see. the absarokas in western wyoming, some of the most remote and spectacular mountains in the country. the purpose? to scout for big horn sheep. not easy. they live on jacked perches. like ghosts for a fleeting moment and then gone again. inhospitable country. on the first day, august 19, they saw five grizry bears. put that is eerie feeling in your body, makes the hair stand up and the back of her neck. josh brought his horse, duke, the pal low mean nor and double d, the tub born one. the next day was august 20:
as he kept looking at it, something surprising happened. then i could see some movement at the plane. was it a person? an animal? too far away to see. he couldn t just hurry over. he had a sprained angle, an injured horse and to get to that crumbled plane he d have to go down first a steep slippery slope. i had to walk the horse all the way down to the bottom sinking into its knees in the dirt and rock. carefully he coaxed the limping double d to the plane. down all the switch backs, bail off the trail and go down to the creek. he followed the creek bed. and then, as he worked his way toward the plane, something caught his eye. and he looked up, and saw in the distance. a girl. walking in the creek. what was that like to see? it was a surprise. it was a shock. coming up, mckenzie, alive
the horses fought to stay together. the fear was that horse going down with nate and nobody would be make it. they slipped and slid. it took nate more than an our to get to the top of the road. he got in his truck and. there was a guy standing in the road waving his hands. i said what in the world? the road was blocked by a smashed truck hanging half way over the edge. nate helped the driver move the truck and went hurtling back down the mountain to get help. meanwhile, back at 12,000 feet josh was a long half mile from the crash. i said there awaiting to see if i could see movement in the plane or anybody crawl out our anything else and nobody got out of it. i assumed the worse.
sent it crashing to the ground. what s it like to see that? first thing in your head is man, i just watched a plane crash. and then it sinks in and hits. oh, i just watched a plane crash. and thoughts start running through your head, what are you going to do? who s in there. who s in there? how many are in there. are they alive? dead? can i safely get fiself in there to find out or not. as a cardinal rule of survival in the wilderness. stick together. they broke it. josh knew first aid and decided he should look for survivors, nate was good with gps coordinates. i gave nate the gps and the best horse i got and said you ride down to camp and get in the truck and go down to where you can call for help. but separated and then hurrying on the terrain was dangerous.