Bryan had a great Trapline Run

Vikki has to say she did not want to Post... but thank you all for your support and she knows this feeling of hurt will pass.  Bryan got back last night with the camera full of neat stuff.  We are still learning how to do the videos so please bear with us. The first one is of an American Dipper (Water Oslo) on the Inklin River.  This little bird stays up here all winter.... it can be seen at -30 c still looking for open water.

BRUTAL, BRUTAL!!!!! Trail. Bryan's Story

Marten comes out and goes 20' then backtracks.

Bryan's story.... I left at noon on "Poncho", the Tundra 550 LT.  The trail had been just grated but it had snowed 2' which wasn't too bad but also the snow had slipped out of the trees.  So to go the 14 km there were 50 really big tree wells that had to be shoveled.  I would jump off the skidoo crotch deep in the snow and wallow up to the tree well and shovel.  I couldn't keep putting on and taking off the snowshoes.  Almost every hill I had to take several runs at.  Back up then try again.   

 Reaching the Inklin River, I was astounded at the amount of new snow down there.  It's 335 m (1100') lower in elevation.  Clouds must have hung around there longer than the 12 hours we had.  
The  snow on the 45% talus slope had slide filling the trail.  The 350 meter or more took me 4 hours to shovel. 
I reached the Inklin cabin at 6:30 and called Vikki on the SBX.  "I just got here, the whole pass was full.  I'm leaving now, be back there in an hour."

The snow is so high it is almost reaching the wire I attach the trap too.  Amazing.
TRIP HOME
I had no trouble until reaching the Knoll at Two Bridges.   There was another fresh snow slide 10' deep on the trail.  The Big 550 drove down into it and tipped.  By that time I was getting pretty tired and lost control of the machine.  Took 15 min. of hard labour.  My arms were so sore I could hardly steer the skidoo anymore.  
The steep drop.... I only made it halfway up (trail was not set up yet).  But I just had to back up 150' and took another run at it.  "Miss Piggy" the Scandic 800 SWT would have had to back down the whole drop which would have been impossible in the dark.  
I got to the bottom of the Long Drop.  At the dip at the bottom, I gunned it , gaining speed and Yee Hay.... the hi beam burnt out.  Ten minutes before, I'd seen a blue arcing in the headlight.  Now I realized it was the 1st hi beam filament burning out.  I was in the pitch dark.  I had to stop 50' up.  I fiddled around with the switches and got the low beam on.  I backed up twice and finally got it out of the dip at the bottom.
After reaching the top of the long drop, I had no further trouble.  That 28 km round trip checking traps usually takes 2 hours.  This time 8 plus hours.  
The whole rest of the way I was thinking.... "I sure hope the other headlight doesn't burn out".

Pine Marten Messes up Cabin

We had this happen to the cabin down on the Inklin River.  It looked like an army had invaded.
Everything was torn up, taken off the shelves, torn up and destroyed. 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=727e83wVqqM

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From Bryan's Camera Down on the Sutlahine

 These sets swing up in the air after the trap has caught the animal.  It says the fur from being eaten by shrews, mice and other predators.

The Inklin Cliffs    

-25 Will do that to you.... Even look at Ishi's face.

Marten, Ishi and Bryan fixes the Generator

 While Bryan was rebuilding the bed in the linecabin down on the Inklin, Ishi was outside bringing a collection of throwing sticks for when Bryan came out.  There she was sitting patiently.... waiting with all her finds.

 Tracks of otter and rabbits.  Bryan also say a Beaver sitting out on the ice.  Lots of Moose tracks, Fisher tracks, Rabbit tracks and Marten. 

 As daylight was going fast, Bryan drained the Honda generator encase it was dirt that was the problem.  Then he checked the spark plug.... right away he saw the problem.  That new spark plug had a solid piece shorting it out.  He replaced the spark plug and it started right up.

Marten Season

This Marten was got in a 160.  It is also a good Wolverine set for us.

Bryan couldn't understand why this Marten didn't fall out and swing away...  the Marten had it's teeth in the wire mesh.

 We store the Wolverine boxes up on small trees.  The Bears can swing them round and round without destroying them.  Below are Mountain Goat tracks.  They cross here at this low elevation on their way to higher ground.

Marten Season Starts

With only 7" of snow on the ground the little Tundra 300 was the first skidoo used this season.  Ishi was really excited to be going somewhere.  Bryan came back with 3 Marten.  He said Lots of squirrel and rabbit and Marten sign and a Fisher.
 

Two in the feed bag and one in the trap.

 Today Bryan took Miss Piggy... the Scandic 800 Super Wide Track Skidoo and just went down to the end of the lake.  He said he had no trouble and that Ishi was really good.  So it brings the total up to 7. 

A Red/Orange Marten with White Head and both repo parts

Who knows how much this is work.!!!!!!
Last night on the SBX we talked to Dave at Beaver Crow.  He had just done up for taxidermy the strangest marten he has ever seen.  We also have never heard of one like this.
The body is the colour of a Red Fox.  The head is White.  It has a sack plus a small p---- and a female v...........  It is 24" long.