We gave Heff a hall-pass for a four day hunting trip in Eastern Nevada last weekend. His first bow and arrow hunt since I gave him a compound bow for his birthday last year. He was very excited to draw a fairly rare opportunity (tag) in the Fish&Game lottery system to hunt a remote area of Nevada near Utah where the BIG bucks live. Luckily, Brendon Flynn agreed to go with him and help sherpa so he came home with some actual photos of the event... and I wasn't as worried as if he'd been out there by himself! (Thanks Brendon :) They had a great time, Heff said it was one of his all-time favorite hunts even though he didn't bring home the bacon (er, venison). He saw 15 or so big bucks but "didn't have time to get close enough to shoot" (hint to wife to let him go longer next time) He could have shot a littler one a few times but said to would have been a lot of work to pack out for a little deer. (so all Bambi's stayed up on the mountain) We sure missed him but were glad he had so much fun and even came home a little earlier than expected to surprise us. He was sure bruised and beaten up but other than that made it home in one piece!

Highway 50 - "America's Loneliest Highway" somewhere along the way of their 10 hour drive

Heading up the hill from 6,000 ft elevation to 9,000 foot elevation- to then climb to 11,000 feet!

Basecamp Night 1

Heff up early the first morning glassing the countryside for deer

and aking coffee on the camp stove

setting out

taking a break to glass out in the middle of nowhere

Shale rock was everywhere

This was responsible for the huge bruise to Heff's hip when his sleeping bag deflated. Ouch.

Behind the lens Brendon

There is no way you can even see this but in the top left corner there is a MAN hiking this mountain! Brendon and Heff called him "Billy" (the goat) and said out there in the middle of nowhere at 11,000 feet this guy just barrels past them with his hiking sticks and heads straight on up the mountain. Weird!

A nature phenomenon- this grassy prairie on the top of the steep shale mountains (the great state of Utah in the distance)

Mountain Man

another cool shot of the miles and miles of view behind Brendon

a nip of whiskey in coffee on a COLD night (they each had 70+ pound packs to carry so alcohol was a rare commodity... I feel like they were in a real life Oregon Trail!?)

Ready for another morning hike

Contrails from the fighter plane base near by

don't fall

taking a break

that's a serious backpack

my husband drinks TONS of water all day, everyday (me, not so much) so I could understand his pain when he told me they RAN OUT OF WATER! The Forest Service guy at the beginning of their trip told them there would be plenty of water at the top of the mountain so they didn't conserve (since it has to be carried on their backs too). Once they got to the top... no water. Just some snow half way down the shale cliff. So Heff tells me he got seriously dehydrated and they had to pack down for more water! Don't tell your wife these things!!

I love this picture since Heff's big F250 pickup is usually parked in our suburban driveway and doesn't get out of Menlo Park much (except when putting on the miles to Red Bluff) but Heff says the photo doesn't do justice to show the straight cliffs on either side of the truck. Again, maybe don't tell your wife that part- photo looks just fine to me.

dinner cooking for hungry hunters (dehydrated meals, yum)

and that's what you get to show for all your hard work. (and Heff reports this was only the THIRD most painful part next to lack of water and sleeping on shale) Sorry for the grossness, my sister already emailed me and said this was the most disgusting thing she'd ever seen and she seriously almost barfed/passed out. Can't wait until she has to go through childbirth.)