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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Trapline Cabins should be called Safety Cabins

Instead of being called a Line Cabin it should rightfully be called a Safety Cabin.  Our main trapping trail is a 90 km circle which heads off the lake here goes way up onto a highland heads south into the headwaters of the Sutlahine then comes back through the valley to the Inklin river and then back up to the lake.
Even though the Inklin is only 7 miles as the eagle flies and a 1000 meter climb in elevation it is wild and rugged terrain requiring a 1400 meter climb up and down to bypass a deep ravine.  On the Inklin there is no were to even land a helicopter within 1 km of the trail.  The river is deep and fast and no jet boat can land safely anywhere near the area.
We have been given BC Government approval for a Line Cabin down near the Inklin and are now in the second stage of consultation with the Taku River Tlingit First Nations.  We have had one meeting so far and were told it would probably require a few safety suggestions.... example storing fuel etc.  We are good friends with the Tlingit and have great respect for them.  We also are their early warning system for too much snow accumulation of their lodge roof.
This safety cabin will be about 9 x 12' and contain a small wood stove, an axe, lighter, dry wood, a SBX short wave radio and a sleeping bag.
We do not store fuel or food at safety cabins because it draws bears.
We can get a foot of snow in an hour here.  Sometimes a normal trip of 45 minutes to cover 10 km can turn into a 6 1/2 hour ordeal.
Large working traplines can have up to 10 Line Safety Cabins.  The line cabins add value to the trapline by providing peace of mind.  You can always hunker down and wait out the storm or if badly injured you can call, stay put and wait for help.  It can mean life or death to a human.
Approved Line Cabins are given a brass tag to nail over the doorway.  It is illegal to tamper with this cabin.  

4 comments:

  1. I don't imagine that you'd have much trouble with vandalism that far out.

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  2. Hi Vicki, we are looking for a SBX 11 for our cabin. Any suggestions?

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  3. Gorges Smythe, don't kid yourself. If its out there, SOME people will seek to steal or destroy. It doesn't matter where it is.

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  4. So the SBX radios stay out in the cabins month in month out and still work when you show up in the middle of the season? How many of these radios do you have?

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