Adventuring Into a Nor-East Snow Storm

Adventuring In A Nor-Easter Snow Storm

It was minus 10 degrees celcuis with a big nor-easter storm coming in over night. It was March 4,2016 and my nephew talked me into making an overnight camping trip into the woods armed with our bug out bags. 

We took the ATV 1.5 km into the woods and hiked another 200 meters or so to a spot I knew where there was some down trees, a brook, and Southern exposure to keep us warm in the sun while we constructed our shelter. 

Constructing the Shelter and Being Thankful for Our Good Health. 

Jimmy wove the collected saplings to make the frame for the shelter.  We then collected around 200 pounds  of spruce bows to weave between the woven saplings frame.  If the bows are laid upside down and is stacked as thick as the length of your arm, it will not leak.  

The floor of the shelter was constructed by laying 4 to 6 inch(15 cm) diameter logs down as a base. We then laid spruce bows 1 foot thick over the base of logs. This provided a reasonable comfortable mattress which insulated us from the cold ground.  The shelter construction was an amazing amount of work especially considering that Jimmy spent  5 months in the hospital enduring major Crohn’s surgery and getting out Christmas Eve.  After nearly 8 months of being sick he finally felt good enough for this trip.  His improved health was a great novelty for him which he was so grateful for. This gave testament that we should not take good health for granted because it can be taken from us in a second.  After seeing him so sick for so long it was amazing to see him enjoying his health by working very hard to build the shelter. 

I wouldn’t want anyone to think you can wonder into the woods and build a shelter with no tarp in a few minutes.  Jimmy and I spent about 4 hours constructing the shelter. Four hours X two guys = 8 man hours. Before you go adventuring into the woods in -10 degrees incorporate 8 man hours into your formula for shelter building. 

   

Firewood Collection

We were running out of time to process enough firewood for the night with just my folding saw and survival knife so I ran back to the ATV and got my power saw. Still the wood had to be split which I baton using my Schrade Schrade SCHF38  knife

. Processing up enough wood to keep us warm the entire night is another 2 man hours. 

The completed shelter

The Evening.

Evening came and Jimmy made a tripod chair out of three poles lashed together in a tripod stand. Fabric was then hung from the poles which served as a comfortable seat.   A few laugh were had while reminiscing about the day.  When someone does this type of camping, they certainly grow an appreciation for the natives way of life and for the pioneers who landed here with nothing. 

The night

Crawling into a sleeping bag at -10 is not my favourite thing to do.  The pain of it is reduced by getting a cold weather sleeping bag at amazon.  You also have to be completely dry and that is not easy to do if you spend the day working in snow cutting wood for your shelter and fire.  Extra socks and clothing are essential.  

Neither of us slept great.  The balaclava kept pressing on my throat which worsen my sleep apnea.  You loose a lot of heat through your head so I didn't want to take it off.  Instead I rolled it up to be a hat which was more comfortable and I finally got a bit of sleep.  Around 3:00 P.M. Jimmy got up and stoked the fire.  Not long after he stoked the fire the wind changed and our shelter filled with smoke. The wind picked up speed and it started to snow.  We could not get back to sleep and I had to crawl out of my warm sleeping bag to run to the woods. It was 5am and was time to get up anyway.  We decided to call it a night, pack our gear and head home in the stormy dark -10 morning. 

When it comes to bushcraft survival skills, there are always things to learn or do better. We could of put a door on the shelter and started our adventure earlier which would allowed more time to build the shelter and maybe even put a door on.   It was a fun night in the woods  and I suspect we will do it again after the maple syrup season.

I will be putting some of the video of this adventure on our youtube site LostCaper youtube  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_goWst3odzG__lSzhb91bw


http://amzn.to/1XcdbJZ

Warren Power - The man behind the hermit

The Tribute To Warren Powers

The man behind the hermit.

Like most people who live as a recluse, there is a mystery about them. Questions of why and how they lived liked they did. I think it would be unjust to put them under one category and call them crazy hermits for they all have their own story which is as unique as their own individual lives.

Warren was born in the United States, his mother a clearer his father a chauffeur. At the age of three years old, he was sent to live with his uncle who was a McAuley in Big Baddeck, Cape Breton, Cabot Trail Nova Scotia. The census of 1921 had him at 10 years old living in McAuley’s car. He was student.

Best to my memory he died in 1980 which would make him around 70 years old when he died but I feel he was old then that. Perhaps the census or the information I got about the census was incorrect.

Most of Warren’s adult life was spent as a recluse in the woods in the Big Glen area 20 km outside of Baddeck, Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. He came to Baddeck to pick up supplies once a month. I assume a small pension check was his only means to money. When he arrived in the village of Baddeck to pick up his supplies, there were people who were all to ready to take advantage of Warren’s good nature and asked him for money. Warren being a generous man would always reach into his pocket and give them something.

I remember he would sometimes walk the 20 km trip from his cabin in Big Glen into Baddeck with a knapsack on his back. It would be a four hour walk for a younger men then he. If the local gentry seen him walking on the lonely county road, they would pick him up and drive him to town. Most trips into Baddeck he would go to my grandmother’s home. After his visit, if Dad, Uncle Wilfred or Uncle Johnny were available, they would drive him to the road nearest his house. It would still be a long hike into his cabin for the average 15 year old gamer of today, but for Warren it was just a short jaunt.

Warren was a good Christian and knew the bible. He frequently would discuss it at Grammy’s house because there the bible was a frequent topic of conversations. I remember Warren telling my brother John P. and I one day, “It seems some people are in a boat rowing against the current; they are rowing in life but they are not getting any where”. I suspect he meant that they are not growing mature or getting anywhere spiritually. Perhaps that was one of his deep observation that he was having when he stood staring with a distant look on his face as some people made fun of him. Some locals though he was spacing out when he did this; it is not my belief that he was. Perhaps deep in pain or disbelief from how he was being treated or maybe just deep in thought and disappointment with humanity’s cruel ways - a very hard thing to say for sure. In my opinion I believe Warren was a man of deep thought and great intellect and never really space out at all. He was a man that searched deep into his sole for the truths before he spoke - a deep methodical thinker; careful with his words, true to his life’s unique wisdoms - a wisdom that could only be achieved by living a painful life that was so ever searching for the truth while living as a recluse in his lonely cabin in the woods.

Some that did not know Warren well and lack the maturity or time to try to understand him, dismissed Warren as just an old hermit. Some even called him crazy. Yes, he lived alone in the woods and perhaps the isolation allowed him to forget about the egotistical shallow ways of society. He forgot he was to groom his eyebrows, dress in certain clothes, speak a certain way, and speak without thought like most people do. Not that he didn’t have what it takes to blend in to society but where Warren spent most of his time isolated, his interaction skills were outdated. Warren was a very clean, cleaned shaven man. He dressed in a clean jack shirt and sometimes wool pants even in warmer temperatures. He smelled like the woods - not a dirty smell but just woodsy. His supplies for the month was organized in his back pack that he toted - the pack seem to become a symbol of his uniqueness - a back pack I would love to have as a keep sake. For those who new Warren he was lovable, kind, very knowledgeable about nature, survival, life and God.


His voice soft and gentle, his laugh was a unique one simple “huck” sound. For such a simple sound it was sure memorable. His unique character, unique way of living, and wisdom was dearly missed but no place cries out the missing of Warren then the people of Big Glen and the people at Grammy’s house.

Lorne, a friend and distant neighbour of Warren put it elegantly; “Warren was a unique man harmless in his ways. He liked people very much but did not always understand their ways so he preferred to live alone”.

Perhaps we could all learn from Warren but it would not be an easy task to follow his foot steps. I suspect it would be a painful journey to live a recluse’s life so humble, modest, and kind. I suspect a modern man attempting to learn from Warren would find it most difficult to put aside his egos and inflated sense of self worth. RIP Warren.

The last 6 years

My previous fishing group fell apart since Marvin's death. Life took us separate ways, Denis C is out west and Demien is somewhere in Fredericton.
Life has it's ways of taking and giving back and fortunately I was recently given the best three fishing friends a guy could have.

Friends and co workers of 15 years namely Chad, Denis D and Aaron are blessed to share several fishing excursions a season. This year's plans are shaping up all ready. We applied for a crown waters draw and planning a 3 day canoe and fishing trip down the Cains River which is the biggest tributary of the Miramichi system.

We mostly fish the Miramichi river systems. I also take trips to my homelands in Cape Breton Nova Scotia where my mother and I fishing countless amount of days from as long back as I can remember. Moms favourite pools is Harris Pool on the Baddeck river. At certain times of year the trout fishing was good but most days we went more to enjoy the trans that the smooth flowing river put us in. Now when fishing Harris's my brothers, sisters and I all have a strong since of nostalgia and a flood of memories. These fishing memories with mother will hold me in her arms for ever. Man I miss the old girl.

Moose On The Loose

Many believe a cow moose with a calf is one of the dangerous animals in my neck of the woods.  I am not sure about that but is sure scared me.  I got out of the truck to get some close up pictures and walked within 50 meters of her.  She got between me and the calf and put her ears back.  I knew it was time for me to leave so I turn towards the truck.  She started towards me as I scrambled up the bank and to the truck.  My wife got scared and closed the door of the truck.  Didn't take me long to reopen it and get inside.  I asked my wife was she trying to collect insurance money when she closed the door?lol  Ya I survived another one.

The calf was nice shape but the cow seemed very week. I believe she was old or was sick because she did not look very good.  Local people said they seen the calf a few weeks later but did not see the mother.  Most of the guys believe nature took it course and the cow died but left a legacy of a beautiful bouncing baby calf.  

Cabot Trail

For those of you who traveled the Cabot Trail knows just how beautiful it is. Here is a few items off the beaten trail.