Guitar legend’s trek to the lake
Garrett was driving a Chevy S10 with a cap over the box and no extra weight on board for added traction. He was probably assuming the roads would be plowed and sanded as they are in his neck of the woods. As it turned out, his ascent up the hill by Perch Lake prematurely came to an end as they spun out executing a perfect 360, landing in a precarious position, ditch side. A seasoned Saskatchewan resident armed with a tow rope pulled Amos back on to the road. At this point, both Dennise and Amos were a little shaken up, so the decision was made to overnight in Paradise Hill. Little did they know they were only 38 miles from the house. Paradise Hill Hotel became home that cold November evening and their fears were tempered with a scotch or two. No wild women in the hotel that night. The following day the trip was completed in the daylight without further incident, allowing enough time to sight in the rifle and get prepared for the hunt. Garrett is not a trophy hunter, he was looking for a large grain fed doe and a small buck to fuel his culinary appetite over the winter. As it turns out Garrett is a pretty good cook and loves working with wild game, be it deer, elk or up land game. The next morning was clear, crisp with no wind at -40 C. I took Garrett to an open air tower with a good view. With the temperature being so cold you knew it would be difficult for anyone to stay out more than a couple of hours at a time. Garrett was no exception, he had a tough time trying to stay warm. He was still a smoker at that time, so why not smoke if a deer smelled that it would know that it was not being hunted, likewise with urinating off the stand any sensible deer would know it was not being hunted. As time progressed a small buck made its way along the wood line. Amos put up the gun clanging it against the metal rails lighting up the forest with a resonating sound loud enough to scare every animal for miles around and as if that wasn’t bad enough, he took aim pulled the trigger only to hear an almost quiet click – no shell in the chamber – then a subsequent clack-clack as he levered a shell into the chamber. Garrett spent the week with us and when he took his leave the S 10 was loaded down with not only his deer, but also several deer donated by other hunters in camp. The return trip was fairly uneventful until they were rear ended by a semi at Elk Island Park, totalling the truck and landing both of them in the hospital for almost a week. The accident was front page news in Edmonton Sun daily newspaper. The first place Garrett headed after his release from the hospital was to the wreckers to retrieve the deer; I guess there were deer legs sticking out every window in the cap. Lucky for him the predators had not found that free meal yet. I am sure Garrett and his Turner Valley friends ate well that winter from what surely was a trip that will never be forgotten. Previous stories may be read at www.loreandmore.com |
