Got out to hunt aoudad this AM & decided to hike up Cerro de Guadalupe to see if I could spot one that I could stalk up on. I started at 6200 feet and worked my way up to sheep country. I found out the sandy clay extends all the way up to the basalt and when you mix in the rocks you have a very slippery slope. I found plenty of scat and a few bedding areas as I hugged the edge of the basalt. Everything was covered in pea size lava rock so footing was treacherous. Had to backtrack down to get past a very steep section then climb up a rocky chute. I reached another extremely steep section and knew that even if I shot one up here I'd never get it down by my self. Even though I could smell them somewhere on the other side of the steep stuff I felt it best to let them go. By the way going down this stuff is harder than going up. It would have been extremely dangerous with a pack full of meat and horns. Still it was a great time and I got a good work out.
Here's my gps track laid out on a 3D image of the Cerro.
 
Coming up the tight cheeks section.
 
Steep slippery sand and rock
 
Tough chute to climb up and back down.
 
I found several beds at the base of this wall.
 
Time to give it up rather than trying to get around this cliff.
 
I was glad to get back down in one piece after a 2 mile trip with 500 feet of elevation gain.
 

That looks like so much fun. Cool pics.

That is cool, Galen!! Great pics too!

Great pics! Always wanted to hunt them. Thanks for taking us along.

Some rugged country  is that west of I-25.  I hunted them once years ago in the Guadalupe Mountains in the southern part of the state.  Rugged country for a rugged animal.

Yes it is Jess.

Looks like a good place for a workout!   :D

That is one lot of "nuttin" all around that floor where you started.

Made my knees hurt looking!

Congrats on some fine time outdoors!

Not PA green that's for sure Doc

Great pictures, that looks like a great hunt.

    Thanks for taking us along..!

great  thx

That's some rugged country! I hunted them once free range in Texas, they're no joke! There isn't much for chinks in their armor--including the country the inhabit. Sure are neat looking animals.

Awesome pics, thanks for sharing the hunt, J

COOL PICS  

  I can't even imagine doing that.  You got more nerve than I do.  Cool map pics, by the way.

Being from the south.... It's hard for me to get my head around the fact that animals live in country like that.  Amazing pictures!

Wow great pics. Now that will get your heart pumping. When you got back to you truck were there tracks all around. That's usually what happens.

Wild country for sure!  Great pictures!      

Bernie Bjorklund

NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin

Cool experience and expedition, love to try that some time..

Great photo journal and story