The trail to Red Shirt Lake had a sign that said "3 miles". I can only assume, at this point, that a bird or bullet gauged this distance. If you look up the road behind the gate, this grade was heaven compared to the journey we were to embrace that Saturday morning. We should've had a canoe cart for that excursion - If you're wondering of a Christmas present for me... For the trip out, we tried to strap an old BBQ base (cheezy wheels) to the bottom of our load - only to tear it off with the first root system (10 feet away). It was a genius idea, though, and only cost us 20 minutes of strapping. The most embarassing part of the long drag back out wasn't when the old man, his wife and grandkids passed us on one of our "breathers". Nor was it the couple with 2 babies walking around the coleman in the trail. It was the man pushing a baby stroller and his extremely pregnant wife telling us, "It's all down hill from here! Ha. Ha." as they scaled the bank to manuver around us.
The expedition to a new fishing spot turned out to be more work than any of us would have planned. We had a great time - only shorter than we wanted. The trail to our new spot took approximately 3 hours to walk - give or take five minutes. Of course, we WERE pulling a canoe full of rifles, gear, food, and beer (Oh, yeah. Not food. Seems to have been forgotten. We should've caught plenty of fish, though. And killed stupid chickens - who, by the way, are not that easy to kill with sticks and stones). Regardless, the canoe was heavy, anyway, and 10 more pounds would have broken us. It must've weighed in at 800 - 1000 lbs. It's a good thing we didn't slay a few 15 lb. pike! They stink anyway. Our first dinner was "surf n' turf" (tuna and corned beef). Although we had no more than a few snacks, 3 boxes of beer, and a bottle of jagermeister, all of us have acute survival instincts and would not perish if stranded. And anything wrong we could just blame on Don (who hasn't blogged since JUNE). 
We found a few pike about an hour before departure - later than planned, mind you. The first was snagged in the back by Big D. while trolling/skimming the lake. We, then, knew there was fish in the lake. We spent hours looking for them, but would've spent a few days exploring the side lakes and streams that probably contained the majority of pike population. A canoe and a day and a half seemed to provide too little time-to-work ratio and could've kept us for a few days...we still had some tuna.
It WAS a good time.
The expedition to a new fishing spot turned out to be more work than any of us would have planned. We had a great time - only shorter than we wanted. The trail to our new spot took approximately 3 hours to walk - give or take five minutes. Of course, we WERE pulling a canoe full of rifles, gear, food, and beer (Oh, yeah. Not food. Seems to have been forgotten. We should've caught plenty of fish, though. And killed stupid chickens - who, by the way, are not that easy to kill with sticks and stones). Regardless, the canoe was heavy, anyway, and 10 more pounds would have broken us. It must've weighed in at 800 - 1000 lbs. It's a good thing we didn't slay a few 15 lb. pike! They stink anyway. Our first dinner was "surf n' turf" (tuna and corned beef). Although we had no more than a few snacks, 3 boxes of beer, and a bottle of jagermeister, all of us have acute survival instincts and would not perish if stranded. And anything wrong we could just blame on Don (who hasn't blogged since JUNE). 
We found a few pike about an hour before departure - later than planned, mind you. The first was snagged in the back by Big D. while trolling/skimming the lake. We, then, knew there was fish in the lake. We spent hours looking for them, but would've spent a few days exploring the side lakes and streams that probably contained the majority of pike population. A canoe and a day and a half seemed to provide too little time-to-work ratio and could've kept us for a few days...we still had some tuna.
It WAS a good time.
5 opinionated prattle:
I will comment on this posting in more detail at a later time, right now I am laughing to hard to concentrate and remain somewhat serious. I have sit at the same dinner table with the five of you, I have seen how much food that all of you can consume, how in the hell could all of you forget to take food with you? To rely, on anyone of the five of you to catch fish to live on is also beyond belief, let's face it your sucess ratio in that deparmtent has also been dismal - perhaps with Heath along, you had a little better chance of suceeeding - but last I read anything about them, Pike is not a great fly fish! Disregard, that two of you are in your mid thirties, one of you in your late 20's and you still forgot to plan ahead, I mean like food should be pretty close to the top of the priority list when hiking in for a weekend. I am glad that you did come clean, because my sources had already tipped me off so I was waitng patiently. I also appreciate the pictures, without them, I would have never believed it, perhaps, you should take some basic lessons on being properly prepared when venturing into the unknown, perhaps you know a girl scout leader that could help you in that department. However, after reading your story, looking at the pictures, I have to call bovie excrement on this story!
I tried to help out…I really did. When I saw how many guns were being packed, I tried to get them to palaver but who would listen to the trained GS Leader? I had a roast potatoes and carrots…it just needed to be packed. I think Heath forgot that MacAnnely wasn’t coming, so the pork roast never showed up.
Damn She took my line!! I too had fixins for "camp fire stew". I even offered to put it all together in the cast iron pot for them, duc tape it closed...and poof all they need is fire! Father this story is true as far as I can tell...Eric gives a few details this farter did not...and if Donny and Josh ever Blog...well yet a few more details will come out...I did notice that not one of these guys have given Josh credit for being the only one who thought to bring water, and food.
...but he ate the food befor he got there....that crosses out any other kudos...
I remember when you said, "I'll put together a stew for you guys and pack a lot of Eric's stuff so he's ready.", Shana. Which of these things happened? OH! Neither....
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