Well it seems we are back to a regular winter , we have been getting lots of snow and cold weather this year. We have used more firewood up to this point this year than we had all of last year.
The snow and slush on the lakes have made it a real chore trying to finish up my trapping. It started 2 weeks ago when I was going down the road with the snowmobile in the back of the truck, looked in the rear veiw mirror and there was no snowmobile there. The rope holding it in broke and I found my machine sitting in the middle of the road when I went back to look for it. Little damage done I got out of it with only a broken windshield, good thing I was still on the Esher Rd and not the highway yet.
Things only got worse from there while I was back in the bush trying to check my traps I got stuck in the slush on the lake, managed to get out 4 times only to bury it again. I know I did not have the energy to try and get it out again and still have the energy to walk out the 5 km, so I left it there burried up to the seat in slush and walked out.
We had a cold night that night about 30 below so Chad did ma a favor and walked back into it the next day and spent an hour and a half chopping it out of the ice. He got it out and running only to go about 50 yards and have the track come off, so he had the 5 km walk in and again out, but at least the machine was not stuck any more just broke down.The machine sat there for 4 more days until we had time ot go back for it, of course another 5 km walk in. We put the track back on it and got it back out with only getting stuck 3 more times, and I still hadn't looked at my traps which was the whole point of this exersize.
Wish I could say it got better but not yet. the following week a freind of mine went in with Chad and I to try to get the traps out, he had a bigger snowmobile and the thought was more machines more people more help..... Wrong! We made it in about 1 km to the first beaver pond and Tom burried his big heavy machine and not to be outdone I burried my smaller lighter one in the slush as well. With 3 people we managed to man handle mine out, but working in 2 ft of snow with 1 ft of water underneath is no picinic, let alone how heavy it makes the machines. Then we went to work on the bigger machine and soon realised that we were not going to man handle that one. I knew of another trapper in the area and new he had just the tool we needed to get it out.. went back out and luckily found him and borrowed a come- a -long from him. After several hours work we got the second machine out, got on some solid ground and got to #@#$@ out of there. Of course when we got almost to the truck we met the trapper that was coming in to see if he could help and his snowmobile was burried up to it's ass in snow, thankfully he was close to the road and we could pull him out with the truck. Week and 1/2 and I still have'nt gotten to the traps.
Trapping season ends in a few days so I need to get to the traps. I give it a couple of days to rest up from the previous trys, I have had enough of being stuck in the slush, don't know if my back will take it again. I decide to just go in on snowshoes to pull the traps, this is a 16 km round trip thru deep snow and slush. I headed out about 7 am and started my treck, I can honestly say it was the hardest walk of my life. (16 km equals about 24000 steps in snowshoes)Of course each trap I pulled made my back pack heavyer and for the first time as I was approaching a trap I was hoping it was empty because I did not want the extra weight. Somewhere in the middle of the lake I took a step and went right thru the ice with one snowshoed foot, thankfully the other one stayed up and I didn't end up in the drink, I still had about 7 km out at that point, and I didn't need to be wet. The only other incedent on the way out was when I sat down on a big rock for a break and slid off it backward into the snow with the snowshoes and heavy back pack still on, I'm sure I looked like a turtle stuck on its back, took me 10- 15 minutes to get myself out of that and back on my feet. I made it off the lake and back to the main trail, just couldn't take the weight of the backpack of traps any more, I was totally exhausted at this point and still had 3 km to the truck. The backpack and traps stayed there, I got them all pulled but still have one more trip in to carry them out, but it is all good hard packed trail to get them this time. Other than leg cramps and totally exhausted last night I am no worse for wear. Do I ever want to do it again, NEVER! I tested my endurence and won this time, might not the next!
Of course my sister and nephew are coming on the weekend to do some ice fishing so we may be out playing in the slush again.
.
Think Spring
Lewis
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Full of Snow
Snowed in
Real Winter Again
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
