How I continue to love nature except for one particular moose
I made my first trip to the East Pole this week. I say first because this is a short one. I have usually had problems getting up the hill to the cabin until a good trail is broken out and tamped down in the snow and that means leaving a lot of stuff down in the woods below the hill. Last year I tried something new and came out for only three or four days with a light load. I spent the whole time getting set up and in particular blazing my trails so when I make the second trip with the bulk of my outfit, I will have better luck getting it all to the cabin.
True to form I got the snowmachine stuck about halfway between the main trail and the cabin, that was even after leaving half my load behind. I put on the snowshoes and started trudging up the trail carrying a small knapsack full of vital stuff and my computer briefcase. That was when I discovered exactly what poor shape I am in. After about 20 feet or so I dropped the knapsack and after another 20 feet there went the computer. Still it was trudge 5 or 10 steps and rest, rinse and repeat. I have no idea how long it took but I do know I was whipped by the time I reached the cabin. Always thankful for my foresight, the fire I had left laid in the wood stove took off with one match. That was about all I was capable of for most of the rest of the day from late afternoon. That was Sunday.
Monday not feeling much better I headed down the hill, the only goal in mind to bring the snowmachine tipped right side up and level. A little shoveling that worked. I liberated a couple cans of chili and the next season of Game of Thrones along with that knapsack and computer bag and headed back up hill putting in much the same effort with the same exhaustion as the day before. Come Tuesday I headed down again, my only goal to start the machine and get it unstuck. Again, I took some vitals in the sled and went back up the hill. Overnight I thought about how I would turn it around. With trepidation I headed downhill, but it took only a little shoveling and I started to drive it out of there.
That was when I learned about this detestable moose. You see when moose go to sleep they first dig down to ground level, hoping for edible grass or maybe a warmer bed. Then they flop and over the course of several hours of sleep pretty much melt a hole in the snow also down to grass level. This particular moose had made its bed right in the middle of my trail, a sure snowmachine catcher. I’d say it was probably six feet by six feet and two feet deep. I know it took me at least half an hour to fill it in and stomp it down so I could drive over it. I didn’t anticipate road work when I signed on for this gig.
With that done I was able to drive the machine to a wider level area where I could turn it around without a lot of heavy lifting. That accomplished I went out to the main trail, picked up what I’d left there and brought it all to one place. Then I tossed some more vitals into a light sled and tried the rest of the hill. I got about halfway up, maybe a couple of hundred feet and stuck again. I unhooked the sled and tugged it up the rest of the hill. Tomorrow I will turn the machine around headed out and hooked up for when I go out Friday. Out for probably a week and then back for the rest of the winter.
COOLERS THAT DON’T
Most people including myself usually buy a cooler to keep the beer and other stuff cold during outdoor summer activities. In addition to that I look at how one might prevent perishables from freezing during winter activities. Last year I bought a very expensive, double-walled, super insulated cooler and it worked fairly well. Tonight I discovered just how well it works. I didn’t bring the cooler up today, but I did bring some of its contents: four bottles of Ensure, half a dozen small juice bottles and a gallon thermos full of milk. That cooler has been outdoors since about 7 a.m. Sunday morning until 3 p.m. Wednesday, about three and a half days in temperatures mostly in the low 20s. Nothing was frozen. And I will tell you cold milk after being without it for several days is one of the great joys in life. I don’t regret the expense involved.
IN OTHER NEWS
Social distancing didn’t work. Just about 24 hours after I filled the feeder, the horde of chickadees showed up.
So, all told I hope this is a prelude to another great winter at the East Pole. Watch this space.
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