Thank you so much for allowing us to follow your journey. What an adventure. Very good chronicle, write up, and photos. I look forward to your post gear tips. Congrats on an awesome ram!

NP, thank you for sharing from you initial post until now. We've all enjoyed the ride, and, from the pics, I think you might have just received a small taste of heaven. Absolutely stunning!!!

Thank you so much guys for the kind words. I am so glad you enjoyed it.

Gear thoughts in next day or two - travelling today. In Vancouver as I type this. But through U.S. Customs so glad that's done.

Cool trip NP and beautiful ram. Glad you got your trophy

Trip of a lifetime. Great pictures and nice ram!

Congrats!

Back home and glad of it!

Welcome home. What an awesome trip you had, congratulations.

Some gear thoughts.

Please bear in mind these are just my ramblings - they are not meant to be "be-all-end-all" and set in stone. YMMV. That said, I hope they are helpful. Also, some may seem elementary to those who take a lot of mountain hunts, but I want to be thorough for anyone who may think of going on a backpack/pack-in hunt out west or up north.

Also, all these tips may or may not apply to those hunting from a cabin or base camp that they can drive to and thus, not have limits on weight/volume of gear.

Finally, these thoughts are mostly for early-season hunts before snow/extreme cold is a likely or long-term issue. And they may not apply to extremely wet climates like coastal Alaska.

OK, here goes:

1)DON'T OVERPACK. Think in "twos" (light and heavier) for most clothing items (pants, base layers, jackets, maybe even socks - I took 3 pair). Worn clothing items will get refreshed quickly by wind/sun hung on trees. Think "ones" for most gear items. Many items can serve multiple purposes - like garbage bags, down jacket in stuff sack for a pillow, trekking poles, etc. Most of the guys brought way too much gear.
2)Keep items you will need access to all the time (gloves, beanie, neck buff, lip balm) close at hand. This sounds elementary but when I say close - I mean within no-effort reaching distance while climbing, on a horse, etc. You can't always drop your pack. I used roomy "pods" on my pack's hipbelt for that purpose - and it worked great.
3)My pack rifle scabbard saved me. Some of you may be tired of my affinity for it, but I could not have made the climb for the ram without it keeping both hands absolutely free and my rifle out of the way.
4)Take Advil every day twice a day. Just do it.
5)I love a water bladder/hose system for hydration. It beats a bottle for lots of reasons (volume and on-the-go accessibility being the main ones).
6)Via instant coffee and powder packet drink mixes are great.
7)"Buff" brand neck gaiter is a great product. Weighs nothing, simple tubular design is easy to use, and adds so much warmth when needed.
8)Quarter-zip base layers are great too. Instant venting when needed.
9)Thin liner socks are blister preventers deluxe. I have never had so much as a hot spot since I began using them.
10)Bath/unscented baby wipes. Don't forget them. Worth their weight in gold.
11)Get a great lightweight down jacket - they add so much warmth and pack down to nothing. My Kuiu Superdown worked great.
12)Get great raingear - the best you can swing. It will not just protect you from rain, but added over your base/down layers will keep you warm in conditions you wouldn't believe possible.
13)If using horses - MAKE SURE YOUR STIRRUPS/RIFLE SCABBARD ARE ADJUSTED PROPERLY FOR YOU. Stop and re-adjust if needed. Don't be shy. Just do it! Poorly adjusted ones will make for a miserable ride.
14)Get the 4457 form.
15)Get a good, roomy waterproof duffel bag. My Cabela's worked great but Patgonia, Outdoor Research, North Face, and many others make good ones. Make sure it is a true "dry sack" with multiple cinching straps/buckles.
15)Organize and label your gear so you can find it easily. Put it back when done. It only takes a minute. This is so important. Don't "overlabel" though - think "electronics", "base layers", "medical/personal", etc..... I used different-colored waterproof stuff sacks for this purpose and added security from the wet.

Items I didn't use:

1)Gaiters - simply didn't need them on this early season hunt in this area. No snow, no scree.
2)Water purifying stuff - simply drank too much water to even dream of pumping/treating it all. I was filling up my bladder/bottle at every turn. YMMV and you may not compromise on this. That's fine. On this hunt, it will be a major time eater. I honestly think those who insist on it run the risk of not staying hydrated.

On a related note - stay hydrated at all times. Drink/sip water all the time. All. The. Time. It will pay huge dividends.

Most of all, be easy-going. Trip snafus are going to happen. Customs/TSA/airline people are going to be dilberts at times. Be patient. Smile. Delays are going to happen. Relax. You are going to fall off a horse, have a limb cut your face, get cold, tired, etc. Stay positive. It's all part of the adventure.

That's all I have right now.

Thanks again for coming along.

Very nice Ram. Congrats on a great trip.

NP, great ram! Thanks for taking us along! Really enjoyed the reading along looking at the pics. Brought back some great memories. Congrats on a great hunt/adventure and memories for a lifetime.

Elementary question but what was the weather like on this hunt?

It was -as hoped for on an early August hunt up north- mostly fine. Lows in the 30s/40s and highs in the 60s/70s. 8 of 11 days were actually perfect. 1 day of cold/rain. 1 day with a low of about 20 and ice until sun came up at mid morning, and 1 day/night of howling 30-40 mph winds. That's not bad. Last Yukon hunt the weather changes came much more often, sometimes every hour or two.

So, overall great. But I was lucky...

Thanks Clay. That is damn near what we see in Colorado where we go this time of year. I have been there and got the T shirt but surprised it is so close honestly. The frozen precipt would have been new to me though.

The main difference between way up north and out west is that the weather changes often happen much more quickly, especially starting right about now. Example: 30 minutes before the plane landed to pick me up/drop the new hunter off it started snowing. By the time I was in the air the mountains were turning white. My guess is things are a lot different for his hunt than mine on the weather front.

One more thought:
On a horseback hunt, if you're not used to riding - take a break every 2 hours or so. Get off, walk around, stretch your legs. You will be amazed what a difference it makes. Same thing for climbing: don't feel like you have to just gut it out, keep quiet, and try to keep up with the guides. It will only make you wear yourself out because those guys are mountain goats. When you need a breather, take one. They will understand. It's not a "manliness contest" - if it were most of us will lose anyway. The point is to get there, and get there not so worn out you can't focus on the task at hand. I heard several stories of guys who just stopped mid-climb to some vantage point up high because they felt they were done. My bet is that most of them had just worn themselves out by not pacing their ascent, and that they would have made it with some more rest breaks/better hydration. You will also be stronger on the 4th day than on the 1st as you acclimate to the altitude.

It all works together. And the mind is the most important part. A strong will overcomes many obstacles. Think tortoise and hare - especially if you aren't in your 20s/30s anymore.

NP Great Sheep and classic hunt in every way. Jack is smiling down on you, he would have approved of your hunt only thing missing was the Biesen.

Well done!!

Thank you sir those words mean a lot to me. The Biesen will be with me on a WY Rocky hunt one day, Lord willing....

OK, more pics now:

Mountain I took my ram on:

The Super Cub for your Dad 2Beez:

What a great adventure. Awesome ram, congrats and thanks for sharing.

Wow NP you took some great pictures and nice write up on your trip. Made me feel like we were there...I could smell and feel it almost! And congratulation on a great Ram and trip. Do the Musk Ox ever range this far South? Got a friend that worked BP at Prudhome Bay. Always sending me pictures of Polar Bears in their garbage dump, and Musk Ox along pipe lines.

Thanks much for sharing.