Scandic 800 SWT High Centered... New Years Eve

-4 C Snowed 2" last night.
In our check-in on the SBX-11a this morning, Bryan told Vikki at dusk last night he had to abandon the Scandic and he snowshoed the last 300 feet to Windy Pond Line Cabin.  Mice had got in over the summer and it was a mess.  
He said he had pushed the trail 1 1/2 km from Snake Swamp.  The steep trail down into Windy Pond (150') he packed and shoveled without his snow shoes on.  It was light fluffy powder.  He is hoping it will set up and he can get back up that hill tomorrow.  He'd rode down the hill on "Miss Piggy" and got stuck on something.  He was hi centered... couldn't go forward or backwards.   He thinks it is probably a 3" stump or something.  Vikki said she was concerned about that heavy skidoo falling over on him if he shoveled out one side.  He said he wasn't going to do that... he would feel with his hand to find what was the problem and cut it out with his chainsaw.
We made a call schedule at 2, 3, 4 and 7 pm.  One of those times Vikki will find out that all is okay again.  Bryan is 24 km away.  
Once he gets unstuck he will put out some traps.  Looks like we will be apart for New Year's Eve.   But Vikki got out her oil paints yesterday and now she doesn't need to clean up the kitchen table until tomorrow.  So it will work out.  

New Generator Cart Bottom and Wheels

 Last week Bryan cut up an old board and put new wheels on the Generator cart. 

The holes needed to be enlarged and so he punched them out.  Drilling would have weakened the metal.

Talking a Walk with a 45 .70

- 12 C.   Now Bryan thinks Vikki is being silly but she does it anyway.  We've seem tracks of Grizzly out at this time of the year and there are Wolves all over the place.  Also it is like lifting a dumbbell.  Good exercise.  
We've had little new snow and it is settling.  The prickly Devil's Club are sticking out.

Mountain Goats and Muskrat Pushups

 This is the first winter in 6 years that Mountain Goats are wintering right behind our base cabin.  To the far top right you can see the heavily snow worked area...   That is the first thing we saw and then we started to look for the Goats.  Come down the picture to the tall single tree at bottom left of center.  They are right behind it.  We saw three but there might be more.

In the above picture there are six Mushrat pushups.  They find warm air holes and make pack them with lake weeds.  If you go in the top and put your hand down there is a big room down there for eating above the water line.

Taking Water Pump Apart, Water, Bunny Boots

Bryan tackled the leaky water pump.  He figures he has enough parts.  While doing that he also wants to clean out the well.  Monday is suppose to warm up so that will be the day.  Til then he collected ice and went and filled up all the water containers.  He is off tomorrow to check Walkers Valley line with Ishi.  He'll push the trail further and put out more boxes and be back Dec 31 in the morning.

 It's a Japanese log chisel wired onto a sturdy stick for opening a ice hole and the sieve is to get the slush out of the hole.

 Bunny Boots

These are warm, warm boots made in Canada.  There is a big layer of air around the foot and lots of insulation underneath.  We have had them for 4 years and have never used them much.  For trail building we never could keep the snow from going into the top.  Bryan is going to try duct tape tomorrow. 

Santa came by Heli....Christmas Day on the Trapline

 Now it's pretty nice when some friends drop out for a chat and bring your mail and Christmas Parcels. 

Bryan's daughter Kim made these for us a few years ago.

Four months mail adds up.

For brunch we had Eggs Benedict with Hollandais Sauce and for supper Dressing, Peas, Chicken and Gravy

 HOPE YOU ALL HAD AS WONDERFUL A CHRISTMAS AS WE DID.  

Christmas Eve.... Checking the trapline

 -27 C.  At 12:30 we both got ready and off we went to check Walkers Valley Line. 

 This year there are lots of Grouse.  This one was scared up out of the snow where it had been sleeping in it's warm hole.  They dive down into fields of deep snow.... then walk in further away from the hole.  There was three in this bunch.

It's about 2 pm and the sun is just skimming the hills but we sat and had a coffee for 20 minutes soaking it up.

 Lots of Marten sign.

Warming the hands.  Our feet got a little cold.  We are going to try out the Bunny Boots we have.