Keeping In Touch with the World

When we took over this trap line in early spring 2007, we also bought their antique SBX-11A radio and a Globalstar Satellite phone. Don Taylor, 40 km north of Watson Lake, Yukon calls out at 7pm each night of trapping season on the SBX-11A and his program is called "On Sched". He gives the weather forecast and will help deliver messages etc. At the end of the program each trapper/remote dweller signs off. This is a tracking system on who is back at their cabin. Don has been doing this service for 30 years... When you are all alone out in the vast mountains it is nice to know you can have someone who will report they have not heard from you in days. Some trappers tell Don when they are going out on line for several days. He will wait for the call-in of that trapper. Don also monitors his radio most days so you can call him and ask him to make a land line call for you.
We found the Globalstar service very poor and now only use it as a message collecting service. We bought an Iridium Satellite Phone (which gets out immediately but cost 2.00 a minute. We take this phone plus the Icom VHF Air Band Transceiver IC-A6 Radio with us whenever we go on trail. (With using the chainsaw so much on trail and because of the high population of Grizzlies and Black Bear and encase of accidents.) A helicopter is the fastest response (40min) because there is someone in their office at all times and they can land hopefully near us. But we have to be prepared to look after ourselves.
In Feb. 2008 we bought a computer and installed a Satellite Internet Dish. This allowed us to hear from friends and family. We love it!!!!
We also have XM Radio by satellite which keeps us up to date on the News by CNN, BBC Radio and CBC.
You can see in the photo our pile of homemade Christmas Cards including envelopes. They will wait in a plastic bag outside our door encase a plane flies in and we are out on trail. Hopefully they will get to the post office before Christmas but if not our friends and family will get them sometime and will understand.