Elk Hunt '14

Food supplies ready to be packed

And so it begins... preparations for Elk hunt 2014. T minus 17 (ish) hours till the crew departs....

Patrick and Stuey are at the airport picking up the first of the out of town hunters~Justin from Fairbanks.  Ray from Anchorage arrives later tonight and Brooks from Juneau tomorrow AM.

This afternoon Patrick stuffed his new grey hunting pack with the necessary gear and tried it on. Its a new pack, lighter. I liked imagining him hiking on Afognak in search of the Elk herds with it on. He looked at me and smiled, pleased with how much lighter it feels compared to his old pack.

Food. A biggie for such an adventure. Feeding 5 hungry hunters with enough calories for 7-10 days. Several of the guys made frozen meals to eat on the boat and Patrick packed along many meals for their nights camping on Afognak.  When Patrick comes home after the hunt, his metabolism will be revved for several days after-constantly ravenous. His body will still be thinking he is chasing after the elusive elk.

 This afternoon, a call went out to Skipper Jim on ETD tomorrow. The time is dictated by the tides in Whale Pass  and weather.  Tomorrow the plan is for a 10ish departure and 6-8 hours later, they'll be at their destination at Afognak. Ready to start hunting on Sunday.

There is an Elk hunt energy at our home. 11 or 12 years now into the annual hunt, I sense this excitement and relish in it. Tomorrow morning I'll make some waffles and eggs for breakfast. A hearty breakfast for a hearty crew.

Zoya