18,400 Speaker 1: fifty pound tents. You know, one of them is a 1168 01:04:18,480 --> 01:04:22,320 Speaker 1: good sixty pounds or so. Um. So this time we 1169 01:04:22,360 --> 01:04:25,960 Speaker 1: actually took our camp down there. We just didn't flat 1170 01:04:25,960 --> 01:04:28,080 Speaker 1: out just didn't have the room. The first time or 1171 01:04:28,120 --> 01:04:29,680 Speaker 1: the second load that we went down there, we just 1172 01:04:29,680 --> 01:04:33,200 Speaker 1: there's just no room, like you weren't packing these monster tents. 1173 01:04:33,240 --> 01:04:36,360 Speaker 1: So but the next day we just had those strapped on. 1174 01:04:36,680 --> 01:04:38,439 Speaker 1: Three of us had tents, or maybe we just took 1175 01:04:38,480 --> 01:04:43,000 Speaker 1: two of them down there, but regardless, uh, we loaded 1176 01:04:43,080 --> 01:04:46,320 Speaker 1: up what we needed for to stay overnight down there 1177 01:04:46,360 --> 01:04:48,240 Speaker 1: if we had too. Now we were prepared to do 1178 01:04:48,280 --> 01:04:51,360 Speaker 1: that right and but as luck would have it, the 1179 01:04:51,440 --> 01:04:55,080 Speaker 1: day was good. Everyone loaded up, We're all heavy again 1180 01:04:55,160 --> 01:04:58,200 Speaker 1: going down there, and uh, I don't know how long 1181 01:04:58,240 --> 01:05:00,720 Speaker 1: the whole process took, but we got down there to 1182 01:05:00,720 --> 01:05:03,040 Speaker 1: our beach. I mean, there was all sorts of ice 1183 01:05:03,200 --> 01:05:06,040 Speaker 1: lining the beach, and we had to break ice and 1184 01:05:06,120 --> 01:05:08,920 Speaker 1: get all of those chunks out there because uh, you know, 1185 01:05:09,000 --> 01:05:11,760 Speaker 1: I didn't want our pilots landing and hitting ice chunks 1186 01:05:11,800 --> 01:05:15,520 Speaker 1: with the propellers or or the wheels, and and because 1187 01:05:15,520 --> 01:05:19,080 Speaker 1: we also had a wind blowing back on shore and 1188 01:05:19,280 --> 01:05:21,040 Speaker 1: there was a bank there, I didn't want him getting 1189 01:05:21,040 --> 01:05:23,720 Speaker 1: pushed into. So it was once we got there, we 1190 01:05:23,760 --> 01:05:25,360 Speaker 1: still had a lot of work to do to prep 1191 01:05:25,440 --> 01:05:28,120 Speaker 1: that beach for the guys and make sure there's no 1192 01:05:28,160 --> 01:05:30,480 Speaker 1: big rocks and stuff for him to hit. And once 1193 01:05:30,520 --> 01:05:33,200 Speaker 1: our pilot got in there, you know, it was all 1194 01:05:33,240 --> 01:05:36,080 Speaker 1: worked for him, and he was doing a great job. 1195 01:05:36,120 --> 01:05:39,400 Speaker 1: And we had another pilot stage and another village by 1196 01:05:39,440 --> 01:05:43,680 Speaker 1: there that he was just you know, uh, landing and 1197 01:05:43,680 --> 01:05:46,280 Speaker 1: and dropping loads off and he was coming directly back. 1198 01:05:46,320 --> 01:05:47,960 Speaker 1: And I don't know how long that took but several 1199 01:05:47,960 --> 01:05:51,160 Speaker 1: hours altogether. I mean, I I remember there's a bunch 1200 01:05:51,200 --> 01:05:52,880 Speaker 1: of that stuff, like getting to the beach head for 1201 01:05:53,920 --> 01:05:57,040 Speaker 1: you know what essentially is the third time round trip. 1202 01:05:58,000 --> 01:06:01,680 Speaker 1: I felt amazing. Uh, we had lunch, we cleared the 1203 01:06:01,680 --> 01:06:04,120 Speaker 1: beach off, we took a bunch of photos. It felt 1204 01:06:04,160 --> 01:06:08,000 Speaker 1: good like that felt like it was over. Um, but 1205 01:06:08,120 --> 01:06:11,120 Speaker 1: it was still sketchy. I think we're maybe just tricking ourselves. 1206 01:06:11,120 --> 01:06:14,360 Speaker 1: At some point, you know, the pilot, I don't he 1207 01:06:14,480 --> 01:06:18,320 Speaker 1: deserves credit. I can't remember his name, um Keller, Yeah, 1208 01:06:19,320 --> 01:06:23,480 Speaker 1: for one of the crazy brothers from earlier in the story. Um, 1209 01:06:23,640 --> 01:06:25,120 Speaker 1: you said at some point, like I think he's going 1210 01:06:25,160 --> 01:06:27,959 Speaker 1: to bring a wheel plane in here, because we had discussed, like, man, 1211 01:06:28,240 --> 01:06:30,400 Speaker 1: we got they might have to air drop some pizzas 1212 01:06:30,440 --> 01:06:32,240 Speaker 1: to us if we got to stay in here for 1213 01:06:32,280 --> 01:06:36,240 Speaker 1: two or three more days. UM, let's let's clear that up. 1214 01:06:36,320 --> 01:06:38,840 Speaker 1: We had six deer we could eat, so yeah, but 1215 01:06:38,960 --> 01:06:41,800 Speaker 1: we we needed some junk food they might have. How 1216 01:06:41,800 --> 01:06:46,960 Speaker 1: we're gonna have We need PEPSI that's one thing we 1217 01:06:46,960 --> 01:06:50,840 Speaker 1: figured we got. You got plenty of food. But at 1218 01:06:50,920 --> 01:06:54,200 Speaker 1: the time, you know, it's like you're you're cautiously optimistic. 1219 01:06:54,240 --> 01:06:56,040 Speaker 1: It was a nice day, Like, it was a very 1220 01:06:56,120 --> 01:07:01,120 Speaker 1: nice day that day, um, compared to what we've had, 1221 01:07:01,280 --> 01:07:03,920 Speaker 1: I know. So yeah, we felt that there was no snow. 1222 01:07:04,560 --> 01:07:06,920 Speaker 1: It was windy. I do remember that too, and there 1223 01:07:06,960 --> 01:07:10,240 Speaker 1: were some cold moments. But um, I'll let you talk 1224 01:07:10,240 --> 01:07:11,880 Speaker 1: a little bit. But I know, I remember there's a 1225 01:07:11,880 --> 01:07:14,080 Speaker 1: photo of us all holding our bucks on the beach 1226 01:07:14,160 --> 01:07:17,120 Speaker 1: head once once we by the water there. Once we 1227 01:07:17,200 --> 01:07:19,120 Speaker 1: kind of had already cleared the beach for the plane 1228 01:07:19,160 --> 01:07:23,640 Speaker 1: to land, and it was it was really the culmination 1229 01:07:23,680 --> 01:07:25,880 Speaker 1: of an adventure trying to watch stand there and watch 1230 01:07:25,920 --> 01:07:29,440 Speaker 1: this wheel plane go around and come back and go around, 1231 01:07:29,640 --> 01:07:33,960 Speaker 1: and just that the anticipation of those wheels touching the 1232 01:07:34,080 --> 01:07:39,480 Speaker 1: dirt and the rocks, um was huge. DJ I don't remember. 1233 01:07:39,520 --> 01:07:43,240 Speaker 1: At some point cold or someone said all right, who's 1234 01:07:43,280 --> 01:07:46,120 Speaker 1: going on this first plane? And my name came up 1235 01:07:46,120 --> 01:07:48,320 Speaker 1: and I was like, hell, yeah, I'm on this first 1236 01:07:48,320 --> 01:07:49,880 Speaker 1: plane because I don't know if another plane is going 1237 01:07:49,920 --> 01:07:53,040 Speaker 1: to get back in here. And I was like, well, 1238 01:07:53,520 --> 01:07:56,520 Speaker 1: let's throw like the most dispensable guys we have on 1239 01:07:56,640 --> 01:08:00,000 Speaker 1: the first plane case he crashes this guy. Yeah, let's 1240 01:08:00,000 --> 01:08:02,120 Speaker 1: get the other Kansas guy out of here. I'll take 1241 01:08:02,160 --> 01:08:05,240 Speaker 1: care of Kansas if he leaves. Also, here was here 1242 01:08:05,320 --> 01:08:07,440 Speaker 1: was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip, 1243 01:08:07,800 --> 01:08:10,160 Speaker 1: like the favorite moment now that that happened, where the 1244 01:08:10,200 --> 01:08:12,800 Speaker 1: plane finally lands, we can only get um, all but 1245 01:08:12,880 --> 01:08:14,800 Speaker 1: two of us on the plane. I think it was 1246 01:08:15,520 --> 01:08:17,920 Speaker 1: I think I put you three guys on there. I recall, right, 1247 01:08:18,160 --> 01:08:20,600 Speaker 1: that was me and you stayed back Cole. But it 1248 01:08:20,680 --> 01:08:23,240 Speaker 1: was there was a moment of negotiation where you're like, well, 1249 01:08:23,240 --> 01:08:25,280 Speaker 1: who's gonna go and who's gonna stay because you don't 1250 01:08:25,280 --> 01:08:28,920 Speaker 1: know they're faring us back to a small town, a 1251 01:08:28,960 --> 01:08:33,120 Speaker 1: small I think fishing Tali village. It's just like seven 1252 01:08:33,160 --> 01:08:37,120 Speaker 1: structures in a in a landing spot. Um, but you 1253 01:08:37,200 --> 01:08:40,719 Speaker 1: know we're some small area anyway, there was a chance 1254 01:08:40,760 --> 01:08:43,439 Speaker 1: that who knows, I mean, the weather could change and 1255 01:08:43,720 --> 01:08:46,479 Speaker 1: the two people left behind what could be left behind? 1256 01:08:46,479 --> 01:08:51,160 Speaker 1: For some time we didn't know, um, And so Ben Potter, 1257 01:08:51,240 --> 01:08:54,160 Speaker 1: the camera guy, was was everybody was. DJ gets on, 1258 01:08:54,200 --> 01:08:56,320 Speaker 1: Derek gets on, and then Ben looks at me and 1259 01:08:56,360 --> 01:09:00,920 Speaker 1: he's like, uh, like just one me to say something, 1260 01:09:00,960 --> 01:09:02,639 Speaker 1: And I was I was like, dude, I planned this trip, 1261 01:09:02,680 --> 01:09:05,320 Speaker 1: I got us into this. I'll stay with Cole I 1262 01:09:05,360 --> 01:09:09,760 Speaker 1: don't care, and he hugged me. He hugged me like 1263 01:09:10,000 --> 01:09:13,040 Speaker 1: I never been hugged in my life. Like he he 1264 01:09:13,080 --> 01:09:15,960 Speaker 1: didn't want to say he was. He was like on 1265 01:09:16,000 --> 01:09:18,519 Speaker 1: a big like he had to leave and go somewhere 1266 01:09:18,520 --> 01:09:21,479 Speaker 1: else immediately as well. There was some sort of major 1267 01:09:21,600 --> 01:09:23,920 Speaker 1: commitment that he had it. He's worried about that, but 1268 01:09:23,960 --> 01:09:26,240 Speaker 1: everyone's obviously stoked just to get out of there. No, 1269 01:09:26,320 --> 01:09:27,920 Speaker 1: I mean he admitted to me later on, he's like, 1270 01:09:27,960 --> 01:09:29,200 Speaker 1: I had to go. He had to go film a 1271 01:09:29,240 --> 01:09:34,040 Speaker 1: waterfoul thing um that he had been planning for months, years, whatever, 1272 01:09:34,240 --> 01:09:36,760 Speaker 1: and he needed to get out of there. But I 1273 01:09:36,800 --> 01:09:39,479 Speaker 1: know what DJ said is right like that. It was 1274 01:09:39,680 --> 01:09:41,600 Speaker 1: getting on that plane. So yeah, it's Cole and I 1275 01:09:41,640 --> 01:09:43,759 Speaker 1: got to sit back. We'll watch you guys take off. 1276 01:09:44,520 --> 01:09:48,439 Speaker 1: And then uh Camel swung back around and picked us up, 1277 01:09:49,000 --> 01:09:52,240 Speaker 1: and we there were I think there was three trips 1278 01:09:52,240 --> 01:09:54,519 Speaker 1: because I know when I was there. Oh yeah, I 1279 01:09:54,600 --> 01:09:56,400 Speaker 1: know there was three of us. Me, you and Aaron 1280 01:09:56,479 --> 01:09:59,200 Speaker 1: stayed back. Yeah. I think you and Aaron went next, 1281 01:09:59,240 --> 01:10:02,680 Speaker 1: and then I a back and came out the end. 1282 01:10:02,920 --> 01:10:06,120 Speaker 1: That's right now. We finally all got back there. Djil, 1283 01:10:06,200 --> 01:10:08,320 Speaker 1: let you try to tell this wasn't there on the 1284 01:10:08,400 --> 01:10:10,639 Speaker 1: flight back maybe coal You remember there was an old 1285 01:10:10,760 --> 01:10:14,000 Speaker 1: lady that had a goose in one of the planes. Yeah, 1286 01:10:14,120 --> 01:10:16,439 Speaker 1: that that was the plane I took from the village 1287 01:10:16,439 --> 01:10:22,000 Speaker 1: back to Kodiak where we loaded up with I don't know, 1288 01:10:22,000 --> 01:10:24,639 Speaker 1: maybe six people total in that plane. I was out 1289 01:10:24,680 --> 01:10:27,360 Speaker 1: front with the pilot, but there was a goose that 1290 01:10:27,600 --> 01:10:33,519 Speaker 1: was honking the entire way back to Kodiak, with a 1291 01:10:33,600 --> 01:10:36,000 Speaker 1: young woman, an old woman, an old man. Like it 1292 01:10:36,040 --> 01:10:38,600 Speaker 1: was quite a neglected group in there. To get to 1293 01:10:38,600 --> 01:10:41,400 Speaker 1: know on that short trip back. That was one of 1294 01:10:41,400 --> 01:10:43,200 Speaker 1: my favorite parts of the whole trip. Like there's just 1295 01:10:43,280 --> 01:10:45,360 Speaker 1: little moments in a story like this where you like 1296 01:10:45,360 --> 01:10:47,240 Speaker 1: you could make this up if you tried. Like you're 1297 01:10:47,720 --> 01:10:50,559 Speaker 1: flying back to Kodiak with a bunch of old like 1298 01:10:50,720 --> 01:10:53,000 Speaker 1: random people and a goose, and it's like, after all 1299 01:10:53,040 --> 01:10:55,600 Speaker 1: we've been through trying to get out of here. Like 1300 01:10:55,680 --> 01:10:59,400 Speaker 1: I was generally proud of our group of guys that 1301 01:10:59,400 --> 01:11:02,840 Speaker 1: that nobody cracked, nobody made it harder, everybody was up 1302 01:11:02,840 --> 01:11:06,240 Speaker 1: for whatever challenge. Cole Cole would never say this, but 1303 01:11:06,320 --> 01:11:08,920 Speaker 1: he's like, not only one of the better outdoorsmen I've 1304 01:11:08,920 --> 01:11:12,639 Speaker 1: ever met, but a leader, a true leader, UM, sets 1305 01:11:12,680 --> 01:11:15,479 Speaker 1: the tone, works his ass off, make sure people know 1306 01:11:15,520 --> 01:11:17,840 Speaker 1: what they have to do. Like that's a huge thing. 1307 01:11:17,960 --> 01:11:20,559 Speaker 1: And this wasn't We're not in some survival situation. This 1308 01:11:20,600 --> 01:11:24,240 Speaker 1: isn't some Discovery Channel show, but it is. Um. It 1309 01:11:24,400 --> 01:11:26,439 Speaker 1: was hard, and we did have to do some hard 1310 01:11:26,479 --> 01:11:28,240 Speaker 1: things to get to get out of there and get 1311 01:11:28,280 --> 01:11:31,719 Speaker 1: back to Kodiak. So you don't want to over overplay 1312 01:11:31,760 --> 01:11:34,720 Speaker 1: the situation. But but it takes all those things for 1313 01:11:34,800 --> 01:11:38,400 Speaker 1: it to work. Yeah. No, and and thank you. I 1314 01:11:38,439 --> 01:11:42,240 Speaker 1: appreciate the compliment, UM, But you know, that's what I've 1315 01:11:43,800 --> 01:11:47,439 Speaker 1: I've had several benchmarks in my career, whether it be 1316 01:11:47,560 --> 01:11:51,400 Speaker 1: sheep hunting or mountain goat hunt or deer hunter, bear hunt, 1317 01:11:51,479 --> 01:11:53,200 Speaker 1: and like the type of stocks you do, and the 1318 01:11:53,760 --> 01:11:57,320 Speaker 1: and the physical benchmarks you set on these hunts. And 1319 01:11:57,439 --> 01:12:02,160 Speaker 1: I've had some really crazy things happen throughout the years, UM, 1320 01:12:02,200 --> 01:12:05,040 Speaker 1: trying to hike out or get to a plane or whatever. 1321 01:12:05,120 --> 01:12:09,680 Speaker 1: But that was a pretty good mentally and physically exhausting 1322 01:12:10,360 --> 01:12:14,479 Speaker 1: into the trip, Um, I would say. And uh, and 1323 01:12:14,560 --> 01:12:16,479 Speaker 1: just dealing with the amount of people. It's not just 1324 01:12:16,560 --> 01:12:22,000 Speaker 1: one person, there's six people, and uh, you know, so yeah, 1325 01:12:22,120 --> 01:12:24,519 Speaker 1: once again, that was you guys did a great job. 1326 01:12:24,600 --> 01:12:28,519 Speaker 1: And um, it's just the thing is uh. And I 1327 01:12:28,560 --> 01:12:31,800 Speaker 1: think people going through this time right now, I think 1328 01:12:32,120 --> 01:12:33,840 Speaker 1: this is the first time that people have ever had, 1329 01:12:33,840 --> 01:12:35,519 Speaker 1: like there a lot of people this first time that 1330 01:12:35,960 --> 01:12:38,080 Speaker 1: they've ever had to go through something of this nature, 1331 01:12:38,080 --> 01:12:39,439 Speaker 1: which is the first time for all of us to 1332 01:12:39,479 --> 01:12:43,519 Speaker 1: be in a quarantine situation, right kind of thing and 1333 01:12:43,680 --> 01:12:47,920 Speaker 1: social distancing. And it's for me, nothing's nothing's changed up here. 1334 01:12:48,000 --> 01:12:51,240 Speaker 1: I'm doing my daily life of of you know, I 1335 01:12:51,320 --> 01:12:53,800 Speaker 1: just kind of stick to myself anyways here in Kodiak. 1336 01:12:54,760 --> 01:12:58,479 Speaker 1: But it's times, like you said earlier, looking back to 1337 01:12:58,560 --> 01:13:02,320 Speaker 1: these the hunts and the things that we do as hunters, 1338 01:13:02,360 --> 01:13:05,080 Speaker 1: and the and the luxuries that we don't have out 1339 01:13:05,080 --> 01:13:07,720 Speaker 1: in the field, um, and the things that we put 1340 01:13:07,760 --> 01:13:13,719 Speaker 1: ourselves through, I think it really really pays off. Um. 1341 01:13:13,960 --> 01:13:18,200 Speaker 1: And it you know, it's just the petty things you 1342 01:13:18,240 --> 01:13:22,840 Speaker 1: see people freaking out over, uh during these times. I 1343 01:13:22,880 --> 01:13:27,240 Speaker 1: think it makes us outdoorsman shine a little bit on 1344 01:13:27,400 --> 01:13:29,439 Speaker 1: what you know, if we're able to be a leader 1345 01:13:29,439 --> 01:13:32,160 Speaker 1: and step up to your family or friends and say 1346 01:13:32,240 --> 01:13:34,400 Speaker 1: now it'll be okay. You know, we're we we've got this, 1347 01:13:34,479 --> 01:13:37,120 Speaker 1: we've got meeting the freezer, you know, and maybe there's 1348 01:13:37,160 --> 01:13:38,960 Speaker 1: friends that don't have the meet and they're freaking out 1349 01:13:39,000 --> 01:13:41,599 Speaker 1: and you're able to share with other people and and whatnot. 1350 01:13:41,680 --> 01:13:44,519 Speaker 1: But I think all that, you know, what we went through, 1351 01:13:44,560 --> 01:13:49,040 Speaker 1: and like, uh, I know it definitely helps for for 1352 01:13:49,160 --> 01:13:51,320 Speaker 1: times like this. You know, I think it does too. 1353 01:13:51,439 --> 01:13:54,080 Speaker 1: You know, it may seem trite at some level to 1354 01:13:54,080 --> 01:13:56,599 Speaker 1: say that, but it is true. I mean, I've been 1355 01:13:57,600 --> 01:14:00,400 Speaker 1: lucky enough to go on some adventures to call some 1356 01:14:00,439 --> 01:14:02,400 Speaker 1: of the hardest days of my life. We're trying and 1357 01:14:02,600 --> 01:14:08,160 Speaker 1: like I'm voluntarily going out there um with and doing 1358 01:14:08,200 --> 01:14:11,519 Speaker 1: some things that really test every part of you. And 1359 01:14:11,840 --> 01:14:14,519 Speaker 1: once you have that perspective on what hardship really is 1360 01:14:14,600 --> 01:14:19,120 Speaker 1: and what overcoming, you know, very very when somebody puts 1361 01:14:19,160 --> 01:14:21,559 Speaker 1: a hunter pound pack on you and says march four 1362 01:14:21,600 --> 01:14:24,120 Speaker 1: miles that way on the ice, there's a lot of 1363 01:14:24,160 --> 01:14:26,759 Speaker 1: reactions you can have, and one of them could be like, Nope, 1364 01:14:26,760 --> 01:14:28,599 Speaker 1: not doing it. You're gonna have to do double trip. 1365 01:14:28,640 --> 01:14:31,800 Speaker 1: Call I didn't pay for this. Um Yeah, Either your 1366 01:14:31,880 --> 01:14:34,240 Speaker 1: job is to get me out of here, or or 1367 01:14:34,280 --> 01:14:36,160 Speaker 1: you can say Nope, no problem, I will make it 1368 01:14:36,240 --> 01:14:39,840 Speaker 1: happen as quick as I possibly can. Let's go. UM. 1369 01:14:39,880 --> 01:14:42,000 Speaker 1: And that's you know, I've seen it in other people 1370 01:14:42,080 --> 01:14:44,960 Speaker 1: during this I don't want to call this quarantine a crisis, 1371 01:14:45,120 --> 01:14:48,280 Speaker 1: but uncomfortable situation where you can either say like, oh 1372 01:14:48,320 --> 01:14:49,880 Speaker 1: my gosh, look at all the stress I have and 1373 01:14:49,880 --> 01:14:52,000 Speaker 1: all the things that are changing around me. Or you 1374 01:14:52,000 --> 01:14:53,519 Speaker 1: could say like I'm gonna get up every day and 1375 01:14:53,520 --> 01:14:56,920 Speaker 1: doing the best I can to make this um the 1376 01:14:56,960 --> 01:14:59,880 Speaker 1: best day possible, regardless of the situations I can control 1377 01:14:59,880 --> 01:15:02,960 Speaker 1: and can't control. UM. So it's it's weird how these 1378 01:15:03,000 --> 01:15:07,040 Speaker 1: kind of things all smashed together. But I'll let you 1379 01:15:07,080 --> 01:15:10,320 Speaker 1: say some words DJ about what you think on this subject. 1380 01:15:10,320 --> 01:15:14,439 Speaker 1: But I think for me as a hunter, when you 1381 01:15:14,520 --> 01:15:18,880 Speaker 1: go through these, you know, these experiences, they never really 1382 01:15:18,880 --> 01:15:21,840 Speaker 1: stop returning to your life like they come back all 1383 01:15:21,880 --> 01:15:26,360 Speaker 1: the time, UM in weird little ways, little idiosyncrasies within 1384 01:15:26,360 --> 01:15:29,200 Speaker 1: your life where you can call on these adventures and 1385 01:15:29,320 --> 01:15:33,800 Speaker 1: still draw from them what you've learned. UM. And this 1386 01:15:33,840 --> 01:15:36,960 Speaker 1: is just another example of that. Did you remember coming 1387 01:15:36,960 --> 01:15:40,120 Speaker 1: back on that trip or from that trip, just thinking 1388 01:15:40,160 --> 01:15:44,920 Speaker 1: how simplified life was when you're out for several days 1389 01:15:45,080 --> 01:15:47,840 Speaker 1: and you're at some point you're not sure exactly when 1390 01:15:47,840 --> 01:15:50,200 Speaker 1: you're gonna get home, but it's pretty simple. You wake up, 1391 01:15:51,000 --> 01:15:55,479 Speaker 1: you hike somewhere, you you try to hunt something for food, 1392 01:15:55,800 --> 01:15:57,839 Speaker 1: you're sleeping at night. You have kind of this communal 1393 01:15:57,880 --> 01:16:01,400 Speaker 1: aspect of hanging out with friends. It's like the perfect setting. 1394 01:16:02,080 --> 01:16:06,439 Speaker 1: So those situations like we're in now, life is kind 1395 01:16:06,439 --> 01:16:10,719 Speaker 1: of simplified right now. And I don't always find comfort 1396 01:16:10,720 --> 01:16:14,760 Speaker 1: in that because when you're outdoors or you're outside or 1397 01:16:14,760 --> 01:16:18,439 Speaker 1: your hunting or whatever, life gets pretty simple. And I 1398 01:16:18,439 --> 01:16:20,240 Speaker 1: don't know, I just have a lot of positive feelings, 1399 01:16:20,240 --> 01:16:23,240 Speaker 1: are positive memories from this trip and other trips where 1400 01:16:23,720 --> 01:16:26,879 Speaker 1: I draw upon when when things get little bit crazy 1401 01:16:26,920 --> 01:16:30,120 Speaker 1: here at home. Yeah, I mean we'll all share this forever, man, 1402 01:16:30,240 --> 01:16:32,760 Speaker 1: Like well that those experiences that that sounds a little 1403 01:16:32,760 --> 01:16:34,880 Speaker 1: over over dramatic, but we will, man. But we'll be 1404 01:16:34,920 --> 01:16:37,680 Speaker 1: able to call back on this this experience together when 1405 01:16:37,720 --> 01:16:39,519 Speaker 1: we see each other. We all live in different places, 1406 01:16:39,560 --> 01:16:44,720 Speaker 1: but that will never go away. Um. And so you know, 1407 01:16:44,800 --> 01:16:47,080 Speaker 1: it might seem like the worst part of the hunt 1408 01:16:47,240 --> 01:16:49,800 Speaker 1: was when we hit that ice that frozen river, but 1409 01:16:50,840 --> 01:16:52,920 Speaker 1: in the end, I think it's the best part, you know, 1410 01:16:53,120 --> 01:16:55,240 Speaker 1: because when we tell this story. It's not I got 1411 01:16:55,240 --> 01:16:58,120 Speaker 1: these giant ear thanks to Cole that are hanging in 1412 01:16:58,240 --> 01:17:01,840 Speaker 1: my house here. But um, in regards of the work 1413 01:17:01,880 --> 01:17:04,040 Speaker 1: I had to do to get them, most of the 1414 01:17:04,040 --> 01:17:07,200 Speaker 1: work laid on Cole's intellectual property of finding them and 1415 01:17:07,240 --> 01:17:09,800 Speaker 1: knowing where they were and being able to take me 1416 01:17:09,840 --> 01:17:11,920 Speaker 1: to them. All I had to do is make the shot. 1417 01:17:12,080 --> 01:17:14,200 Speaker 1: And so I don't look at those and think that 1418 01:17:14,240 --> 01:17:16,080 Speaker 1: I'm some great hunter. But I do look at those 1419 01:17:16,080 --> 01:17:20,040 Speaker 1: and think, man want to experience what a what a thing? Um? 1420 01:17:20,280 --> 01:17:25,320 Speaker 1: And those become emblematic of of of that, um, you know, 1421 01:17:25,400 --> 01:17:27,559 Speaker 1: transformation in a way. So I don't want to overstate 1422 01:17:27,560 --> 01:17:29,519 Speaker 1: any of this. Ship it's a hunt. We had some troubles, 1423 01:17:29,600 --> 01:17:33,920 Speaker 1: but um, I mean, but I think it's all building blocks. 1424 01:17:33,960 --> 01:17:36,920 Speaker 1: So you know, every I think, every adventure is the 1425 01:17:36,920 --> 01:17:39,680 Speaker 1: piece of the puzzle of life of how how you're 1426 01:17:39,720 --> 01:17:43,280 Speaker 1: made up, you know, and and how you handle things. 1427 01:17:43,600 --> 01:17:49,840 Speaker 1: So uh, you know, everyone I think was whether whether 1428 01:17:49,880 --> 01:17:53,360 Speaker 1: you wanted it or not. Everyone gets slightly changed by 1429 01:17:53,400 --> 01:17:56,840 Speaker 1: those situations for the you know, mostly for the good. DJ. 1430 01:17:56,960 --> 01:18:01,800 Speaker 1: Did you have some issues after that hunt? Oh? Yeah, 1431 01:18:01,840 --> 01:18:05,920 Speaker 1: I mean the over there never freezes over. No one 1432 01:18:05,960 --> 01:18:09,640 Speaker 1: ever gets sick. But I came home and had some 1433 01:18:10,040 --> 01:18:12,760 Speaker 1: stomach bug for maybe a month or longer, I don't 1434 01:18:12,760 --> 01:18:16,240 Speaker 1: remember how long, but cool I got stronger from it. 1435 01:18:16,760 --> 01:18:20,559 Speaker 1: Yeah right, and um yeah, And that's the thing. Whether 1436 01:18:20,920 --> 01:18:23,760 Speaker 1: what that was, I don't know, because I know I 1437 01:18:23,800 --> 01:18:25,840 Speaker 1: wasn't sick, or I don't know if anyone else was, 1438 01:18:25,920 --> 01:18:30,920 Speaker 1: but and yeah I was. I honestly wasn't sure what 1439 01:18:31,080 --> 01:18:33,800 Speaker 1: it was that got you. And I couldn't remember. I 1440 01:18:33,800 --> 01:18:36,200 Speaker 1: don't think it wasn't jardia or anything like that. I 1441 01:18:36,200 --> 01:18:39,960 Speaker 1: don't think it was. It wasn't some other some type 1442 01:18:40,000 --> 01:18:42,759 Speaker 1: of yeah I have this other some time, some type 1443 01:18:42,800 --> 01:18:48,320 Speaker 1: of gluten sensitivity or whatever. So well, remember, remember I 1444 01:18:48,360 --> 01:18:51,760 Speaker 1: think Potter it was. They were we were like, oh, 1445 01:18:52,080 --> 01:18:57,120 Speaker 1: I think you're gonna make us gluten free. He's gluten free, 1446 01:18:57,160 --> 01:18:59,559 Speaker 1: and so we're like, man, don't spread it to us. 1447 01:18:59,560 --> 01:19:02,720 Speaker 1: So is this do you feel gluten free? Now? Yeah? 1448 01:19:02,760 --> 01:19:07,720 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, are you feeling? He affected me? Exactly? 1449 01:19:10,200 --> 01:19:12,639 Speaker 1: We have so many like there's so many inside jokes 1450 01:19:12,680 --> 01:19:14,639 Speaker 1: that no one would find funny. But like the lip 1451 01:19:14,720 --> 01:19:19,960 Speaker 1: zips commercials we were doing, uh Ben Potters like I'm here, 1452 01:19:19,960 --> 01:19:22,320 Speaker 1: I'm sponsored by lip Zips, which, if you guys don't know, 1453 01:19:22,439 --> 01:19:26,640 Speaker 1: is a health door chapstick company branded towards hunters. H 1454 01:19:26,760 --> 01:19:29,200 Speaker 1: he had what he had. I'm here sponsored by lip Zips. 1455 01:19:29,280 --> 01:19:33,920 Speaker 1: I got my spicy watermelon flavor like little things like that. Man, 1456 01:19:34,160 --> 01:19:37,200 Speaker 1: But I had honestly no clue that this company actually 1457 01:19:37,240 --> 01:19:39,559 Speaker 1: did exist. And I'm not sayingthing bad about them. They're 1458 01:19:39,680 --> 01:19:43,240 Speaker 1: great company, not a sponsor. Don't know anything about them. 1459 01:19:43,280 --> 01:19:47,120 Speaker 1: But I remember hashtagging that a couple of times, and 1460 01:19:47,120 --> 01:19:50,599 Speaker 1: then someone actually liked my comment from lips lips. I 1461 01:19:50,600 --> 01:19:54,479 Speaker 1: remember in the months I message him like, this is real. 1462 01:19:54,680 --> 01:19:58,080 Speaker 1: I had no clue. In the months after under after 1463 01:19:58,120 --> 01:20:00,880 Speaker 1: this trip, we were hashtagging everything lips lips, and lips 1464 01:20:00,880 --> 01:20:03,720 Speaker 1: Ips noticed that and started sending us messages like, hey, 1465 01:20:03,760 --> 01:20:08,240 Speaker 1: we'd love to send us some product. I don't think 1466 01:20:08,240 --> 01:20:11,719 Speaker 1: I can take your product. This is all a joke. Sorry, 1467 01:20:11,720 --> 01:20:15,200 Speaker 1: lips Ips. Um much respect out there, the lips Ips. 1468 01:20:15,520 --> 01:20:18,679 Speaker 1: We love you. You're keeping those lips chapped and moist 1469 01:20:18,720 --> 01:20:22,760 Speaker 1: in this in this hard time, I'm sure. Um well regardless, 1470 01:20:23,280 --> 01:20:25,559 Speaker 1: um no, it was an awesome trip with you guys. 1471 01:20:25,560 --> 01:20:29,200 Speaker 1: You guys did a great job. I had, you know, 1472 01:20:29,600 --> 01:20:33,200 Speaker 1: It was super cool for me because I recalled that 1473 01:20:33,280 --> 01:20:34,960 Speaker 1: was that was really cool because that was when you're 1474 01:20:34,960 --> 01:20:38,240 Speaker 1: working for Yetti, And I felt really proud of you guys. 1475 01:20:38,400 --> 01:20:42,040 Speaker 1: When when the when the adventure finally got over, you 1476 01:20:42,040 --> 01:20:45,280 Speaker 1: guys finally got on your air playing left. I I 1477 01:20:45,400 --> 01:20:49,639 Speaker 1: just think remember thinking, man, this is this was pretty awesome. 1478 01:20:49,680 --> 01:20:51,519 Speaker 1: These guys did a great job, you know. I was 1479 01:20:51,560 --> 01:20:54,360 Speaker 1: pretty proud to just to close it out. Like if 1480 01:20:54,400 --> 01:20:58,320 Speaker 1: if do you want to know what delicious sushi tastes like, 1481 01:20:59,120 --> 01:21:04,599 Speaker 1: or what real delicious, how how amazing a Snicker's bark 1482 01:21:04,680 --> 01:21:08,120 Speaker 1: and taste, or what a shower can really feel like, 1483 01:21:08,880 --> 01:21:12,160 Speaker 1: or any of the many things that you take for granted, 1484 01:21:12,400 --> 01:21:14,960 Speaker 1: go out and get your asking by Kodiak Island or 1485 01:21:15,000 --> 01:21:17,799 Speaker 1: in our case Cole, maybe even Nepaul to him Alaya. 1486 01:21:18,560 --> 01:21:20,960 Speaker 1: Like if you want to really appreciate things you have 1487 01:21:21,080 --> 01:21:23,800 Speaker 1: in life, you have to erase them from it for 1488 01:21:24,479 --> 01:21:27,760 Speaker 1: some time. UM. It is essential to who we are 1489 01:21:27,960 --> 01:21:31,080 Speaker 1: and so UM you know we we wrote about this 1490 01:21:31,120 --> 01:21:34,400 Speaker 1: on mediator dot com this week. UM hunters and anglers 1491 01:21:34,439 --> 01:21:37,439 Speaker 1: and outdoorsmen and adventures are well suited for any challenge, 1492 01:21:37,760 --> 01:21:41,599 Speaker 1: let alone, UM sit at home quarantine so hopefully everybody 1493 01:21:41,600 --> 01:21:43,719 Speaker 1: listen to that can take something from this story and 1494 01:21:43,840 --> 01:21:48,040 Speaker 1: go on with your day, and um have have been 1495 01:21:48,160 --> 01:21:50,960 Speaker 1: entertained by our hardship. So thank you, Cole, thank you, 1496 01:21:51,080 --> 01:22:08,040 Speaker 1: DJ To, Thanks love you. But that's it. That's all. 1497 01:22:08,200 --> 01:22:09,880 Speaker 1: Hell of a story, hell of the time. Two of 1498 01:22:09,920 --> 01:22:12,200 Speaker 1: my very best people in the freaking world right there, 1499 01:22:12,280 --> 01:22:14,360 Speaker 1: d J. Bell and Cole Kramer. You know, one of 1500 01:22:14,360 --> 01:22:16,559 Speaker 1: the best things about this for me, Phil is that 1501 01:22:16,600 --> 01:22:18,559 Speaker 1: I guess get to tell stories with some of my 1502 01:22:18,600 --> 01:22:22,240 Speaker 1: best buds um about hunting, and that's one of my 1503 01:22:22,240 --> 01:22:25,240 Speaker 1: favorite things to do. That's a the ultimate distraction from 1504 01:22:25,280 --> 01:22:26,840 Speaker 1: all this stuff going on in the world right now. 1505 01:22:26,880 --> 01:22:30,560 Speaker 1: So yeah, you're you're taking lemons and you're turning them 1506 01:22:30,600 --> 01:22:38,719 Speaker 1: into lemon we app apple lemonade, lemonade, lemons, lemonade TC 1507 01:22:39,360 --> 01:22:43,160 Speaker 1: daily quarantine cast. So hopefully by now you are are 1508 01:22:43,320 --> 01:22:46,960 Speaker 1: thinking of your the Great Hand Turkey contest. You're looking 1509 01:22:46,960 --> 01:22:49,280 Speaker 1: at your hand. You're you're thinking of what your hand 1510 01:22:49,320 --> 01:22:52,679 Speaker 1: could become, what kind of turkey it could turn into, 1511 01:22:53,120 --> 01:22:56,000 Speaker 1: what kind of legend it could be. You're thinking of 1512 01:22:56,040 --> 01:23:01,599 Speaker 1: exciting ways to get creative and impress and philthy engineer here. 1513 01:23:02,080 --> 01:23:04,600 Speaker 1: Um So Phil. As we get into the weekend, I 1514 01:23:04,640 --> 01:23:07,240 Speaker 1: assume everybody's gonna be going out and drawing their hand turkeys. 1515 01:23:07,240 --> 01:23:09,240 Speaker 1: What do you expect me to see come Monday when 1516 01:23:09,280 --> 01:23:12,800 Speaker 1: we return. Uh, well, it's gonna you, you said, a 1517 01:23:12,880 --> 01:23:15,559 Speaker 1: high bar. With the poems and the drawings of me 1518 01:23:16,760 --> 01:23:20,280 Speaker 1: um and the podcast ideas, it's I don't know, what 1519 01:23:20,400 --> 01:23:23,640 Speaker 1: do you think that those can be surpassed with with imagination? 1520 01:23:24,000 --> 01:23:27,280 Speaker 1: And don't know. I am drunk both on white Claw 1521 01:23:27,840 --> 01:23:31,120 Speaker 1: and on contests. How many Clementine white clause have you 1522 01:23:31,160 --> 01:23:36,880 Speaker 1: had today? Now? More than three? Less than five? All right? 1523 01:23:36,920 --> 01:23:38,400 Speaker 1: I just want to tell the listeners that is it 1524 01:23:38,479 --> 01:23:42,439 Speaker 1: is not yet five o'clock here because we had four. 1525 01:23:42,960 --> 01:23:47,599 Speaker 1: Uh there're seventy calories. Man, there's zero sugar. They're gluten free, 1526 01:23:48,000 --> 01:23:50,960 Speaker 1: only a hint of clementine flavor. So yeah, Well, I'm 1527 01:23:50,960 --> 01:23:54,000 Speaker 1: about to make a trip to the local co op, 1528 01:23:54,080 --> 01:23:57,760 Speaker 1: trying to support local grocers at this time. Wish me luck, 1529 01:23:58,080 --> 01:24:01,479 Speaker 1: maybe i'll uh don't. They probably don't sell white cloth 1530 01:24:01,560 --> 01:24:04,120 Speaker 1: the co op. I don't know. Maybe absolutely they do. 1531 01:24:04,160 --> 01:24:07,800 Speaker 1: That's one of my white Claw dispensaries. Absolutely, Okay, white 1532 01:24:07,800 --> 01:24:09,960 Speaker 1: Cloud dispensary. I like it. He'll find it there. They'll 1533 01:24:09,960 --> 01:24:12,640 Speaker 1: happily sell you some claw. Don't worry. Don't worry, And 1534 01:24:12,680 --> 01:24:14,479 Speaker 1: I would expect you to be four deep by four 1535 01:24:14,520 --> 01:24:18,320 Speaker 1: o'clock tomorrow. Uh, because it's a Saturday. So good luck, 1536 01:24:18,479 --> 01:24:20,439 Speaker 1: good luck to you this weekend. Phil, don't thank you. 1537 01:24:20,560 --> 01:24:22,719 Speaker 1: I don't think we should talk. I think we should 1538 01:24:22,760 --> 01:24:26,040 Speaker 1: have a We should quarantine ourselves from each other. That's 1539 01:24:26,040 --> 01:24:28,839 Speaker 1: a I've never heard a better idea. Can't wait. That's perfect, 1540 01:24:29,000 --> 01:24:31,840 Speaker 1: that's perfect. I feel the love coming from you and 1541 01:24:31,840 --> 01:24:35,400 Speaker 1: coming from all you listeners. You have a good fucking weekend. 1542 01:24:35,680 --> 01:24:39,160 Speaker 1: Thanks for joining the Quarantine Cast. We will see you Monday. 1543 01:24:39,160 --> 01:24:43,800 Speaker 1: Bye bye bye. The Hunting Collective with Ben O'Brien is 1544 01:24:43,840 --> 01:24:46,320 Speaker 1: a part of the Meat Eater podcast network. It is 1545 01:24:46,360 --> 01:24:49,400 Speaker 1: produced by Kringe Schneider and engineered by Phil Taylor. You 1546 01:24:49,400 --> 01:24:52,559 Speaker 1: can find it on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, the meat eater 1547 01:24:52,680 --> 01:24:56,200 Speaker 1: dot com, or anywhere podcasts are downloadable. Wherever you listen, 1548 01:24:56,320 --> 01:25:01,240 Speaker 1: leave a five star review and subscribe. You cant right 1549 01:25:01,320 --> 01:25:01,360 Speaker 1: a