Day 4 - This is a long one and one of the most ridiculous days of my life
After some sleep and being able to eat something. I was ready to get my elephant. We were up at 4:30 and took off 45 minutes to glass the valley where the elephant like to come water and where we thought the elephants from yesterday were headed. We got there before the sun came up in the false dawn and it was truly beautiful. I felt very fortunate to be able to come to such a beautiful spot. Around 6:30 with the sun in the sky we took off to check another watering spot, this is where we left the elephants yesterday and felt confident they might come back there since they weren’t in the valley. A quick check and nothing they hadn’t been back. We took a two track up a dirt road and started looking again where those elephant might have gone. The PH said there was a spring but they would have had to be really moving to get there. Well they were really moving yesterday and thank god we didn’t follow them. They kept on top and we started to cut the track but it was 10:30 by now and we realize we were going to have to really cover some ground. But we knew where they were going and back in the truck to catch up, we got the valley of the villages and people were flagging us down saying the elephant are right here. Before I go any further this is the same valley the PH said we were not going back to, lol, funny how things work out. There are some good thickets with reeds and we were sure they were in there, we had made up significant time and looked like it was going to happen. The whole team was pretty up. Well we got through the reeds and realized they never really stopped to feed. Maybe some people spooked them but they kept moving. Knowing we weren’t too far behind off we went. And we went, and we went. The elephants never did not stop to rest or feed, they almost formed a single line and went up hill after hill after hill. It was so frustrating and I was so sick of hills at this point, I mean I was really starting to hate hills and then into these river valleys where it was thick and everything has stickers to prick you. Going into one of the valleys we heard some voices. We sent the game scouts ahead and within a few minutes we had a group of people surround. Turns out they were “gold miners” which they did have some gold mining equipment like a pan and pick ax but they also had a spear, machete, and an bush ax. After some conversation, and going through their stuff it was determined they hadn’t poached anything and we confiscated some of their stuff. I’m sure they were not hard core poachers but gold mining is illegal and the fact they weren’t arrested, they were extremely thankful.
After that the walk continued. Of course we were headed straight up hill. Finally we get to the top of mountain and you can see clearly for 2 miles, it was 4:15 and we had not even stopped for water in five hours. We could not see the elephants and with no signs of them stopping, we called off the hunt for today, there was a road two miles away and we were going to head to that. What happen next is pretty ridiculous. There was some debate on where the road was if it was left or right, we went left….after a 2 hour and pretty much 6 mile walk we got to a river. The walk to the river was a pain in the ass as well, we went over six hills and I stopped counting. The only cool thing and slightly frustrating thing is that we did catch up with the elephants in the next valley where they did spread out and slow down to feed, in the wide open country, who knows why they picked that place. The time was 6:05 and the sun started to set around 5:45, there was no way we could of made the ½ in time for there to be light to get a decent shot. There were at least 2 tuskless in the group but we really didn’t sit there to look. Also on the walk the PH told me not to drink water as we were low and we needed to conserve water. I took this as a bad sign and that we were no where near the truck. We got to the river it was pretty obvious the road was right but at least we had water. We filled up everything we had. I did not want to drink the water but realized there was not much of choice and my PH assured me it was ok to drink. It was now dark and as we started to formulate a plan another pain point had come up the flashlight the PH had, the batteries were dead. Ok so the bridge should not be too far. All I kept hearing this walk was that the road was not too far, now the river was not too far and now this bridge was not too far. We also realized that the walkie talkies were out of range so even if we did get to the road we were going to need to send the trackers to get within range of the truck. Ok so off we start and the rocks are ridiculous we are jumping rock to rock, climbing on ledges and sometimes crawling on hands and knees with only my phones flashlight app and the game scouts cell phone. As soon as we come around the corner there are people by a fire. We are in the middle of nowhere so this to me was not a good sign but turned out to be a blessing. They were gold mining and of course guys with guns sent half of them running into the mountains, not to mention we had government officials that are suppose to arrest them, however two of them with flashlights said they would show us the path to the bridge and that it wasn’t that far. So off we went. I had not eaten since 9 am and all I had to eat that day was a piece of toast, 2 eggs and potato chips, and just spent yesterday sick as hell, needless to say I was not in the best of shape for rock climbing. We were determined to make it to the truck. So over rocks and through valleys across sand, more rocks, and more rocks, we walked on ledges that were only wide enough for your foot and numerous times had to pulled ourselves up. On more than occasion I thought what am I doing here, this is stupid, I have a great job and wonderful wife, what the hell and I am doing here. I kept telling myself I am living my dream, I want to prove I am tough well come on tough guy, this is what I wanted…an adventure. We kept going and I kept being told it is not much further, just to that hill, well further came and went and so did that hill, apparently I was looking at the wrong hill. Then I started to hear some music and could see some fires. Great that has to be the bridge and we are going to make it. Sure it was about a mile and ½ away but we are going to make it. Through brush and over more rocks. The brush seemed to have every thorn known to man and there were mosquitoes buzzing, fucking great. About 9:30 more then 2 ½ hours after we meant our gold mining guides and only ½ mile from the music and fires my flashlight died on my cell phone. This was met with a resounding shit amongst the group. Ok lets take a break and regroup, I look up and I have to say I saw more stars then I have ever seen in my life. The sky was beautiful, a little more river water and off we go again. No time to appreciate the stars. We get to the fire and music, this isn’t the bridge this is a gold miners camp. DAMN. They are doing an illegal activity so once again guys with guns freaked them out. One guy was asleep in a fire, which scared the shit out of me, but also made me realize the temperature is dropping like crazy, and it was getting cold even though I was sweating. ½ to ¾ of a mile to go, I was told just one more set of rocks and an easy walk on the beach. Except there was at least 5 sets of rocks, nothing but sand and then stupid loose river stone, and this turned out to be more then a mile. After a quick hike up and through some more bush we were getting to the bridge, at this point I did not give a shit if a leopard ate me. Finally, I hear the guys up a head celebrating, we were at the bridge and now to get within walkie talkie range for the truck. The game scouts, Dalton and myself made a fire and it was 12 oclock. What a trip, 5 miles through rocks in the dark, over 20 miles total, and I was exhausted. I feel asleep on the road for a few minutes, about 20 when a car came pass and woke me up. We then sat around talking about all of the good things in the truck, like sodas, and beers and food. Then we said there were so many good things at camp like a shower, and a bed and more food. We got a car to pick up one of the game scouts at about 1:30, the plan was the car would check up to trackers and drive them to truck or walkie talkie range at least. The truck takes off but within 5 minutes we hear voices another truck. Our truck, had come and it had the trackers. They were coming for us. We got in the truck around 2:15. Off to camp!!! The ride to camp was uneventful just pure hauling ass. We got to camp and had some food. And I went to sleep around 3:45. It was one of the most ridiculous days I have ever experienced.
