This year hasn't been able to make up it's mind as to whether it wants to be winter or spring. We have had very low snow all year as well as mild temperatures. Finally winter decided to come with temperatures but not snow. We had 2 weeks of average -30 degree temperatures. That was a hard two weeks, snow machines and vehicles wouldn't start, planes wouldn't fly because it was too cold, people (post office) wouldn't go to work. It was pretty miserable. Finally the cold spell let up and warm up it did, we got up to 40 degrees! From -40 to +40, 80 degrees of temperature swing in 3 days! With the warmer weather came the snow. Within 4 days we got about 24 inches of snow! It was wet snow and heavy but at least it was snow! We are now getting colder temps so hopefully the snow will "set up" and become harder so it will nicer to drive snow machines on.
For superbowl Sam and I decided to drive our snowmachines into KOTZ to watch the game with our friends the Martins and their family. Obviously I was rooting for the Seahawks and yes I'm still a fan even after that ending. We had a great time, the game was hard for Sam to stay awake for so I snapped a pic of her sleeping :). It was a short trip we headed down Friday and headed back Sunday after the game.....it was a long ride home. Oh well there is always next year! Before the game we had to drive out to pick up a friends broken snow machine. He was coming in from Noatak when his machines undercarriage broke. So we drove the 33 miles out of town to go pick up his rig. We loaded it in my sled and headed back to the Martins so we could make it for game time.
Sam and I had a very romantic Valentine's Day village style! We had a meal prepared by Sam from OmahaSteaks.com Split Maine lobster tails, chicken pot pies, potatoes Au'grotten and cupcakes. We dined by candle light the we watched a romantic movie.....Star Wars Episode 5 the Empire strikes back. Sam and I thought it was a perfect day.
Trapping has sucked this year there is no other way to describe it. Because of extremely low snow animals haven't been moving around as much searching for food. I have trapped a couple Marten and a few foxes. My trapping buddy Glenn trapped two wolves off a killed moose. One a really big male that we dubbed Hercules. He was a big boy.
Last weekend we went out to the backcountry where we are trapping. While I was trying to make a new trail for my marten line I got into some deep snow and got stuck. It was 33 degrees and raining which made my machine fall right through the deep snow. I dug it out 4 different times to only go about 100 feet each time. Finally Glenn and a a new teacher Aaron saw me and came to help. We ended up digging sbout 50 yards of snow so I could get back to our packed trail. It was hard work digging snow that was thigh to chest deep. Sure was happy I had 2 guys to help! We finally got out and headed home soaking wet and tired with one little Marten.
This last weekend we tried to get to the back country again but we had to cross a creek and Glenn and Aaron got stuck in overflow while trying to cross. Overflow is water that has gotten on top of the ice to form a layer of slush on top of the ice. It can be fairly shallow but this time it was over knee deep in some places. Your machine sinks in the slush usually all the way up to your foot boards or deeper. To battle the overflow we tipped the machines on their sides, filled the hole left by the track with snow, then cut willows and made a bed under the track then packed more snow on top. We finally stomped it down then let is firm up which didn't take long at 20 below. Once our traction/flotation bed was firmed up we rolled the machine back onto it. The idea was to give the machine enough traction to gain enough momentum to "float" on the overflow. Snow machines will act like jetskis in water if they have enough speed and momentum, if you don't believe me YouTube it. Anyways it worked and we got one machine across the creek and out of the overflow. Unfortunately Glenn was almost out of the creek but right on the edge, where the overflow is the worst, he buried the machine again. We repeated the process and we were finally out and safe. Glenns feet got wet so we had to cross the creek again to go home. Luckily I was able to find a safe way across and we crossed without incident. Hopefully as this March wears on trapping will pick up! It better pick up because I have a new skinning gamble to try out!
Life and the school year if flying by. Basketball season is almost over, testing is coming, and field trips and senior trips are looming. It is a busy time of year but it is a good busy. Pretty excited for the next few months including my wedding! Sam and I are very excited! Fish is growing, not as fast as I would like but she is getting bigger. She is about 22 lbs. now so she still has a ways to go, hoping for about 40 lbs. Well that should pretty much update you on my Greater Northern Adventures as always thanks for reading and being interested!
For superbowl Sam and I decided to drive our snowmachines into KOTZ to watch the game with our friends the Martins and their family. Obviously I was rooting for the Seahawks and yes I'm still a fan even after that ending. We had a great time, the game was hard for Sam to stay awake for so I snapped a pic of her sleeping :). It was a short trip we headed down Friday and headed back Sunday after the game.....it was a long ride home. Oh well there is always next year! Before the game we had to drive out to pick up a friends broken snow machine. He was coming in from Noatak when his machines undercarriage broke. So we drove the 33 miles out of town to go pick up his rig. We loaded it in my sled and headed back to the Martins so we could make it for game time.
Sam and I had a very romantic Valentine's Day village style! We had a meal prepared by Sam from OmahaSteaks.com Split Maine lobster tails, chicken pot pies, potatoes Au'grotten and cupcakes. We dined by candle light the we watched a romantic movie.....Star Wars Episode 5 the Empire strikes back. Sam and I thought it was a perfect day.
Trapping has sucked this year there is no other way to describe it. Because of extremely low snow animals haven't been moving around as much searching for food. I have trapped a couple Marten and a few foxes. My trapping buddy Glenn trapped two wolves off a killed moose. One a really big male that we dubbed Hercules. He was a big boy.
Last weekend we went out to the backcountry where we are trapping. While I was trying to make a new trail for my marten line I got into some deep snow and got stuck. It was 33 degrees and raining which made my machine fall right through the deep snow. I dug it out 4 different times to only go about 100 feet each time. Finally Glenn and a a new teacher Aaron saw me and came to help. We ended up digging sbout 50 yards of snow so I could get back to our packed trail. It was hard work digging snow that was thigh to chest deep. Sure was happy I had 2 guys to help! We finally got out and headed home soaking wet and tired with one little Marten.
This last weekend we tried to get to the back country again but we had to cross a creek and Glenn and Aaron got stuck in overflow while trying to cross. Overflow is water that has gotten on top of the ice to form a layer of slush on top of the ice. It can be fairly shallow but this time it was over knee deep in some places. Your machine sinks in the slush usually all the way up to your foot boards or deeper. To battle the overflow we tipped the machines on their sides, filled the hole left by the track with snow, then cut willows and made a bed under the track then packed more snow on top. We finally stomped it down then let is firm up which didn't take long at 20 below. Once our traction/flotation bed was firmed up we rolled the machine back onto it. The idea was to give the machine enough traction to gain enough momentum to "float" on the overflow. Snow machines will act like jetskis in water if they have enough speed and momentum, if you don't believe me YouTube it. Anyways it worked and we got one machine across the creek and out of the overflow. Unfortunately Glenn was almost out of the creek but right on the edge, where the overflow is the worst, he buried the machine again. We repeated the process and we were finally out and safe. Glenns feet got wet so we had to cross the creek again to go home. Luckily I was able to find a safe way across and we crossed without incident. Hopefully as this March wears on trapping will pick up! It better pick up because I have a new skinning gamble to try out!
Life and the school year if flying by. Basketball season is almost over, testing is coming, and field trips and senior trips are looming. It is a busy time of year but it is a good busy. Pretty excited for the next few months including my wedding! Sam and I are very excited! Fish is growing, not as fast as I would like but she is getting bigger. She is about 22 lbs. now so she still has a ways to go, hoping for about 40 lbs. Well that should pretty much update you on my Greater Northern Adventures as always thanks for reading and being interested!
