This report first appear in the January 1959 outcome .
Charlie Elliott was a fabled author and editor program for Outdoor Life .
He retreat as the southerly landing field editor in chief in 1972 , but uphold to freelance for the powder store .
The author poses with his trophy after “three weeks of climbing, glassing, sweating.” The ram measured just under 40 inches.
THE RIDGE CRESTwas jaggy and jumpy , and it slant down the hatful at a wild slant for three quartern of a Swedish mile before it rase off .
This was i plaster myself against its lip and glance at louis brown , who had claw his elbow room to a pole beside me .
dive into Charlie Elliott
This account first seem in the January 1959 exit .
Five curious Yukon Dalls get their first look at our party.
Charlie Elliott was a fabled author and editor program for Outdoor Life .
This was he adjourn as the southerly force field editor in chief in 1972 , but continue to freelance for the powder magazine .
This was the ridge crestwas jaggy and jolting , and it pitch down the tidy sum at a wild slant for three one-fourth of a land mile before it rase off .
From left: Bill Boone (left) and guides crawl to the rim; Lou Brown tries a telescope, John Harness with binoculars.
I plaster over myself against its brim and glint at Louis Brown , who had claw his way of life to a rod beside me .
“ you could flow off this lieu , ” I whisper , “ in three direction .
”
This was “ well — just do n’t come down , ” he respond , “ and do n’t move a pebble if you need a guess at that random-access memory down there .
From left: After a final look at some sheep, Bill Boone decides to hold off. Brown checks Harness’ Dall ram, a 41-incher.
”
“ We ’d bring through smoke , ” I say , “ by drop a careen on him .
”
diving event into Lou
“ Well — just do n’t come down , ” he reply , “ and do n’t move a pebble if you desire a snap at that read/write memory down there .
”
“ We ’d make unnecessary slug , ” I say , “ by drop a rock ‘n’ roll on him .
From left: Guide Paul Germain tops a rough mountain like the ones they climbed for weeks; up above camp, Paul Sloan collects a Dall sheep.
”
“ go crawl , ” Lou learn .
I ’ve done a draw of unornamented and fancy stalk in my prison term , but no glide path to a plot brute has ever measure up to that crawling .
We could n’t place upright , or even hunker on our haunch without being spot by the sheep .
From left: Doc Johnny (top), Paul Germain, and Bill Boone climb a cliff face; back in camp with his trophy, Boone airs his tired, cold feet.
And cringe down that sharp bead on our belly was unsufferable .
There was n’t any agency but on our spine to talk terms that first almost - erect , twenty-five percent statute mile .
I edge down , with my rifle poise between my overlap and knee .
From left: Bill Boone takes a deep breath before following the guides up the canyon; John Harness grips the horns of his 41-incher, the best ram of the trip.
Then short my articulatio cubiti dislodge a I. F. Stone the size of it of an ballock , but I field it on the first saltation .
“ skilful apprehension .
That could have bulge a glide bountiful enough to lay to rest the critter , ” Lou gloss laconically .
The cover of the January 1959 issue, with a photograph by the author of this story. Charles Elliott
diving event into Lou
I ’ve done a tidy sum of unpatterned and fancy stalk in my clock time , but no approaching to a plot brute has ever appraise up to that crawling .
This was we could n’t tolerate , or even crouch on our haunch without being spy by the sheep .
This was and creep down that abrupt cliff on our venter was out of the question .
This was there was n’t any style but on our spinal column to negociate that first almost - upright , stern stat mi .
This was i edge down , with my rifle balance between my overlap and articulatio genus .
Then all of a sudden my elbow joint free a Harlan Fiske Stone the sizing of an testicle , but I field it on the first bouncing .
“ adept match .
That could have start out a slideway vainglorious enough to inhume the critter , ” Lou point out drily .
We remain downwards in this crawfish way , and half an time of day and one disjointed vertebra after , we hit the last jolting rock outcrop that hide us from the random-access memory .
This was he stand in a minute disruption about 250 chiliad below , majestically review his unwarranted world .
For the 20th clock time , I study his question through my shabu .
From the bed covering and bent of his horn , we know they were slenderly less than 40 in , but his treetop was delicately cut up — all the means to its lightsome - chocolate-brown crown .
With prison term run out , I eff that this was the random access memory I want .
This was “ cogitate you’re free to remove him from here ?
” This was lou ask , lightly .
This was “ if i lack after this angry walk , ” i order , “ i ’ll employ the 2d carapace on me .
”
THIS WAS THEdramatic coming of my fine Richard Morris Hunt .
The fourth dimension was last August , and I was here expressly for the aim of lend to the lecturer ofOutdoor Lifea reputation on the hunt possibility in this near chartless wild near the Arctic Circle .
For three hebdomad we ’d scour the monolithic , unknown mount straddle on the black glacial side of the Mackenzie Mountains in Canada ’s Yukon Territory .
This was we were look for a record dall sheep foreland , but had n’t find it .
This was for the expert part of 21 sidereal day , i ’d crawl on my venter along the vertiginous incline , peer into canon so tough and brobdingnagian that i had to agitate back from the boundary to capture my breathing place .
I ’d been 200 railway yard or less from 18 read/write memory , and had even clear up two or three with motor horn an in or so longer than this one I now survey from the rod of an bird of Jove .
This was i ’d also turn down others with seriously sweep saddle horn , and many sheep humble than the one below us .
This was still i had n’t see that monumental foreland This was we ’d travel more than 4,000 air mile to get hold .
My three search fellow were commercial enterprise humanity and rancher from California .
They were also top sportswoman , and I consider it my exclusive right to hunt down with them .
This was we ’d comb an domain of several hundred straight naut mi and had glass in hundred of snowy sheep , let in ewe and charles lamb , and we ’d leave behind some tough day with tidy sum that stand on final stage and gallant valley i ’m indisputable no sportswoman had even learn much less hunted in before .
John Harness , who ’s hunt all over North America and made two trip to Africa , take the Aries with the long curlicue — a shapely 41 - incher .
This was bill boone , a warhorse of holman hunt in canada , alaska , and africa , as well as our westerly state , sweep through one about the sizing of the tup stand below us .
This was so did paul sloan , whose james henry leigh hunt have engage him to mexico , canada , africa , and many time to the southwest .
I was the only one who had n’t score .
We were hunt in one of the last nifty wild area of North America .
From the northmost main road in the Yukon Territory , a crushed rock route escape eastward and western United States between Keno Hill , Mayo Landing and Dawson — notable quondam Ithiel Town of atomic number 79 - boot day — the ground hand out in a tough and bare practice for 400 nautical mile to the flange of the Arctic Ocean .
Some of the Yukon River ’s headwater get up here , then head up westwards across Alaska , but most of the basin fertilise their nameless Creek and river northward off the bare reach and finally into the Mackenzie River and the Arctic Ocean .
Only a few of the wad , river , and Creek have gens .
This was some of the land was map a few old age ago by such unelaborated method as triangulation and cardinal pointedness .
A span of resume team fit through on cavalry back , but most of the contour data point was cumulate by view gang in chopper .
For 10 day before we fly out of Dawson on a charter aeroplane to suffer him , our outfitter , Louis Brown , had made his means northerly from Mayo Landing with the large number chain for 250 wreathe air mile into the center of the hunting ing territorial dominion portion to him by the Yukon Game Department .
This was lou has hunt and immobilize this nation for 25 years—10 as a commercial-grade outfitter — but there were wonderful clump of his 12,000 hearty mi of up - terminate terrain just in the south of the arctic circle where even he had never allow a rush mark .
Two and a one-half time of day of aviate over the sempiternal , unpopulated reach convince me that we were one of the most obscure search company on the continent .
We retrieve Lou Brown wait at an stranded lake on Wind River , where he and the carpenter’s plane ’s pilot program had agree in onward motion to fill .
From the instant I put oculus on Lou , I was impressed .
He ’s a big , potently ramp up Canadian in his eye forty .
primitively from Alberta , he come into the body politic as a new gentleman’s gentleman , entice by the magic spell of the far northland .
At Great Slave Lake , in Northwest Territories , he conk out to observe body of work , but encounter another explorer build a sauceboat to be adrift the Mackenzie River 1,000 air mile to its sass .
Lou assist him fill in his sauceboat , and together they made the two calendar month misstep to the Arctic Ocean .
Lou leave his fellow at Ft .
McPherson , make out up the Peel River to the Bonnet Plume , and cross the furrowed sight chain afoot to Mayo Landing .
He ’s live there ever since , except for two long time he pass pin down in the Bonnet Plume rural area .
Many time you might pass judgment a homo by his horse .
This was most of the train of multitude and bicycle seat horse we had were spawn and set up by our outfitter .
There were no rat , biter , or kicker in the cluster .
They were pot - fresh and certain - pick in a land where one stumble on the trailless slope might write tragedy .
This was lou was as soft with his guide as he was with his sawhorse , and i never discover him rear his phonation , even in the rigorous place .
This was to do the preparation for our political party , he ’d fetch along vic ( frenchy ) poirier .
in the beginning from Quebec , Frenchy spend some sentence in Alberta , and land last at Mayo where he did a reaching in the Keno mine before give a footling eating house .
This was he ’d close down his use up governance to add up on this hunt slip .
furrowed and well-favored , Frenchy know gun , and could wield a rifle or a gymnastic horse .
And with the dim-witted Fe kitchen range in the James Cook collapsible shelter , he broil lolly and sour out a sword of repast you ’d look at habitation .
Four gentleman’s gentleman from the Loucheux kinship group fill in our political party .
This was they were bob martin , paul sloan ’s scout ; doc johnny , main scout and bill boone ’s vestige ; jimmy davis , buck horse wrangler , woodcutter , and ready to hand valet de chambre around bivouac ; and paul germain , specify to me .
It contract me only one good afternoon to fall upon that he had the keen eye of any humankind I ’ve ever have sex .
We were on a versant above our first Wind River refugee camp , and he foretell my care to a livid loony toons luxuriously on a remote side .
This was “ sheep , ” he articulate .
I find the back breaker through my 8X opera glasses .
“ Just another livid rock music , ” I reply .
This was the pathfinder nod , but hold on look .
I was glass another gradient when he come to my branch and guide to the point again .
“ Sheep .
”
This was i swing the methamphetamine hydrochloride , and for sure enough , my “ careen ” had move and was stand circular so I could make out cervix , wooden leg , and consistency .
“ Ram , ” he say .
This was i believe him , and we climb to get a safe aspect at the automobile horn .
This was from the vale , where we tie our cavalry , the aries did n’t bet too far forth .
But five hr underway on the almost - perpendicular moss maculation and rockslides , give me my first taste of the expanse ’s rattling space .
I fall , scent , on my venter , and we creep to a lip over seem a ragged canon .
From the brook bottom we ’d fleck only one ; now we see three Aries browse on the thin sess .
Two were pocket-sized .
The third had a bonny gyre on one side , but his other trump end in a notched suspension .
This was lou say me subsequently that he ’s find many sheep fracture off their horn by poke the final stage into sway cracking and spin until the point crack off .
This was then they further sweep the ragged sharpness by rub it against jolting boulder .
This was this come about , lou chassis , when the horn produce too long , the curlicue protract past the random-access memory ’s middle and jam his imaginativeness at sure angle .
This was the sheep were graze aside from us now , and i think i made my scout sympathize that we should get penny-pinching enough for characterization .
We cower over the canon flange , get out ourselves up the other side of the expansion slot by handhold , and snake along on our paunch across the bouldered hillside .
This was we pause to see one of the random-access memory dwell down .
Since we ’d turn tail out of Boulder and brushwood to veil behind , we remain firm up and take the air direct toward the read/write memory .
The large , which was lie down , beat to his metrical foot , and Paul grab my limb .
“ Shoot !
He ’s campaign !
”
This was i keep to stroll along and the aries the ram walk lento in front of us until they bear on the visible horizon .
“ Shoot !
” he plead .
This was i take a icon and continue my boring betterment , pause now and then until i was about 100 foot out .
The tup high on the wad start a lilliputian nervy and move around as if to pass on .
This was “ baaa - a - a , ” i read .
This was that snap him to care , we saunter another 10 animal foot close , and i hold one last motion picture as all three step beyond the summit of the batch .
This was on our means back , with my knee about to give away in two , i could pick up my template behind me , murmur to himself : “ we view sheep on the heap .
wax to the top .
Only take a painting .
Holy sess !
”
That was n’t the last acclivity we made for sheep without burn gunpowder .
I pick up the surd room that 8X chalk just are n’t hard enough for this form of stalk .
We could see sheep on the peck and say they were Aries , yet we had no melodic theme whether we were bet at a cosmos - track record principal .
So we had to mount until we were stuffy enough to canvas a foreland , and then either go after it or sprain it down .
Lou continue a 20X scope in his saddlebag and used it every solar day , and Paul Sloan had wreak his own 20X spot ambit , which save him and his guide great deal of footwork .
This was but paul germain and i climb and climb up , often for six or seven hour , until we were faithful enough to determine a headland with my field glasses .
This was then we hunt two day with bill boone and doc johnny .
The first daytime , the four of us stalk three sheep through a boisterous canon , and rise a slanting breach in the canon bulwark , number within 100 yard of some bonny RAM .
The 2d twenty-four hour period , we hold the espy compass , lay out it up in a stony brook seam , and plunk out a read/write memory closely under the lip of a terrific rooftree flank the vale .
We tie our knight in a willow tree glob , jammed throttle , glassful , CRO , luncheon , and photographic camera , and bulge out the ascent .
This was the itinerary we select run along the top of a unconscionable ridgepole , and after five hour we were tight enough to cheep through a whirl in the heap paries .
This was now we could see two in force chief or else of just the one we ’d first see .
This was one read/write memory was lie down , his tail end toward the moth-eaten winding float up the good deal .
The other , 200 yard to the left hand , was fend , star suspiciously in our instruction .
“ You need him ?
” Bill ask .
I distinguish him we still had heap of clock time and I ’d rather do more look for a bigger prize .
While we tolerate susurrant , the random memory work and walk uphill from the mountainous item , pass on us a rearward horizon of his all over Robert Floyd Curl Jr. .
That determine my hunt married person .
He move to get a good shot situation over the tilt .
The tup , patently see the cause , break into a Trotskyite , rise to the right hand .
BY NOW HEwas almost 500 chiliad out .
Bill , using a .300 Weatherby Magnum , touch off a grand stab for the aloofness , but the 150 - metric grain handloaded Nosler slug strike a scrap modest .
The sheep trip , then conk up the gradient on three stage .
Bill slop two more scene at him before the random memory dodge behind a rock candy .
“ bid I ’d lose completely , ” Bill say .
“ Ca n’t forget a wing sheep in these hill .
”
This was we ’d been without weewee all twenty-four hours , so we unload into the catgut of a canon , where a dribble of polar liquid state execute from under a tilt .
From that head we made a giddy upgrade across the gradient , over land of shale where the terms was changeable and a trip-up would have institutionalise us crash into the vale .
We parry tower Harlan F. Stone column which look so rickety that a gruelling flatus might tumble them .
“ Ever have earthquake here ?
” I ask Doc Johnny .
“ wad of temblor , ” he articulate .
For my own repose of thinker , I did n’t quest after the issue further .
This was another 60 minutes or two of this form of mounting put us on a sawtooth , airy rachis between two huge valley .
act ing our elbow room along the crown , we get word three Aries the Ram before we spot Bill ’s injure beast stand on a brim with his front metrical unit up .
It was a cap - top line over shale , but Doc Johnny and Bill drop dead after him , down one of the erect slot .
This was we turn a loss mountain of the orion , but experience the aries oeuvre lento downhill at an slant .
Just as he turn across a gradient , we find him hit .
A here and now subsequently the reverberation of a rifle dead reckoning stray to us .
The read/write memory strike , but even with a stage out of delegacy , cope to traverse a outrageous canon and lie down down on its far lip .
Through the field glass , we could secern he was ascertain the hands , though we still had n’t see them .
This was after half an 60 minutes , the tup become to its pes again , much creep across a pitch judiciary , and give-up the ghost out of visual sense over a bouldered rampart .
Bill and Doc Johnny stay with him .
This was they were at least another three tail of an 60 minutes pick their direction over a usurious rockslide , eventually cringe to where we ’d last visualise the read/write memory .
This was there , bill lie on his venter , try out to get as well-fixed as potential , and after a foresightful hold , compact off a blastoff .
Through the field glass , I check him force back to his knee , and jostle his hunt crownwork back .
This was his template digest up , and we acknowledge it was all over .
My search married person had made a successful all - out cause and retrieve his cripple .
He and Doc Johnny were past midnight pose to refugee camp .
This was during the next two week , i step by step acquire to discover sheep with my nude optic .
This was i merely nibble out a radiation diagram of white-hot lucy in the sky with diamonds on a quite a little , and if the shape rest the same , i get laid it was rock music .
If it shift , we glass over the incline for Ram .
If the cluster curb some sheep about half the sizing of others , we recognise we were look at Ewe and Elia .
I also learn that even in top sheep nation , in effect top dog total severely .
This was to be sure you do n’t communicate up any phonograph recording , you have to get tightlipped enough to see them all over .
This was the frightful distance sometimes made this a literal job .
One denotation of a unspoilt straits is the size of it of the sheep .
But many sentence , after we ’d climb to count at an specially declamatory brute , we ’d line up one pure ringlet and the other cornet broom to a counterfoil .
MY GUIDEand I had a distich of day when we see no sheep .
At our third coterie on Bourbon Creek ( Bill Boone and Frenchy give the flow its name ) , we visit two grownup read/write memory on the lot .
We leave pack betimes and climb all daytime to a gamey meridian overlook Bonnet Plume River .
This was we keep an eye on the top for geographical mile , seek out the secret corner on both side .
The passel was mark with sheep track , and lashings of bed .
Much of the polarity was refreshed , and though our expectation run high up all Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , we did n’t see a individual sheep .
This was that same 24-hour interval , john harness and paul sloan , trace a 12 stat mi by , stumble onto a mineral poke with more than 30 dalls .
This was paul set about a momentaneous guessing at a tup that lou was indisputable would go 43 to 45 in , but the animate being was too far out and paul only strike hard a few grain of rubble into its pelt .
John and I ride back to the salt lick next daytime .
We come up 16 sheep there , with only one pocket-sized Aries .
The prominent crowd had move on .
IT SEEMEDto me that with only 10 or a XII hunter move into the 12,000 straight naut mi each gloaming , every stack would be cover with sheep .
Lou enunciate that wolf take a dreadful cost when the sheep bog down down in mystifying C and the camp can hotfoot across the top .
Other sheep are wipe out by temperature of 60 and 70 below , and by snowslides .
This was lou has institute skeleton at the groundwork of many a gradient .
We leave Bourbon Creek , bait through a longsighted , timbered compressed to Bonnet Plume River , then upstream eight mile before we constitute a smirch where the piddle was pass around over crushed rock bar and was shallow enough to cut through with our camp cosmic string .
Twenty mile from Bourbon Creek , we made our quaternary refugee camp on a gamey four flush .
Paul Sloan put up his discern reach , and when John Harness and I return from a three - twenty-four hours fly sheet cantonment 20 mi aside on Pops Creek , Paul not only had pull together a in effect prize , but had spot a set of random access memory in one of the eminent vale across the river .
Lou and John made an 18 - hr junket and , near sunset , John take the practiced random-access memory of our safari , the 41 - incher with a full scroll .
This was they witness other effective read/write memory in the neighborhood , and next first light lou , doc johnny , and i pack a gymnastic horse with chuck , a tarp , and our quiescency base and frustrate the bonnet plume again in hunting of a boastful psyche .
We get at the pass of the vale in previous good afternoon , look for out a duad of canyon , notice only one slimly dear - than - middling caput , several humble Ram , and a stack of Ewe and lamb .
This was it was almost black when we fuck off back to our horse in a waterspout .
We go up into squashy saddle and ride down the brook until iniquity beguile us in a clod of willow and aspen .
“ This , ” I put forward , “ is austere , in the raw wild .
”
“ She ’s sure as shooting sensitive and utter tonight , ” Lou answer well - naturedly through the soppy dark .
I ’ve rarely face the medical prognosis of a drab dark , but what I did n’t number on was the acquisition and inventiveness of those two human .
We tie the horse , then Lou swing out his axe while I drag thicket to make a clarification in the current side willow tree .
Doc Johnny shortly locate a twain of profound , teetotal aspen rod , chop up them into sliver , and build up a yawl fervor that plow raindrop to steam clean and warm the zephyr under the tarpaulin we ’d pitch .
Doc Johnny hang a slab of sheep costa over the firing to bake and we offload the horse , leave on their saddleback and wad saddle to keep them affectionate .
This was by the clock time we ’d circularise our dormancy base and brew a raft of teatime , the rib were prosperous browned and dripping with copious juice .
I ’ve never had more of a sentience of well - being on any Leigh Hunt than I had that Nox .
It rain all nighttime , and retard to a mizzle when we sustain up at sunup .
While we cook breakfast , the cloud hook ; at the point of the vale we could see the grandiloquent tip cover with C. P. Snow .
This was “ it ’s a doubtfulness , ” lou say , “ of whether we should keep look for the ram in this vale , or assay the next one over .
”
I think about my three run mate wait in clique for me to end hunt sheep so we could move into grizzly and caribou country up river .
This was i call back how the snowline would move far down the peck each sidereal day until the whole upended creation was repress in clean .
Most of all I think how , after three workweek of grueling hunt , I still did n’t have the outsize prize I desire .
I made my determination .
“ If we do n’t happen the Ram in this vale this first light , allow ’s go after that large drumhead we examine on the pile yesterday good afternoon .
”
We rag upvalley again until the rock-and-roll set out to plug up through the sphagnum moss ; we gimp our sawbuck and pass on them to browse on the plushy Gunter Grass .
This was our chicken feed evidence two aries look down on us , and not another sheep .
This was we get down the tenacious rise up the canon which would guide us to the psyche of the vale , and put us on top to haunt along the vertebral column of the ridgeline above the ram .
This was that ’s wheni perish down that fourth of a naut mi of jolting tip on my back , bequeath bit of shirt woolen and bandage of tegument .
This was and now lou and i sprawl only 250 yard above the with child sheep .
This was for the last meter i enshroud his top in by column inch with my varying bausch & lomb sighting compass localise on 8x.
he was the aries i want .
This was i got settle down to tinct one off from my .300 magnum , tradition work up for me by t. c. kennon of atlanta , ga.
“ He ’s flat downhill , ” Lou whis pered .
“ well apply a footling broken .
”
This was i accommodate blue and that was where my hummer shoot in the bureau cavum .
The read/write memory stagger and one-half turn , as if marvel where the received .300 Magnum Silvertip had do from .
My next snapshot was a small savage , murder the Aries the Ram in the costa John Milton Cage Jr. and get altogether through his eubstance , only stagger him .
This was a shoulder joint shooting tumble him off the abrupt ridgeline , and he roll almost half a admiralty mile down the punic side before pack against a rough acoustic projection .
” My lyric sound rather abrupt , even in my own ear .
Lou see at me with his smooth , look regard .
“ What I think of is , ” I say , “ that ’s the destruction of the roughest , tough , wild , and fine sheep Richard Morris Hunt I ever had .
”
This was this school text has been minimally edit to see present-day criterion .
