Hell Roaring Pack Trip 2009
4 August 2009
While I was in the USA (for a complete report on that trip click here I thought I would do something different. So after much research on the net before I left I decided to do a pack trip with Absaroka Beartooth Outfitters. It all started on the 4th of August when Rick from Absaroka picked me up at 7.45 am at Albertsons (a supermarket) in Livingston. We then drove to Cameron Mayo’s ranch (he is the Outfitter that owns the operation) near Big Timber and met the other participants: Tom and his son Matt, Hugh and his wife Georgeanne and Ray.
Stopped for some last supplies at the Fort at Big Timber. It was only a small convenience store, which in Montana only means one aisle of guns.
But they had all the essentials.. I could still get a gun for a 10 year old girl if I wanted.... Can I get a Ken and Barbie set with that too thanks?
After buying all the guns and flies we needed we were back in the car and then drove 40 miles to the Box Canyon trail head.
Met the other remaining participants there, Ansen (who runs the photography course) and Blake. We saddled up and left there at 1pm, arriving in camp at 6.45pm. Lonny and Rick made sure we got there in one piece.
Gearing up.
The mule train... for carrying all our gear.
I couldnt believe it but CLINT EASTWOOD was on our trip too!!
Awesome scenery on the way. Went over Hell Roaring Pass – 9,499 feet - thats over 2,000 feet higher than Australia's highest peak!
I'm hearing you..... thats one big beast.... horse wasnt that small either.
Lonny, one of our guides, leading the way. She was a fantastic horse woman.
Saw a few deer on the way.
The cooking tent.
Pat the camp cook had a great dinner ready for us, mashed potatoes, corn, hamburger patties and salad. In bed by 10.10pm.
5 August 2009
Froze overnight! Sleeping bag not up to scratch (it was only rated to 55f and it got down to 30f!) Was awake at 11.15pm, 1am, 4am, 5am and got up at 6.30am. I had put on about 15 layers of clothes during the night but couldn’t get warm. It took me 2 coffees, 4 teas and 25 minutes in front of the camp fire to thaw out! Finally when I could use my utensils I managed to throw down a great omelette that Pat had cooked for breakfast.
Comfortable and warm (after borrowing a sleeping bag cause mine just didnt cut it)
There was a great view from here.
A sophisticated mechanism for working out if the loo was free or not.
Not the sign you want to see if its code red!
View Upstream
About 9 am Rick (the guide), Tom, Matt, Hugh and I (all pictured above) left camp. We fished from the confluence of the Middle Fork of Hellroaring Creek where it meets Hellroaring Creek itself.
We fished till 3.30pm then walked back to camp.
We caught heaps, I lost count after 68 – the biggest was only 13”. A yellow bodied hopper and a bead head nymph both worked well.
A rare shot of Zarifeh eating.
The gun ain’t for the bears... see that bloke over my right shoulder...he better get out of my pool, otherwise he'll be having words with a couple of mates of mine, Mr Smith and Mr Wesson ...(who ever said carrying a gun doesnt make you feel tough clearly hasnt fished with .44 magnum with a 10 inch barrel shoved down their shirt.... now if only I could get those fish to stop moving so fast I might have a chance of 'catching' a couple?!)
We were back at camp at 4pm, had a cup of tea then off again. Caught a few more in a big pool just below where the Middle Fork tips into to the main creek. There was a small thunderstorm during the day.
6 August 2009
We all left camp at 9am and rode 2 hours down the creek.
Mr Cameron Mayo the Outfitter in action!
Me in action. I know what you are thinking... its hard to spot the difference between these two action shots.
Heading out - camp is the little white dot amongst the trees (left of centre in this pic).
We stopped for lunch and fish. I decided to try a sink tip line and a big wet – an aggressive but ultra fun way to fish. Caught one good one of about 16 inches (that how they measure over here, in inches not pounds as 16 inches sounds a lot better than 1.5lbs!) We all fished till 2pm (caught 12 in that time) then we saddled up and headed off.
Nice view!
We rode another 20 minutes upstream then Cameron dropped Hugh and I off, we bushed bashed down to the river and started fishing. Meet up with everyone else about an hour later. Caught another 7. We left at 3.45pm. Rode up to Carpenter lake and had a look around. We didn’t fish it though as it was windy and getting late. We kept riding, got back to camp at 5.45pm. We got rained on about 20 minutes out from camp. It was cold too! But in saying that it was a balmy 14C back at camp, much cooler up at Carpenter Lake.
Cold and wet – but having fun!
7 August 2009
Tom, Matt, Hugh, Josiah (another guide), Rick and I headed down below camp today.
Hugh and I surveying all that lies before us.
Thought I better hook in to the free bush tucker (strawberries) before the fat bastard bears got into it!
We caught heaps! I fell over a few times today and dented a water bottle that had been lent to me by Georgeanne and Hugh, wasn’t happy about that. Rick the guide was lucky enough to witness me swearing and carrying on like a pork chop (ie throwing my hat into the bank in disgust) as I tried to pull the water bottle out of some deep water (it fell in when I fell over, getting dented in the process). The shirt had to come off and big stick was used to recover it. It was quite funny when Rick brought it up at dinner... the bastard... now where was that gun again... ha ha ha!
Never go anywhere in Montana without some gortex (and I am not talking gloves).
Hellroaring creek (photo courtesy of Rick our guide)
My records indicate I caught 44 for the day using the sink tip line and green tail rainbow coloured wet (not sure what it's called.) We had afternoon tea at camp at 2.30 and then kept on fishing. Stopped fishing at 6pm. I was nearly all fished out!
A nice one from Hellroaring Creek
A view up the creek (photo courtesy of our guide Rick )
Spotting one for Hugh (photo courtesy of our guide Rick )
Rigging up with Tom (photo courtesy of Rick - thanks!)
8 August 2009
The big ride out.
Packing up.
Took some painkillers before leaving as my knees really ached after the ride in and I didnt want to experience that again if I could help it!
We were back at Box Canyon trail head at 1.40pm.
Smoko on the way out.
Tom and Matt kindly dropped my back at Molly’s at 6.30pm. What a unique and wonderful trip!
A special thanks to one of the guides on the trip, Rick Hafenfeld for providing some of the photos. Out of the blue, in early December 2009, I got a package back home in Australia, as Rick had sent me a CD with some photos he had taken of us on this trip. Very kind of you Rick - thanks! Hope our paths cross again.