May 2010 be a Good Year to you all.

This evening we'll drink a few beer and a couple of glasses of home made wine. I have a special package of Pork Chops that I have been saving... a change from Moose meat and Salmon and canned chicken. After dark we can get Vancouver 11:30 am radio on our eton S350DL Radio ( Band Width, AM/SW Band) without using MX Satelite Radio.... we might turn on old timer channel on MX or maybe CNN.... probably wont make it til midnight....but we'll have a good time. Here's wishing you all the same.. See you in the new year our invisible friends

Overflow

This horrible situation is created here almost everytime we get a big bump of snow. In these pics there is a good 2" of water ontop of 14" of clear black ice (snowed 10" of fresh snow the day before). This is the first overflow of the season and we got caught unsuspecting it was there. We usually travel right along the shore..... which we are now doing again. Bryan was driving the Scandic 800 super wide track. All we had to do was compact the snow in front of his skidoo and unhitch the tobaccan he was pulling and with Bryan and me pushing out she drove. She is wonderful getting out of overflow... But Bryan's been stuck with the 550 Tundra long track... the only way out is to tilt her on her side and clean out the track... and shovel snow under her and stomp it down til it freezes.... while waiting for that.... stomp down a route out of overflow for her and let it freeze ,after shovelling more snow and stomping that down...then tilt her back up on the frozen compacted snow and go like heck.... away from the overflow. Now my little Tundra 300 is usually following a hundred feet back and Bryan can wave me away from trouble.

Santa did come!!!!

Guy and Elsie Anttila, the GuideOutfitter Bryan sometimes quides for arrived Christmas Day....in their little Super Cub... It was loaded with our mail , presents, fresh fruits and vegitables (also a new 365 Huski.....the other needs a new electronic switch) Elsie had also brought in some baking and the Beaver Bush plane pilots wife Sue had sent in a Christmas Cake she had made for us. They were only able to stay for an hour and a half visit..... BUT IT WAS GREAT. They had to leave with enough daylight so that if the visibility got too bad they could return here before dark. In their little plane they also had sleeping bag and a small tent encase of having to land because they could not see to go ahead or return. The 0ne hour flight to Atlin can be really terrible ....this is high coastal mountain range. They emailed us they had returned home safely. It all made it a special day for us all.

To You....Who share our Adventure...

A Special Wish..... we wish you the strenght to reach your goals. To Steve, To Ken, To Brian, To Art, To Jozien, To Evan, To Mearandering Michael,To Vic & Betty, To Gord, To Kara and Matt, To Gregg, To Teepe, To Sara, To Margaret, To Trudie, To Carole, To Nebraska, To N. Wisconsin, To Dyannna in Romania, To Mnjill, and to you out there looking in. "May your inner strenght prevail"

Nobody said it would be easy.

WE FINALLY MADE IT THERE!!!!!!!Pictures taken at 3:30 pm Sat. Dec 19. This is after 100 days of hard work over the last year and a drop of 1,000 feet in elevation in 6 1/2 km and thousands and thousands of chainsaw cuts and Lots of sore backs.

Main River (picture below) is on far shore infront of tree line....100' wide running river.Picture on right is of side channel which is just about frozen over.

This poem was written by Bryan at 8:30 Saturday morning Dec 19 With a little more work and a little less play

We'll get our asses to the River today.

Cut that brush and shovelling that snow

there's only a hundred metres to go.

We can take pictures and sit on the beach,

I know it's well within our reach.

Somepeople said it couldn't be done.

It's been quite a battle but I think we won.

Now don't get all excited and wage your tail.

This is only a hallmark ....not the end of the trail

(The 40 mile Circle)

Saturday night we had a few home made beer and home made wine to celebrate....we are so happy....and exhausted... We haven't been out on trail since... staying at home, cutting fire wood, baking bread and cleaning up the cabin. Just recouperating our energy level....which had been put to the test.

Found our Christmas Tree

It was the top of a tree in the middle of the trail route. It's wired onto the back of the little Tundra 300.

QuikClot.....Stops Bleeding Fast

I asked a Pharmasist in Whitehorse, "What can we use on a really bad chainsaw cut. We are 100 km from the nearest nurse station" He recommended this product and we were able to get it thru Cabelas, in the US. We have one in our lunch kit and i carry one in my jacket pocket at all times. (And I am ordering 2 more). Our doctor said if you have to use it don't take it off. This is what they use in the war zones. But be very sure you need to use it because it kills all the flesh around the wound. This is to help stop massive bleeding along with a tornique. And then get yourself somewhere where a helicoptor can land. In our lunch kit is also the satelite phone and the I Spot... which at a push of a button shows where we are located and calls for emergency help. This is to be used in only extremely bad situations. We also have big time pain killers and lots of bandages etc. Besides the lunch kit there is also a water proof sac with more first aid stuff and dry socks, extra warm gloves, and 15 Xlarge Xtra Tough garbage bags.... encase we need to spend the night out in the bush. We also carry a small jug of diesel for emergency fire starter.
Each day we go out ....if we are making trail we make a fire first thing when we get there. We also turn the skidoos heading home ....encase we need to get home fast. We also have a skimmer (tobagan) that can be used as a way home if you can't drive.

4:30 to 6:30 PM

After a hard day of trail making and checking the trapline....and after getting all the cold weather cloths off. I make popcorn and bryan turns on the MX Radi0...usually Old Time Channel... Gunsmoke, Have Gun will Travel, Dragnet or Fibber Magee and Mauley. Sometimes we listen to BBC... they have good world coverage. there is no good Canadian news coverage, just a 5 min repeat, and CNN is full of American Gossip

The Generator is sitting before the wood stove to warm up and will be started so that I can make supper and Bryan skin furs and I check email and do the blog. This is also the time when the storage below the cabin is heated by an electric fan in a 6" pipe beside the wood stove. Keeps the storage from freezing. We also are in the process of ordering parts/ice cream/cabbages/ because Chris for Atlin Air should be coming in before New Years. Picture is dark because only one candle, but I wanted you to see what we see. Generator is only on from 6:30 to 9:30pm then it is the coleman lamp til bedtime.

I Know It's Hard Not To Wonder!

I know it's hard not to wonder when you don't see us blogging.....it must have been some sort of satellite problem (not at our end), but remember we have a I SPOT, an Irridium Satellite phone, a Globalstar Satellite phone and a phone to call airlines...... we have been out here 3 years and are used to looking after ourselves... we are aware at all times that it is just the two of us for a 100 kms and we depend on each other greatly to remain safe.

The route up around the knob was a no go and so we backtracked and Bryan went for a day long walk and found a route around the other side of the knob. We had to made snow bridges to cross the creek and back again and are now ONLY 1/2 km from the Inklin. Bryan saw it and said it reminded him of the Yukon River. Big backups of ice 10' high and dirty. But he said we can made it. It's -20 today and we are exhausted....so stayed home. Bryan moved the greenhouse barrel stove into his shop today....the little wall tent stove was not keeping the chickens warm enough....this morning they were twice their size and gave low "I'm So Cold" chirps.

Satellite problems

Big Trees

Now this is a big tree....but if you want to see Scotlands Big Trees check out our blog follower friend Brian's new blog "BlogsfromtheLogs.blogspot.com"
He is a foreman sawyer at at Bandmill in Scotland and he shows his mill and big trees.

2nd Drop....a 35 % hill

We will make a trail around the basin next summer instead of down the ridge.

Bryan walked for 2 hours and came back and said those last 2 days trail ...no good. Where we were headed was for a BIG drop....he walked around the knob and found a route.... we took our skidoos back down the trail for 100metres and are headed down towards the creek.

Steve.....we did our time also. you are headed in the right direction...take your time and it will happen.

-20...my eyeball is freezing

-20 cel at daybreak...we waited and headed out across the lake an hour later....my eyeball is freezing.... once we got off the lake it was okay.. spent the day adding another 100 metres to the Inklin trail.. at lunch by the fire...a can of chili exploded...Bryan had red hair, face and beard. His glasses were covered.... that goodness for his glasses... I said"maybe a photo for the Blog" He said NO!!!!! We were rewarded by a beautiful view on the lake at dusk.
This cotton wood is 6 feet at the base ...the spruce beside it is 2 feet wide.

Ravens, Wolf and dreams of Wind Power

The Ravens follow the Wolves in winter. We haven't seen a raven for 2 months and today they are back along with a Lone wolf track on the shore across from our cabin on the narrows.
Dreams of Wind Power....coming true...soon we hope
Vikki....A while back I had a cabin down in southern BC run all by solar. I was 8 km from the power line. There were two panels and I had a small microwave oven, a tv, lights and hot and cold running water by solar. My cook stove was propane and I kept my propane fridge outside. I had a wood stove for heat.
In the summer out here we hardly run the generator because there is so much light. We just need the gen to check on email and have a hot shower. We use a solar electric fence to keep the Grizzly , Black Bear and Wolves away. We have small solar panels to charge our MX Radio battery. We have small solar panels for lights at important places....but in the winter....which is long here Solar does not do the job. We use the generator/gas lamp/candles in the winter. We have Wind in the winter...We are on the narrows of the lake and we have wind.
We just about ordered a small wind Turbine last year but at the last minute found out it was made in China. Things cost us so much to fly out here... .80 cents a pound, that we need something we can depend on. Been looking hard on the internet. Maybe 2010 will be the summer we finally do it.

Jack of all trades

If you want to be out here alone....that is what you must be.
My 07 Sthil MS441 had a dirty diaphram...fine dirt coming from the diaphram breather hole . Over my life as a logger I have owned over 100 chainsaws and always have done my own repairs. My first brand new chainsaw was when I was 15 ... over 43 year ago. I use a chainsaw 250 days of the years.
This was the most difficult one to work on. Over engineered.... but when it works it really works. Compared to the Husqvarna there is way less maintance but when it finally gets dirty and you have to clean it up....it's way more work.
Once you take the 4 cap screws holding the filter apparatus off and the troutle cable off.... simply pry the garburetor off with brute force and remove and clean.
I finally took this approach after spending 4 hours on this saw. I have 4 chainsaws out here (one especially for the Alaskan Mill) and have just ordered another. Out here if you don't have a chainsaw in good working condition you can't get firewood....can't go ice fishing....can't use the skidoo trails (fallen trees) ...can't build new trail.... Bryan

De Havilland Beaver Bush Workhorse

This is the Bush Plane that gets us in here safely, and the best pilot Chris.
Interesting facts.
One of Canadian aviation industry's crown jewels, the single-engined Beaver, which first flew in 1947 and last rolled off de Havilland Canada's Downsview, Ontario assembly line in 1968, remains a hinterland workhorse.
It's referred to as the DC-3 of the bush-flying world.
This is a small, all-metal aircraft with a powerful engine that can fly in and out of rough, tiny airstrips and small lakes equally well using floats, wheels or skis.
1,600 Beavers were built. More than half were sold to the US Army... they liked to have trucks with wings.
Most Beavers were built using war-surplus Pratt and Whitney radial piston engines producing about 450 horsepower.
600 Beavers are still flying worldwide. 418 registered in Canada (1/3 in BC)
An average Beaver costs 400,000 to 500,000 CDN .
They're also prized by aircraft collectors...like Hollywood star Harrison Ford.