Sunburns and saddle sores

Marcus and Shawn riding the dusty roads
of the New Mexico desert.

PIE TOWN, N.M.—When I think of all the times I’ve wandered off­ the path of normality, I’m reminded that there have been many times that I seemed to have checked my sanity at the door.

A few years ago, good friend and future boss Shawn Webb and I took a trip to the dry and dusty state of New Mexico. I needed a cameraman to video an elk hunt, and Shawn seemed to be the perfect candidate.

I’ve spent the better part of my adult life traveling across the country in pursuit of trophy animals. Many of these trips have taken me off­ the beaten path to areas only the adventurous would dare go.

This trip was different because I hadn’t researched the area before heading out. After an 18-hour drive, Shawn and I found ourselves questioning our compass, among other things. The area didn’t look anything like elk country.

When we arrived at our destination, the look on Shawn’s face said it all. “This is not what I signed up for,” he said.

It was painfully obvious that we had our work cut out for us. We quickly set up camp and hit the dusty trail to scout the area. Several hours later we realized that we had basically driven in a 100-mile loop on our overburdened ATV.

Little did we know that the rest of our trip visiting the Land of Enchantment would find us riding double while covering the same 100 miles each day in search of our prey. The trip ended after seven days of saddle sores and sunburns and the memories of a lifelong friendship.

Shawn relaxing on a custom crafted couch, of sorts.
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