A much better workout this morning.  Sweating profusely at minute 14 and then later I realized I was getting a good deal when the program switched from a speed of 5.5 mph at incline 5%, to a speed of 4 mph and increased to incline 10%…It took 10 seconds for it to climb that 5%….I win!  Only had to do 4 mph at incline 10% for 50 seconds instead of 60!

Monticello weather for today:

Lots of sunshine today.  High 58, low 35, light breezes 5 to 10…almost sounds like it has for the past week.  BUT…….

Continuing special weather statement:  Strong winds Monday…followed by a potential winter storm for portions of the area.  A developing area of low pressure will dive south along the west coast of the U.S. Sunday night and Monday.   Then the system will turn East across the area bringing windy conditions.  As the storm moves closer the winds will give way to an increasing chance for rain and snow by Tuesday afternoon.  Sow levels are expected to remain above mountain pass levels early on, but will quickly drop to the valley floors by Wednesday morning as much colder air filters through the region….Temps on Wednesday may be running 10 to 20 degrees below normal in many areas…..

So what did you do yesterday?

Tracker, Wapiti, Bones, Ericka and I took some time to fix up Trackers dining fly to include a really nice area to put the cooking stuff for the hunt.  Tracker had a really old, but nice World War II Army tarp and he wanted to incorporate it with his dining fly and he had an idea as to how to do it.

We started at 9 a.m. and didn’t get it finished until about 3 p.m., a long day, but the time really flew by fast.

Of course a tarp as old as this one had a few tear issues here and there and we had to make do with the largest part we had to work with.  As it turned out, we didn’t have to cut it at all and still ended up with the largest part over top of where we think we will be putting our cooking stoves and tables and there are no holes over head!  Something I didn’t think we would have when we started this project.  I just knew we would be sewing some patches somewhere.

In the past, we would set up the dining fly and then put up two EZ-up canopies to one side.  This worked very well, but the amount of space we had to work under was quickly consumed by the stoves and tables and left a lot to be desired in the ambiance field.  We actually would have been better off if the EZ-ups were set out by themselves and away from the main dining fly.  But we did what we did and it worked just fine.

By utilizing Trackers idea, we will now have an area about 10 ft. X 14 ft. of nothing but dedicated cooking area and all of the area under the dining fly canopy will be available for sitting and talking around the fire!  A wonderful addition!

This picture shows it all, but the newly added tarp is in the shadow somewhat.  It’s on the right side and you can see the green tarp coming out from under the white tarp.  Tracker is going to pick up four 7 1/2 foot lodge poles and so when we get to camp the cinder blocks you see in this picture will not be there.  We used them to get the height we needed.

We took it all down in about 10 minutes and put things away very organized so that to put it up when we get to the Abajo mountains we should only need an hour or less.

It’s funny how something as simple as a dining fly in the middle of camp seems to just “make” the camp!  For sure we will probably be the only camp on the mountain with one.

Speaking of camp and hunting, there will be 13 other hunters on the mountain and I hope we get to meet them all and I hope again that each one of them bags the trophy of a lifetime!

12 Days!

Bears Butt

Oct. 26, 2013

I’m new to this working out stuff and have only been doing it for about two months.  When I started I used a pre-programmed exercise setting on the tread mill, the first real workout setting.  As I recall coming upstairs after that grueling workout I told Winemaker, “Who needs a gym?  You have that monster machine down stairs to kick your butt”!!!  I was sweating like crazy and my legs were pounding with pain!  I sure was “in the element”!  30 minutes of agony, but I worked through it with all my thoughts on climbing up and down the red rocks of the San Juan, in search of the big trophy elk that is in my dreams.

This morning I decided to re-visit that first exercise program….30 minutes…max incline of 6 %….max speed of 4 mph….At 15 minutes into the program and having been walking at 4 mph for almost 5 straight minutes, I could feel my head starting to heat up, but not sweating yet.  At 20 minutes into it, the speed had been reduced to 3.5 mph and the incline was on a firm 6%, my first drop of sweat leaped from my forehead, followed by several more through the rest of the workout.  But, by the time the program was over, I felt like I had cheated myself out of a good time!  Not once had the excursion caused me to breath through my mouth…not once!  It ended way too soon and then it was on to stretches, push ups and sit ups.  I came upstairs and told Winemaker, it was not much of a workout.

Does that mean this workout stuff actually gets you into condition and that you get used to doing these things and they become easier and easier as you progress through them?  You can answer that, but tomorrow I’m going up to the max setting and hammer myself into shape!

Monticello weather:

OH OH!  Special weather statement!

Winter storm possible for portions of Eastern Utah and Western Colorado!  This storm will see snow levels running at or above 10,000 ft…with moderate snow accumulations confined to elevations above 12,000 ft…..blah, blah, blah, blah!

Other than that, a high expected of 56 degrees, low of 36.  Early afternoon showers with winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.  Chance of rain 30%!

So, it looks like there could be some inclement weather high up that just might make the elk think winter is coming and push them down toward their wintering ranges.  If I was an elk that is what I would think, and I’d make sure I was near a good road in case it really dumped and then I could walk down the road to a more comfortable place….just sayin!

Today Tracker, Wapiti and I are going to be working on a modification to Trackers dining fly.  The beginning of the camp!  I’m loving it!

In two weeks time we will be waking up in the San Juan, Blue Mountains…the Abajo Mountains to be exact!

13 days out!

Bears Butt

Oct. 25, 2013

Monticello Weather:

Partly cloudy, high expected around 60, lows around 40.  A change is coming to the area with a 30% chance of rain beginning tonight.  Light winds.

This weather sounds about right for this time of year.  Looking ahead a few days they have some snow in the forecast also.  More on that as we get closer to those days.

Had a bummer deal hit us yesterday.  Weasel took his truck in for a fix on a mystery problem and that got remedied after nearly $1,000 of fixes.  So, he was test driving it toward home trying to get it to do what it was doing before he took it in and everything seemed to be just fine…he looked down at this dash panel and saw the check engine light was on and the temp gauge was almost red lined!  He pulled over immediately and the engine died.

He called the repair shop and a mechanic showed up very quickly.  He checked the radiator and there was no fluid to be seen.  So he dumped in a gallon of fluid and it disappeared into the radiator.  They both looked under the truck to see where it was going and then it dawned on them that the fluid was probably going into the crank case area.  Weasel pulled out the dip stick and sure enough, it was full of oily water and foam.  DAMN!

So, back to the shop it went and the prognosis came back as a bad head gasket and assorted ugly stuff that comes when radiator fluid gets into the crank case area.  The shop owner recommended a new engine, $4500 installed, with a new radiator!  Weasel paid $3200 for the truck three years ago, is it worth this much more to be put into it?

Well Weasel made a command decision to forgo any more work on the truck and to call for salvage measures.  I went with him yesterday to retrieve it and I was able to drive it home…stopping periodically to make sure it didn’t over heat to the point of seizing up.

So, that was going to be the truck of choice to use on the elk hunt and the one to drive us around in the mountains.  Things are going to change now and I’m not totally sure what direction they will go.

Tracker and Bones have offered their truck as the replacement and it seems like the logical choice.  Not knowing the roads down that way I sure would not want to get that truck all scratched up…it’s nearly new.  Weasels was a tried and true “who cares about the paint job truck”, with numerous Rocky Mountain pin stripes down the sides.

We will see what comes of this as we get closer to the day of departure, 14 days from now!

Bears Butt

Oct. 24, 2013

Monticello weather for today:  High 61, low 35, light breezes.

I’m liking this!  I think I could be a weatherman…”Weather Butt”…has a ring to it!

Today will be mostly sunny, with some clouds and a possible shower later in the day.  Expect highs nearly what they were yesterday with a possible cooling trend that may change to a warmer than yesterday temperature.  Winds will be light out of the South West early, changing and coming out of the North East by mid day.  You might even want to get your kite out for later this afternoon as the winds will have a tendency to increase as a decreasing wind change is expected.  We are expecting a big change in the weather come the weekend so get your coats out of the closet and bundle up those kids walking to the bus stop, but wait until school is on again because they don’t go to school on the weekend.

And there you have it folks, your weather for today.  It really doesn’t matter if you are reading this from Alaska, or Hawaii, it applies to everyone, everywhere at the same time!

Bears Butt

Oct. 23, 2013

Monticello Weather for today!

Abundant sunshine, light breezes, high in the mid 50’s and lows around freezing.

Boy does this sound like a broken record, but it is what it is and as far as I’m concerned it can stay just like this all through the hunt!

Bears Butt

Oct. 22, 2013

Monticello weather for today:

Morning sunshine, turning to partly cloudy throughout the day.  Highs in the mid 50’s, lows tonight right at freezing!  Light breezes.

We had our meeting yesterday to decide on all the stuff for the elk hunt.  A big decision was made NOT to take the atv’s (toys).  I sure hope we don’t regret that decision.  They would have given us more flexibility and maneuverability in some of the tighter spots but on the other hand it would have caused us to split up and we don’t want that.

So, it looks like two rigs will haul two trailers down and 3 guys will sleep in each of the trailers.  That will make it nice and not crowd us up.

Another great decision is to take Trackers dining fly down for comfort from any foul weather and it will add the bit of ambiance that is always nice in a camp.  We are meeting up on Wednesday to make an addition to it which will also be a nice thing.

On past dream hunts we have used EZ-Up canopies to cover the cooking area.  This modification will put a large tarp over the cooking area without detracting from the ambiance.  Nothing like a good elk hunt to get the brain thinking about how to make things better in camp!

This hunt is adding another dimension to my thinking and I guess I should just relax a bit and not over think the whole thing.  But it’s in my nature to worry some and make sure we have all the bases covered.  The biggest thing with me is how long to plan to be down there.  The hunt goes from Saturday through the following week and ends on Sunday.  It should not take that many days to find a shooter size elk and from the information I’ve been given by the experts in that area, a bull elk can be killed any given day…will the one that shows itself be big enough?  I guess we will see when that happens.

The days between our leaving and now are going to be dragging along and just like the hunt we just finished, it will be over before we know it.  That’s how they all go.

So, the six of us are going to be on the hunt from Thursday through Sunday and then half the crew have to leave to come home.  Monday morning will see Wapiti, Soft Ball and Edjukateer heading North on Highway 191 while Tracker, Weasel and I stay to keep trying to fill that tag.  Unless of course the tag gets filled on Saturday or Sunday…then all of us will be cruising North.

The three of us have made plans out to and including Wednesday.  If the tag is still unfilled by then, we will make a command decision at that time to stay or go home.  Time will tell and no matter what, it will be a very fun hunt with good company and in country filled with ancient ruins, hieroglyphics and beautiful landscape.  Red rock country contrasted with pine covered alpine ridges, canyons filled with aspens, trailing down to low country oak and eventually into the desert that the Moab area is known for.  I can hardly wait.

18 days!

Bears Butt

Oct. 20, 2013

Lots of computer problems all of a sudden!  I had to go back and restore my system way back to Oct. 5….Virus?  Old system?  Tree fell on wires?  Sometimes I think smoke signals would work better.

This morning Weasel and I hit up the Lee Kay Center in SLC, where he quickly qualified for the cow elk hunt coming up on Dec. 3 of this year!  Fun times again!  We were very surprised at the number of people at the shooting range shooting.  We expected to be about the only ones there and to our surprise we had to wait for a lane to come open.

Today started the general season deer hunt in Utah…lots of folks up and down the mountain trying to fill their tags and all the while the deer are hiding deep in the brush.  Good luck to all of you out there trying!

Monticello weather:  Sunny, high 53, light breezes like yesterday.

Today is also the day we meet to discuss the details of the Elk Hunt (Dream Elk Hunt)…It will be a good time for sure.  Just a small group with lots to discuss!

So, you see old Bears Butt has a lot of things going on in his little life.

19 days and counting!

Bears Butt

Oct. 19, 2013

Another chilly day on the Wasatch Front!  And what about down South?

Monticello weather for today calls for:  Partly cloudy this morning and then clearing with a high of about 50,  light NW breezes and a low about 30 tonight.

That sounds like a very nice day!

Yesterday I poured over a map I printed off and needed a magnifying glass to even read it.  But I did find out some interesting things about the area of the hunt.  It’s actually not too far from where I think we will be camping over to a staging area I was told about and if the weather continues to be nice like it is, the elk just might be hanging on that mesa.  So the plan is in place to maybe go over there one day during the hunt and check things out.

Of course if Dennis is right, the elk will be down and in the cooler before we even have time to pop a beer.

Speaking of beer, did I tell you he saw a Black Bear during his muzz deer hunt?  Again, if the weather remains mild, we just might get to see one of them critters ourselves!  That is something on my bucket list and this area is just the place to make that happen.  The conservation officer down there told me that they would all be hibernating by the time my hunt comes around…we will see, maybe a big old bore will still be out hunting up berries.

21 days and counting!

Bears Butt

Oct. 17, 2013

Very cool morning!  Frost on the pumpkin for sure! And that is for Willard!  How about Monticello?

Sunny today, High expected to be 47 with winds WNW (that’s West North West), 5 to 10 mph…pretty nice day ahead!

I added 10 more situps to the routine this morning.  The first 10 were pretty easy and so I decided what the heck!  And did 10 more.  Ya, they were a bit shaky toward the end, but I got em dun!

More map study yesterday of the elk area.  I found a couple small ponds too..of course right now they might not have any water in them, but at least I know where they are and if I don’t have my elk down before then, I’ll make it over to have a look at them.

Both are near one another and both at the heads of draws with very tall trees around them.  They look like perfect elk sanctuaries quite a ways away from the nearest road or atv trails and tucked away where most people would not care to look.  I’ll mark them on my gps today.

Who’s thinking about elk anyway?

22 days and counting!

Bears Butt

Oct. 16, 2013

It’s getting colder outside and the old Bears Butt is getting all bundled up in his new capote!

The workout this morning was just over 30 minutes.  12 minutes at 5 to 10% incline with a minute on each one going up the scale and one more coming down the scale, all at 3.5 mph…not to bad, but the sweat was pouring off me by the time I got back down to 5% !

Then it was decrease the slope to 1% and increase the speed.  Again one minute at 5, 6 and then two full minutes at 7 mph.  I’m not much of a runner and so right now 7 mph is just about my max.  I’m a little afraid to go to 8 mph for fear of falling on the treadmill and killing myself.  I think I’ll stick with 7.

As for weight…well I have never considered it to be a problem, but I have  been 9 pounds lighter than when I started for the past 4 days.  I guess that means I’ve lost 9 pounds!?!

The 10 situps I incorporated are still a bit tough to accomplish but part of that is do to the fact that my feet come up off the floor.  This morning I put them near the edge of the couch and was able to get my toes to push hard enough against the couch to assist me.  Is that cheating?  I think not.

23 days until we head for the San Juan Mountains of Utah!

I’m watching the weather down that way and noting the conditions.  I think I will start to show you that on here beginning tomorrow.

Bears Butt

Oct. 15, 2013