SHED HUNTING IN THE CACHE WITH STEVE SORENSEN

A man who spends most days deep in the Utah wilderness is not easy to track down. Several weeks ago, we got the call we'd waiting for, “I’ll be heading into the mountains next week on my mules to look for sheds. If you can make it – great. If not, no problem.” Steve Sorensen, the expert backcountry-man who, when he’s not deep in the mountains, spends his days advocating for the Utah wildlife. At his call, we made a mad dash – gathering the necessary supplies, firearms, and suppressors – to prepare for whatever adventure may lay in store for us.

Our party - four mules, three men, and a dog - watched the sun set over the Cache National Forest after the first day. It had been a typical spring day in northern Utah having encountered sun, snow, and rain throughout the trek. Day one finished with Bison steaks cooked over hot coals – highly recommended – and a night spent in a horse trailer – highly not recommended.

The team of mules faced both flat and extreme terrain with the same unexpected grace and confidence, as though, to them, there was no difference between the two. They carried us deep into the Cache, towards Steve’s more secret shed hunting spots, the locations of which he made us swear to secrecy. This was all too familiar territory for Steve, having explored and hunted in these very mountains since his youth.

Storm clouds swelled and receded overhead, threatening us intermittently over the two days and nearly forty miles we spent crossing high-desert, alpine valleys, and wind-swept ridges. It was a remarkable experience to watch Steve work and tour the Cache on mule-back with him as our guide. We write this awaiting yet another call from him, that could come at any minute, to announce our next great adventure. Stay tuned.

For more information, find and follow Steve Sorensen on Instagram @antlerbuyer1976 or on Facebook @SteveSorensenAntlerBuying.