Well it seems sometimes life has a way of loading you down. It seems like never ending problems with no signs of improving. With a shoulder that had been giving me problems for 4 years and even after surgery and physical therapy and extensive physical training I was not getting relief. After years of turmoil in my marriage it was finally coming to an end. Compounding that I had become estranged from my father due to things I care not to discuss. So after four weeks of working on my house to get things in tip top shape to put it on the market and my belongings moved out I was ready for a break.
Sometimes I would think if my shoulder does not start improving I was not going to enjoy the things I used to take for granted. It was dismal and I would tell myself other less fortunate from war that are missing limbs go through life with a smile. That was what helped me push on thinking of those soldiers! I kept telling myself it took three years to find and fix the problem so it just was not going to get better overnight. I stopped shooting my bow for a month and stopped lifting weights. I went back on anti-inflammatories start taking supplements of glucosamine, fish oil and Miller Light! I started swimming and started to feel like the pain was improving.
Then I had to get our house ready to sell and move my belongings. I had a bunch to do heavy lifting moving ladders you name it. Pain was bad but I noticed it was not the same pain. I felt my muscles in that shoulder were getting stretched and used like weight lifting can't do. I would hurt for a day or two and the feel better. This would happen several times but I always felt better. The knife in the peck muscle pain was diminishing I could not believe my luck. Finally a change for the better!
I had not done a thing all summer so after the house was listed I was going on a pack trip in my favorite elk country. Upper Greybull River here I come! My wife was out of town and the realtor was not happy I was going to be in a place that she could not get ahold of me. I told her get used to it if the house did not sell before the hunting season there would be more of it. She said maybe we could give my wife power of attorney I never answered her. That was never happening! We had a showing scheduled every day over the next seven days. I told her sorry they could wait a couple of days.
Going on that trip was a blessing in many ways. We had a couple low balling us before I left. The gale knew my wife from work and I believe they were trying to capitalize on our misfortune. I refused the offer and I did not want to even counter but I was beaten out by my wife and the realtor. So I left for the back country in a foul mood. Not knowing what would happen while I would be gone.
I loaded the horses and my gear grabbed my Lab Mustard Seed and hit the road. The horses actually like going and after siting idle for eight months I could tell they were happy. Mustard Seed well he is always excited to go someplace. So with three happy critters loaded up I started to mellow. I love the drive to Meeteetse and then up the Greybull River to the Jack Creek Trail head it just reeks adventure! Some of the most rugged wilderness you can find full of fish and game.
We got to the trail head early afternoon. It's about three hours horses back to Anderson Creek were I would set camp. I figured I would arrive around 5:30 plenty of time to set up camp and get the electric fence up for the horses. It was warm and breezy due to a fire on the South Fork it was a little smoky. The fire although was not that far had no chance of moving in to the Greybull side just not enough fuel across the divide. So with everything packed and saddled I mounted old Biscuit Lips and hit the trail.
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Biscuit and Dubs ready to go.
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Looking up the Greybull
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Taking a break
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Looking up into Anderson Creek you can see the falls a little smokey.
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The head of Anderson still has some snow.
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Looking up Elenore Creek
Thanks for taking us along.
Having seasoned horses is such a joy. They are the same horses you left last winter. If you have younger horses you always have to prepare for a wreck or problems both these boys been up and down the block more than a few times. As soon as I swing my leg over either horse we can get the job done! Dragging elk, packing elk, crossing treacherous terrain, you name it even when something does happen they never lose their cool and stay calm. They have been around Grizzlies and I have never seen them react negatively. I even had a bull moose run by me a top speed only 5 yards away with no panic what so ever. Just two very solid mountain horses!
After all the chores were done and the horses turned out It was time to eat. The Seed was hungry and he let me know it. So we boiled up water for some Mountain House and got the dog food in the bowl. I was hungry so I ate one and half meals Seed got the other half. We hit the hay around 8:30 it was still light but I was beat and so was the dog. The mountain house was a bad idea he slept under my cot and farted all night. At least it smelled like chicken terakihi!
We slept in till about 7:30 it was frosted a little outside. We made breakfast and got ready for the trip to go up into Venus Creek. I have never been in this drainage and I wanted to check it out. It's a bigger drainage than Anderson and a bit more rugged. It is also further up the Greybull so it probably sees less people. So I packed lunch and a fly rod and we set out.
Once over the top of the Anderson divide we would drop down into Stuart Creek. This drainage is base camp for Bob Sundeen who I guide for. He does summer pack trips for fishing. All the tents were up but it was empty of people and the wind had blown some tents down. We rode through camp back down into the Greybull again.
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Pee break
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Bobs Camp on Stuart
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Greybull looks like Alaska
I'm loving this so far, thanks for posting..!
Something special about the high country and solitude that cleanses the soul.
After dropping down onto the Greybull we ride up to the mouth of Venus the gorge is too tight so you take a trail of switch backs to the top and the drop back down. So we started the climb to the top. Just to give you an idea of time we have been in the saddle about 3 hours.
I could tell the smoke was getting worse as we climbed. As we started to crest and I could see up the drainage the smoke was rolling over the divide. It was a reservoir of smoke just lying in the drainage. I rode a little further but visibility was poor. I decided not to go further because my plan of glassing the country was gone. So I took some pictures and we headed back down for some fishing on the Greybull. What I could see looked great and I think I will be back up there on Labor Day.
We made it back down the to the river and ate lunch and fished I caught a half dozen Cutthroats but the wind was terrible. I finally packed up and we rode back to camp. On the way back Bob's camp was alive with horses, mules and people. I talked with Bob for a bit and then off again. We got back at about 8:00 it was a long day in the saddle. I turned the horses out ate dinner and went to bed. I slept better this night and the farting dog subsided!
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Up the Switch back to Venus
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The climb was long
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Taking a breather
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Seed seems to like to ride drag!
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Venus drainage
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Smoke was getting worse but I liked what I could see.
Wolves leaving anything for you over there? The Greybull drainage is some nice country.
Great pics! Thanks for sharing the experience!
We slept in till 8:00 since we had no schedule to keep. We would be heading back out today and I was in no hurry. The seed and I stepped out of the tent to take a morning leak when about 200 yards into the timber a wolf let out a howl. Not good! Seed growled and thought he was going to head that way he hates fox and coyotes so he thought he had a job. I yelled get back and grabbed the gun. He howled once again and made a groan at the end. I never heard or saw him again. I am fairly sure he knew the dog was in camp. They try and lure them out and then kill them. A friend of mine who works for the Game and Fish had this happen and they killed his dog and he could not do a thing.
We broke camp and loaded the horses. I kept my fly rod handy because I wanted to stop and fish the Anderson just above the falls. They stocked it a while back with Cut's because naturally they cannot get above the falls. My fiend Jason who is a fisheries biologist was interested to see they were reproducing. So I would see if I could catch a diverse size of fish.
It was warm with a slight breeze and the hoppers were every place. I parked the horses by the stream and rigged up. I fished for about an hour and I would catch about two fish out of each little whole. I lost count of how many I caught but it was close to a couple dozen. They were all about 16 inches so we are thinking the water is too cold for reproduction. But it was fun and so I saddled up for the ride out.
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Nice Cut
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Looking upstream
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Hopper madness!
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Another
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The boys parked in the shade
The ride out was uneventful other than Biscuit trying to sneak grass. The moisture we had this year has been great! Elk wallows and green grass every place!
When I finally made it back to cell service I was pleased to hear that I being out of reach was a blessing. We had another couple interested in our house. The original people did come up but since I could not accept the offer the new couple gave a full price offer. The house was under contract in less than a week. Unbelievable!
So I guess this shows things have a way working themselves out. I swear to god my love for hunting and the outdoors has been my saving grace! It's so much of who I am. I have found the outdoors help heal better than anything. Loved ones and friends can be a great help but sometimes you have things to deal with on your own level that no one can do a thing for. That's when a person just has to go back to the basics of the Wilderness.
Thanks Scott Teaschner
That fishin' looks incredibly fun!
:pray:
Lookin' forward to how this progresses for you Scott!
Keep the wind in your face!
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
Wow, nice ride, Scott..
And having been in your postiion, I agree..
Such beautiful country, thanks for sharing!
Pat the wolves are kept a little under control because some prime ranch land along the Greybull. These are also limited quota areas and they are good hunting. We run almost 100% during rifle season when I guide for Bob. Its wilderness area also hard to hunt it a foot.
Beautiful! Thanks for story and trip along. :thumbsup:
Scott, Thanks for the pics my friend Joe works for forest service and use to live in the F.S. cabin at timber creek and I have been in most of that back country in the eighties, with the beetle kill it looks a little different now.
Sorry to hear about all you have been through but a guy smarter than most said that horses and back country are the best medicine for the body and soul. Good luck on your elk hunt!
Sweet country...thanks for sharing!
Winston Churchill said "The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man". It is so true!
Thanks for the time to post pics Scott, looks wonderful country right there and reminds me of my time in Elk country in CO a few years back.
PM sent...
Cheers,
ak.
Nice Scott!
Thanks for taking the time to write this and post some great pics. I enjoyed it very much. I hope things continue to get better for you.
Great stuff! Good luck on the hunt!
Thanks for takin us along on your ride!
Steve
Scott, Thanks for sharing your weekend. Seed is a beautiful Lab. Had one for 14 years. Best dog a guy could ask for. That is sure pretty country and so different from where I live. I really enjoyed that. Thanks again.
Thanks every one! I will continue to post more. I love my state of Wyoming and I feel blessed to live in such wild country. Its getting better and I will take time to write of my journeys!
Beautiful country side for sure !
Very nice trip, really enjoyed the pics and your thoughts.
Scott, that is one of my favorite areas to be in. Hunted out of Warhouse creek the last time I could draw a tag for the area. Haven't been up there in a couple years.
Hope everything goes good for you. Sorry to hear about you and T.
Take care,
Barney
Beautiful pics and great story. I hope all works out for you, went through the same thing myself a couple years ago, it is tough, but you will be fine. Best of luck.
Tom
Well, when you get to the bottom (or thereabouts) the only way to go is up.Sounds like you may be on the way.
Thanks for the great pics and story. Good bunch of friends you have there.
Great scenery Scott. Just wanted to also say that things have a way of working out even when it feels impossible. There's parts of your life I can relate to and things will and do get better. Good luck and enjoy some time for yourself. A hunting partner that has the same beliefs and ethics helps too.
sounds like perfect therapy to me (ok, minus the miller lite, gotta work on your taste in beer lol). good looking country for sure.
I always feel that time spent in that kind of country really clears out the mind and cleanses the soul. Good stuff Scott. Not much of a horseman...but sure can appreciate the beauty of yours and the relationship you have with them.
Thanks again guys. I have read every post appreciate the thoughts!
Neat stuff Scott, My horse usually makes it an hour under saddle on flat land before calling it a day. LOL,
Great Pics!
Nice pix and a great story, Scott.
Thanks for taking us along on your scouting trip! That's really beautiful country. Be sure to share with us how your elk season goes. Good luck!
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
Hey Scott, I was in your shoes in 2010 & 11. I treated myself to both a spring and fall bear hunt. This stuff will really straighten a guys head! Awesome Story!!!
Funny, Scott. When I got divorced back in 1987 I went on a do it yourself float trip in Alaska and an elk hunt in Colorado. I think it is about the best thing do do, clear your mind and spirit.
There is no comparison riding horse back in country like that. Looks Awesome. Thanks
Gilbert
Thanks Guys I will be sure to take more time to record this years events. I really enjoy sharing it with you.
Scott
With a name like Mustard Seed, I figured it would be a yellow lab. Thanks for sharing.
Scott,
Looks like that smoke is clearing in more ways than one...glad to see ya up and about. Life goes on...so looks like you're living it well :thumbsup: Beautiful country...we might have to trade a little Wyoming back country for some SC swamp adventures :)
I could hear the wind in the pines and could smell the sage! Thank you for bringing us along. Went to school at NW college in the early nineties, loved every minute. Often ask myself why I came back to MN?
Well his real name is Gus. But my wife started calling him Mustard Seed and I hated it. But it stuck after a while. She had him cut and so I call him Seedless. LOL! I would always tell him in front of her if she had her way I would be a Seedless!
Being a lab owner I can appreciate your pain. I guess that will teach you not to share the Mountain House food with him next time. :)
Thanks for sharing the story and the pictures. Truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in! I haven't been in WY since 1994 when I climbed the Grand Teton but it doesn't look like things have changed much!
Sorry to hear about your trials but certainly glad to hear you found some refreshment in the time away. You will definitely be in my prayers.
Blessings!
I'm sorry for all your troubles, but that's great you have something you can get away from everything with. Beautiful country. Thanks for sharing and God bless.