Taking Down the Bucket Line

We took it easy this morning.  Talked to other trappers on the SBX radio.  No hurry today.  Left at 1 pm in the sun.  The Bucket trap line is small ... only 12 km.  We have to zig zag across the lake because of the warm water sepage in the narrow.   We are headed to that point on the right side of the picture.  We'll be back at base camp by 3 pm.

The Point

 There is a string of small ponds that the trail connect.  This is Circle Lake, then there's Duck, then Peanut.  Named after what they look like on the map.

One of the Peanuts

All the small traps are fashened by good metal dogtags.  Makes end of season easy.

Bryan used to use his hands for unloading but he has smartened up a little.  This new traps are meant to hold everything.

Also if you unload the trap with the trap pliers they are ready to black without doing anything at base camp.

Only 7 Marten boxes, 1 Wolverine box and 2 weasel boxes on this line.  We bring them all in to camp because if not the bears mess with them.

Thanks Paul for the info on the Nuun.... it's been added to our shopping list
Also Gregg..... Bryan says he's going to start drinking more water.
Hello Stef..... Yes both the Ruffed and Spruce Grouse do the snow burling.

Wind Chill and Whirl Winds.....Yuk

 Grouse fly into the snow and settle out of the storm.  The top patch is where they come out of the snow.  There were two Grouse, one on each side of the trail.  Sometimes they stay under the snow too long and the top will crust over and they have a hard time of getting out.
 The day started out sunny and -21 cel.  We had heard other trappers on the SBX radio talking about terrible wind storms and side ways snow but we thought we had been missed.  Out we went to start taking down the Marten , Wolverine traps.  Picked up a few and another weasel.  Stopped at the Walkers Line cabin to start a fire and had a coffee, then went down towards Snake Lake and pushed the trail alittle

 further.  Saw tracks of a big pack of wolves that must have come thru last week.  You can see by the hillside the old fire. 

The First Pussy Willows!!!!

 Pocket Lake is just to the right of the hill in front of us.  About 1/2 km away.

On the way back at 5pm the storm hit us.  Wind Chill big time and big whirl winds of snowy ice.  Crossing the Snake Swam froze Vikki's cheeks and she stopped to get better covered.  By the time she got her snowshoes off she couldn't fasten then in the back of her skidoo.....  Bryan took over while Vikki tried to get her hands warm around the muffler of the 800 Scandic Super wide track.  One of her mitts got alittle burnt.  Bryan was going to start a fire but we got warm enough to travel and made it to the line cabin.  Spent half an hour there warming up and then fled to base camp.  When we arrived there there were shovels, boxes etc all over the ground.  Terrible winds here.  All night long it roared and roared.  Luckily all the big trees that used to hang over the cabin are down now.  Today we are heading out to take down the Bucket Trail.
Notes...... Art.... if you need a cat .... do yourself a favour and get a Japanese Bobtail   That is what Bee is and she talks to us and is totally people oriented.
Scott.  I believe you have to live in BC for 6 months before you can get a Trapper s License after taking the BC Trappers Course (3 day) You should also subscribe to the BC Trapper Mag.  Trap Lines show up there.  You can also contact the regional Representatives..... they are listed at the back of the BC Trapper Mag.  You don't own the land, you have the right to trap the Line you buy.  The price you pay depends on the cabin, equipment and line cabins.  I will email you about what we are looking for as far as radio goes.

A Note to Nasa.... if there were marten on the Moon, Trappers would have been there first!

This is on trail coming up from Inklin River.... note Knob Hill on right of photo

Closer to Knob Hill

Otter tracks show it popped out of the creek through the snow

Otter traveled over to our Box put wouldn't have anything to do with it. Squirrels had eaten all the bait.

Knob Hill.  In the summer Mountain Goats like it here.

Back to the Lake.  On right hand shore is a big Lodge.  This year there hasn't been the snow so owners didn't need to come in over the winter to shovel off the roof.  No one used the Lodge at all last year.  It's the mices now.  It used to be called Rainbow Lodge when the guideoutfitter built it, but it has been sold for four years now.

 I know what you mean about skis George and for travel over most terrain, including these snowed under alder patches, they would work better than the snowshoes that we use, as they are work snowshoes.  We use logging type aluminum and nylon webbed Lynx paws, not traveling tail dragging type.   In order to use a snow shovel and chainsaw you have to be able to back up, turn around and such.  Using a shovel or saw on skis or tail draggers is impossible.  In order to run this trapline we absolutely must use skidoos.  The new killer traps, that are mandatory by regulation, are heavy and cumbersom, and if you catch a frozen wolf or wolverine 20 miles from home??????

Stayed Home because we might have a visitor! (an email let us know he might drop by)

15 -20 Mountain Goats.....look right along ridge.  They had been on cliffs below two hours before

Brian and Pal in his little Super cub

After letting the Super-cub warm up for awhile....then  full throttle and a U TURN and there he went off on the air strip in the opposite direction

This is Brian first visit this winter.  He is off to his trapline 25 km south east of us..

Our mail pouch and fresh veggies.... and a good friend.... ALL WORTH TAKING THE TIME TO STAY HOME.  Bryan also cut some more firewood and brought it up on the porch.  Vikki didn't help.  She was baking bread and cookies.

Bryan's Trip..... Part two

Wed.  Feb 23.   A repeat of Tues.  Pushed the trail another 2 km to the Snake Swamp Trap Stash. Being that there is less snow this year, alder & willow meadows that were normally as flat as a kids play ground now had half the alder/willow under the snow and the other half standing tall and straight up.... 3" on the butt and 12' tall.  It makes it extremely hard traveling .... every snow shoe step lets you break thru the suspended snow and you fall thru....4 feet at least.  Lots of times I fell through up to my arm pits with a chainsaw in my hand and a shovel in the other.  Unless you've been there, it is impossible to describe.                                     Now the fuel gauge is bouncing between a quarter and empty.  I made another Marten set and dug the watch out of my pant pocket.  It was 5 o'clock ..... time to go home.  I had 2 1/2 liters of chainsaw gas and I dumped it in the skidoo.  Needless to say the gauge never moved.  The temperature was -20 cel something with gusting winds and blowing snow.  That compiled with the gas worry made an unpleasant but uneventful trip home.  I stopped in the line cabin to pick up supply box and warm up by the stove.  I didn't dare sit down or get comfortable.  It is still an hour to base camp.... stormed in at 7:18..   And smiled to see that Vikki and Hannah were A OK.  It is hard not to have that nagging worry that something has happened....
Needless to say..... a 5 gallon bucket of gas is heading up to the line cabin next trip!!!!!!!!
Note.   Last year on this date we were 1 km past Pocket Lake.

Back Safely but real tired

 Vikki had started supper at 3.  made a Bread Pudding that cooked on the wood stove.  (Made from old bread, raisins, eggs, milk, vanilla and brandy flavour) 
She also started cutting up potatoes, frying them and put them on the wood stove in a big Turkey oven.  Made up some brown gravy and put cheese on top to melt.   It's called Poutine Fries and they are the best.  Moose patties are also made up and ready.
You don't leave cooking to the last here.  Who knows if she will have to skidoo out to find Bryan.

BUT AT 7:18 PM THE SKIDOO CAME BLASTING DOWN THE LAKE.   VIKKI WAS GOING TO GET READY TO GO UP AT 8 PM.

7:18 pm Wed nite

Tired but still smiling.

BRYAN'S TRIP
Monday Feb 21.  Left Base Camp at 4 pm, picked up a Marten and a squirrel.  After 10 min. at line cabin to start the stove and stow the supplies..... I still had some daylight left so off I went ..... picked up another Marten and broke another 1 km of trail past Canyon creek Pass.  At dark I headed back.  The warm cabin was really welcome.  I'm a pretty good cook but when it comes to that.... I'm lazy.  Frying the pork chop and opening the Beans is as fancy as it gets.  Vikki had put in 2 Beer which made me smile.  In bed at 9.
2nd Day.
Got up early, made a small lunch and filled my Thermos.  Managed to push the trail another 4 km.  Lots of Marten sign and put out a few more sets.  I think as you get older you forget more in a day than you learn.  I hadn't brought extra fuel for the skidoo and with breaking trail in deep powder and running back and forth to the cabin every night I lived with nagging feeling of running out as I watched the gauge drop below half.  Spam and Beans again.  In bed by 8:30  Woke up 3 times with leg cramps from all the snowshoeing.
MORE  this evening ..... We are both off right now to check the Inklin Trail for wolves, foxes etc....just wanted to let you know Bryan was back and okay

A Wolf Howl wakes you up real Quick!!!!!!

I'd snuggled back into the blankets at 7 am after putting more wood in the stove and was peacefully dreaming when I suddenly woke up. I could still hear the noise in my head.  I went outside and in a few minutes there it came again.  It is not very often you hear them.  Usually it is after daybreak or evening. But this is the first I've heard since last year.  This was just a lone wolf howling.  Bryan thought he'd heard one last week.
On the SBX Radio " On Shed" yesterday Herb from Scoop Lake was telling Don he would be camped out by the horses (seven miles from his cabin) for the next two nights.  Some were ready to foal.  He said there was a pack of 30 wolves giving him trouble.  Last week it was -44 cel there.  Last night was probably -30 cel there and here Herb is bunked out in it...... keeping the wolves away. 

In the middle of the night I knew Bee had found something interesting because of all the noise.  This morning she proudly showed me her catch.  A little screw.  They are bitter to eat.
Today more skull cleaning.......and later I will start to make up french fries with gravies and cheese on top....   Bryan's favourite.  He should be back early evening.

"Don't let the Fire Go Out"

 And then with a half smile he was gone.  Hannah is taking it real hard. She just knows he should be back at dark.  At 8 pm I settled down with a whishy and put in an old Tape produced by George H. Brown Production called THE TRAP starring Oliver Reed, Rita Tushingham and Rex Sevenoaks.  It's set in British Columbia and is about a Trapper in the 1850's.  I just found a copy of it on Amazon.ca and paid 40.00 for it.  There was a DVD made but it is all sold out.  This is my favorite movie since I was in my twenties and have watched it well over 10 times..  I had a copy but it was loaned to someone who still has it.  Do yourself a big favor and try to rent it, or buy it.  It is damn good. 

Hannah at 10:30 pm...... still really upset.

Hannah at 11:30 pm.... Had to drag her into the cabin.

 Because there is a ladder up to the enclosed sleeping loft, I got the camping foamy and our bedding and put it on the cabin floor.  And I surprised myself by locking the door.  Even though it is impossible to walk, or skidoo to this lake from any place where bad guys would be.  The only way in is by plane.
I went to sleep easily thinking of Lingonberries and Sea-Buckthorn..... Thanks Art  Also there are no Raccoons or deer here.  There are a few Porcupines.  I belong to Seeds of Diversity Canada which is very similar to seedsavers.  People Protecting the People's Seeds. 

Early the next morning I checked the chickens and relit their stove.  They kept on telling me..... "Where is Bryan???? he does this, he feeds us... "  They really like Bryan more than me. 

Bryan is probably looking out the linecabin widow.... thinking the same time.     Big Center Mountain has come between us.  Bryan would have left at first light to push Walkers Trail further.  He would work til dark and then in the dark head to the linecabin exhausted.