Ok, back from my Elk Hunt.
Let me just say, it was one of the most Coolest experiences of my life! I've been on bow hunts before, but I've never been focused. There was always something on my mind, some woman or some crazy thing that totally distracted me and made me not want to be out there. My youthful mind back then. This time, however, I was totally focused and just enjoyed being out there with my dad. Just me and him. Not to forget, our Heavenly Father was out there with us also, which is why we came home safely and had an Amazing time! We weren't supposed to come home until today, but we came back yesterday. Let me just say why first.
Those mountains kicked my arse, literally. My knee, as those who've been reading my blogs know, has been giving me problems. Particularly my right knee. Well out there, walking up those steep slopes, yeah that really did a number on my right knee. It was popping with every step. Then, to add more injury, we went down a super steep slope on Thursday and my right ankle really flared up because all my weight came down on it with every step, not to mention I was walking funny to keep the pressure off my right knee. So that was hurting me, but I toughed it out because I wanted to keep on hunting. Well on Friday morning, my dad and I were coming down this steep meadow and my right ankle hit this small mound of weeds, then it buckled and I flung forward flat on my face! My right ankle twisted really bad. I was on the ground, then I rolled over and sat up. I immediately busted out laughing because I could see my self falling flat on my face. It was a funny thought! Well we ended up walking a long long time after that, which included stalking a big bull elk up another steep slope, then finally crawling back up the mountain. By Friday evening, my ankle was swollen. I still toughed it out. We went out on Saturday morning and walked a long ways. By mid morning, my ankle was done. It hurt to walk down hill. I could walk up hill just fine, but walking down hill really bothered me so I was really slow. I also was carrying a lot of weight. My backpack was kinda heavy, as well as my bow. So that really added to the pressure being pressed down on my ankle and my knee. Anyway, my dad began to get worried about me. He was kinda tough on me at first and I didn't mind because I was being tough on myself. I didn't want to pack up and go home. I was out there to hunt and I knew the landscape and was ready for it. But Saturday morning was when I had pushed it as far as I could and I told him that. He got worried, then decided that we should just call it and head on home because even if I got one, there'd be no way I could pack that elk out of there with my bad ankle and my dad can't do it because of his heart surgery, which he's not fully healed from. He has no strength and honestly, shouldn't have even been out there which leads to the next problem we ran into on Saturday.
Because my ankle was bad, on our way back to the truck on Saturday morning, well it was actually early afternoon. My dad offered to carry my backpack. He also had a backpack he carried around out there. Now my dad had heart surgery back in April of this year. Just around the time, maybe a few weeks prior, to my Fyrescape actually starting. He's not healed, obviously. He still has a long way to go. He can walk around now and he's went back to work, but he can't lift heavy things and he can push himself as far as physically. But my dad is a tough man. He's where I get a lot of my strength from. But what comes with that strength of his is a lot of stubbornness. He doesn't know when to quit at times and he won't admit when he just can't do it. He'll just naturally push himself. Anyway, he offered to carry my pack. I didn't want him to so he just said he'd carry it down the hill, then give it back to me. So I gave it to him. He didn't give it back to me and ended up carrying it a while, along with his pack. Finally about half way to the truck, he stopped and I picked up my pack and put it on. I was walking pretty slow so eventually he offered to carry it again. This time he insisted. I was kinda weary, which I should've stuck to, but after he assured me he could do it, I went against my instincts and gave him my bag. He put it on his back along with his bag. He walked up ahead of me. When we were close to the truck, I had caught up with him. He was sitting on the ground resting. I hobbled up to him and asked him if he was ok. He said he was and that he needed to just rest. I sat next to him and didn't think much of it, but after a minute or so, I knew he did not look too good. I told him to give me both his pack and mine. He said No and that he could do it and that he was alright. I kept an eye on him, finally he told him, "Dammit Dad, I know you're not ok. Here take off the bag!" Finally he did. Then he lied down on the ground, saying he felt tired and kinda dizzy. He lay there for a couple minutes, then I helped him up. I picked up both bags and my bow, then we continued to the truck. He offered to carry my bow. I did not want to give it to him, but I did anyway. Damn I shouldn't have! We finally got back to the truck. He got there before I did. I walked over behind him and suddenly he just broke down in tears saying he was feeling a very bad pain deep in his chest. He turned around and leaned on the truck. Omg I was so so scared! I held on to him and kept an eye on him. I almost broke down too. I can't stand to see my dad cry. It made me feel so bad but so so scared at the same time. I didn't know how bad his health was. Quickly, I got him into the truck. I told him, "Come'on dad we needa get you home!" I loaded up everything and then I drove back down the mountain to camp. Dad was feeling slight sharp pains in his chest but nothing as bad as what he felt right when he got back to the truck. Omg I couldn't believe it. I was so scared that I totally blocked out the pain in my ankle. We got back to camp and quickly packed up everything, tossed everything in the trailer and hitched up, then headed out, not even washing up or anything. We headed off the mountain and back down to Chama. I kept an eye on him and kept asking him how he was feeling. The pain was gone, but every now and then his chest hurt but it felt to him like his stiches were hurting, like they came out or something. It wasn't a bad pain and soon he was back to his normal self, joking and laughing. We got down into Chama and I bought him a big lunch at Subway. It was the most yummiest lunch we'd had all week. We sat there, my dad and I, eating these big Subway sandwiches and watching College Football on the big screen TV they had. Afterwards, we emptied out the septic from the trailer and I drove us back home. Dad just relaxed the rest of the day. Totally back to his old self. We were laughing and joking all the way home, talking of old hunting stories and reminiscing on the week's hunt. It was a very nice drive back. I was still worried, but everything was ok. When we got home, we greeted my mom and my brother. Right away though, I told my mom to take Dad to the doctor and check everything inside his chest, make sure that it's all working ok. She agreed. Dad agreed also but he doesn't think the doc will say anything because he's complained about his chest pain before but the doc didn't really think anything of it.
So we're home and that's why we came home yesterday instead of today! My dad is safe and he's doing fine right now. He's back at work starting tomorrow. Me, I'm still in some slight pain. My right knee is still kinda acting up and my right ankle is really acting up at times. It's still swollen so I've been advised to stay off it for a few days and let it heal up and to keep icing and heating it. So, I've got it wrapped up now and I'm wearing a knee brace. I'll talk more about the hunt tomorrow. We didn't get an elk. I got two shots, but no dice ;) Honestly though, I'm so so so glad I didn't get one. Had I did, my dad would've tried to help me pack the meat out of there and he would've probably collapsed or something :( I'm so thankful to God for being out there with us. He gave us a very great experience and good times, but He also watched over us and worked everything out the way it was supposed to. We didn't bring home an Elk, but we still had an Amazing and memorable time! So my Fyrescape continues, but for a few days, I'm going to rest up my knee and let my ankle heal up. I've got another hunt coming up in November. That one is going to be a deer hunt, rifle. Dad wants to come with me on that one too. It's not too far from home. I'm definitely going to keep a huge eye on dad when we go. He's not doing ANYTHING EXCEPT DRIVING!!! I'm really going to enforce that this time. I've gotta take care of him out there and watch over him.
As far as exercising, heck yea I got that out there. I came home a few pounds lighter ;) I pushed myself really hard and I can definitely say that doing 6 miles everyday since April has really got me into shape. I'm very proud of that! Ok, that's all I'm gonna say for now. Have a good one!
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