Getting to the top

[BobJohansen]

Just got back from some time in the backcountry. After tagging out on antelope we went up to look around for future potential big game hunts. We left the trailhead and hiked to a mountain lake at 8700ft. From camp we were at the bottom of drainage that led to the highcountry at 10k+. We climbed to the top trying to follow the creek bed in the drainage as best we could but sometimes had to move into the timber because of the terrain. I'm wondering what you may have found the best way to get to the top without much of an established trail? We followed game/cattle trails as best we could and made it but wondering if there was any other things I should look for.

 

[25contender]

A little tip I have learned is that there are always good trails that lead to the top. There is always that upper trail that runs under the upper most rockslides that animals love to follow. Hence there are always trails leading to it. If you learn the area you will find the right trails to get up there. My favorite places to hunt are those high trails that run right below the highest slides. The days of me steaming it straight up the mountains are over and I hunt a little smarter now. You probably learned most drainage bottoms have deadfalls and are steeper than the timber. I seldom go up a drainage.