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

Three days in Elgin, N.B. 2015

Bad luck with co-ordinating enough vacation days forced us to skip our planned canoe trip and stay at Aaron camp in Elgin, N.B. for two nights instead. Doesn’t seem to matter where we end up we always have a great time. 

Aaron’s sons in there teens were old enough to experience what we do on our fishing trip so they came along.  A km or so up the road Aaron’s uncle has a camp.  We all ended up at Aaron’s camp with guitars and songs.  Aaron’s uncle surprised me because he knows every Stoppin Tom song and sounds just like him when he sings them.  Many songs, many beer, and many laughs were had.   

The morning was tough but after a quick stop at Creg’s to get some tylenol we were off like the horse poop and we hit the dusty trail.   We rode many beautiful trails in the Elgin, N.B. area, stopping to catch tasty brook trout along the way .  Here I experienced some of the most beautiful trails that I have been on.  The trails took us under huge virgin forest meandering along the Pollett River.  We came to an area where 4 nice camps sat in the mids of this beautiful trail system.  A family owned several hundred acres and never cut any more then what they needed for firewood and to make the trail.  The property is worshiped by this family and they refuse to sell it to anyone especially a big logging company who would destroy it in a matter of a few months.  A unique, winding, majestic trail indeed.

The second day and night repeated itself with more song, guitar playing, ATV and fishing.  As they say, “all good things must come to an end”  and this was no different.  I bid farewell to my buddies with a sense of loss for I would be heading to Cape Breton, 500 km away and would not see them again until our coming 5 day remote fishing trip in the last of the summer 2015. Until then I will sit at my fly tying bench tying flies and swapping emails with my good friends in N.B. 

Doing such trips is more enjoyable when you have a GPS.  You can go with confident that you are not going to get lost and when you get home, you can download the track to your computer.   It is always interesting to view your path on the big screen.  It displays better mapping details and shows where  you have been in relation to the area.  You can share your tracks with your friends so they can follow your path.  I take one with me when ever I go on an adventure.  

Robin Eggs

I was going to take my old portable garage down when a robin started getting upset. I watched where she was going and seen she had a nest with three eggs in the door. Guess the garage is going to stay up for awhile.

Hooter The Owl

Hooter the Owl

It was March 13,2013 when I was talking to Chad on the phone.  He said, he seen some tuffs of hair sticking above the snow.  He first thought it was bob cat in his driveway but a second look determined it was Great Horned Owl that didn't seem to be able to fly.  I jumped in the truck and headed to Chad's.  Trying to catch the beautiful bird was a challenge because we were worried about our fingers and he could run on the deep snow faster then we could.

Knowing he would need some professional help if he was to survive, we called the animal rescue in Sackville, N.B.  Before the staff member got there, Chad and I had already named him Hooter and we were already attached to the magnificent animal. After the staff member from animal rescue arrived,  the three of us were able to get him cornered and Chad with heavy gloves, managed to get hold of him.  We pet him and tried to keep him calm; he did not trying to bite us or struggle away. The animal rescue put him in a box and took him to the animal shelter.

Over the next day or two we kept calling checking on him.  It didn't take animal rescue long to determine he was malnutrition and started him on I.V.

A couple of days past and our attempt to save the beautiful creature was ill-fated.  Hooter passed away!  Yes it was ashamed. The spraying of the forest and reduced habitat is not helping matters, but but it happens all the time in nature and the hard winter challenged the survival off many animals.  R.I.P Hooter for your struggles are now over!

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.  

Deer Ville

Spending time deep in the woods has its benefits in getting great nature pictures. This one was easy because the fawn was running along the highway near Sussex, N.B. I slowly drove beside him for 500 meters before he got discouraged from crossing the busy highway. Perhaps his plan was to reunite with his mother who may have been on the other side of the road.