Mountain Survival - Living at 10,000 Feet Elevation...

[Mtnman Mike]

I am Mtnman Mike and I approve of this message / thread.


I almost was not going to post but I finally remembered my password and thought I have time to post at least once. This has been a very interesting year but interesting is not always good. It has been expensive also and I lost my nice brown F-250 truck although it was a 1988, lucky to get 10 mpg and just too expensive to run anymore.

I have also had at least 2 dozen people email and message me from around the net wanting to come up to camp, work and Live on my mtn place. I am thinking that this year of 2012 is unusual and people seem sorta afraid of something??

One other guy was on my land earlier this summer around mid June. 18 year old Jorn, which is his username, well he went back to Portland, Oregon after ten days on my remote mtn retreat. He thought the retreat and mountains were awesome but he just got too tired and had blisters on his feet so he went back early since he planned to stay until June 30th.
It was nice he at least did experience some of what is up there such as much of the scenery, hiking, seeing the trout in the neighbor's trout pond and even helping in the digging a couple days on the hole which is getting about half done for the new partially underground cabin.

There is a Great deal that I could tell about that has happened just so far since June 1st but WR is the main one who will be doing the telling and showing with hundreds of pics and even some videos, which I am glad to see he has begun posting some of them.

HOPE that many will continue to look at this thread all summer since Watch Ryder will be posting off and on all summer. Maybe I will post more later, although it might not be until next winter if / when I get back... MMM

[Rick]

Glad you stopped in. It looks like things are progressing for you and with the added help at a little faster pace. Keep your head below the fence line.

[hunter63]

MMM, Thanks for the up date, been awhile.
Hope all goes well for y'all.

Will be watching this thread.

[crashdive123]

Glad things are progressing for you.

[Mtnman Mike]

Thanks for the comments guys.

I am going back up to my mtn place now and might not post for quite a while. At least not til I get back to a town with internet / wifi.

This summer will also be difficult since it is hotter and drier than most years. There are some fires burning around Wyoming even my Medicine Bow national forest although at least the fires are burning 30 to 100 miles away. The Medicine Bow forest is spread around southern and SE Wyoming and is not just one continuous forest.

Here is a link to one of the closest fires > http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2970/

Glad I have the bunker for I think and hope it would survive any forest fire. Although I almost certainly would bug out / evacuate to a safer area...

all for now maybe not til next winter. But Watch Ryder will likely post quite a bit more since he is telling all about what is happening this summer up there such as the building of my new partially underground cabin with 2 large windows.

MMMike

[wildWoman]

Glad I have the bunker for I think and hope it would survive any forest fire.

Just wondering - how would that work with the air supply? In order to avoid smoke seeping in, wouldn't you have to seal it off?

[Rick]

Wildwoman - there was a time on the plains that fire bunkers were pretty common. They are simply low profile, partially underground shelters specifically for wild fires. They are sunk a couple of feet below ground, both ends are kept open and about 2 feet of dirt piled on top. As the fire sweeps across the bunker it carries with it a 2 or 3 inch layer of fresh air next to the ground. That feeds the fire so it has to have it. Since it's being sucked under the fire it's much cooler air. That cool clear air enters both ends of the bunker as long as it is below ground level. Since the heat from the fire travels in a straight line you don't have to worry about it entering the bunker. It's pretty simple really. Amazing what we can learn from our fore fathers. Amazing, too, that they aren't used more in the west since they seem to have wildfires all the time.

[hunter63]

I'm guessing that a lot fo people that live out west now, were not born there.....same as down south....and bring their old habits with them.

[Rick]

Probably true. And we've gotten so far away from the old ideas that no one remembers them.

[wildWoman]

Wildwoman - there was a time on the plains that fire bunkers were pretty common. They are simply low profile, partially underground shelters specifically for wild fires. They are sunk a couple of feet below ground, both ends are kept open and about 2 feet of dirt piled on top. As the fire sweeps across the bunker it carries with it a 2 or 3 inch layer of fresh air next to the ground. That feeds the fire so it has to have it. Since it's being sucked under the fire it's much cooler air. That cool clear air enters both ends of the bunker as long as it is below ground level. Since the heat from the fire travels in a straight line you don't have to worry about it entering the bunker. It's pretty simple really. Amazing what we can learn from our fore fathers. Amazing, too, that they aren't used more in the west since they seem to have wildfires all the time.

Oh that's intereresting! Thanks for that I wish the fore fathers (and mothers) could all have lived to a healthy oh, 300 years or so. So much more to learn.

[Watch Ryder]

June 24th

Canopy Kitchen

For some days now I’ve been wanting to deploy a canopy shelter over the cooking area.
As it is the blazing heat make’s meal preparation almost unbearable from mid-day onwards. Almost like nature is assaulting you.
If you wait until sun-down the ‘forest air-service’ mosquito’s take over with more direct attacks.
I also suspect rainfall is due and don’t want the cooking stuff to get soaked either.
After some mental storming for a few minutes I put my western mind of gears and wheels spinning until a few lightning erupted!

It’s late afternoon and I don’t have time to mess around.
I first try using some camouflage netting but the size is too small.

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Then I spy some brown hessian under some materials nearby. It’s huge but only just big enough for the area!
After untangling it and dragging it over to the cooking area.
Mike’s wondering what I’m doing now and suggests using the nearby tree’s to suspend the hessian.

As my original plan had been to dig down and plant wooden ‘uprights’, Mike’s suggestion made it miles easier. Although I’d have to make a lot of adjustments with the twine I was using to suspend it with.

Mike made the job easier and improved again by having a middle support cord running under the center of the canopy. That meant it had a ‘ridge’ instead of being flat and susceptable to cave-in under heavy rain and snow.

After about an hour of tree-tying and scrambling about the canopy was up.
It didn’t look too bad either, I’d have to get some better cordage in Colorado as the twine tended to snap under gusts of winds.

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From a distance it looked like and alive brown thing when it inflated. Mike even joked it was the wind breathing in and out, like a huge lung! LOL.
I was happy though and could finally sit under some shade while cooking and working etc.
Big day tomorrow, we’re off South to Mike’s City Retreat!
Hopefully not for too long though…

[Watch Ryder]

Day of Departure

Not much to say on this one, except we returned to Colorado via a different route and I shot some video along the Wy – Colorado Border.

[Watch Ryder]

Then we went back into the city via the backroads, passing all the farm and smallsville towns on the way...
Apart from a Sheriff waiting to catch speeding vehicles there were no drama's.

Sojorn in the City

After what seemed like a whirlwind of internet posting, shopping and waiting we were away again for another ascent into the Mountain Hold.
This time Britzen and BnB were the newcomers and possibly Biathalon plus Kronen.
On the road north we saw thick haze and smoke, even at the Snowy Range it was noticeable.

[Rick]

You are certainly going to have some memories out of this adventure along with the education.

[hunter63]

As with any trip planned away for the rest of the world, seems like it's a trial and error type of thing.....what works and what doesn't....How long supplies last, what did you run out of etc.

MMM has posted his camp in the past, and has done a lot of work on it, spent time there, alloying him to have a good idea of what goes into it........That has to be an advantage to a new comer, and a real good way to learn what goes into it.

What was the time between first arrival, then departure for resupply.......etc?

The reason I ask, is that with a trial "bug out" actually just the spring opening of "The Place", (our cabin) requiring restocking anything that might freeze, fresh foods, and of course anything that may have happened over a couple of months....But having everything pre-packed, and deciding at the last minute to go....just to see how long it took to pack and hit the road.

We found that one week was easy, two.... stretching it a bit, till a trip to town for restock.

Nothing like doing it to find out..........

[Mtnman Mike]

We are not really re-supplying hunter.

WR and I could go all summer without going to town since I have at least a one year supply of food and two springs we mainly come to town now to post. And maybe get a snack. And now this library is closing so all for now. maybe we will post more in a couple weeks or in August.

[hunter63]

Gotcha,.....I know from your past posts that you have been doing this for a while, and had it together, now you have added some help, so was just curious on how it was going.

Our trips be it out west hunting, canoe pac- ins, heading out to the cabin (lot easier to have staples and supplies cached), and even rendezvous, the "aw carp, I forgot the ....whatever?..."....does seem to happen.
All thel ists and discussion in the world boils down to "just do it"...if you want to know.

No ice machine, general camp ground store, landry, or even a saloon for a steak and a beer.......Our goal is packing for "No re-supply".....for a lot of reasons.
Running out of TP is "a go to town" reason as far as DW is concerned.

Thanks for the up date, sounds like a good time.

[Watch Ryder]

Once at the Mountain Hold it was the feat of unloading gear once again.
The roof bag I’d bought was a real boon as the rear cargo area was RAMMED with stuff, much more than last time as Mike’s gear was inside too.
It felt a bit weird returning, there’s always a funny feeling that maybe someone might have been up on the land while we were away, snooping or even stealing stuff.
A careful check here and there saw all was well.
All our firearms were of course safetly stowed and on us. Mike checked the hallowed bunker and his locking mechanism was intact!

We had only two days before Britzen and BnB arrived, Mike and I added some more privacy to the Outhouse (a tin sheet so no-one could see from the high-national-forest wilderness).
I set up my backpacker tent again, just in case when they arrived it was dark and too awkward to set their own tent up.

The Tree and the Survivalists

On the day of their arrival Mike had, with Survivalist Humour, mentioned a comedy moment in a Robin William’s movie where he pushes a tree down in front of an approaching vehicle to cause it to brake.
He suggested we do the same to Britzen and BnB as a big prank partly in homage and also partly with Survivalist Humour in mind!
I readily agreed to the bold move.

Although at the back of my mind I knew a smashed in vehicle, injured occupants and murderous intentions toward us could be on the cards, should it go terribly wrong!!
As added spice Mike suggested I hide in the tree’s, ready to spring out and surprise the started pair in full camo and armed with an AR-clone rifle!
My mind worked through the feasibility of doing it, together with filming it at the same time!
The hour approached and we set up the gambit!

Mike had the dead, upright tree set up on the old logging road that runs above and to the left of the main approach road. When it fell, it would not quite fall onto the road, but would tumble and possibly slide down. It was a tall tree too, at least 30 feet high and just big enough for Mike to manhandle. I at first suggested he move it right to the edge and free of the upper branches of the tree it was leaning against.
Then seeing how awkward and cumbersome it was to get near the edge without dropping it prematurely I changed my mind, saying his way was best (which even afterwards I think was).

After changing position’s twice in order to get the best angle of both the vehicle approaching and the falling tree I waited on the lower approach road…
I wasn’t going to step out until the tree fell, out of the risk of being run over.
I was also well aware of the fact that either Britzen or BnB could well be armed so would of course play it only casually serious for prankster value. I’d not aim the rifle I had slung at them, but would instead pretend to be doing a vehicle checkpoint and demand papers or something to that effect etc.
The AR I had was unloaded and if either of the startled survivalists drew shooting iron’s I’d dive deep back into the foliage I’d appear from.

Happy with my plan I waited in the leafy shadows of approaching evening.

[Watch Ryder]

Well before long Mike called down that he could see their vehicle approaching and I started rolling the camera. Surely this would cause a cool buzz on fickle youtube??

Mike pushed and twisted the tree.

Nothing.
He pushed and heaved and PUSHED again yet it would not fall!
The damned thing was tangled up against the tree it was leaning on.
By now the window of opportunity had passed and and SUV rumbled past unawares of the fuss that was going on.
“Mike you blew it!” I called out in despair.

A mountain bellow from him rang back and I was glad to be out of tree range as make emphasised how stuck it was.
By now the SUV had gone slightly past the fyord and I waved my arm’s and attracted their attention.
I still found it funny though, although the prank had failed, there was still a comedy of error’s factor to the whole thing.
I shook hands first with BnB and told him of what he’d missed and he laughed, saying (joking I hope) maybe it was for the best as his Glock 31 was in the glovebox!!

BnB’s A tall bearish kinda guy with a friendly demeanour but with a way that told you he’d only be pushed so far!
Then out came Britzen.
Finnish, formidable and finally at the Mountain Hold!
Dressed in shorts (good god the mosquito’s will have a field day!) she certain dressed casual for the mountain realms yet seemed to be less bothered than most when it came to the mosquito onslaught…

Mike had had dozen’s of people who said they would come to his realm, yet I was the third and now numbers five and six were here!
A seventh was their friendly black dog Absinthe who was surely a pooch none could fault.

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They brought all sorts of stuff with them, cooking pots called dutch oven’s (there are two types), a solar oven, fresh vegetables from their own land and other rustic foods.
There’s no doubt in my mind that these two are the masters of food supply! They must surely have settlement level’s of food at their fingertip’s over in Idaho!

This is the Britzen and her cooking panoply in 'action'...



The next day Mike suggested a trip to the nearby landmark of the CDT and some other camping grounds. There was a grave at one and it was of a person who’d died young in 1929.
Two beings of the forest service drove to the camping ground while we where there in a pale green pickup.
We were all palavering at the back of the SUV and noticed them.
They drove in through the entrance then slowed down, looking at us, while we looked back.
I was in my trusty camo-smock and MMM was in his trademark combat jacket.
Perhaps we cut a survivalist note to the arrival of ‘authority’.
Yet the passenger of the pick-up, a swarthy faced fellow nodded at me in a sort of friendly way as the driver swung the vehicle around and they went away as they’d arrived. Perhap’s I should of waved or made a friendly gesture back instead of being impassive?

On that day BnB, a fire and rescue operative of some note, viewed the rock of the ages with a discerning eye.
Where I like to instinctually gauge and weigh up thing’s by gut feeling BnB use’s the power of logic and calculation!
Both method’s are winner’s of course but he made a better estimate of the rock’s mass than I did.
I reckoned just over 2000 pounds.
BnB, using the estimation of one cubic foot of the stone as 166 pounds came to the figure of 1992 pounds.
As this strange meeting of minds went forth BnB reminded me, in no uncertain terms, that he’d over 28 years experience in fire and rescue!
With my six years or so I could not argue, especially when he mentioned the arcane ways of ‘Cribbing’ something unknown to me until that day.

[Watch Ryder]

We set up the job some thick rope I’d bought from a hardware store anchored to a big tree nearby. With a re-woven figure of 8 knot anchored to it I made a figure of 9 knot to anchor the come-along in place.
Then I got some chain to make up the distance and ran out the come-along and rigged it all up.
BnB was a great help, while I am knowledgeable of lifting stops, lifting machine’s and the like, come-along’s of the type I’d bought were not the same as the British ones I’d used at work.
Additionally I’d never worked with heavy chain before, BnB gave me some helpful pointers here too.

After some digging about the rock I made some overture’s to make a test-pull on the top-most part.
After a few minutes of putting the wire, rope and chain’s through their paces we gave up on turning it. At least until it was dug out a bit more!
My knee’s ached from all the chain’s I’d hauled up the hill and the heat was heavy so we all called it a day and settled down.

Britzen cooked up a rustic, hearty meal in a dutch oven of bacon, peppers, millet, some lettuce-type vegetables and another white edible thing chopped up. Around it, wrapped in foil, were multiple beets that slowly cooked amid the hot charcoals.
After we'd eaten BnB showed us some of the 'new' digital camo in service. Both he, I and MMM were not impressed:



After we'd looked that over, in the spirit of the 4th of the July that some gunplay was in order.
I asked Mike if it was ok.
In his enigmatic way he whispered away into the wilderness, then came back bringing a swing target I’d set up earlier. He’d mentioned that the old position it was in was in another’s land and would be better up the mountain way, shooting onto national forest.
Getting into the spirit of things BnB got out the glock 31, while I brought out the faithful Benelli M1.
Then it was time for some rip-roaring, boomsticking, gun play.
I even tried out one of the slugs I’d bought.