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Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined

Posted By: Okiekajun

Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/02/10 04:28 AM

Wednesday, Feb 10th 2010
Cloudy, 10 above

8:00 AM , Curly, my appointed bush pilot, calls and says “hop on a plane”. Curly says he’ll probably be at Aniak waiting for me. If I don’t see him, I should walk down the airstrip to Inland Charters and see Steve, he‘ll take care of me.

11:30 AM, One last peek at T-man, then depart Anchorage headed to Aniak. The security screening for a village flight is intense. The check-in lady asks me if I have any guns or knives in my carry-on, I say “no” she doesn’t bother looking. She didn’t notice the bag of onions I was "smuggling" under my jacket.(to keep from freezing on the trip)

1:00 PM, I have arrived in Aniak, a small village in interior Alaska. The flight was smooth but the skies cloudy. I could only catch glimpses of the Alaska Range, but they were beautiful glimpses. Solid white slopes all the way to the top with very little rocks showing, ravines were deep and I could imagine the waters that would roar through them during spring thaws. After leaving Anchorage I saw absolutely zero signs of humans until near Aniak, then I saw a few snowmobile trails along rivers.


As I stood in the “terminal” (a single room pre-fab building) waiting for my bags and trying to decide if anybody in the room was “Curly‘, a short, grizzled guy comes in and starts looking around. He walks up and asks me “are you the Okie?” and I say “only if you’re the Curly.” (Curly is Curly Warren owner and operator of Stoney River Lodge, a fly in wilderness lodge that offers world class hunts and fishing trips.) We laugh and shake hands and he tells me he’s got an old truck outside. I grab my duffel from the baggage claim area (a hole in the wall cut at floor level, with somebody outside shoving bags in) and Curly grabs my backpack. As we head to the truck, he says he likes the way I pack. I’m hoping he’s not making fun of me, but he’s not…he says I seem to have the right amount of gear, not like a lot of his clients. He drives me along some semblance of a road, past some small and cold looking homes, on our way to the river. We stop in someone’s yard and he asks if I can make it down the hill with my gear, he says there is a red plane down there on the river, and asks if I’ll be able to find it, and then he laughs and says “it’s the only one down there“. I walk, slide, and fall down the steep river bank with my gear to get to the plane (it looks vintage 40’s and tiny). I snap some pictures and take a good look at my first bush plane. It sure does seem small, and I’m pretty sure the wings are not metal or solid, but hollow and covered with fabric. It really seems small when I remember that we have over a hundred air miles to Ken’s cabin. I tell myself the bright side is, I don’t figure Curly got to be his age if he isn’t a good pilot. ( Ken later tells me that Curly is actually 24, his many near death experiences have prematurely aged him.) While I’m taking in the scenery, Curly hops down the steep icy river bank like a mountain goat.

Alaska bush lesson number one: Out here there’s a whole different definition of senior citizen.






The flight to the area of Ken's line "flew" by. Curly and I had some good talks and he really seemed to enjoy taking the time and patience to answer my questions and educate a hillbilly coonass. We spotted marten, moose, fox, wolverine, and wolf tracks as we traveled along. Occassionaly Curly would make some type of stunt plane manuever to "get a better look". I was getting a better look at the inside of my stomach each time we'd drop fifty feet sideways like a stone, but I was too excited to care. What an experience. I'd never been in a small plane like that and I was amazed at the mobility and power of it. (I later learned that Curly had the skill and experience to be able to safely fly like that, but that's a story for another day.)








3:00 PM, As we fly low over a straight shot in the river I notice snow machine trails. Then, further up river, I catch sight of the living legend… Ken “white one-seven” Deardorff. He’s waiting on the river with his Elan and a sled. This is the first sign of human life we’ve encountered since shortly after Aniak.

Curly waggles the wings as he passes over and makes a steep descending bank. By this time, my stomach no longer leaps into my throat, and I‘ve really started to enjoy this mode of transportation. True to form, Curly lays those plane skies down so gently that you could literally hear us skiing along and not even feel that we had touched down.

Ken starts busting my chops immediately upon exiting the plane. I can already tell we’ll get along great. We fill a few gas cans from the airplane wing, then all three of us head up to cabin to have a warm drink.

Curly and Ken talk about different bush happenings while I stand around soaking it all in and laughing at their stories. The cabin seems very small from the outside, with a very low ceiling. You duck to get into the door, the top of which is maybe 4 feet from ground. If you don't want a headache, don’t stand up until you’re in the middle of room(unless you’re Curly, or woodelf, in that case you‘re safe). Curly looks around and just starts laughing saying “well Jon at least there's two bunks”. Ken immediately says “yeah but we’re only gonna use one”. This guy thinks he's a comedian.

The cabin is not what I had in mind, it’s actually much more roomy and comfortable then what I had expected. It’s low roof means it’s easier to heat. And the arraignment of each bunk, shelf, and fixture is laid out for maximum room and ease of use. Various jars, boxes, and containers line every available shelf, nook, and cranny. These I see are mostly labeled and contain items essential to our survival. For safety reasons I immediately commit to memory the location of the snickers bar container (which happens to be the right foot of a white bunny boot hanging from a nail near my bunk)

I later found out that Ken built this cabin nearly thirty years ago using cut logs and lumber rough cut out spruce trees from the surrounding area. Anything and every thing, aside from the lumber, was hauled in by boat or plane. There is no electric other than a small generator Ken fires up a few nights per week to charge the satellite phone. He also takes advantage of the generator run time to screw in a single 75 watt bulb and catch up on skinning.


Curly leaves after coffee and Ken and I listen to him take off, I ask where the {edit-urinal} is and he points to a melted hole in the snow about fifteen feet from the cabin. As I’m taking a leak I hear what sounds like a small dog, growling and woofing at me, I look up to see a marten about head high in a tree not more than twenty feet away. Unbelievable! I look at his pale white face, orange upper body turning to dark chocolate legs and belly. They’re significantly larger than I had thought. And man are they fast. Like a cat on meth. He’s eyeballing me and trying to make out what I am. Apparently I’ve interrupted his dinner consisting of the beaver bait pile right outside the door of the cabin. Trying not to pee on myself, I zip up and slip back to the door to get Ken’s attention. He comes out and we both get to watch the little guys’ antics for several minutes. Ken says he’s not afraid of us because he’s never seen a person before. That amazes me and makes me realize just how remote we are. He’s not joking around. That animal really never has seen a person before, as a matter of fact the majority of the trap line has only ever been seen by two or three white people. EVER. Simply amazing.



We load up the sled in anticipation of the next day. I fill bait buckets for wolverine and marten with some ripe smelling moose scraps and rotted salmon. Ken spends the time laughing at me and getting traps and equipment loaded on the sled.

We spend the evening talking and laughing, probably more laughing than talking. Ken’s a funny SOB, and you better be on your toes if you want to beat him to a pun or joke.

For dinner Ken whips up some moose marinated in soy sauce and served over rice, complete with homemade rolls he had baked on the top of the wood stove barrel. Delicious, and not what I expected here. Dinner is eaten lit by a candle or your headlamp, this evening we ate early enough so that we got to have the light from the setting sun filter in the window over the table.



After just settling in for a good sleep (in separate bunks) we are both awakened by some noises on the roof. Ken jumps out of his bed and goes to check it out. I pulled my sleeping bag over my head in case it was a bear. Turns out it was a marten on the roof trying to steal our bait sack of spruce grouse. Ken said he was about three feet from his face when he shined the light on him. The little guy wasn’t too spooked, he walked around on the roof and hopped into a nearby tree while I took pictures of him.





Back to bed…man this is going to be a heck of a trip.

Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 04:34 AM

Wow, bring on day 2~
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 04:36 AM

Great pictures and story.Keep her coming.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 04:43 AM

SOOO Looking forward to day two! You're a lucky okie!

~ADC~
Posted By: Cattrax

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 04:44 AM

It was good reading over on the wilderness board, glad you have such a great time up there, wish I could have had the money to out bid you on that trip! LOL

Thanks for sharing the trip with us all!


Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 04:45 AM

Thanks Guys.

I'm going to try and do one journal day each evening until complete.
Posted By: Nutoy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 04:58 AM

Good to see you made it back to civilization,,, with all you're apendages. smile
I was reading the daily updates Barb was posting. Sweeet trip.
This is going to be one for the archives for sure.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 05:08 AM

Thanks Uncle Andy!

After looking the terrain over, I'm pretty sure we could import some of those oversized tree climbing mink and they'd do well around T-bend.
Posted By: Tim Wilcox

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 05:20 AM

I loved reading the daily updates from Ol Blister, glad to hear you had a great time and looking forward to reading each day adventure !!!
Posted By: GritGuy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 05:21 AM

Very thought full of you to keep such a great record for the rest of us to enjoy with you, thanks. And pictures as well !!

Will be waiting for the rest of the adventures to unfold,

I'm already a little nervous for you after reading about the other fellers sleeping desires LOL!!
Posted By: Nutoy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 05:22 AM

I bet they'd do well if they could survive on limb rats and coons. They'd probably go bald after the first summer and then they'd be like the rest of the southern fur,,, worthless.

Soooo, you meet the imfamous Hup and Amy Sue?
Did you learn how to call a moose? smile
Posted By: nelacres

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 05:23 AM

This will be classic T-man material Okie I am looking forward to reading it all.
Posted By: don Wolf

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 05:24 AM

Hate to be stupid , but what does Elan mean?

He’s waiting on the river with his Elan and a sled. This is the first sign of human life we’ve encountered since shortly after Aniak.
Posted By: nelacres

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 05:28 AM

Elan is a type of snow machine, a small lite weight that can travel real well in the back country, the sled is hooked to the back of the machine to haul supplies.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 05:29 AM

Elan is a French word meaning distinctive style or flair. But in this case it is a 1980 model Ski-doo snowmachine.
Posted By: Bearpaw

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 05:30 AM

An Elan is an old antiquated snowmobile that is slow but virtually indestructable. Just like White17.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 05:32 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
Elan is a French word meaning distinctive style or flair. But in this case it is a 1980 model Ski-doo snowmachine.


I didn't realize that was type of snowmachine you had, I was describing your flair.
Posted By: Cattrax

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 05:38 AM

And here I thought it was that Ken is so old he had an Elan pulling his sled kind of like Paul Bunyan had an Ox! laugh
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 05:49 AM

Originally Posted By: Nutoy


Soooo, you meet the imfamous Hup and Amy Sue?
Did you learn how to call a moose? smile


Next year, we are auctioning off a week with Alaskan and I......
There surely won't be any chipping four foot holes in ice for beaver where we trap.

Oh, and the successful bidder will be required to pay in only $2 bills...cash money
Posted By: Cattrax

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 06:01 AM

Originally Posted By: Hupurest
Originally Posted By: Nutoy


Soooo, you meet the imfamous Hup and Amy Sue?
Did you learn how to call a moose? smile


Next year, we are auctioning off a week with Alaskan and I......
There surely won't be any chipping four foot holes in ice for beaver where we trap.

Oh, and the successful bidder will be required to pay in only $2 bills...cash money



And here I thought I was getting a special deal on that trip Hup!!!
Posted By: Eric Cottrell

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 07:05 AM

Awesome Jon! Just wish it hada been me..... smile
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 07:48 AM

Here's Okie arriving at my place;




http://s125.photobucket.com/albums/p56/white17x/2010/
Posted By: Birddog

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 10:15 AM

WOW!! worth it already!!!
Posted By: S.Horn

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 11:44 AM

day 1 seems a great experience, thanks!
Posted By: wheelers

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 12:59 PM

Nice pictures can't wait to hear more.
Posted By: Forrest®

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 01:13 PM

Great Post... Can't wait for day two!
Posted By: Tightchain

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 01:27 PM

Awesome trip Okie!!! Can't wait to hear the rest of the story.
Posted By: beachcomber13

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 02:30 PM

It's nice that a good writer won the trip. Great story, keep it coming!
Posted By: wynn hall

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 02:44 PM

Wow can't wait for day 2.
Posted By: TrapperMe

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 04:19 PM

You have to submit this to the trapping mags for publication. . . for those not on T-Man. This is GREAT reading. Wish I was there.

Make sure to take 'mental' pictures as well -- those never fade!
Posted By: Tich

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 05:42 PM

JEALOUS!!!!
Posted By: BUZZSAW

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 05:51 PM

So very cool , you have a good writing style Okie.
Thanks for sharing it. Lee
Posted By: droptine11

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/02/10 07:51 PM

lets see day 2!
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/03/10 12:54 AM

What a great adventure!
Posted By: redleg83

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/03/10 01:01 AM

day 2 is going to get posted tonight right i dont think i can wait to much longer
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/03/10 01:17 AM

Day Two is getting proofed and pics added now. It will be posted shortly.

Thanks all for the compliments. It really was a trip of a lifetime, and it's actually fun (alot of work though) to re-live the trip by telling it to you all.
Posted By: PappyD

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/03/10 01:42 AM

I can't wait for day 2! Your a lucky man Okie!
Posted By: Okiekajun

Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 01:55 AM

Thursday February 11th 2010
7:00AM Clear, 10 above

We start the first morning off with a good hot breakfast of steel-cut oats loaded with peanut butter and brown sugar, and washed down with scalding coffee. This kind of food sticks with you. Ken says it really helps you to stay warm and keep up your energy.

We head west across the river to set out our first line. We start by setting three vertical can sets in an area of Spruce trees along the river. The vertical can set consists of a baited coffee can sized container that is attached head high to a tree with the open end of the can down, and guarded with a Belise 120. We then followed a creek that headed toward some of the sites Ken had pre-baited. He had reported seeing wolverine sign there when he set out the bait. While crossing the creek, Ken points out a break in an old beaver dam that has fresh otter sign, he asks if I want to set it up. I said “heck yeah” and grab a 220 and a tie off snare all the while I listen to his advice on where he’d tie off and how he’d place it. I notice he has his camera out and is taping me. I'm pretty sure he's hoping I snap the 220 on my wrist and scream like a girl. Luckily, I waited until he shut off the camera so there is no actual evidence of this happening. If I was making this set in my neck if the woods I’d lay odds on it connecting, up here though I notice that the otter use the snow and ice to slide around like snakes. Pinning them to a specific trail looks like it could be challenging.





The next set as we continue down the line is a white17 special. A medium to large sized leaning pole, baited at the end with a hanging wing, next comes a #1 jump for marten, and finally a snare for wolverine. The idea is that if a marten gets to the set it will walk under the wolverine snare without knocking it down and then go on to get caught in the foothold. This leaves the snare ready and waiting to surprise the would-be marten robbing wolverine.





Across the creek we make another white17 special wolverine set. This one utilizes double MB 750(W)’s bedded under hanging bait. I own several MB 650’s, and know they are a high quality trap. Up until now those 650’s had been the limit of my experience with the Minnesota Brand line of traps. I quickly realize that the 750(W) can be added to the “high quality” list. What a heavy duty, quality piece of equipment!



We continue on to a place that has several sets of wolverine tracks and numerous marten trails crossing a creek and headed over to a high bank. Ken has another working bait station here and the local wildlife has definitely found the buffet. We decide to make two wolverine sets here. We use body grips in notched buckets that have been baited with tainted moose scraps. The buckets are placed about 15 feet apart and positioned at the top of the high bank. I’m a little leery of handling the Belise 330’s. They are not a trap I have much experience with. Ken pops the first one in the bucket notches, showing me how the trap locks in, supporting themselves securely in place. I put the second one in and can clearly see, like the MB 750W’s, these are quality pieces of equipment. We top off the sets with a few globs of backbreaker and Ken’s marten mustard. We walk to a nearby spruce and stick in another vertical can set. The idea behind this triple set is to try and knock out the resident marten while keeping a working wolverine set in place. We wrap this up and then it’s off through more spruce, still headed in a west, southwest direction away from the camp.





We cross several open tundra areas and come to another bait station located in a point of spruce that extends out into the tundra. Here we set another vertical can and a wolverine bucket. After I finish making the bucket set Ken spices it up with another dab of backbreaker. Here again, the marten sign is thick in the area and the animals have obviously been working over the hanging beaver.



I start the day by riding on the sled runners as Ken motors along on the Elan. The small amount of snow on the ground makes the trail rough and I frequently hop off the sled to run behind or push while Ken gets over the worst parts. He thinks it’s real funny to wait until I’m about to jump on, then he pulls away. He says that when he does that to the Ol’ Blister she isn’t amused. I see the Ol'Blister and I have the same sense of humor. When not pushing or running to catch up I’m busy thinking of ways to get him back.



We stop midday for a snack of king salmon strips and hot tea. If you haven’t had ‘strips’ before, you don’t know what you’re missing. I have been fortunate enough to have a couple of friends in Alaska send me real smoked salmon. I thought that both of these guys had given me what must be the best salmon in the world…until I tore off a hunk of these strips. These things are the perfect cold weather trap-line food. As a bonus they work like the “red bull” of the bush. They taste great and you can literally feel the energy boost you get from the rich oil.

After the snack and break we head to the North to set up a new line. The conditions and sets we made were similar to those of the morning. This line did have more wide open tundra and dwarf black spruce type areas. We set a total of three vertical cans with 120’s and two leaning poles with footholds for marten. About midway through we came to slough off a creek that Ken had pre-baited. Wolverine and marten tracks were everywhere. I knew enough to know I was witnessing something special, but seeing Ken get excited by this much fresh sign let me know we really were on to something great. In this area we set two baited buckets guarded by 330’s and Ken instructed me on setting my first two snares for wolverine. I have high hopes that these snares connect. Any wolverine is going to be a dream, but one in my first snare would be the icing on the cake. While riding across the tundra we see a set of canine tracks in and around the old snowmobile trail. The tracks look to me to be about the same size as a super x-large coyote, but not as big as the wolf tracks I had seen while flying in with Curly. The tracks follow our path for what seems to be a mile or more before making a ninety degree turn when they approach another of the pre baited areas. Along the trail we have noticed several pee-posts as well as a set of fox tracks that were leading to some small holes dug in the snow.

We wonder over the large canine tracks. Ken says he has never caught any coyote here, but has heard of one being caught in the surrounding area. (Note- "surrounding area" up here means roughly 4000 miles) He seems to believe the tracks may belong to a juvenile wolf, but wonders why it’s alone at this time of year. He said some more stuff that I’m sure was profound, but after the word “wolf” was out of his mouth I started daydreaming of traps filled with wolves and I missed hearing the rest.

After seeing all the sign, including that of wolverine, marten, fox, and wolf, we decided we hadn’t brought enough traps to properly cover the area. We left there thinking we should come back with more hardware and really set the area up well. As we were leaving Ken pointed to a large spruce leaning over near a beaver pond, he said he had always thought of setting the area in the past but had never done so. I grabbed a can, a 120, the ax, and some bait before he had even asked if I wanted to set it up.

After a long day of setting we enjoyed a hot meal of Chef Ken’s famous French dish… prosciutto de’ maccaronie fromage. I’m just a stupid redneck, so I didn’t bother to mention that at my house we just called that macaroni and cheese with bacon bits. It was good and we both ate way too much, trying to recoup those calories burned off was the excuse I used.

We watch the “camp” marten again tonight, he is like a ferret, squirrel, and bear, rolled into one. He’ll climb and jump and is blazing fast, then he’ll stop and stand on his back legs and look around sniffing. We’ve moved the sack of spruce chickens and have them suspended from a meat pole near the cabin window. Ken says we can catch the marten if I want, I say lets’ just leave him, if only for entertainment around the camp.



Two things really surprise me today:

1) I’m not cold. It’s been no colder than 10 above so far, and it’s been as high as 24 above. Still I’m only wearing light long underwear, blues jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and a windbreaker jacket. When the sun is out it is really warm on your skin.

2) We’re making sets in some of the exact locations that Ken’s caught animals in for the last thirty years. As we set up the line he points out these old locations, some nearly as old as me, and remarks, in detail, on his more notable previous catches. His recall of specific locations, conditions, and catches is phenomenal, and the evidence is undeniable. Old leaning poles, rusty set-off snares, and cable tie-off marks on trees, are proof that his mind isn’t gone just yet.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 01:57 AM

Great pictures.Awesome.Adventure of a lifetime for sure.
Posted By: Coonsnightmare

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 02:00 AM

thats awesome! Good luck checking tomarrow!
Posted By: Cattrax

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 02:01 AM

Man sounds like a great time, and if for nothing to get to see Alaska in the winter time like not to many people have got to see it!
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/03/10 02:02 AM

I'll put this up near day two in case somebody is looking for it.
Posted By: Fire Fly Guy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 02:03 AM

Really cool man!
Posted By: Mike Kelly

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 02:15 AM

Excelent writing!
Posted By: beachcomber13

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 02:15 AM

Can't wait to see some catch pics. Keep it coming!
Posted By: trapping4life

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 02:17 AM

Originally Posted By: beachcomber13
Can't wait to see some catch pics. Keep it coming!

Me either! That is a very good journal! You should get them put in a trapping magazine like Trappers Post or T&PC.
Posted By: ATLTrapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 02:17 AM

Dang,can't wait til Day 3!Great job,looks like alot of fun.
Posted By: wheelers

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 02:18 AM

Great pictures again.
Posted By: Lundy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 02:20 AM

INCREDIBLE!!!!! In reading this I feel like I'm almost there. You are a GREAT writer. You should write this into a book when you get home. I'm dead serious! Thank you. I want to do this myself someday, before I die. That sound's like Heaven!!!!!
Posted By: S.Horn

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 02:21 AM

Great read!
Posted By: JAMIE-S.

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 02:35 AM

What is the title of your book going to be ? It sure sounds like you have a start on a good read! Thank You.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 02:51 AM

I ask those suggesting the book writing idea to bombard white17 with messages requesting a yearly auction. After all, I would need at least ten or twelve more trips to have sufficient material for the epic novel.

Thanks for the compliments. But my writing career will begin and end with the postings of this journal. I'd be as old as white17 himself if I attempted to make these mis-spelled scrawlings into a book.
Posted By: fishermann222

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 02:55 AM

After 10 or 12 more trips you will need to be looking for a new wife also Okie smile And yours cooks some pretty Yummy treats.
Posted By: GritGuy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 02:55 AM

Awesome reporting, I am waiting with baited breath for the catchs to start appearing.

What a great time you had and our sharing with us!!
Posted By: Cougar

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 03:25 AM

Originally Posted By: trapping4life
Originally Posted By: beachcomber13
Can't wait to see some catch pics. Keep it coming!

Me either! That is a very good journal! You should get them put in a trapping magazine like Trappers Post or T&PC.


x2

Your journal story is as intriguing as the Lew & Charlie adventures. Just glad I don't have to wait a month for the next installment.
Posted By: JustTrap

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 03:35 AM

For one, where are you? and 2nd, what are you usin for marten bait, dried fish?
Posted By: fishermann222

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 03:37 AM

west of the Alaska Range, and they are using blackfish for marten bait, RIGHT Huppy.
Posted By: Sean D.

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 03:48 AM

I read all 17 pages of this on the wilderness forum the other night so I know what happens but I cant wait for you to post the rest of your journal. This is awesome! I hope White17 offers this again next year, if he does i know i will be bidding.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 03:49 AM

bring on day 3
Posted By: ROOSTER BOB

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 06:05 AM

what a great thread I am glued to the computer in anticipation.
Posted By: SgtMaj Bob

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 10:49 AM

Keep it coming! This is great (and I just knew Ken would be a riot to hang with)!

Thanks Okie for sharing!

S/F,

Bob
Posted By: jropreacher

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 11:15 AM

OKIE WOW and THANKS

John
Posted By: Striperfred

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 11:22 AM

Okie, thank you so much for taking the time to share, definitely the chance of a lifetime (maybe 3 lifetimes) as I knew it would be, if the auction ever happens again, hopefully I will be in a better situation with more savings, just for future referance, can a home and real estate be sold on the trap shed?lol
Posted By: TxLady

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 11:23 AM

This is really great..can't wait for the next episode !!.. smile




TxLady~~
Posted By: Eric Cottrell

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 03:44 PM

BORING!!!! So did ya catch one or not?
Posted By: huntinhard

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 08:03 PM

great read for sure.
Posted By: Rye

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 09:13 PM

Great story and photos to boot!
Posted By: Birddog

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/03/10 10:44 PM

Been waiting for this since he won the bid!
Posted By: fur_minator

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 12:15 AM

Sure wish that was me on that trip!!!
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 12:21 AM

Sure am looking forward to day 3.
Posted By: Hunter50

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 12:42 AM

Only in my dreams
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 02:53 AM

where the heck is day 3?????
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 02:55 AM

Originally Posted By: mark
where the heck is day 3?????

Lol.I'm waiting also.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 02:55 AM

I think Okie is making it up as he goes.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 02:56 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
I think Okie is making it up as he goes.

Lol
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 03:22 AM

Day 3

Friday February 12th 2010
7:00 AM Clear and Cold, 8 below

While eating the morning breakfast we notice that the marten has raided the hanging bait bag. He’s torn a hole in the side of the bag and made off with at least one chicken. I tell Ken he’s pushing his luck. Over breakfast we watch him return to the scene of the crime sniffing around and just generally trying to entertain us and let us know he meant no harm. We’ve named him the “camp raider”. He is pretty amusing, so he gets another reprieve. We move the bag into the storage shed attached to the cabin. No way he gets in there.



After the morning breakfast we load up the sled and hit the northern line to go make good on our promise to really set the area up hard. Ken’s had a revelation through the night that a “hay set” may be just the ticket for the unknown canine. While this may not be the first true Alaskan hay set, to our knowledge it’s the first in this area, and the first to be documented. We load up the equipment and head out. Before lunch time we’ve put in another wolverine snare (in the bowl area that is covered in tracks), a snowmobile trail set, a pee post, and of course Alaska’s first documented hay set (all in the area of the unknown canine tracks.)







Since we are in the tracked-up bowl area we decide we have no choice but to check out the nearby wolverine sets that we had made yesterday. Ken nonchalantly tells me to go check the wolverine bucket on the far side of the pond. Surprise, surprise there he is…My first marten. Caught in a 330 wolverine set. Man am I happy! That is one cool critter.




After the first marten, I’m thinking I cant hope for more than that. After all these traps have been out for less than 24 hours. Just then we drive by another one of yesterday's sets. It’s the set that Ken had recommended I make on the log he had always planned on setting. That belisle 120 had knocked a marten dead right there. The critter hadn’t flinched a muscle. Marten number two was in the bag. Talk about a good day! Not even halfway through our second day on the line and we hadn’t even made our first real check yet, but we already had two marten in the sled.






We return to the cabin and have our warm tea and salmon strip snack. Ken has decided that in order to get to the Southern section of line, it would be best to break out the trail today then return later to set traps. We pack minimal trapping gear, but we will need the chainsaw, ax, and snow shoes. He says we‘ll have to break trail from the river through a timbered area to get to the tundra, where hopefully there well be enough snow to run the sled but not so much as to cause us to need to snow shoe a trail through the tundra. Unlike the other lines, this is not an area that Ken has already broken trail, nor is it an area he had made any bait stations. I’m excited by the idea of going to an area that Ken has not been to yet this year. Something about the idea of unbroken snow gives me the thought of an even more remote location then what I’ve seen so far. I later realized I must have been partially intoxicated on either the salmon strips or the sight of two thawing marten, because I should have know enough to be leery of the term “breaking trail”.

As we travel up the river it is obvious that the river’s attitude changes quickly. We go from a gentle sloping bank bordered by willow flats, to steep and rugged hills that have a vertical drop to the water. As I enjoy the smooth ride over the flat river ice I peer in to the surrounding hills wondering if anyone has ever set foot on their ridges. This truly is a vast and untamed country.



My daydreaming is cut short as Ken pulls to a stop near a head high bank. He asks if I’ve ever worn shoe shoes before, and I tell him no but I wonder how difficult it can be. They look like fairly simple devices, seemingly put on this earth to make “trail breaking” easier. Oh how wrong I was. Snow shoes are actually archaic torture devices, invented centuries ago (quite possibly by white17 himself) and designed to inflict maximum suffering when worn by fat out of shape losers that think they can master them in one afternoon. We each pack enough equipment to complete a couple of marten leaning pole foothold sets and we strike off into the unknown. Ken says we‘ll need the shovel, the ax, and the chainsaw. I proudly volunteer to carry the chainsaw. Man what a mistake, maybe if I’d let him carry the shovel, ax, saw, and me, I might have stood a chance. We initially have to construct a snow ramp from the river to the top of the bank in order to get the machine and sled to the top. Feeling pretty good about my ramp making abilities we proceed to snow shoe into the wilderness. Between making three leaning pole sets and frequent rests for me to shed another layer of clothing we do finally make it to the tundra. Once there we can see that there is very little snow and the clumps of grass and bushes are clearly going to make the sled ride in rough. We decide there isn’t much to be done about it other then to tough it out and deal with it when we return to set traps. On the way back I notice it looks like a redneck garage sale, about every fifty feet we stop to pick up another one of the articles of clothing I’d shed while gimping my way in.

The highlight of the trip was getting to see “gulo ditch”, an area that had been appropriately named considering the numbers of wolverine that Ken recited taking from the drainage. I figure all together we traveled at least 17 miles by snow shoe, Ken tells me the actual number is closer to two. The guy sure is talented, but he obviously cant be relied on to accurately judge distances.





That evening, after eating warmed up leftovers, I had to make a sudden departure from the table to deal with something Ken referred to as a “common snow shoeing side effect.” I refer to it as a pain from my nether regions to my knee that’s intensity can be compared to child birth. I spend the rest of the evening limping over the cabin floor, afraid to sit still and cramp up again. Ken comforts me by telling hilarious stories of his past (I’m sworn to secrecy) and even serenading me with a variety of folk songs, including the heart wrenching ballad of Dan Mcgrew.

Lesson Learned Today:

If snow shoeing were an Olympic sport…
Ken would have at least ten gold medals in the Senior Olympics.
I may or may not recieve a "participation" medal in the Special Olympics.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 03:41 AM

Here's just a couple pix from days 1,2,3.

Here's one of Okie filling wolverine buckets with Ambrosia d'gulo. He's the one with the hat on.



And Here's my mittens next to a set of smokin' wolverine tracks. I practically had to tie him in the sled when we found these.



We had one area that I had pre-baited and when we got there the wolverine and marten had worked it over pretty well. Here is a pic of Okie setting his first snare over a wolverine trail.



Since we had so little snow we decided to try a hay set out in the tundra targeting fox. I have never tried this before but it sure did create some eye appeal. We picked a bunch of grass along the river and hauled it to a spot where a fox had previously dug a hole. Okie baited the hole with a couple of beaver chunks and some Dobbins Klondike Call. The trap was an MB 550RC straight out of the box. No dye, wax or cleaning.

here's Okie blessing the set.

Posted By: TroyMcDaniel

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 03:43 AM

Come on day 4 LOL!!!!!!!!!
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 03:47 AM

Great story and pictures.I love to snowshoe.I've snow shoed all day before beaver trapping and bobcat hunting.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 03:48 AM

Originally Posted By: TroyMcDaniel
Come on day 4 LOL!!!!!!!!!


LOL, The guy making this stuff up only has time to do one a day!
FAIR WARNING

Day 4 should be on scheduele, Day 5 may not make it Friday, but should be posted on Saturday.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 03:48 AM

How many days were you there okie?

Looks like a blast so far. Did you guys use seperate tooth brushes? lol
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 03:50 AM

I sure hope they put this trip up for bid every year.Wow
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 03:51 AM

I think eleven or twelve days there, and a couple of suprise "bonus" adventure days at another location.
Posted By: redleg83

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 03:55 AM

how many days are there and can we get a sneak peek of day 4 ???
Posted By: redleg83

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 03:56 AM

didnt see the other post
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 04:26 AM

Were you only there 12 days ? I coulda sworn............oh never mind.
Posted By: TroyMcDaniel

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 04:39 AM

Originally Posted By: Okiekajun
Originally Posted By: TroyMcDaniel
Come on day 4 LOL!!!!!!!!!


LOL, The guy making this stuff up only has time to do one a day!
FAIR WARNING

Day 4 should be on scheduele, Day 5 may not make it Friday, but should be posted on Saturday.


I'm sorry but that is UNEXCEPTABLE right now i'm staying somewhere that has high speed when I go back home in a few day's i'll never be able to see the pic's cry cry mad!!!! So the guy making this up need's to get off HLA and get it all on here whistle grin!!!!!!!!!
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 04:43 AM

Originally Posted By: michael_obrien
How many days were you there okie?

Looks like a blast so far. Did you guys use seperate tooth brushes? lol
toothbrush thing dont bother me much,figure at whites age he rinsed his in some snogo fuel in a jar.part that seems bad to me is I heard there was a shortage of TP.thats not something that should be shared! laugh grin
Posted By: kansaskoons

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 05:08 AM

great read, can't believe the anticipation I have for the next "issue" it's like mom and soap operas!
Posted By: Eric Cottrell

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 05:18 AM

So your telling me that all you caught was 2 after 24 whole hours! Man what a letdown! I was expecting a truckload! If you'd a been trapping instead of sightseeing and galavanting around on snowshoes playing in the snow, you might would of had a respectable catch!

Ken, sorry you had to baby sit the transplanted coony! Maybe next time, you can get someone that can pull his weight!
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 06:41 AM

Originally Posted By: trapr
Originally Posted By: michael_obrien
How many days were you there okie?

Looks like a blast so far. Did you guys use seperate tooth brushes? lol
toothbrush thing dont bother me much,figure at whites age he rinsed his in some snogo fuel in a jar.part that seems bad to me is I heard there was a shortage of TP.thats not something that should be shared! laugh grin


I didn't mind sharing the TP. I always went first in the morning.


Eric, It would take a LOT to pull that much weight. Good thing my Elan gets to rest all summer.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 01:42 PM

c'mon day 4
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 01:45 PM

I'm sure looking forward to seeing that wolverine in a trap.
Posted By: swamphaunter

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 10:57 PM

TTT for gods sake
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/04/10 10:58 PM

really!
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 02:45 AM

DAY 4

Saturday February 13th 2010
8:00 A.M. Clear, 5 above

Camp day today. Maybe not exactly what the reader wants in an “action packed tale of winter wilderness survival”, but quite frankly it’s a fact of life out here. The heat doesn’t work by turning up the thermostat. The water doesn’t come out of a faucet. The wife isn’t there to keep the dishes washed (lady reader…please no cries of feminist outrage over this, according to my wife they will just fall on deaf ears).

We start with our normal breakfast then plan out the day, dishes to be done, water to be hauled from the river, wood to be cut, gear to be organized, and best of all, marten to be skinned. No one task is too difficult, but when combined with the fact I have to do all of them without disturbing Ken’s nap, they become much more tedious. I have to say, after yesterday’s death march, I’m not disappointed to spend the day gimping around the cabin.

Before we begin the chores, we unload the trapping gear and ready the sled to haul water and wood. It’s then that we notice the “camp raider” has struck overnight. This time he’s gotten into the pack basket, ate a hole into the bait bag, and made off with another chicken. He’s no longer as entertaining and cute as he was, now he’s a thieving little {edit} that’s crossed the line one too many times. I may take Ken up on his offer to let me catch him.

Water is hauled by sled from the river up to the cabin. Ken has previously cut a water hole in the ice, so chipping through the few inches and filling the buckets was a quick process. I ran the sled load of water back to the cabin and returned to the river with the chainsaw. Ken had been busy scouting firewood. Ken is a firewood conniseure, so picking the right tree is akin to going shoe shopping with your wife. You might as well just smile and nod, because no matter which one you say looks best, they will always choose different one. We do find some promising looking spruce and cut up a few test sections to be split at the cabin.

When we arrive back Ken grabs up the splitting maul and tells me to take a quick picture. Not questioning the seasoned veteran, I comply. After splitting one piece...yes one piece, he proceeds to do a test burn on it while I split the rest. It's only now, while looking through my index of photos, do I realize the crafty deception. There is only one piece of photographic evidence to support Ken's claims of having to do all the work, and no such evidence to support my claims.



I’ve already decided that everything I catch on this trip will be skinned leaving all feet and claws attached. This will allow me the widest range of options on what the final product will be. Ken skins and boards the first marten in about fifteen minutes to show me how to do it, then he turns me loose on the second. Other than the fact that he skins his marten “through the mouth” and he uses some custom built tail stripper, his method seems pretty straightforward. I have to say I’m impressed with his speed and cleanliness skinning this way. I’m pretty confident I can do the next one with relative ease. An hour and a half later I have a finished result I’m pretty happy with. A few small nicks around a couple of the toes but nothing major. Skinning out those toes is going to take some getting used to.









After what turned out to be a pretty productive day, Ken makes a great meal of scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toasted rolls. Ken tops his roll with Backbreaker. He says that’s how real men do it. I let him know that I certainly don’t find anything offensive about Backbreaker, but I cant miss the opportunity to top my roll with cotton’s(forum member) homemade jelly. (Thanks cotton!)




Lesson Learned:

Cotton should go into business with Paul to make the ultimate cold weather, sweet, lure/trap-line snack food. Ken swears the jelly has remained in liquid form at 20 below! I swear the jelly is delicious!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 03:10 AM

Pretty sweet.

Couple questions.

do you drink the water straight from the river, or do you boil or purify it?

how thick was the ice on the river during the original hole?

Does that 1921 radio actually pick up a station out there?

How long does Ken stay at the cabin each year?

Seriously, how old is that man-sized bottle of tabasco? that thing looks rough, I'm not gonna lie!

I see Ruff Grouse tail feathers on the post. are there many there?
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 03:23 AM

I drank the water filtered or bolied with tea or coffee. Ken can drink it from the river without issue.

The tobasco was vintage '87, and was just about properly aged. I think we polished off that bottle at the end of the trip.

I was amazed when he kicked on that radio and we were able to get a brief news report. It was odd though that the report was focused on the Hindenburg and it's recent crash.


I'll let Ken field the remaining questions.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 03:33 AM

Under normal circumstances we go to that location in september and come home in March.

There aren't a lot of grouse in that area. More spruce grouse than ruffed grouse. I wish it was the other way around.

I can pick up radio from all over the world out there. That is a 1975 model radio. AM/FM cassette player, 8 track, and clay tablet player as well.

I have drunk the river water straight for 30 years without incident. That doesn't mean it's the smart thing to do. Barb started to feel queasy one fall but I made her drink some boiled water with clorox in it and it fixed her right up. She didn't like it but it was better than being sick.

I was drinking filtered stuff this trip just like Okie.

That Tabasco is maybe 5 years old. Remember it's been frozen many times. Still tastes fine.

The ice was about 2 feet where I cut the water hole.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 03:38 AM

Great story so far.
Posted By: Vinke

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 03:42 AM

I see a box of crayons....

Was Okiekajun able to stay inside the Lines??? And do you still have his pictures on your fridge....or are they neatly stored inside the vintage Betty Croker cook book?
Posted By: Jeff Barnes

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 03:42 AM

Wow fantastic thread and I can't wait to read more. I would love an Alaskan adventure myself!
Posted By: R Howard

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 03:43 AM

Is that a map of the stars on the ceiling over the bunk?
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 03:44 AM

I had to take the crayons away from him the very first night. He was biting them and scribbling on the table.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 03:44 AM

Also nice looking marten.
Posted By: fluff 747

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 03:45 AM

this is cool keep it up PLEASE
Posted By: Vinke

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 03:47 AM

White!
Thanks for letting us inside your place
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 03:52 AM

Originally Posted By: R Howard
Is that a map of the stars on the ceiling over the bunk?


that's exactly what that is. There is also a book on celestial navigation above the bunk. Ken wrote that volumn sometime after his participation in the first crusades, so unfortunately many of the stars were not yet visible when he originally published the book.
Posted By: Jeff Barnes

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 04:01 AM

wow... I guess the cold somehow slows down the aging process...
Posted By: countrysmith

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 04:04 AM

why dont we ever get to see a pic of kens face? i am sure that the bounty hunters wont we looking at this website and see where that old dog is hiding out.
Posted By: HORNS-N-FUR

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 04:07 AM

pretty cool stuff guys and funny to.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 04:11 AM

Day 5 will be delayed until Saturday at the earlyist.

Nothing much happens that day anyway.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 04:25 AM

Originally Posted By: Okiekajun
Originally Posted By: R Howard
Is that a map of the stars on the ceiling over the bunk?


that's exactly what that is. There is also a book on celestial navigation above the bunk. Ken wrote that volumn sometime after his participation in the first crusades, so unfortunately many of the stars were not yet visible when he originally published the book.


The book is a little out of date. When I wrote it the sun still rose in the west.
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 05:54 AM

the way we are getting strung out here I'm thinking that okie must have bought stock in pharmaceuticals before he left.I'm going to need to be put on anti-anxiety drugs before this story is finished.great read guys,and nice pics!
Posted By: Eric Cottrell

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 07:18 AM

I know what happens on Day 5.....would anyone care to hear about it a little earlier than Saturday???? laugh

Jon, no wonder you didn't catch much! Layin' around the cabin all day watching Ken cook, clean your animals, and chop wood to keep your southern butt from freezin' to death! I bet you even made him wash the dishes!

Ken, send me your address and I'll send you another box of crayons to replace the ones Jon chewed up!
Posted By: Stoutman

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 11:11 AM

Great story!!!! Can't wait to hear about the rest of your adventure.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 01:55 PM

Wow, so you are that old, yet your wife goes by the old blister. Just how old is barb? lol
Posted By: Rusty Axe Camp

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 02:32 PM

You guys have me chomping at the bit to read the next day... This is better than the Lew and Charlie stories in FFG... grin
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 03:33 PM

Originally Posted By: michael_obrien
Wow, so you are that old, yet your wife goes by the old blister. Just how old is barb? lol


I'm not sure. I do know that on her trapping license it has and exponent next to the number in the age block.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 11:03 PM

Great story.
Posted By: PappyD

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/05/10 11:52 PM

I am really enjoying reading about this trip Okie, can't wait for the next episode!!
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/06/10 05:10 AM

Okie, it is Saturday already in some parts of the world, get busy.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/06/10 12:06 PM

Originally Posted By: mark
Okie, it is Saturday already in some parts of the world, get busy.

Lol.Alot of trappers watching this adventure for sure.
Posted By: Jeff270

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/06/10 12:22 PM

Hello? hello? Time for my daily fix. If not soon, I have three dogs to kick, and it will be YOUR fault.
Posted By: swamphaunter

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/06/10 12:27 PM

Im guessing the snowshoe cramping has settled into his typing finger.
Posted By: Hunter50

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 2 - 03/06/10 12:51 PM

What a great thread. So many of us are wishing we were you!
Posted By: STINGER

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 01:09 PM

OK Okie get busy ............ this tale needs told and we all need our fix ........... your killing us buddy ......... this truly is a great read and you should certainly be commended for taking us along on your journey ............ thanks a bunch
Posted By: decoy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 01:45 PM

Jeff270, I'm with you but only have one dog to bounce off the wall. :-)
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 01:53 PM

Going to have to save up some pennies this year just in case it goes up for bid again.Lol
Posted By: PappyD

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 04:52 PM

It's Saturday!
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 04:54 PM

Almost noon time.Lol
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 05:06 PM

Here's Okie setting a marten set on a tree that I had looked at for years with the intention of setting but never did. He has already posted a picture of the result above.



Here he is making a little different marten set. I think this is the one where the belisle 120 bit him on the thumb. Yes he screamed like a girl.

Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 05:08 PM

Lol.Great pictures.
Posted By: MnMan

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 06:21 PM

This is a great read! Almost like bein' there but not having to break a sweat.
Posted By: Trap wild

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 06:53 PM

Okay,time for me to pipe up!I need more of the story. I'm starting to get a twitch in my right eye!You are right MnMan this is a GREAT read.Trapping season is over here in Kansas and this story is keeping me going! THANKS FOR SHARING OKIE AND WHITE!
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 07:34 PM

get busy Okie, it is now Sunday in Korea
Posted By: fishermann222

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 07:44 PM

Originally Posted By: white17

I think this is the one where the belisle 120 bit him on the thumb. Yes he screamed like a girl.



And you didn't take a picture? That's not like you White17.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 08:06 PM

I was so convulsed with laughter....er I mean sympathy, that I couldn't operate the camera.
Posted By: swamphaunter

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 09:02 PM

Waiit for it,,,,Tall tales ,legends,and revenge is best served up slow and deliberate like.I suspect the good stuff will be posted AFTER okie gets his furs in the mail.LOL
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 09:06 PM

Yeah I think he ordered some from USA Foxx
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/06/10 10:03 PM

Originally Posted By: white17
Yeah I think he ordered some from USA Foxx

Lol.Good one.
Posted By: PappyD

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 12:30 AM

Hmmmm, 6:30 pm and I'm startin to jones a lil bit!
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 12:46 AM

Okie had to make a pilgimage to Mizz Ippy today so he may be sloooooooooow getting home.
Posted By: fishermann222

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 12:47 AM

I think the lack of posting is for all of us to live through the same pain he did after snowshoeing.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 12:55 AM

I'm some looking forward to that first wolverine in a trap.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 12:59 AM

Like this ??

Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 01:02 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
Like this ??


Yep grin
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 01:03 AM

Thats got to be the ultimate catch.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 01:10 AM

It is for me.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 01:16 AM

Are we going to see Day 5 Ken, or are you guys just pulling our chain? laugh
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 01:17 AM

O.B may think different about your best catch white17.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 01:19 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
It is for me.

I agree.I'd go trap with someone on their trapline and let them keep all the fur, except let me trap and keep a wolverine.
Posted By: STINGER

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 01:42 AM

White ............ I'm guessing them wolverines are pretty nasty if you shot it ......... and from that far too ....... never seen one in a trap before ......... real cool critters though .......... very high on my list of wanna trap critters ..........
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 01:49 AM

As far as I know we should be seeing day 5 today sometime. Okie has been sending it to me for proof reading first and then posting it. So far I haven't received it.


Trapr. You're right, she might.

Yeah they aren't real sociable critters. I dispatched one via chest compression. BIG mistake. Once I stepped on I didn't dare get off, even though I really wanted to.

I have a couple more videos of them but photobucket is just too slow to upload them. The files must be too large.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:00 AM

Sorry, I may be unsociable or something, but if I paid as much as Okie did, I'd take at least 25% of the catch home with me. Doesn't matter what I say though, I trapped Alaska for 4 years, and it really wouldn't be that big of a deal tome.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:04 AM

Originally Posted By: mark
Sorry, I may be unsociable or something, but if I paid as much as Okie did, I'd take at least 25% of the catch home with me. Doesn't matter what I say though, I trapped Alaska for 4 years, and it really wouldn't be that big of a deal tome.

Lol.It would be more about the experience of it for me.Memories is what life is all about.To me just catching a wolverine and getting to trap up there would be enough.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:06 AM

Everything Okie caught is his to take home.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:13 AM

Originally Posted By: Bruce T
Originally Posted By: mark
Sorry, I may be unsociable or something, but if I paid as much as Okie did, I'd take at least 25% of the catch home with me. Doesn't matter what I say though, I trapped Alaska for 4 years, and it really wouldn't be that big of a deal tome.

Lol.It would be more about the experience of it for me.Memories is what life is all about.To me just catching a wolverine and getting to trap up there would be enough.
I understand completely Bruce.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:14 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
Everything Okie caught is his to take home.

I sort of figured it would be Ken. I meant no offense, I think you know that.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:17 AM

Yep. I took no offense.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:20 AM

now, can we PLEASE get to day 5?
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:26 AM

I wish ! Still no word from him on this end. It's getting close to his bed time too. He better come up with two days worth on sunday if he expects to sell that book.
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:26 AM

white,you sure okie isnt still skinning some of them marten through the mouth?or finishing up the feet?that or having one last cold gulo sandwich.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:28 AM

Very well could be. I know that one evening he went to bed pretty whipped and I had to wake him the next day for lunch.
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:31 AM

all the clothes,the big boots,walking in snow,snowshoeing,expending 8 or 10 thousand calories,jet lag,and excitement.what is there to make you tired?
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:31 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
Very well could be. I know that one evening he went to bed pretty whipped and I had to wake him the next day for lunch.

Lol, for lunch?Half the day is over with by then.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:33 AM

LOL That's all true.

It wasn't quite lunch time but it was getting close.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:33 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
Everything Okie caught is his to take home.

As it should be.Just making money is the purpose I'd be going to Alaska to do.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:35 AM

Man,I'd be chomping at the bit every morning to get out there.
Posted By: GritGuy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:37 AM

I'm plum wore out just reading the story, can't imagine how tired I'd be if I was actually there.

Though I have heard about them snow shoe miles and what they can do for your stamina!
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:38 AM

....and most of the daylight. I lived in Fairbanks, where the sun rose after 10:30, and set prior to 2:00 I December. But to be fair, with the snow, we had plenty of light prior to 10:00, and after 2:00 (but not much before, and less after, lol)
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:39 AM

Originally Posted By: GritGuy
I'm plum wore out just reading the story, can't imagine how tired I'd be if I was actually there.

Though I have heard about them snow shoe miles and what they can do for your stamina!

Snow shoed alot my whole life.It can do alot for your stamina.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:42 AM

True story too. That's one reason I chose to do this in February. Longer light and the days usually are zero or above with the nights down to minus 40. The sun really has some power coming back by this time. Best month of the year IMO.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:46 AM

Originally Posted By: Aleo
Bruce, do you want to go to Alaska and trap a wolverine or what?

Now how did you ever guess that?Lol grin
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:47 AM

you notice it when the driveway starts to melt off and you can see pavement on the road
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:49 AM

Originally Posted By: Bruce T
Originally Posted By: GritGuy
I'm plum wore out just reading the story, can't imagine how tired I'd be if I was actually there.

Though I have heard about them snow shoe miles and what they can do for your stamina!

Snow shoed alot my whole life.It can do alot for your stamina.


Yes it can. And your vocabulary when you hook a beaver stob.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:49 AM

I read 330's,whats the best footholds for wolverine?
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:51 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
Originally Posted By: Bruce T
Originally Posted By: GritGuy
I'm plum wore out just reading the story, can't imagine how tired I'd be if I was actually there.

Though I have heard about them snow shoe miles and what they can do for your stamina!

Snow shoed alot my whole life.It can do alot for your stamina.


Yes it can. And your vocabulary when you hook a beaver stob.

Can't be no worse then walking on top of those pine thickets bobcat hunting with snowshoes on.Lol
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:55 AM

pavement?
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:58 AM

My memory may be a bit fuzzy, but I don't recall seeing my driveway until sometime near the end of March.

I do recall going grayling fishing the end of May in a creek not too far from home and the bottom half of the creek still was full of ice.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:01 AM

Paul it has been warm lately, and I can see about 5 ft of the driveway closest to the house,..... but the sun is meltin a little more each day...

The road is still a good 4 inches of ice though....
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:03 AM

IMO the MB750W is the best foothold trap for wolverine.


I usually can see my driveway by May sometime but it sure isn't pavement.

I recall trapping rats from a canoe in May. There was some open water but the bottom was still covered with ice. Pretty dang slippery with hip boots on.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:08 AM

First sign of spring is a rock! laugh
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:08 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
IMO the MB750W is the best foothold trap for wolverine.


I usually can see my driveway by May sometime but it sure isn't pavement.

I recall trapping rats from a canoe in May. There was some open water but the bottom was still covered with ice. Pretty dang slippery with hip boots on.

Thanks for the information on the mb750w's.That would be slippery with hip boots on.
Posted By: fishermann222

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:10 AM

my first spring up here i was with a buddy who was hunting, i walked to pick up some decoys and had NO idea about the ice UNDER the water. I was cold, and wet, and had a heck of a time getting back up the bank.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:13 AM

Yeah a guy needs hobnail waders in the spring
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:14 AM

I went through the ice on the Chena one time checking a beaver set in late February. Had it not been for my ice ax (turned it sideways), and a scared partner I probably would have died right there, or within a few yards down stream. Clay grabbed my collar and pulled me out, and I ran back to the truck. Lucky I was wearing wool. Another trapper named Larry Vorhees from F'banks stopped and let me sit in his truck until ours warmed up enough for me to get in it.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:14 AM

In other words, it is a lot of fun, but the danger is real, and you don't want to try it by yourselves.
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:20 AM

I do recall seeing 95 degrees in North Pole when I was up there. I thought the locals would die - lol. I wasn't far behind them in that thought...
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:23 AM

It got darned warm in July Paul, you are right about that. Why do you think I hung out in the Wrangles all summer?
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:24 AM

Alaska.What better way to make a man breath life.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:26 AM

appreciate life you mean Bruce?
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:32 AM

However in Jan 89, I also recall this for two weeks lol....

Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:33 AM

I know when the confluence of your anatomy hits that ice cold water, you gulp in a huge breath !
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:34 AM

Were you in FAI then Paul?
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:35 AM

Originally Posted By: mark
appreciate life you mean Bruce?

To breath life they way a man should.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:36 AM

Me too Paul.

Ken, and you pucker up on the other end, and are qualified to sing soprano.
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:36 AM

I was snuggled deep in my quilts at 3956 Franklin Ferry Rd, North Pole, AK, 99705
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:38 AM

Man that was the toughest spell I've ever seen. January 27, 1989 my thermometer read 82 below.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:39 AM

I was out on Salmon Loaf in the Tanana Flats, supporting the excercise. Brim Frost wasn't it, or was that a year for the other one, I really don't recall. We lost a guy who smuggled a bottle of rum to the field, and hid it in a snow bank, when he decided to get him a big swig. Killed him pretty much instantly.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:39 AM

Originally Posted By: mark
Me too Paul.

Ken, and you pucker up on the other end, and are qualified to sing soprano.


That's for sure. Feels like your heart is in your throat.....or something.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:40 AM

yah, lol, or something.
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:46 AM

And I hear from folks down here in the lower 48 that there is no difference when the temp goes below -20 - lol. At -20, it doesn't hurt to breath, but when you hit -60 it surely does - lol.

Our limit for running our line was -30 and that worked good for us.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:47 AM

Looks like Okie isn't going to make it tonight. I'm thinking maybe a one week ban for non-performance. What do you guys think ?
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:49 AM

Nah, we'll give him a break for extenuating circumstances....
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:49 AM

Are you kidding? Not at the expense of missing this for a week. I vote Paul makes him give up 20.00 bucks a day to the discretionary fund for every day he don't post the subsequent days. DO I HEAR A SECOND?
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:51 AM

LOL !! Thought that might rile someone up :-))

I like the fine idea just fine
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:51 AM

Just a big raspberry for this suggestion - lol
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:52 AM

Still got 8 minutes.Lol
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:52 AM

LOL!
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:53 AM

I'll personally send 10 bucks, and 10% of gross of my next months sales to the DF if he publishes before 1:00 a.m. (The movie will be over by then.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:54 AM

But then again he didn't get up till lunch time while trapping shocked.Forget about the update tonight.......... eek
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:55 AM

Good point Bruce.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:55 AM

my offer stands. It is now 10:55 here in KY. Somebody better call and wake him up.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 04:57 AM

I emailed a threat to him a couple hours ago but no response. He must have his phone turned off.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 05:03 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
I emailed a threat to him a couple hours ago but no response. He must have his phone turned off.

Just shakes head....Not good
Posted By: TroyMcDaniel

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 05:04 AM

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There better be at least 2 day
s worth on here tomorrow!!!!
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 05:06 AM

If there is, I will still honer my pledge. Anyone care to match it?
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 06:17 AM

Well 12:15 a.m. here in KY and I am going to bed shortly. Movie is over. No raspberries Paul, Okie owes us big time. I'll stand behind my pledge if we get two tomorrow though.
Posted By: PappyD

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 11:44 AM

Well, I fell asleep early last night, got up at 3 am to check on the next installment and nothin here! Oh well, at least I got it to look forward to today!
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 03:34 PM

Those are right out of the box. I usually don't use many body grips at all but did this time as I wanted to give Okie more variety and provide stuff he is more used to using.

I probably will treat them next year as stuff does rust here too.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 05:17 PM

where the heck is day 5?
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 05:23 PM

I think day 5 was the day Okie slept all day. Maybe he figures we aren't interested in reading about that.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 05:35 PM

then he needs to do day 6, rofl.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 05:54 PM

Day 5 is in the works, I'll have it to Ken soon.

I didnt think anyone was still reading this, nothing much happens the rest of the trip. It'll take me longer to make it's journal entry since all of it is lies at this point.

I may even get day six up here before tonight.

Thanks Ken, I'd have gotten up on time if you had'nt given me nightmares from those "college days" horror stories of yours.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 06:05 PM

Obviously, anyone is entitled to THIER opinion as to how THEY would handle the fur caught if THEY had invested the time and money for a trip like this.

Ken offered the conditions of the auction,ANYONE could have paid and accepted them. I accepted the conditions and paid for them. I'm happy. Ken's happy.

That's all I really give a flip about.
Posted By: Idtrapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 06:16 PM

Originally Posted By: Okiekajun
Obviously, anyone is entitled to THIER opinion as to how THEY would handle the fur caught if THEY had invested the time and money for a trip like this.

Ken offered the conditions of the auction,ANYONE could have paid and accepted them. I accepted the conditions and paid for them. I'm happy. Ken's happy.

That's all I really give a flip about.

YA YA BLA BLA - Now quit wasting time and get back to work on day 5.. Impatient minds want to know ..LOL
( You lived our dream )
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 06:16 PM

just get busy, if you get it up by 6, I'll stand by my pledge from last night.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 06:48 PM

Originally Posted By: Okiekajun
Obviously, anyone is entitled to THIER opinion as to how THEY would handle the fur caught if THEY had invested the time and money for a trip like this.

Ken offered the conditions of the auction,ANYONE could have paid and accepted them. I accepted the conditions and paid for them. I'm happy. Ken's happy.

That's all I really give a flip about.


Sorry,guess I started it by just saying how such a trip of yours would be more about memories and the experience of it all rather then money made by pelts in my eyes.Didn't mean anything about it in any way shape or form.Great trip and I have enjoyed every word.Thanks for sharing it with us.Bruce
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 06:49 PM

I think the natives are getting restless,better get to writing,don't think they are in the mood for excuses! laugh
Posted By: coolstucco

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 07:59 PM

Come on guys, don't make the okiecajun mad, we'll never hear the rest of the story if you do that.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 08:12 PM

Originally Posted By: coolstucco
Come on guys, don't make the okiecajun mad, we'll never hear the rest of the story if you do that.


No worries. Ken has a copy of day 5 now, so blame him if he doesnt get it read and approved soon. LOL

Bruce, No problems. This trip was for my personal enjoyment and memories. The fur from it will, for the most part, be used for the same reasons. My enjoyment and memories.I have several plans for the pelts. As of now I'll be sending everything in for taxidermy tanning.

NONE of the fur caught while on the line will be sold for MY financial gain.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 08:13 PM

Day 5
Sunday February 14th 2010
7:00 A.M. Clear, 10 above

Breakfast of brown sugar and peanut butter, with a spoon full of steel cut oats added. Mmm…Mmmm. Hot and sweet and good. I cant believe I’m eating like this and losing weight. I stay fairly active at home, but if ate this every morning at home, I wouldn’t fit through the door. As I tighten my belt another notch, I wonder if it has to do with the cold and burning more calories. Either way, breakfast is finished and we’re more than ready to go check the first line we set out on Thursday. High hopes and great weather.

As we cross the river and approach our first set…Score! Marten number three, number one for the day, is hanging from the 120 vertical can set. Another beautiful male. We leave him hang since we’ll pass by here on the way out. We continue along finding the next marten sets empty, but the “white17 special” leaning pole has marten number four, number two for the day, alive and well in a #1 jump. Ken shows me his quick dispatch method and we’re on our way to the next set.






The double MB 750 set is empty but nearby we notice a hole under some roots that has mink and marten sign. We decide to take advantage of the perfect location and I put a 110 over the hole wiring it off to a stout willow. This looks like a mink suicide machine. As we approach the double wolverine bucket set, I can see fur and start to get a little excited, actually I’m bouncing up and down on the sled like a five year old with ADD. We get close enough that I can tell the nearest bucket has marten number five, number three for the day. I’m not what you’d call disappointed, but from a distance I sure thought that was going to be my gulo. I get off the sled before Ken has even stopped the machine and head over to collect the catch, I can see that the vertical marten can set nearby is empty, but as I get close to the first bucket the second bucket comes into view, and I see that there lies marten number six, number four for the day! A true marten double in 330 wolverine buckets ten feet from each other. Both are big males and have great coloring. My disappointment at not having the wolverine that I had hoped for is gone in a flash. Two beautiful marten, four already today, and we still had a marten set and a wolverine bucket left on this line.

The remaining two sets are a ways away giving me time to snap some pictures and enjoy the scenery. I’m thinking how great the day has gone so far when I notice Ken is studying the trail ahead, I soon see he’s looking at fresh wolverine sign that’s headed toward our last bucket set. When we are about fifty yards from the set Ken stops the machine and asks if I’d just like to skip this bucket and check it later. HA HA real funny. I tell him I’ll walk back if need be but “I aint missing checking that bucket!” Laughing, we pull on up to the set. Ken stops behind some trees blocking my view but where he can see the set. I’m disappointed when I notice no reaction from him. I’m thinking “that gulo is going to avoid me today”, and I’m curious to go see why he missed the set. I get up to Ken and can now see he must be a heck of a poker player, because he hasn’t batted an eye while looking straight at my gorgeous wolverine! I look at Ken and he finally cracks a smile, I let out a war whoop and sart digging out the camera while hurrying on over to the gulo. I feel like a kid running to open a Christmas present. There she is, smacked perfectly behind the ears with the Belise 330. I immediately notice her amazing coloring, a vivid diamond, white tipped toes on one front foot, and a heavily spotted chest and neck. I know since its my first I get the right to say it is the BEST looking wolverine I’ve ever seen, but seriously it is colored up really well, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m amazed at the strength of the animal to take the hit she did and not only pull the trap to the end of it’s tie off, but to then bite down on the cable with her last effort. From the sign she couldn’t have lived more than two or three seconds, but she went out planning on taking down whatever had hit her.







After high fives, a few girl scout giggles, and enough photos and video to appease the T-man folk, we pack the sled and head back to the camp for some coffee and salmon strips. Then it’s off to the river to make a few beaver sets.

What a check. Four marten, and one heck of a wolverine in a total of eight sets checked!







After unloading the fur filled sled and having our warm-up drinks and snacks, we grab the chainsaw and ice spud and move on to the river. Ken has picked out a beaver feed pile that produced well for the Ol’Blister a few years back. He says the ice will be thick here, but he’s willing to split the hole making process with me. When we get to the feed bed and get a location picked out Ken gets out the chainsaw and cuts a square approximately 18” by 18”. He then cuts the interior of this outline into a grid pattern, making nine smaller squares. The first time he sinks that 20” chainsaw bar all the way to the saw, I expect a geyser of water. When that doesn’t happen I begin to wonder just how thick this ice is. After he has each individual square and the outline cut to the maximum depth of the chainsaw he stops and shuts the saw down. He hands me the spud and says my half of the work is on the bottom, and since I get to go first I get to move his half out of the way to get to mine. This guy is slick. As I go to work breaking up and prying the blocks out, Ken says he’s going to take the snow machine down river to scout some bait wood and fire wood. He tells me not to fall in the hole and drives off laughing. I take a minute to make Ken a Valentine's day present in the snow. It was supposed to be a signed heart, but I ran out of ink. (Curly later says it looks like Ken's handwritting. eek)



I hurry back to chipping ice so Ken doesnt think I was playing the whole time he was away. I feel like I’m accomplishing something, and am enjoying making the ice fly. I think my mind may have still been wondering back to this morning’s wolverine, so I didn’t notice the sound of the engine right away. When I did notice it, I thought it didn’t sound right to be the Elan. Extracting myself from the ice mine shaft I had sunk, I looked up to see that the engine belonged to Curly, well not Curly, but his Cub. I was surprised to see he was nearly on top of me before I had even heard him. I gave him a hello wave and watched as he buzzed a couple of circles and dropped in to land beside me. As he landed down wind of me and approached I could not hear a sound from him. If he hadn’t flown in from up wind originally, he could have easily landed and got within one hundred feet or so without me ever knowing. Curly taxied nearby and hopped on out. I called out to him that he was just in time as I would need his help stuffing Ken’s body down in this hole. Curly thought that was pretty funny. He offered hot coffee and we stood around catching up while we waited on Ken to return. We all three had a good visit, and I think they both enjoyed watching me chipping out what was becoming a bottomless pit. Curly even mentioned at one point, that the hole wasn’t going to dig itself and I could talk, listen, and chip ice all at the same time. That Curly, what would I do without his sage advice! When I finally broke through and nearly lost the spud, Curly said he’d better get a move on before he had to help Ken hold my ankles while I bobbed for the lost ice spud. We said our good bye's and watched him take off. I finished cleaning out the hole, all forty or so inches of it, and we set a baited trigger 330. Ken said that before we dug another hole and set snares, we’d give this trap time to determine if this was even an active feed pile. I was not sorry to hear that we’d only be chipping one hole today.





We return to the camp, and as I check on the thawing catch, Ken goes to get more gear from the shed. He calls me over a second later to show me the bait sack we’d hung in there. That @#$#%# camp raiding marten has got to go. He found a tiny gap in the window of the shed and snuck in sometime last night, stealing another chicken. His cuteness has worn off. I hated to do it but I knew what was in order. Yep you guessed it….the famous “white17 shovel set“. I figure I gave the guy ample opportunities to mend his evil ways.



Dinner consists of moose roast in gravy over noodles. Moose meat is fantastic.


Today's Oddity:

Guess this track...

Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 08:29 PM

Here's the tourist getting a picture of a sleeping wolverine we managed to put the sneak on.



And here he is later trying to get a drink of water from a beaver hole. I guess he never thought about melting ice or snow.



Now some of you have heard us talk about the paperbag dispatch method for wolverine. Well on an earlier catch on day two (that Okie has not told you about) I tried to teach him how to do it. I think he missed some crucial concept in the procedure. Here's the result

Posted By: Idtrapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 08:38 PM

That looks like a girl I once knew!!!
Great post - Looking forward to the next one....
Posted By: gradeone

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 08:43 PM

I believe this is better than lew and charlie!!! the track is a camp thief hauling off a bird! great read...thanks
Posted By: Idtrapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 08:45 PM

Those martin are so pale - and big , beautiful!!
Posted By: webbedmaster

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 08:50 PM

Id give my left n** for that adventure, way too cool!
Posted By: Northwind

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 08:55 PM

Great post guys, thanks for sharing!!!
Posted By: GritGuy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 09:30 PM

Well that about finish's this story, unless these guys get chased by a moose, hung up by natives, or a sleepy bear bothers them.
How can one up the last chapter, guess a lynx or a wolf, I'll hold on abit longer LOL!!!
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 09:32 PM

Oh there's more to come. Okie is at the library doing research right now. Who knows what he'll invent.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 09:54 PM

Great pictures and awesome time and story.That first wolverine has got to be something special.Way to go guys.
Posted By: AZtrapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 10:29 PM

Someday I will return to Alaska...someday.

Awesome write up! Thanks for taking the time to share. I envy the opportunity to trap those amazing animals.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 10:54 PM

Originally Posted By: AZtrapper
Someday I will return to Alaska...someday.

Awesome write up! Thanks for taking the time to share. I envy the opportunity to trap those amazing animals.

I need to go there for the first time.Lol
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/07/10 11:03 PM

Originally Posted By: Aleo
Originally Posted By: Bruce T
Originally Posted By: AZtrapper
Someday I will return to Alaska...someday.

Awesome write up! Thanks for taking the time to share. I envy the opportunity to trap those amazing animals.

I need to go there for the first time.Lol


Brownie points, Bruce, brownie points!

Lol.I'm simplily in AWE. grin
Posted By: wynn hall

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/08/10 03:10 AM

Wow what a great adventure!
Posted By: STINGER

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/08/10 03:49 AM

day 5 was worth the wait .............. awesome journey keep it coming
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/08/10 04:10 AM

Canvasback: Lots of those around. Birch as well. Do you want some?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/08/10 05:53 AM

Birch Burl ?? Yes !! Where can I get some to make a couple of nice bowls or dinner plates ?

Thanks !
Posted By: Jeff270

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/08/10 01:22 PM

Originally Posted By: Bud Guidry
Originally Posted By: canvasback
MY GOD, Look at that Burl in that Spruce tree !!!




i think it's a male spruce



Bud





Not for long if White "harvests" it for Canvasback.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/08/10 02:42 PM

If anyone has seen what a Birch Burl Bowl or Dinner Plate looks like , they would be amazed!!!!!
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/08/10 03:06 PM

Yeah I can get you some birch burls but it won't be until next year if you can hang on.
Posted By: Tightchain

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/08/10 03:09 PM

Truly an amazing trip Okie and White. What dreams are made of for most of us. Loved every minute of it.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/08/10 03:29 PM

Originally Posted By: white17
Yeah I can get you some birch burls but it won't be until next year if you can hang on.


White17:

For Birch Burls , I can wait !!! smile

Thanks!!
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/08/10 05:41 PM

okiedoke, so now where is day 6, I need my fix
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/08/10 05:51 PM

Originally Posted By: white17
Yeah I can get you some birch burls but it won't be until next year if you can hang on.


I don't think either of you old men should be selling futures contracts.....

Heck, If I were either of ya, i wouldn't even buy green bananas
Posted By: PappyD

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/08/10 11:32 PM

Man Okie, I'm just in awe, what an adventure!
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/08/10 11:50 PM

dang the waitting is killing me
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 12:11 AM

Originally Posted By: Hupurest
Originally Posted By: white17
Yeah I can get you some birch burls but it won't be until next year if you can hang on.


I don't think either of you old men should be selling futures contracts.....

Heck, If I were either of ya, i wouldn't even buy green bananas


Now Huper, most all of my family has lived into their late 80's to mid 90's. smile

They say the cold slows the aging process !!
Posted By: Hiltz

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 12:19 AM

This is the best written thread ever, I am loving it, just read the whole thing, had missed seeing it !
Posted By: Skyraptor

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 12:48 AM

Before you know it White17 will be having an auction for harvesting birch burls! smile
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 01:04 AM

Day 6 is on the editor's desk, but he seems to be asleep at the wheel. When I get the green light I'll post it.
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 01:13 AM

lol now who's holding up the game ?????????????
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 01:59 AM

Day 6

Monday February 15th 2010
8:00 AM Clear, 14 above

After yesterday's sucess, I could go home right now with a smile on my face. I honestly came on this trip happy to be able live for ten plus days in the wilderness I had dreamed of since a kid. I tried to come here with no expectations of what I may or may not catch. If anyone would have told me before I left I’d have the kind of time I’ve had already, I wouldn’t have believed them. In five trapping days, we’ve already caught more fur than what I had expected from the entire trip. I cant say the wolverine was a shock to catch, but it was all that I had dreamed of. Before leaving Louisiana, Ken had said that even under poor conditions, he believed we’d have a good shot at one. And just think, the trip is only half over.

We get the day started with our hot breakfast, and then a quick peek out the door to see if the camp raider has been caught. Nope. But I’m neither surprised nor disappointed. There is enough bait laying around the shed to keep him fed for a year. We have witnessed his affection for spruce chicken, so we know he’ll sniff that leg out soon enough.

We decide to spend the morning checking out our northern line. We think that if the animals have moved at all we should have at least two or three wolverine caught already. As we ride the trails across the northern tundra we are both surprised to see no fresh sign. We do a little more prospecting in the area and set out a double MB 750(W) under a hanging bait, and another wolverine trail snare. When, not "if", that dude comes back through here he’s got several surprises waiting for him.

While on the tundra Ken points out a creek that connects to the slough where we have the gulo gauntlet set. He thinks it might be a good idea to walk that creek in the next few days and see if there is enough sign to set an extension line there. I think the idea is great, but it’s not happening today. We both know that back at camp there are five critters ready to be skinned.We’ve burned up a good part of the morning just basically looking over the country and enjoying the bright sunshine.

We get back and have a quick snack then it’s knife time. I’m glad Ken is a patient man. I came up here with the plan to do everything I could without his physical help, only his advice. So far he’s been more than accommodating, allowing me all the time I need to work things out on my own. I sure do appreciate this aspect of the trip. He’s there willing to give any advice or help I ask for, but he doesn’t knock me out of the way to do something simple that I’m bumbling with.

It takes me right at four hours to complete a warm up marten and the wolverine. I know that odds are I’ll be full body mounting this wolverine, so it’s slow and steady for me. Ken stands by and gives me advice as I go but I notice he makes a point not to touch the knife, that is until I flat out balk at splitting the ears. I was fine skinning out the eyes, ears, nose and feet, split the lips and pads, but no way am I cutting off one of this guys ears after all that work. I do take advantage of his experience and ask him to take over. I watch him split the ears and I’m pretty sure I still cant do it. Ken says it takes him about two hours to completely prep a wolverine. Even though it took me well over twice the time just for skinning, and my hands are one big cramp, I’m very satisfied with my work. Heck, I even look forward to doing it again!









While I’m skinning, Ken sees our camp raider is back at his plundering, I keep waiting to hear the “SNAP“ from the 220 shovel set, but no luck. Ken watches him through a crack in the door. The little guy sure is persistent, he circles the camp numerous times sometimes within inches of the front door. It’s neat watching him, whenever possible he hops in his existing tracks. He stand on his hind legs often to sniff the air. Those guys must have a heck of a nose on them. Ken realizes that he is checking out his “brethren” who are hanging from the old wood shed. Some of the brethren are also playing in the yard minus their fur coats. He doesn’t seem overly bothered by their misfortune, so we figure tonight’s the night for his raiding to end.








Dinner is moose burgers with cheese and home fries. Did I mention I really like moose meat?

11:45 PM
Reading a few pages of the “Corps” and about to fall asleep when….SNAP! The camp raider has stole his last spruce chicken. I jump out of bed to go see if he needs any first aide. Unfortunately for him, I’d make a better living in assisted suicide than in saving lives. He turns out to be another large male. Great dark coloring and P.I.G. fat. Marten number seven, number five for the day, is hanging on the shed with his kin.

Have you ever skinned so much that your hands turn into meat clubs at the end of your arms??
Note to Ken...Thanks for opening the child proof asprin bottle for me. And for digging three of them out of the bottle. And for holding up my cup of water. And for helping me untie my shoes.
Posted By: HAGz

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 02:15 AM

un-believable... what an awesome experience... Your a lucky man Okie and Ken is just as lucky to be able to "share" his backyard with you to give you a life of memories...
Posted By: bglong

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 02:15 AM

Man, the only fur I see in my yard are grinners! Great going. Hope your fingers are back to normal tomorrow.

Really enjoying the play by.

Bill
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 02:23 AM

You're welcome. Just don't ever ask me to warm your undies by the stove again !
Posted By: Freepop

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 02:27 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
You're welcome. Just don't ever ask me to warm your undies by the stove again !


..and here I thought you were uncomfortable about helping with his zipper, you already passed second and was rounding to home plate LOL!
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 02:34 AM

I thought something might be slightly "off" the first night when he put on his "jammies" with the feet on 'em.
Posted By: Freepop

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 02:43 AM

White, I think those had snake chap feet and leggings.
Posted By: Birddog

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 03:01 AM

I love it!!! what a trip!
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 03:21 AM

Now don't be mean to him fellas, he still has a few days to tell us about.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 05:30 AM

Can hardly wait to hear more.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 05:33 AM

you should all be waiting for his LAST DAY....... that was when he had all the REAL fun......
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 05:52 AM

The trapping is the real fun.
Posted By: Trap wild

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 11:34 AM

Okay thats just wrong!I can't hardly wait for the next day and your telling us that the real fun happened on the last day Hupurest? Thats not right. >>>>>>>>>> I think one of the other guys said it already but I'll say it again - THANK YOU WHITE FOR LETTING US INTO YOUR CABIN AND ON YOUR LINE! Man this is a great read!
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 04:37 PM

Glad you are enjoying it.
Posted By: Ohio Andy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/09/10 04:57 PM

Look at the concentration in those eyes! Careful Okie, you will stare a hole right thru that thing!

I still stand what i said in my pm to you Okie. Great read!

Originally Posted By: Okiekajun


Posted By: redleg83

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 12:47 AM

bring on the next day
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 12:51 AM

Yep,I'm ready.
Posted By: bowhunter27295

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 01:14 AM

It's a rare breed of man that will pay for pain and enjoy it. crazy grin I would have to say I would be smiling also. I know two coyotes in one day is tough, I can only imagine your hands with all that fur to process.

What is skinning a wolverine and marten like compared to in the lower 48?
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 01:53 AM

The marten isn't bad at all. Sort of like a mink only cleaner.

The wolverine has to be cut every inch of the way. They don't pull at all. Sorta like skinning 82 otter with a dull rock.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 02:13 AM

Day 7

Tuesday February 16th (Fat Tuesday) 2010
Clear, 18 above


Ken keeps throwing beads at me trying to get me to lift my shirt. (lame mardi gras joke)

Morning breakfast ate and dishes done. We decide to head out to the southern line that we had previously snow shoed. I’m excited to get to make a few wolverine sets in the famed “gulo ditch”. Ken says we should probably add a few more marten sets to the three we had originally made. We load the sled lightly anticipating the rough terrain.

Shortly after climbing our homemade snow ramp, we arrive at the first of three marten foothold sets that we’d made while breaking trail. We’re greeted by with a nice marten waiting patiently for us. She’s a feisty, medium sized female. Number eight overall, and the first female we’ve got. I get to try my hand at Ken’s quick dispatch method. I’ll sum it up by saying this…you better be fast, and you better not worry about being bitten, or you’ll have a little buzz saw attached to you before you know it. After a couple of “false starts” I manage to get the young lady to see things my way. It goes without a hitch and I hang her in the fork of a tree to be picked up on the way back. We set a vertical can en-route to the next set. At leaning pole number 2 of the line, the trap was sprung and empty. After closer inspection we had to replace the trap due to slow firing. Hopefully our next trip through we'll have the culprit. We set another vertical can a few yards from this set.

We check the third leaning pole located in “gulo ditch” and it’s empty, we put out a wolverine bucket there and continue on to where we had stopped the snow shoe death march. The going is really rough here and I spend as much time pushing on the back of the sled as I do standing on the runners. Don’t think for a minute that Ken has it made while driving the machine. He’s had me drive enough that I know what a workout it is to be constantly throwing your body from side to side while trying to keep the machine upright and moving forward. I really hope all the hard work will be worth it. Ken points to a blaze mark on a tree. He says that the blazed tree marks one of his old trails that leads down to a creek. He suggests I bring some gear, go down to the creek bank and make a good wolverine set. He’s says he’s going to try to find an easier way to get back out to the tundra. I grab up the trap, bucket, tie-off snare, and Backbreaker, and make way down to the creek looking for a good set site. Soon the sound of the machine fades away and I take a minute to just stand looking at the empty sky. I notice there are no birds chirping, no planes flying over, no trains in the distance, there is nothing. Not so much as a hint of a breeze stirs. I realize I’m listening to the sound of silence. Yes, that’s right, the sound of silence. It’s something that I’ve been told of, but never experienced. Now, as I stand here, I notice there is not a single sound to be heard, except for the hollow ring of silence. It’s not eerie or creepy, it’s indescribably peaceful.



I snap out of my minute of daydreaming and look to find the perfect spot to make a gulo connection. I find what I think looks like an ideal spot, a small ridge near the creek bank, with a stout log propped up enough to allow me to wedge the bucket under it. As I walk over to set it up I see a good sign, a fresh wolverine trail lays about three feet on the other side of the log I’d picked out. That gives me a little confidence! I start making the set and realize that the springs aren’t cocked on the belisle 330. Ooopps. Well I’m not going to walk back out and then wait on Ken to get back, so I figure I’ll use a little T-man knowledge and just set it by hand. It actually works out well and is much easier than I had thought. I finish the set up giving it a healthy dose of Backbreaker, and head back to meet up with Ken. We use the trail he’s made to get across the tundra and stick in one more leaning pole set.

After the bumpy ride out we head back to camp to have a good snack (smoked salmon courtesy of Hupurest) and warm drinks. Then it’s off to prospect on the creek near the Northern line, the one that Ken had been interested in. We decide we may as well just check a few of those sets while we’re in the area. I think Ken wants to see those wolverine snares and the hay set produce just as bad as me. We check the arsenal of gulo sets, as well as the few marten sets, near the area but we haven’t connected. Again, we leave puzzled by the lack of fresh sign, we decide to stay away from the remaining canine and marten sets, we’ll return the following day and check them.

We find a suitable place to get on the creek and take off on our afternoon stroll. Ken’s not sure of the condition of the ice so we leave the machine and go on foot, staying near the bank. He is kind enough to walk in front, but his talk of thin ice still keeps me on edge. After the first ten or twelve times of breaking through the shallow overflow ice, I finally stopped leaping for the nearest tree. The overflow ice was dry underneath and had thick solid ice an inch or so underneath. I tried to think “light”.

We covered over a mile of walking distance, but probably weren’t over a half of a mile from the sled. The creek looked like an oversized snake trail, but at least the snow on top was not so deep as to need snoe shoes. The creek was covered in tracks of all kinds. There were numerous marten tracks, several wolverine tracks, and an uncountable number of otter trails. Several times we even see where the wolverine(s) have used the otter trails like snowplowed roads. As we get near where the creek runs into the river, we reach a confluence of trails. It’s a likely looking place for a wolverine set, and as an added bonus there is a hole in the main creek ice that is obviously being kept open with often use. To me this seems to be an otter producer.







With our reconnaissance mission complete, we mentally set out the line on our way back out to the sled. It looks like we’ve got a decent little prospect line here, and we’re anxious to get back and set it up.

Dinner is moose roast and gravy Part Deuce… even better than the first time.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 02:18 AM

Man, your living my dream.It only gets better and better.Thanks for sharing.
Posted By: JimVerdier

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 02:37 AM

Im eating this up. Thank you for posting this and the pics. As good as it gets from my viewpoint
Posted By: STINGER

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 02:43 AM

excellent ............ any pics of that set you made with the heavy dose of backbreaker



bring on that otter
Posted By: PappyD

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 02:45 AM

Better than anything on TV by a long shot! Thanks for taking the time to share this adventure with us, can't wait to read more!
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 02:48 AM

I thought I did, but looking through my pic index I dont see one. I did find a photo that I'll post tomorrow, of the same kind Backbreaker laced set, only it was located on the creek mentioned above.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 02:48 AM

Thank you all for the compliments.
Posted By: newhouse114

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 03:59 AM

If you ever get the chance, read "The Lure of Little Voices" by Robert Service. It deals with the lure of prospecting but bush trapping in Alaska is about as bad. Reading this is amplifying those "voices" that I hear ALL THE TIME.
Posted By: kody morgan

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 04:12 AM

this should be a book!
Posted By: scabtrapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 04:25 AM

Awesome & neat pics/posts! great stuff!

And I'm hooked!! crazy . . . forget Dirty Jobs . . . Deadliest Catch . . . and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy!

I smell a reality show in the making for next year . . . perhaps "Real Housewives of McGrath" or "Survivor - Ken's Cabin"

Okie & Ken - Has the Discovery Channel or the Lifetime network called yet??
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 04:33 AM

I did have a guy today trying to pitch me to let him sell trips with me in future years. Wanted To include it on his website where he sells Iditarod race tours to photographers. LOL !
Posted By: 3 Fingers

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 07:32 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
... Iditarod race tours ...
That time of year eh? Must be starting to bustle with activity there.
Posted By: Trap wild

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 11:30 AM

Wouldn't you know it,they have sold out hunting,now some one's trying to do it to trapping.Bad deal if you ask me,trying to make our great heritage a money maker!
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 11:59 AM

White for a chance to trap with you on your trapline in Alaska I'd walk from my home here in Maine to get up there. grin
Posted By: Trap wild

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 12:28 PM

Me too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted By: TrapperMe

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 02:55 PM

Originally Posted By: Bruce T
White for a chance to trap with you on your trapline in Alaska I'd walk from my home here in Maine to get up there. grin


Maybe we can start a TrapperMan walk-a-thon for you. You know, sponsor each mile.

I'd love to see you walk from Maine to Alaska and record a video diary of your adventure. After reading of your "strolls" in the North Maine Woods, I'm sure you could pull it off.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 03:02 PM

Originally Posted By: TrapperMe
Originally Posted By: Bruce T
White for a chance to trap with you on your trapline in Alaska I'd walk from my home here in Maine to get up there. grin


Maybe we can start a TrapperMan walk-a-thon for you. You know, sponsor each mile.

I'd love to see you walk from Maine to Alaska and record a video diary of your adventure. After reading of your "strolls" in the North Maine Woods, I'm sure you could pull it off.

Lol.Great idea.I love it.I'd keep a video and a journal.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 04:51 PM

Originally Posted By: Trap wild
Wouldn't you know it,they have sold out hunting,now some one's trying to do it to trapping.Bad deal if you ask me,trying to make our great heritage a money maker!


Trap Wild; due to the fact that you are relatively new to the forum, you are grossly misinformed about the purpose of this trip. ALL monies go directly to a project to survey wolverine populations in parts of Alaska. No one made a dime on anything. In fact, it cost everyone involved, something.

Members of these forums have donated nearly 12000 dollars in cash and others have donated their time, effort, aiplanes, homes, and experience.

Posted By: Jeff Barnes

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 05:35 PM

White... do you think you can show me a picture of how you do your vertical and leaning tree coffee can sets?

Thanks in advance,

Jeff
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 05:40 PM

OK, where is the next day
Posted By: Trap wild

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 05:45 PM

I'm sorry I come across as to mean that you or any one else on this site is making a profit on this trip, thats not what i thought, sorry. I understand the money goes to the project. And that is great.I MEAN NO DISRESPECT TO YOU,OKIE OR ANY ONE ELSE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT.Big money is just starting to take over hunting and fishing.It's starting to get bad around my part of the country with fewer and fewer places to hunt and fish for the average guy. I'm scared trapping,one of the most pure of all of our endeavors is next.Thats the reason for my reaction. ONCE AGAIN SORRY AND NOT DISRESPECT DUE.
Posted By: Trap wild

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 05:56 PM

I was making mention to the guy trying to sell the trips,not you,sorry white.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 06:07 PM

Originally Posted By: Jeff Barnes
White... do you think you can show me a picture of how you do your vertical and leaning tree coffee can sets?

Thanks in advance,

Jeff






In the second picture you can see the white wire(upper left) that holds the can to the tree. The trap is a Belisle 120 and the pipe is 1/2" I.D. PVC. The bait is either wired or frozen into the can. Works the same on a leaner.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 06:23 PM

LOL!
Posted By: Jeff Barnes

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 09:00 PM

White,

One last question... what is keeping the trap up? How do you have that attached?
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 09:03 PM

The jaws are clamped on the pvc pipe. It's a snug fit !
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 11:29 PM

ok and? is the intermission about over?
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 11:38 PM

Originally Posted By: upstateNY
Originally Posted By: Bruce T
White for a chance to trap with you on your trapline in Alaska I'd walk from my home here in Maine to get up there. grin
We can call you Bruce Gump.Run Bruce,,,Run.!!! LOL

Lol.I'm also into the shrimp business. grin
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 11:52 PM

I've only got a minute and then I'm headed out the door.

SO...sorry but no Journal entry tonight.

I dont want to dissapoint or drag this out but, keep in mind there is probably another week plus of journal entry notes I have scribbled down. I'll keep trying to get one journal "day" per evening so as to not drag it out too long, but story writing is not my strong point, and I know I wont be available this weekend to write any.

I promise, Ken and I want to find out how this story ends just as badly as you all do. LOL
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/10/10 11:54 PM

No problem.Great story.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 12:09 AM

Grief counselors will be available this evening for all who need them. Contact Paul Dobbins at the link listed at the top of the page.
Posted By: Freepop

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 12:31 AM

I just grabbed a "canned grief counselor" outa the fridge.
Posted By: bowhunter27295

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 12:31 AM

Grief counselors? If you don't give us all a hit per day, we're gonna have to go to the methadone clinic!!! cry cry Addicts are an "anxious" sort!! crazy crazy laugh
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 12:44 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
Grief counselors will be available this evening for all who need them. Contact Paul Dobbins at the link listed at the top of the page.
great,the line is busy,now what!
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 12:48 AM

Take an aspirin and call in the morning.
Posted By: bowhunter27295

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 12:53 AM

How much whiskey should I drink to take the aspirin properly, "Mr. Sunshine"? smirk
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 01:00 AM

Well enough so that they don't stick in your throat. Probably 4 fingers is a good rule of thumb. (how can that be ?)
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 01:03 AM

on coumadin,cant take aspirin,no alcohol,may have to go out to the shed and take couple deep whiffs of gusto,with a chaser of muskrat all call.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 01:22 AM

There ya go !
Posted By: bowhunter27295

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 01:25 AM

Is that measured on a pint, fifth or half gallon bottle? grin
Posted By: bowhunter27295

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 01:30 AM

AHHHH, Gusto!!! Nostril cleaner extraordinaire. shocked I think if one of us passes out from withdrawals, the gusto could double as smelling salts. laugh
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 01:41 AM

Measured on a glove.

Just rub the Gusto on your upper lip and you'll be in good shape.
Posted By: bowhunter27295

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 01:44 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
Measured on a glove.

Just rub the Gusto on your upper lip and you'll be in good shape.



laugh laugh laugh LMAO!!
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 02:32 AM

if I put gusto on my upper lip then there will be more trouble than i started with,wife dont care for it one bit.upstate, can cut myself,I take 10 mg of rat poison every day,my blood is same as most folks for thick when on it.
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 02:38 AM

White17 - "Grief counselors will be available this evening for all who need them. Contact Paul Dobbins at the link listed at the top of the page."

Y'all go ahead, and I'll give ya a grief ban. That's a new kind I've never tried out before and am anxious to see how it works... grin
Posted By: Ark Trapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 02:45 AM

You know that you are watching too Paul! haha so who you going to call?
Posted By: Top Jimmy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 03:07 AM

Originally Posted By: Paul Dobbins
White17 - "Grief counselors will be available this evening for all who need them. Contact Paul Dobbins at the link listed at the top of the page."

Y'all go ahead, and I'll give ya a grief ban. That's a new kind I've never tried out before and am anxious to see how it works... grin


Starting to sound like Hal..... smile

-TJ
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 03:11 AM

Yeah, I get a kick out of some of Hal's "special" bans - lol.
Posted By: STINGER

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 03:17 AM

Originally Posted By: Okiekajun
I thought I did, but looking through my pic index I dont see one. I did find a photo that I'll post tomorrow, of the same kind Backbreaker laced set, only it was located on the creek mentioned above.




thanks Okie .................. preciate it
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 03:55 AM

Ark Trapper - "You know that you are watching too Paul!"

I surely am. I'm enjoying this at least as much as y'all are. I also anxiously await each new day's post from Okie. It'll be sad when its all completed.... kinda like the end of trapping season.
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 06:46 AM

Paul,when was the last time you saw a end to trapping season? LOL
Posted By: Eric Cottrell

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 07:49 AM

I finally got caught up. Been busy down here these last couple days. Really enjoying the read Jon.
Posted By: wr otis

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 11:08 AM

With three or four feet of ice that seems like a heck of a place for otter and beaver to live, is there any open flowing water at all in winter? The beaver feed piles would have to be huge I would guess?
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 12:33 PM

Originally Posted By: wr otis
With three or four feet of ice that seems like a heck of a place for otter and beaver to live, is there any open flowing water at all in winter? The beaver feed piles would have to be huge I would guess?

The beaver better make sure they build their houses in the right locations.Otter can just keep moving.Lol
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/11/10 04:58 PM

Yeah this particular river has open spots all the time. That's why it is unsafe to use as a travel route. Places that were frozen yesterday may be open tomorrow.

Beaver grub piles don't seem all that large to me. I've seen much bigger ones on slower rivers. This water runs about 6-7 knots at my location.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/12/10 04:18 PM

Which river is that Ken? Where are you located, maybe that was mentioned earlier and I missed it?
Posted By: Idtrapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/12/10 04:27 PM

Might be No-Tell-um crk - on the back side of lost mountain --
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/12/10 04:29 PM

Originally Posted By: Idtrapper
Might be No-Tell-um crk - on the back side of lost mountain --

Lol.Heard of that place.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/12/10 05:43 PM

Yeah Bruce, lol, "just below that old white mountain, just a little SE of Nome.....Way up North........"
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/12/10 05:50 PM

That's the one !
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/12/10 05:53 PM

LOL, sort of thought that might be it. I saw the Chena the same way, open today, froze tight as a tic the next. Parts of the Tanana the same way. I loved the Klutina though, never saw an open spot on it from the Copper to the Lake while I was there.
Posted By: redleg83

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 01:02 AM

wheres the next day
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 01:05 AM

Originally Posted By: Okiekajun
I've only got a minute and then I'm headed out the door.

SO...sorry but no Journal entry tonight.

I dont want to dissapoint or drag this out but, keep in mind there is probably another week plus of journal entry notes I have scribbled down. I'll keep trying to get one journal "day" per evening so as to not drag it out too long, but story writing is not my strong point, and I know I wont be available this weekend to write any.

I promise, Ken and I want to find out how this story ends just as badly as you all do. LOL


frown

~ADC~
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 01:11 AM

Lol....Just like trapping critters here in northern Maine.You have to wait a little while. smile
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 01:15 AM

OK I'll try this brief story just to ward off the DT's in some of you.


I hope I don't steal any of Okie's thunder here.

On the last day of the trip we were out pulling sets and I was feeling guilty that I hadn't really provided a complete Alaskan experience for Okie.

We stopped to pull a marten set and had two wolverine buckets nearby. I eyeballed the severe dip in the ice on the slough ahead of me, and knowing what this spot can be like, I told Okie to stay on the sled and we'd take a short cut and pull up right next to the traps. Remember, we'd had several days above 32 and then a little snow.

So I pull forward and make a hard left across the dip and.....almost make it across. Just the right amount of overflow brought us to a halt.

I told Okie to grab the shovel and start moving dry snow under the machine. I rolled the machine on it's side and let him stand in the water and shovel. It was great. I could see the pleasure and delight in his eyes.

I flipped the machine back upright and pulled ahead onto solid snow. Okie followed, sloshing through the mess while dragging the sled.

The trip of a lifetime was assured.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 01:29 AM

Nice friend.Lol
Posted By: Vinke

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 02:00 AM

White............... Can you give "us/Me" an incite to what is required for Clothing? (Besides incredible hulk jammies and thongs) ?
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 02:15 AM

Wool would be a great start.Cold here to.
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 02:41 AM

Mean As Nails .........now i get it!
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 04:06 AM

That's me.


Vinke: this is what I sent to OKIE before he came up. This is pretty basic and just for a couple of weeks. If it doesn't post well I can email it.

quant. item comments

5 pair sox polypropelene or wool. Your preference
2 pair long johns top and bottom polypropelene or wool. Your preference
5 or 10 Tee shirts shouldn't need many
2 pants I use levis but whatever you want is good
3 or 4 shirts. Long sleeved. W/pockets; flannel or wool
1 vest down, poly, flannel, wool
1 pair insulated over pants. zip up the legs. Bib or waist high 1 good coat with GOOD hood down or synthetic fill OK
3 pair cotton chore gloves monkey face type
1 pair rag wool mittens double knit if you can find them
1 pair insulated mittens maybe the old military style. Should be cheap.
1 pair leather choppers mitts if you can find them
1 pair boots. might want to just buy some white bunny boots
1 stocking cap. wool or synthetic
1 sunglasses don't have to be expensive
1 house slippers
1 small LED headlamp AAA battery size
1 small flashlight AA or similar; not metal
1 pretty good sleeping bag don't spend a fortune.
1 face mask inexpensive
1 scarf or neck warmer
2 handkerchiefs
skivvies whatever you figure you'll need
prescription drugs twice what you think you'll need
Glasses ?? extra pair
chap stick
normal toiletries
1 plastic match safe I'll give you matches
1 skinning knife If you want to bring one. Whatever you use on rats

anything you can't live without.
Posted By: Brady

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 04:15 AM

How did Okie power his hair dryer and wet wipe warmer?
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 04:16 AM

Solar !
Posted By: Brady

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 06:15 AM

You guys are sooo green! Do you get any government incentives for using wind, solar, or other renewable energy sources at your cabin? grin BTW, this thread has been a highlight for me. Thanks for sharing!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 01:22 PM

You forgot to add Donuts to the list !! laugh
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 01:27 PM

dang i been gone for 2 days was skert near to death i had miss a bunch of this post lol
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 02:42 PM

Nah! Okie's been catchin' up on his sleep since he got home. No time to write.
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 03:30 PM

probably looking in every specialty shop around for moose meat,might be hard to eat beef now. LOL
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 03:33 PM

He was having a bad attack of crawfish withdrawal when he left my place.
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 04:07 PM

dang a mess of crawdads would sure hit the spot bout now
Posted By: TroyMcDaniel

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 04:33 PM

BBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We need more adventure somebody need's to get their PRIORITIES STRAIGHT and get to writing LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted By: violater

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 07:58 PM

wanta read more cry
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/13/10 11:52 PM

Good things are always worth waiting for.
Posted By: madtrapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 01:09 AM

I wanna go up there, how much would it cost? White, do you have internet service back in there? or maybe your cabin isn't really back in by lost mountain.
Posted By: madtrapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 01:18 AM

Okie, you've got to enter this story in a contest like the NTA contest, I bet you would win.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 01:20 AM

No there is no internet service there.

It's beyong lost mountain.

It takes 3 days to get there by boat and we normally don't see anyone for 6 months at a time unless Curly is out looking for wolves or delivering Christmas dinner.

Last year on Christmas I was out checking traps all day. When I got back to the cabin there was a new stack of magazines on the table. There was also a freshly roasted goose dinner with all the trimmings. Curly and Betty were playing Santa Claus that day.
Posted By: Jon A

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 01:21 AM

Madtrapper my ticket into anchorage was something like 600 roundtrip. It took 2200 for me and at the time girlfriend to get from Chicago to bethel round trip this time last year.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 01:23 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
No there is no internet service there.

It's beyond lost mountain.

It takes 3 days to get there by boat and we normally don't see anyone for 6 months at a time


Sounds perfect. smile
Posted By: 3 Fingers

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 01:30 AM

Originally Posted By: white17


Last year on Christmas I was out checking traps all day. When I got back to the cabin there was a new stack of magazines on the table. There was also a freshly roasted goose dinner with all the trimmings. Curly and Betty were playing Santa Claus that day.
Seems like trapping is always good on Christmas. Musta been awesome coming in to a great meal! Had a guy stop in to check once and thought he'd leave me some fresh fruit. Time I got there the apples were hard as pool balls.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 01:37 AM

LOL ! You still make applesauce I guess.
Posted By: Raccoontrapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 02:41 AM

Originally Posted By: Bruce T
Originally Posted By: white17
No there is no internet service there.

It's beyond lost mountain.

It takes 3 days to get there by boat and we normally don't see anyone for 6 months at a time


Sounds perfect. smile

Yup.
Posted By: Lugnut

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 02:53 AM

White 17, wasn't it you that wrote the story of the boat passage along the British Columbia/Washington coast a few years back?
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 03:44 AM

OK, so where is the next chapter .................?????????????
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 04:26 AM

Originally Posted By: Lugnut
White 17, wasn't it you that wrote the story of the boat passage along the British Columbia/Washington coast a few years back?



Yes it was. Good memory ! That was 2005
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 12:43 PM

man i hope okie gets his need to be prudy sleep all caught up soon
Posted By: Lugnut

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 01:08 PM

Originally Posted By: white17
Originally Posted By: Lugnut
White 17, wasn't it you that wrote the story of the boat passage along the British Columbia/Washington coast a few years back?



Yes it was. Good memory ! That was 2005


That was the best story I ever read here on Trapperman, I printed it out and had my wife and kids read it. Could you repost or PM it to me if you still have it?

IMO, this current tale by Okiekajun is second only to that one for best Trapperman read and like everybody else, I'm really looking forward to the next installment.





Posted By: wynn hall

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 03:19 PM

Can't wait to read more.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 03:39 PM

Lugnut.

I'll email it to you, Is your address still the one in your profile?
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 03:52 PM

If this is a good story,im sure more would like to read it,myself included,could you just repost?
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 03:56 PM

OK. I'll do that. But lets wait until Okie finishes this one..........if he ever wakes up.
Posted By: Lugnut

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/14/10 04:11 PM

Originally Posted By: trapr
If this is a good story,im sure more would like to read it,myself included,could you just repost?


It's a great story and I'm sure many who have never seen it would enjoy reading it.


Originally Posted By: white17
OK. I'll do that. But lets wait until Okie finishes this one..........if he ever wakes up.


Thanks, I'm looking forward to rereading it.

Okie, I didn't intend in anyway to hijack your thread and I can hardly wait for the next installment.

The fact that the central character in both stories is the same guy is what made me remember the earlier tale.
Posted By: swamphaunter

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/15/10 03:16 PM

ttt
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/15/10 03:19 PM

MIA
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/15/10 03:39 PM

I think he is still trying to warm up
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/15/10 03:42 PM

Originally Posted By: mark
I think he is still trying to warm up

Maybe he can't get any sleep due to having flashbacks from trying to paper bag the wolverine?Lol
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/15/10 04:02 PM

LOL ! Bruce!
Posted By: swamphaunter

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/15/10 04:42 PM

if i dont get my "Okie Show" fix soon im gonna paper bag somebody!
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 02:43 AM

so where is the next day installment?
Posted By: Bobby G

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 02:57 AM

He must have writers block. grin
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 03:31 AM

Well I'm going to go ahead and finish this thing off.

Day 8;

And they lived happily ever after.
Posted By: Eric Cottrell

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 03:42 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
Well I'm going to go ahead and finish this thing off.

Day 8;

And they lived happily ever after.


WRONG!!! If Okie don't come on and get the next day wrote up within the next 24 hours, I'm gona post his picture and phone number on every porn site I can find on the web! smirk
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 03:49 AM

He told me it already was......
Posted By: Eric Cottrell

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 03:54 AM

Well then....I'll update it with some pictures of you with him Ken! Something to let everyone know he's into the older crowd too!
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 04:02 AM

There are no geriatric dating sites ........are there ?
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 04:09 AM

better not go there white17,I bet OB knows where to hide a body.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 04:13 AM

no comment :X
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 08:56 PM

well i reckon a dang gulo done et him
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 09:05 PM

Originally Posted By: Bud Guidry
i think mrs. okie is more dangerous to okie than any gulo


Bud

Lol,might be true
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 09:39 PM

Originally Posted By: Bud Guidry
i think mrs. okie is more dangerous to okie than any gulo


Bud


yeppers lol
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 10:26 PM

maybe we should give her a call and let her know how Okie is leaving us all hanging.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 11:30 PM

OK I just heard from Okie. He has been sent to his room for several days so he asked me to post the following. I can't post his pix with it so I'll have to edit it and slip in some of mine. His don't show the truth anyway. Here ya go. Ken.

Day 8
Wednesday February 17th 2010
Cloudy, Snow/Ice flurries, 22 above

Ken thinks I‘ve brought this heat wave up from Louisiana. I‘m beginning to think he may be right. We decide if the heat continues the next few days, we will try out a new hide preservative on the wolverine pelt and then pack it in snow. Hopefully it will cool back down soon. I’m happy we haven’t had and -50 degree weather, but I didn’t come up here to wear short sleeve shirts and work on my tan.

After breakfast this morning, we decide to check the entire northern line and then make sets in the locations we had found during our prospecting walk of the creek. Before leaving I bring in the “camp raider” to let him warm up while we’re gone. Now that his reign of mischief is over, it’s time he donated his fur coat.

The first two marten sets are empty. The lack of fresh sign since our first visit here continues to baffle us both. Between sets I ride along thinking over the lack of production here. I can understand if our presence has spooked off the “unknown canine”, but it makes no sense as to why the wolverine, fox, and even marten, sign has stopped. On the other lines our snow machine trails, even our foot trails, seem to attract the critters like magnets. I’m not losing faith in the area, I’m just extremely surprised it has produced so little for the early sign present.

Just when I’m thinking that we may have to wait for a weather change to see activity in this area, we ride up to marten number nine, another beautifully furred male, caught in a 120 leaning pole can.

With hopes a little higher, we check the last of the sets before moving over to lay out the creek line. Ken stops short looking at a leaning pole that should contain, at least, a number one jump trap and a spruce chicken wing. Neither are visible. The set is about twenty yards from the snow machine trail so I walk over to have a look. The inch or so of fresh snow hides some of the story, but the evidence left shows that we had in fact made a marten catch, only to have it stolen. As Ken and I search the area we see that it appears an otter has made off with our marten. The otter has come on a straight line (odd for an otter) from the creek to the set, spent a considerable time under the hanging marten, then made off with the marten and the trap. The otters trail takes off back to the creek and we are unable to locate any sign of the catch or trap. Ken suspects the otter may have heard the foot caught marten, come over to investigate, got a hold of the marten, and pulled the marten and trap free, making off with the whole rig. Potential marten number ten is lost. I’m pretty disgusted at losing the marten, real disgusted at losing the trap, and even more disgusted that the smart-alecky otter didn’t continue down to the gulo gauntlet and get caught there. Ken tells me "crap happens" and luckily for me the trap replacement value is fairly low. (In fact, I don't even bring it up :/) He’s only gonna charge me twenty bucks per year for the trap’s “sentimental” value. Unfortunately for me that particular trap has been on his line since the great depression. Man I really hate that otter.

While I’m still trying to figure out how to calculate depreciation of an eighty year old trap, Ken drives the snow machine and sled onto the creek and we make off for the tracked up creek intersection where we’ll set up. He yells back to me that if we break through I should just throw myself towards the bank and not worry about him or the sled. I think he realized his words were pointless when he saw I had already assumed the position of an Olympic high jumper, and was just waiting for an excuse to show off my panic and fleeing skills. I comforted him by saying that I’d do my best to salvage the lost marten and ax if he did go through.



We made what I thought were some guaranteed killer sets on the creek.
The Creek;


Otter hole;




220 over hole



330 set where otter was resting after coming out of the hole.


Wolverine bucket set that really was stinky !


Okie taking pix when he should have been setting traps









We left the line and made it back to the cabin for some afternoon skinning. We spent the evening listening to John Prine on Ken’s Ipod. I skinned marten while Ken did his “Martha Stewart meets American Idol” impression. Not only can the man carry a tune, but he can bake some killer homemade rolls in an impromptu oven he constructs on the stove top. The only draw back to these skinning conditions is the frequent cuts I make to my fingers, distracted either from watching the chef at work, or laughing at his effortless lyrics changes he makes while he sings along. I’m pretty sure ol’George Jones never heard his songs sung quite like that!

Impromptu oven


reults;



Smoked sausage with grilled onions, hash browns, and homemade rolls for dinner.

Lesson Learned…
I learned that “he didn’t stop loving her today” after all.
_________________________
Alaskan certified...
Taught the traditional Alaskan "bush" life by the legendary white17.
Taught the modern Alaskan "bush" life by Hupurest and Alaskan.


Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 11:36 PM

Awesome story.To bad the otter got away with the marten.Maybe White17 will accept a payment plan on the lost trap.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 11:39 PM

Okie has assured me he will add his pix later. Hopefully this year.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 11:41 PM

White you ever heard of a wolverine being held by a #0 trap?
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 11:47 PM

No bruce but I did hold a small female in two # 1 1/2LS on the back feet.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 11:54 PM

Originally Posted By: white17
No bruce but I did hold a small female in two # 1 1/2LS on the back feet.

I can believe the small female in the 1 1/2.I thought the other was a bunch of bull.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/16/10 11:55 PM

A fisher would rip that #0 apart let alone a wolverine.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/17/10 12:09 AM

Yep 99.9% of the time
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/17/10 12:15 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
Yep 99.9% of the time

LOl the guy is claiming multiple wolverine catches with #0's laugh laugh
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/17/10 12:17 AM

B.S. Gotta be a kid.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/17/10 12:20 AM

Originally Posted By: white17
B.S. Gotta be a kid.

YEP
Posted By: fishermann222

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/17/10 12:20 AM

The kid is JustTrap, a 2nd year trapper who has not trapped any furbearers yet. White17 it is the same kid that was claiming he knows the "best" marten trapper in the state of Alaska, and he catches over 1000 a year. Remember that?

I think he might be a little gullible.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/17/10 12:21 AM

Originally Posted By: fishermann222
The kid is JustTrap, a 2nd year trapper who has not trapped any furbearers yet. White17 it is the same kid that was claiming he knows the "best" marten trapper in the state of Alaska, and he catches over 1000 a year. Remember that?

I think he might be a little gullible.

Lol
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/17/10 12:27 AM

man them was some good looking rolls.
Posted By: GritGuy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/17/10 12:39 AM

I'm thinking it may be worth bidding on this next time just to be fed and dragged around on a sled, that seems to be half of the excitement of the trip LOL.

Might be the over loaded wait for this chapter but I was let down with no wolf, otter or lynx catchs, after all them martins, I know I'm just spoiled from all the other.

Hope we all don't have to get together and make a march on his place to get him to writing chapter 9 !!
Posted By: STINGER

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/17/10 01:34 AM

this is a great read ........... OKIE let's see those pics sometime before all the snow in Alaska melts and white finds that stolen trap ........ LOL !!!!
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/17/10 02:50 AM

Originally Posted By: fishermann222
The kid is JustTrap, a 2nd year trapper who has not trapped any furbearers yet. White17 it is the same kid that was claiming he knows the "best" marten trapper in the state of Alaska, and he catches over 1000 a year. Remember that?

I think he might be a little gullible.


Oh yeah I remember that. Figures I guess.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/17/10 03:03 AM

Nice pictures.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 03/17/10 03:04 AM

I really like those sets.Good and simple.
Posted By: redbonehunter

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/17/10 03:46 AM

you arent an okie
Posted By: phutch30

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 01:25 AM

The rest coming?
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 01:28 AM

Must be another wolverine catch somewheres.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 01:57 AM

No word from the Pilgrim so far today.
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 03:10 AM

pilgrim?thats not the word they use in alaska,what is that word?
Posted By: Minker

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 03:13 AM

BAIT ?
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 03:17 AM

Chechacko or however you spell it, I never was one, so I don't know. I was born there, wish I could afford to go back
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 03:44 AM

Cheechacko
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 03:50 AM

thats the word,has okie graduated yet?after all,it almost got cold there once when he was outside.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 03:55 AM

Not quite. Tradition is that you must spend the entire winter before you lose the cheechacko status. There's also something about pee'ing in the Yukon and a grizzly with a bad tooth.
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 03:57 AM

is that the yukon river or territory?and would spending 10 days with you count for the grizzly with bad tooth thing?
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 03:58 AM

The river and NO
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 04:03 AM

I'm writing all this down so I get it right,but think may have to ask Pete,Hup and Alaskan verdict on grizz thing.you being a bit close to the subject and all.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 04:29 AM

Good idea. Wouldn't want to make a mistake
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 11:20 PM

do we get another installment sometime tonight?
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 11:28 PM

Originally Posted By: mark
do we get another installment sometime tonight?

Time will tell wink
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 11:33 PM

Hard tellin', not knowin'.
Posted By: JakeDog

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 11:37 PM

While we are wainting on okie - how come Wolverines are nicknames "gulo" or are they?

J

Not many running round here in eastern NC!
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 11:38 PM

Originally Posted By: Jdog
how come Wolverines are nicknames "gulo"

Would you want to tell a wolverine any diffrent.Maybe you could tell it that will standing on it.Lol
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 11:51 PM

Gulo is the genus and species. Gulo gulo. It's latin for glutton.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 11:53 PM

Originally Posted By: white17
Gulo is the genus and species. Gulo gulo. It's latin for glutton.

That makes sense.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 11:55 PM

If I remember reading right, don't they just pig out on a carcass then spray their musk or something all over whats left so other animals won't eat it.
Posted By: JakeDog

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/18/10 11:59 PM

Thanks White -
Posted By: col_klink

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/19/10 12:25 AM

Man I was off here fora few days and thought there would be a couple days in here. (back to being depressed) lol.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/19/10 12:34 AM

That's pretty much the case Bruce.
Posted By: Sullivan K

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/19/10 11:37 PM

Day nine started off cold and a heavy snow was falling. Ken woke up cold and told me rub his feet for 45 minutes, to warm them up. He said it’s an old Alaskan tradition to show that you have no homosexual tendencies. I actually rubbed for more than an hour to prove how straight I am. Ken said “You cook breakfast, jerk, I’m tired of feeding your ugly face”. I heard him mumble under his breath that if I wasn’t here he could be out caching some critters. “I sure didn’t realize what I was getting into” came out also.

Ken had me cook up a hearty breakfast of Moose testicles. After breakfast was all made he said he really wasn’t that hungry and this was what he ate all the time, so I should just go ahead and eat the whole pan. He claimed it was one of his most favorite meals, and I managed to get it all down, but it took a little encouragement from Ken. He said “when in Alaska you gotta do as the Alaskans do”. I want to be a “Real Alaskan” so I told him, “I sure hope we can have Moose Testicles again tomorrow”.

We started out on the line a little late because of the foot rubbing tradition thing, but at least we got out. The snow machine would not run so Ken made me pull it. We got about a mile and a half a mile and Ken said “you go check the traps over the ridge there and I’ll see about working on the machine”. I got over the ridge and found another stinkin’ Marten. I think that’s all they have up in this God-Forsaken country. Just as I was checking the last trap I heard the machine fire. Good Ol’ Ken, the master mechanic, he can fix anything.

I finished running the traps and started back over the ridge. All of a sudden I heard the snow machine fire up and take off. Ol’ absent minded Ken must have forgotten I was here. I saw the machine throwing up a rooster tail of snow, so I at least knew the machine was running well. He was headed north, so I guessed he was just going to run the next part while I finished this part.
Well, the walk back to the cabin wasn’t too bad. It would have been easier if Ken would have left snow shoes. Walking through a foot and a half of new powder will sure get you a huffing and a puffing. You know, maybe Alaska ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. At least I had those Moose Testicles layin’ in my belly to give me energy.

About half way back to the cabin them Moose Testicles started rolling around, I had to stop and vomit. Those Moose Testicles taste about as good coming back up as they do going down. Then it started on the other end. You know when you “Gotta Go” when you’re out doors, you know all the clothes, you know when you pull down your pants, long underwear, you know how you got to get it all out of the way. You don’t want to make any deposits in any spot other than the ground. In this case it was in the snow, as the snow was a foot and a half deep. Nothing like planting your butt cheeks in the snow to make you appreciate a toilet. Since Ken had the toilet paper, along with the snow shoes, I made do with what I had, snow. I used the Marten I had caught to make the “final buff”, if you know what I mean. I guess I’ll let Ken skin this Marten.
Well, I finally made it back to the cabin. By then there wasn’t much daylight left. Ken came rolling in about 15 minutes later, a big smile on his face. Well Okie-Dopey, “How’d-Jew-Do”? Come to find out, this was another tradition. You take an Alaskan wanna be out, drop them off out in the wild, not too far out, you don’t want them to die, and see how they do.

For supper we had Moose Testicles and he made me skin the Marten.
God I love Alaska.

Signed
Okiekajun
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/19/10 11:41 PM

LOL, see what happens Cajun when you leave amatueurs to do what you WERE doing so well?
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/19/10 11:58 PM

Boy Am I glad Okie was high bidder.Lol............
Posted By: DaveP

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/19/10 11:59 PM

Okiecajun BETTER start posting or this could get UGLY(er)!
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/20/10 12:01 AM

Might be planning on us having to buy his book to see the ending?
Posted By: Pete in Frbks

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/20/10 12:45 AM

Originally Posted By: trapr
is that the yukon river or territory?and would spending 10 days with you count for the grizzly with bad tooth thing?


THIS is going to get REAL interesting if we are not careful!!!!! smile
Posted By: Brady

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/20/10 01:10 AM

LMAO Keith!! grin
Posted By: PappyD

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 12:21 AM

Ok Ok I'm needin a fix here Okie!
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 12:35 AM

OHHHHHHHHHHH Mrs Okie can okie come out and play???????????
Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 01:08 AM

Time ticks on.Lol
Posted By: Ark Trapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 03:15 PM

kinda like waiting on the US mail..LOL wink
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 03:32 PM

LOL

It looks like it's been more entertaining without me writing anything at all!

Sullivan....who told you about the foot rubs??
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 03:41 PM

Ok Okie, how much for the rest of the story $$$. You're playing folks like a crack dealer, a little free at first.... then get dependent on it and you crank up the price. laugh

~ADC~
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 03:42 PM

Originally Posted By: Okiekajun
LOL

It looks like it's been more entertaining without me writing anything at all!

Sullivan....who told you about the foot rubs??


noooooooooooo that just aint so we want to hear it from you!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 03:43 PM

LOL Jayme/cotton, The next day is getting pics added now. I'll have it posted shortly.

Dont worry the days are getting shorter now, I'll try to not give too much more withdrawls.
Posted By: GritGuy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 03:45 PM

This story used to be worth waiting for, now it's turned into another kindegarten recess match!!
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 04:30 PM

Day 9
Thursday February 18th 2010
Cloudy, Snowing, 19 above


Breakfast of toasted rolls and homemade jelly (thanks again cotton!) and steel-cut oats, is done and we’re off to check the line across the river. We’ve gotten about a half inch of snow during the early morning hours and it’s coming down pretty good now. It’s nice to have a little fresh snow, but we’re concerned with the weather reports that Ken’s been getting each evening from the Ol’Blister. The forecast continues to predict highs in the low thirties for the rest of the week. Those kind of temperatures are not good for many reasons, the bait in the vertical can sets could start thawing and falling into 120’s, setting them off. The possibility of bad ice or overflow increases, and my personal disaster, the idea of my wolverine hide thawing. Not good but there’s not a lot that can be done at this point. Yesterday we located an alternative landing strip for Curly, in case the river gets too bad. We also discussed the idea of having Curly come pick up the wolverine hide and bring it back to his place where he has a freezer. I told Ken just to use his judgment, we can hold off on that for a few days.

The line we go to check this morning is the same line that my gulo came from. We have high hopes, despite yesterday’s continued disappointment in the northern line.

We pass the first three vertical can set with no catches. The next set, white17 leaning pole special, has also seen no action. We cross the creek and pull up to the 110 mink set where I can see snow covered fur. I dig it out to discover marten number one for the day and number ten for the trip. I’m pulling the set when Ken walks over and asks if that is number eleven, I tell him no and he says “yes it is if you count the one in the 750 wolverine set over there”. Sure enough marten number two for the day and number eleven for the trip has tried to use one of the MB 750’s under the hanging bait as a trampoline. We gather the fur and move on to the double bucket set where we can clearly see both traps are sprung from the buckets.




The snowy shape at the first bucket does not look wolverine sized so we go over to it first. We agree to not look at the second set, so we don’t jinx the possible wolverine in it. It’s difficult, but we continue averting our eyes while we work over the first catch. I dust the snow away and uncover a monster mink. He actually looks like a small otter in the 330, and Ken is amazed at his size. He says he’s never seen a mink that large up here.



We remove the catch, reset the bucket, and anxiously begin eyeing the second set. I remove the snow and uncover a giant of a marten, number three for the day and number twelve for the trip. He appears to be the biggest of the large males we’ve caught so far. You can’t be disappointed with a double like that!

The vertical can nearby is empty and we move on to check the last two sets of the line. The vertical can near where I caught the gulo is empty, but the wolverine bucket itself has marten number four for the day and number thirteen for the trip. What a fantastic day, and what a productive line. Eight marten, a mink, and a wolverine, in two checks, with never more than ten sets out. The double wolverine buckets have produced double catches on both checks. Does it get any better than this??





Just when I thought I was getting caught up on skinning, a day like that puts you back in the hole. What a problem to have!

Scrambled eggs with onion and sausage, hash browns for dinner. Why is it that breakfast food at supper time tastes even better?
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 04:36 PM

just get busy on the next day ok laugh
Posted By: wynn hall

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 04:43 PM

Great story!
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 04:55 PM

awwwwwwwwwwwwww ok i am better now lol
man what a trip your having
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 05:14 PM

Another nice day.
Posted By: Mike367

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 06:35 PM

okie, great story !! Livin my dream through your experience. Mike
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/21/10 11:56 PM

ttt
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/22/10 12:39 AM

Yeah Bruce, between a week long dry spell, and Redbonehunters marathon posting of new threads this one continues to be buried.

All right Okie, let's go with the next day already.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/22/10 12:45 AM

I'm ready for the next day.
Posted By: MartenFoxTrapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/22/10 03:37 PM

Originally Posted By: fishermann222
The kid is JustTrap, a 2nd year trapper who has not trapped any furbearers yet. White17 it is the same kid that was claiming he knows the "best" marten trapper in the state of Alaska, and he catches over 1000 a year. Remember that?

I think he might be a little gullible.
Lol, he accually has caught a few marten and a squirrel but not much else.
Posted By: swamphaunter

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/22/10 04:45 PM

Originally Posted By: mark
Yeah Bruce, between a week long dry spell, and Redbonehunters marathon posting of new threads this one continues to be buried.

All right Okie, let's go with the next day already.
on top of that some people on here feel compelled to comment constantly on every topic even if they have nothing to add just to increase their post count,
Great read okie,keep up the good work!
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/22/10 06:42 PM

Originally Posted By: swamphaunter
Originally Posted By: mark
Yeah Bruce, between a week long dry spell, and Redbonehunters marathon posting of new threads this one continues to be buried.

All right Okie, let's go with the next day already.
on top of that some people on here feel compelled to comment constantly on every topic even if they have nothing to add just to increase their post count,
Great read okie,keep up the good work!

Edited.Not worth ruining this thread.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/22/10 06:53 PM

Originally Posted By: swamphaunter
Originally Posted By: mark
Yeah Bruce, between a week long dry spell, and Redbonehunters marathon posting of new threads this one continues to be buried.

All right Okie, let's go with the next day already.
on top of that some people on here feel compelled to comment constantly on every topic even if they have nothing to add just to increase their post count,
Great read okie,keep up the good work!


I really don't care about post count, I have been here longer than all of you with but few exceptions. Just trying to keep this toward the top is all.

Beyond that, I am like Bruce. There is no sense in ruining a good thread. Grow a sense of humor and enjoy.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/22/10 06:58 PM

Got to be another wolverine catch coming soon.Living every word of this story.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/22/10 07:41 PM

Nope Bruce, I am curious about the hole in the ice otter thing, no report on that yet, nor have we heard anything about the beaver set, and I think it is about time that one was checked. Obviously I am interested in the Gulo, but since I didn't have many around Fairbanks where I lived, I am more interested in the Marten count, lol.
Primarily I was a beaver trapper up there. I had 19 houses I "farmed" each season. I put mink/marten cubbies on each side of each house and took several mink and some marten each week when I checked the traps. I set fox snares of opportunity, and made a few lynx and gulo sets here and there with limited success, but did very well on beaver and mink.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/22/10 08:47 PM

Originally Posted By: mark
Nope Bruce, I am curious about the hole in the ice otter thing, no report on that yet, nor have we heard anything about the beaver set, and I think it is about time that one was checked. Obviously I am interested in the Gulo, but since I didn't have many around Fairbanks where I lived, I am more interested in the Marten count, lol.
Primarily I was a beaver trapper up there. I had 19 houses I "farmed" each season. I put mink/marten cubbies on each side of each house and took several mink and some marten each week when I checked the traps. I set fox snares of opportunity, and made a few lynx and gulo sets here and there with limited success, but did very well on beaver and mink.

I would love to trap in Alaska some day.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/22/10 09:48 PM

Originally Posted By: Bruce T
Originally Posted By: mark
Nope Bruce, I am curious about the hole in the ice otter thing, no report on that yet, nor have we heard anything about the beaver set, and I think it is about time that one was checked. Obviously I am interested in the Gulo, but since I didn't have many around Fairbanks where I lived, I am more interested in the Marten count, lol.
Primarily I was a beaver trapper up there. I had 19 houses I "farmed" each season. I put mink/marten cubbies on each side of each house and took several mink and some marten each week when I checked the traps. I set fox snares of opportunity, and made a few lynx and gulo sets here and there with limited success, but did very well on beaver and mink.

I would love to trap in Alaska some day.


You are young enough, go! Do some research, learn the lay of the land, and go. The ATA has most of the established traplines mapped out, or did when I was there. There are some areas that are public and/or controlled by the military, and I am sure some areas that are wide open. The problem is, the accessibility to them. But you can get that worked out.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/22/10 09:52 PM

Originally Posted By: mark
Originally Posted By: Bruce T
Originally Posted By: mark
Nope Bruce, I am curious about the hole in the ice otter thing, no report on that yet, nor have we heard anything about the beaver set, and I think it is about time that one was checked. Obviously I am interested in the Gulo, but since I didn't have many around Fairbanks where I lived, I am more interested in the Marten count, lol.
Primarily I was a beaver trapper up there. I had 19 houses I "farmed" each season. I put mink/marten cubbies on each side of each house and took several mink and some marten each week when I checked the traps. I set fox snares of opportunity, and made a few lynx and gulo sets here and there with limited success, but did very well on beaver and mink.

I would love to trap in Alaska some day.


You are young enough, go! Do some research, learn the lay of the land, and go. The ATA has most of the established traplines mapped out, or did when I was there. There are some areas that are public and/or controlled by the military, and I am sure some areas that are wide open. The problem is, the accessibility to them. But you can get that worked out.

The process is in the works as we speak.Only a matter of getting some money saved up. wink
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/22/10 10:56 PM

It takes money, and it takes time to establish a new line. It takes more money, but not as much time and find one for sale. I knew a guy up on Beaver Creek (just south of the Yukon, not far from 5 mile camp, or at least I think that was the name of it). Summered in Seattle, but owned an extensive line in that drainage that he had bought some years before. Hauled him and his fur to see Dean Wilson 3X a year. He did very well. I don't recall his full name, seems his first name was Dave, but the years have really stacked up on me. At any rate, he didn't live there year around, but could have if he wanted to. Boy could I tell some stories about him though, lol.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 01:55 AM

Okie, get thee behind the keyboard.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 02:23 AM

Working on it now. It'll be posted shortly.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 02:25 AM

Thank you.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 02:51 AM

Days 10 & 11

Friday February 19/Saturday February 20
Rain/Snow...Too dang warm


We’ve decided that, based on the weather forecast, we’ll wait out the next two days of the heat wave. Skinning, tidying up the camp, mixing gas, cutting wood, making minor snow machine repairs, and just generally have a good time while dealing with the snow, rain, and thawing conditions.

As we eat our morning meal, we watch the steady drip of water from the roof. This Friday morning has started out the warmest yet, but relief is on the horizon. By Saturday night the lows should get back into the single digits, and the highs should stay in the teens.

Instead of troubling Curly to fly in and taking the wolverine back to his freezer, we decide to try a new product that Ken has brought in. It’s called Stop Rot, and is designed to do just what it’s name implies. It is also reported to make fleshing significantly easier. It is a clear liquid that can be brushed onto the hide before fleshing, and used with or without salt. We apply the product as directed to the wolverine, wrap it back up in it’s plastic bag, and then sandwich it into a pail of snow. Hopefully this will hold the hide through the warm spell.

After a late night of skinning, I’m down to the previous day’s catch, as well as two marten left from earlier in the week. I know I’m slow at skinning, and granted I am taxidermy skinning everything, as well as trying to do each one perfectly, but I didn’t realize that it would be so time consuming. I spend the afternoon and part of Saturday getting completely caught up. So far I have managed to keep the four marten boards Ken has in near constant rotation.









As bad as I hate to admit it, time is no longer on my side. I realize that I have to start looking forward to the date of my departure. It seems like I’ve just gotten here, and at the same time, it’s like I’ve been here for months. Ken and I start looking at when would be the best date to begin pulling the lines. I’ve brought Ken a calendar as a present, thinking he may not have one at the cabin, and hoping he could find this one useful. I don’t know if he’s excited to get rid of me, or if he just wants me to believe he likes his gift, or maybe he’s just a really busy guy. Whatever the case he certainly spends an inordinate amount of time studying that calendar.



Ken also apparently really enjoyed the gift that Hupurest had sent along. I’m not sure which I spent more time sharpening, the skinning knives or his crayons.





While gathering water on Friday we pulled the beaver set without having made any connections. I can tell Ken’s disappointed, but I tell him it’s fine by me. I don’t want the Ol’Blister upset with me for catching her favorite furbearer. Ken tells me that she really enjoys chipping through the ice in pursuit of these critters. I don’t want to be the one responsible for disappointing her! We do manage to slip away from the camp work on Saturday morning, while the snow has a decent crust, to ride over the creek line we had recently set up. We figure we will avoid the section of the Northern line where the canine sets are, even though they may have a significant crust over them, we figure it’s best to let them lay undisturbed until we pull that line on Monday. Contributing the lack of animal movement to the weird weather, we check the creek line with no success. The snow has put a nice touch to our sets, hopefully the next time through we will need two sleds to carry back all the fur.





Ken put a fresh moose roast on Thursday. I think the roast was probably ready to eat on Thursday night, but I had to suffer the torment of smelling it cooking until Friday night when Ken pronounced it ready. Moose roast and rice, moose roast and noodles, moose roast po’boys on homemade toasted rolls. I always wanted to kill a moose to put on the wall, now I just want to kill them and eat them.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 03:06 AM

Lol.Looking forward to white17's next post.Should be very interesting..........
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 03:35 AM

Yep, good installment Okie. Now get busy on the next one, lol.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 03:36 AM

I would have thought you would have caught a beaver though. Come to think of it though, I often went a week or more without making a catch in that type set.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 11:54 AM

Love those pictures of the marten hanging around.The drama continues........
Posted By: tmrschessie

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 07:49 PM

Okiekajun You are doing an excellent job of telling your story. Thanks. Tom
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 08:00 PM

I agree, he just needs to be a little more timely in telling it.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 08:27 PM

It's just now getting to the good parts.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 10:17 PM

Ken you TEASE! laugh
Posted By: tmrschessie

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 10:27 PM

Ken if it gets anybetter will have to believe it is fiction...LOL Tom
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 10:32 PM

Believe me, even OKIE couldn't write fiction that's better than the truth.
Posted By: swamphaunter

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/23/10 10:36 PM

hanging on to this story like the last chopper out of vietnam.
Rumor has it,,,,,,,nevermind, ;-)
Posted By: tmrschessie

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/24/10 01:58 AM

TTT
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/24/10 02:44 AM

oh dang the waitting is killing me
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/24/10 02:48 AM

Originally Posted By: cotton
oh dang the waitting is killing me

Lol smile Patience........
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/25/10 01:40 AM

Any updates coming smile
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/25/10 01:45 AM

Lol Patience........
_________________________

hang in there buddy lol
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/25/10 01:52 PM

Welllllllllllllllllllllllll??????????????????
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/25/10 01:57 PM

Got an email last night from Okie. The only internet access he has at the moment is on his phone.
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/25/10 02:32 PM

has Okie been so busy making up writing the journal of his adventures that he has not been going to work and paying the bills?probably takes a long time to photoshop the pics too. laugh
Posted By: tmrschessie

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/25/10 02:38 PM

Originally Posted By: white17
Got an email last night from Okie. The only internet access he has at the moment is on his phone.



Then he best keep typing, hear that the phone internet takes a while due to the smaller keyboard...LOL Tom
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/25/10 03:31 PM

yeah, and stubby fingers makes it difficult too from what I understand. laugh
Posted By: colt

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/26/10 04:33 AM

this is a good read looking forward to more. thank you both for putting it on.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/26/10 08:00 PM

Almost back to the 3rd page.Can't have that.Lol
Posted By: swamphaunter

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/26/10 10:38 PM

actually bruce your constant marathon postings are actually why things are getting buried.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/26/10 11:20 PM

ttt
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/27/10 12:55 AM

Originally Posted By: swamphaunter
actually bruce your constant marathon postings are actually why things are getting buried.

I just enjoy talking to other trappers.Some people would rather spend their time stealing other peoples traps.
Posted By: Minker

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/27/10 01:39 AM

jeeez okie, what ya do, go and get foundered again at another crawfish feed ?

pretty soon imaginations are gona start running wild , it could get ugly quick . especially if white17 starts using his imagination .
Posted By: GritGuy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/27/10 01:41 AM

Feel like I'm in solitary and only get so much time to read and it's even rationed out!!

I'm thinking now these two dudes had this planned the whole time they was keeping each other warm out there in the bush!
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/27/10 02:05 AM

Need a wolverine fix myself.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/27/10 02:11 AM

It's part of the health care bill. he can only post so many times per week.

I did hear from him today. He is off honeymooning (or did he say mooning) with his wife and only has his Iphone for internet access. Said he'd be back in a week or two.
Posted By: Minker

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/27/10 02:11 AM

that would explain some things grit .

why did o'l blister take off for georgia after ken came out of the bush ?

why was white 17 looking for some bush women near ft. yukon ?

why has okie'/ kajins wife not let me him on here hardly since he went home ?

broke back bush trapping musta been rougher than we heard about !
Posted By: GritGuy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/27/10 02:19 AM

Yep the whole adventure is now falling all apart, er should we say brokeback apart.

Mystery of the lack of consistency and continuity aside on the story placement here, there seems to be some major conspiracy to keep this going until next season!!!
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/27/10 02:23 AM

Oh man I hope not !
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/27/10 03:32 AM

Wife walked outta the room... I have about thirty seconds... Send help ASAP!

After the news(and bribery)I recieved from an "un-named source" I am unable to drag out the journal postings much longer. I'll resume on Monday and knock the days out quickly... Ol'Kajun returns, gotta go.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/27/10 03:34 AM

Doesn't that fancy phone have 911 ?
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/27/10 03:43 AM

Pray for me.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/27/10 03:57 AM

yep, broke back bush trapping fer sher
Posted By: Dakota H.

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/28/10 04:05 AM

TTT...
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/28/10 01:25 PM

Originally Posted By: Okiekajun
Pray for me.

Lol
Posted By: STINGER

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/29/10 12:51 AM

Dang .......... I was trying to tether my phone to my laptop for access in the mtns last night to catch up on this thread and got frustrated with my inability to figure it out ........ I got home had a nice dinner with the family and dig up this thread only to find Okie slacking ............ LOL !!!!!
Posted By: Minker

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/29/10 03:56 PM

its monday, and okie's slacking again . no further reports.

fine thanks "we" all get for letting okie win that auction and spend 10K of his own money to go to wonder around busk alaska with the infamous " last homesteader " .

i think hes having trouble explaing some things to mrs. okie/kajin .

the lice and fleas were one thing but the glitter, tattoo's, trying to order moose at restaurants, mouth skinning squirrels by the dozens, having her drive the atv towing him standing in a sled while he yells " mush white 17" has really got her puzzled.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/29/10 04:02 PM

LOL! You got it !
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/31/10 02:41 AM

ok............nothing on TV. Okie, get busy.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/31/10 11:55 AM

Originally Posted By: mark
ok............nothing on TV. Okie, get busy.

x2 please smile
Posted By: STINGER

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/31/10 12:19 PM

Originally Posted By: Bruce T
Originally Posted By: mark
ok............nothing on TV. Okie, get busy.

x2 please smile




x3 .............




what if we said or typed ......... PLEASE smile
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/31/10 01:46 PM

pretty please even, lol
Posted By: GritGuy

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/31/10 02:03 PM

Sad deal here, IMO the Dude should never have started the series if he could not just follow thur with it on a timely basis. I'll probably not even finish the story now, every day I get less interested in even checking in on it!!

I mean you can lose a lot of flavor on the meat once it sits in the sun for a week!!
Posted By: Minker

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/31/10 03:31 PM

i think hes still trying to explain the anchorage "bush " experiance to mrs. O/K .
Posted By: BUZZSAW

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 03/31/10 03:54 PM

Originally Posted By: Minker
i think hes still trying to explain the anchorage "bush " experiance to mrs. O/K .



that or she's sick of hearing about the trip every time he runs into someone new and starts telling the story again.

or she caught him looking at real estate in alaska , "bad okie"
Posted By: corky

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/03/10 08:10 PM

ttt
Posted By: Ark Trapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/03/10 08:29 PM

where did you find this, page 100+ grin Okie has forgotten all about this. He is out fishing & getting ready to tell the first part of that story!!!!
Posted By: tmrschessie

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/03/10 08:43 PM

I like the " ...looking for ground in Alaska...LOL
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/04/10 01:30 PM

still wondering about this.
Posted By: Bobby G

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/04/10 02:14 PM

With White17 finishing his other story we are going to need some reading material Oakie.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/04/10 04:45 PM

I emailed him yesterday but have received no response. I think, this being Easter, he may be out hunting nutria eggs in Mississippi.
Posted By: Idtrapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/04/10 05:23 PM

Originally Posted By: Minker
i think hes still trying to explain the anchorage "bush " experiance to mrs. O/K .


Looks like we may have to put together a rescue mission...
She's probably got him tied up ,beating him with a dead nutria.
He's probably not in very good shape,but hopefully will still know where the " Journal " is...
We may have to leave Okie behind(sorry pal ) - But we must recover the Journal..
Posted By: Minker

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/05/10 01:06 AM

its probably the tattoo's .
the pictures of HUP and Alaskan on his back were bad enough but the heart shaped one on his butt with the number 17 in white in side the heart really did it.

and then theres the body piercings she found !

we need to get TOB to post some storys on here , hers are probably better than white 17's and since he's probably forgotten things he did , she could fill us in.


he probably wishes he was a dead nute right now !
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/05/10 01:08 AM

Originally Posted By: Minker
its probably the tattoo's .
the pictures of HUP and Alaskan on his back !


He does have two tattoos of boobs on his back, but it isn't alaskan and me...... I think he got those in prison.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/09/10 02:57 AM

Ken, is he ever going to finish this thing?
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/09/10 03:01 AM

I hope so. Everything I get from him has been sent from his phone so I think he must have computer problems. I haven't heard from him in many days.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/09/10 03:02 AM

Thanks Minker
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/09/10 12:17 PM

Well, let's hope he gets it straightened out soon, what ever it is. This is a great piece of work, but I am affraid that the interest is being lost as we move closer to time to do other things. I am on the road a lot this time of year, and only get time to peek in once in a while, and I would sure hate to miss the ending. Already on our 10th show of the year with the Ciders etc.......most of which have been close enough to home that we are home nightly, however, pretty soon we'll be traveling longer distances, thus gone days at a time.
Posted By: Freepop

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/09/10 12:21 PM

I got tired of waiting. We have a couple more days of season so I'm going on my otter quest. The camper is loaded and breakfast is cooking, hitting the road soon.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/09/10 07:28 PM

Well, go get them Freepop, maybe he'll get around to it by the time you get back or in time for next season to get started.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/09/10 07:32 PM

Must not have caught anything else, unless it was crabs.Lol
Posted By: Freepop

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/10/10 12:25 AM

Originally Posted By: mark
Well, go get them Freepop, maybe he'll get around to it by the time you get back or in time for next season to get started.


Well Mark, where we're camped now, I have coverage. If you want a story , I'll give it a try.

[url=http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1944275.html#Post1944275][/url]
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/10/10 01:38 AM

If that's a link, it ain't working
Posted By: STINGER

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/10/10 02:10 AM

Originally Posted By: mark
If that's a link, it ain't working






mark ............ i think he was trying to do this .......




link to freepop's otter adventure
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 1 - 04/11/10 03:45 AM

OK, I'll check it out, but right now I really need to get some sleep.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 12 - 04/12/10 02:37 AM

Day 12

Sunday February 21
Cloudy/Snowing 20 above

It‘s the next to last breakfast I‘ll have here in the cabin. It‘s a dreary thought to match the dreary weather. I watch out the window as the snow sifts gently down. The cloud cover is thick, making the snowy ground and snowy sky blend into a leaden grey. I’m glad for the extra day, this weather may make it a little nasty to check and pull traps, but it would seem downright dangerous to try to fly in.

We’ve decided to pull the line left to the south today. This line will take us to the gulo ditch, and ultimately, the site of the “death march on snow shoes”. It was smart planning on Kens part to pull this line first thing in the morning. The crust of frozen snow will make the packed sled trail firm, and should make it an easy run on the sled. I guess he thought it was far enough along in the trip that he didn’t want to chance killing me on a forced snow shoe march.

As we discuss our plan of attack we figure the same plan should apply to tomorrow. We’ll leave early to check and pull the remaining line across the river, the line to the north, and the spur line on the creek. We hope the weather continues to cool, and we have a firm trail to travel.

We fire up the Elan and head to the river. The trail is hard as a rock and it seems the going should be smooth. I’m anxious to see the area of gulo ditch for what is most likely the last time. Something is different about this area. I realize it’s ridiculous, but it seems even more remote and isolated than other lines Ken and I have ran.





Leaving the river, we travel through several hundred yards of large cottonwood and birch, then a few hundred yards of tundra and black spruce. We check three sets as we cross the tundra. The first vertical can set is untouched. The second and third leaning pole sets have been raided by birds. We then drop off the bank into gulo ditch. The leaning pole set is untouched, but the wolverine bucket we set has caught a large male marten. A short run down the ditch brings us back to the tundra and scrubby black spruce, where we have a view of several mountains two or three miles away. Our angular track across the tundra leads us towards the mountains and the further most edge of the tundra. Here we have caught a large male marten with a unique throat patch in a leaning pole set. Turning left, skirting the tree line and leading back towards gulo ditch we stop the sled and walk into the wolverine set I made during our last trip. Instead of the wolverine I’d hoped for we find a dark little female marten. Three for the day and number sixteen for the trip.



I spend the afternoon thawing and skinning the barely frozen marten. I’m hoping for a banner day tomorrow and I don’t want to leave Ken with too much skinning to do. I'm by no means quick, but i'm getting better at the skinning. I've got the three done in time for an early supper. The fact I’m leaving soon cant wipe the satisfied smile from my face as we set down to a hearty dinner of moose and rolls. No matter what the next day brings, for now at least, Ken is still cracking me up with his stories, and entertaining me with his singing. Although the sun is setting, and the clouds are still heavy, I cant help but note the grey dreary day has a new glow to it.

{Authors Note} I sat here writing this almost two months since seeing gulo ditch for the final time. While on the adventure I jotted notes concerning every day…except for this one. I cant tell you every detail of that last run on gulo ditch, but I can tell you it’s one of those moments that I need no notes to refresh my memory. The area holds a special interest to me. It has no reasonable, specific, or remarkable difference than any other line we ran. In fact I never connected on the wolverine I’d hoped it would produce. Just the same, when I close my eyes and return to Alaska, it’s the gulo ditch line I always see.


Posted By: MartenFoxTrapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 12 - 04/12/10 02:49 AM

YAY you got it up!
Posted By: Birddog

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 12 - 04/12/10 02:55 AM

Originally Posted By: MartenFoxTrapper
YAY you got it up!


X2
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 12 - 04/12/10 02:59 AM

good job, hope you're not just teasing us though.
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 12 - 04/12/10 03:06 AM

thanks man
Posted By: Alex Lane

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 12 - 04/12/10 03:17 AM

Glad to see another day. Great story.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 12 - 04/20/10 01:10 AM

Day 13

Monday February 22
Snowing 20 above

I open my eyes and wake to the sound of Ken stoking life back into the coals from last nights fire. It’s pre-dawn and this is almost the same waking routine that I’ve had since arriving. Well…there was that one exception. Around day six or seven, following a long day on the line, and capped off with a marathon of skinning until midnight, jet lag and exhaustion met with me in a cozy bunk. My eyes literally never opened until 10 the next morning!

I’m never sure of the time here. There's two reasons for this: One, is because of the sun. I can tell you when I got here it would get to be daylight around 9 AM and dark around 5 PM. But that’s not entirely accurate anymore. This time of year we’re gaining around twelve minutes of sunlight during each twenty-four hour period. Secondly, I don’t know the time because I haven’t seen a clock since I got here. When unpacking on the first evening, I proudly told Ken “I wont be needing these for a while”, and then proceeded to shove my phone and my wallet deep into my bag. At home I never wear a watch, and I've got my phone in my hand more than enough to keep track of the time. So far I think I’ve asked Ken the time once or twice, but it’s really been of non-interest to me. For the most part we eat when we’re hungry, we run around while it’s daylight, and we sleep when we’re tired. Usually Ken wakes (what he says is 5 AM) when the cabin has started to cool off, and builds a fire. I wake hearing him stirring, and when the cabin warms I’ll crawl out of my sleeping bag and heed the call of nature. After the fire and the "honey bucket" have both been tended to, we both usually make our way back to our respective bunks and doze until the day gets some light to it.

This morning, after returning to my bunk, I’m doing less dozing and more daydreaming. This will, in all probability, be my last morning waking here at the cabin. This has been an experience I’ll never forget. It’s a trip I’ve dreamed of since I learned that Alaska existed. I couldn’t have asked to spend it with a better guy. Laying here I replay each day of the trip, and cant help but start snickering at many of the humorous occurrences. I have to mind I don’t start laughing out loud. It wouldn’t do to wake Ken now. According to him this time of the morning may be the best sleep of the night for him. He says I snore like a freight train. I do acknowledge my wife may have elbowed me once or twice in the past for said offense, but Ken reports that his wife has never complained that he snores. I feel sorry for the Ol’Blister, she must be near deaf.

Daylight arrives and we both roust ourselves out of our bunks, Ken seems to be no worse for wear after my morning giggle fit. I think it’s a good thing we’re both well rested. We’ve got quite a few traps to pull and miles to cover, and the snow is falling at a pretty good clip. We don’t waste much time this morning, Ken starts the coffee and breakfast while I get my gear packed up. We’ve got a lot to do before afternoon. Curly will be arriving about 3 PM to fly me out to his lodge. He’s offered to put me up for the night before flying me to Sleetmute the following day. It’s bittersweet to think of leaving here, but I know my time is up and Curly’s offer includes doing some “sightseeing” flying on the way to his lodge where unlimited hot water, a cozy bed, and hot food awaits. It’s almost like going on another adventure in itself, so that helps to ease my leaving.

We strike out across the river first, pulling the line as we go. This, as you may remember, is the line that has been so productive. This is also the line my gulo came from. Our sets have been empty all the way up to the double 330 wolverine buckets. Ken makes me turn away as we get to them, saying we’ll check them on the way out. I do as I’m told even though the temptation to snatch a peek is overwhelming. We get to the last sets of the line and see that we’ve taken another nice marten. This one is caught in the 330 wolverine bucket where my gulo came from. We collect the catch, pull the sets, and return the way we came. As we arrive at the double bucket sets I’m surprised to see we haven’t caught anything. This line has been our most productive, and to have this small of a yield does not bode well for the two remaining lines we have to check. In addition to the marten, this line does have one other surprise to dish out before I leave. Overflow. While taking the machine across the creek to retrieve the bucket sets, the Elan bogs down and the water starts flowing from under the snow. Ken looks back over his shoulder to tell me to unhook the sled, but he has to yell, I’m not on the sled anymore, I’ve already bailed off and decided to run back to Anchorage for help. Ken steps off the Elan and I see the water is less than ankle deep, I see I’ll be getting my feet wet(pun intended)on my first Alaskan overflow adventure. Ken is kind enough to lend me a hand the whole way through the process. By “lend a hand” I mean he points out where to shovel the snow under the machine. This is just shallow over flow so it’s short work to build a pad under the Elan and Ken hops on and runs the machine up the bank. I follow dragging the sled through the slush. I can see where overflow could be a real pain, but this short stretch wasn’t bad. If I had to grade this I figure Ken would deserve an A (he’s got experience at this) and I would get a C+ (for not continuing to run away).

With no time to spare we stop at the cabin just long enough to unload the traps and marten, and then it’s on to the Northern line. The snow hasn’t let up much, but Ken says the cloud cover is not too thick or low to prevent Curly from flying. We continue with our plan to have everything pulled and be ready to leave by 3 PM. As we ride across the tundra and we near the hay set we made using a "straight from the box" MB550. We peer through the falling snow and spot movement. BINGO!! Interior Alaska’s first hay set has produced. It's a puff-ball of a red fox and he is tugging away at the grapple. Man what a pretty sight. I think we both had high hopes for this set, but had pretty much given it up for a loss. That UN-DYED, UN-MODIFIED, STRAIGHT FROM THE FACTORY BOX, MB-550 must have punched up through at least an inch and a half of frozen snow to make the perfect top of the pad catch. Incredible. I cant say enough about the perfect catch made by that MB.

At home I usually use a .22 cb for all my dispatch needs. Ken handed me a short piece of 1x1 slat to accomplish the task. A frisky fox, ten foot of cable on a grapple, and a two foot long stick. It made for an interesting video. I was just about at the point where a major league ball player would have been called "out"…twice, when I made good and the fox went nighty-night. Between fits of laughter Ken was pretty critical of me for breaking his “good stick”. When it was all over I had a beautiful male Alaskan red fox, and Ken had about a foot of “good stick” left.







In high spirits we continued on to the leaning pole where Ken had always wanted to set, but never had. If you remember this set had already produced a beautiful marten, and today it produced another. Marten number two for the day, and number eighteen for the trip was picture perfect.



We by-passed the “Gulo Gauntlet” and continued to the northernmost set on the line. This was a leaning pole foothold set that had not produced…until now. What appeared to be a monster male marten, number three for the day, and number nineteen of the trip was hanging there. We took a few minutes to enjoy the catch and talk of the great day we’d had so far.



We gathered our catch and turned back, returning to the “Gulo Gauntlet”, where we were surprised again to discover no fresh wolverine sign, and no catches had been made. I hope Ken is able to set this area heavily next season, we both know that there are wolverine (plural) there to be caught, we just ran out of time. There is also an extremely lucky marten still alive in there. The sign was obvious, he had visited nearly every set and jumped through most of the snares and never tripped a trap.



We reluctantly pulled the traps from Gulo Gauntlet, and turned to check the creek spur line. Our first set of the line was a wolverine bucket that contained marten number four for the day, and number twenty for the trip. What a catch of marten, considering we were not deliberately trying to hit them hard . I can think of a hundred locations that we didn’t set for them, yet we still took twenty in less than ten days with less than two dozen total marten sets.

We rounded the creek bend and approached the intersection that had been so heavily tracked up. Both of us were looking intently toward the ice hole, but as we parked the snow machine and walked to the set we both were disappointed it had not connected. We were hoping that the trail set directly above it, that had been blocked from our view, may have connected. As we turned the corner there lay a whopper otter perfectly caught in the ice hole 220. What a surprise! It was laying right there on top of the ice, it must have been in a slight depression keeping us from seeing it.






What a day! Four marten, a red fox, and an otter on our final check.





We return back to the cabin, where I hurriedly snap a few pictures and start preparing to leave. I take the hour or so I have left to remove the final drying marten from the boards and skin one of the ones caught today. I feel bad leaving Ken with that much fur to handle, but he laughs it off and says it will give him something to do until Curly flies him out in the next three or four days.



I’m just finishing the marten when we hear Curly arriving, right on schedule. We gather up my stuff and head down to the river. With the snow fall increasing we waste no time stowing my gear and saying our goodbyes. I cant thank Ken enough, or tell him just how much this has meant to me, I don’t want to get all mushy in front of Curly. As we begin to take off, Ken and I give a wave to each other. Through the snow and the blurry windshield, I cant tell if Ken’s turned away to hide his face from the wind of the prop, to hide his jubilant laughter at being rid of me, or to hide the tears of sorrow at my leaving. I tell myself it’s the tears.



DAY 13 TO BE CONTINUED….
Posted By: Tim Caven

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 12 - 04/20/10 01:48 AM

Great story Okie, you are a very talented writer. If Ken puts this up for bids again maybe I can play.....without death threats from the southern US this time??
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 12 - 04/20/10 02:08 AM

Originally Posted By: Tim Caven
Great story Okie, you are a very talented writer. If Ken puts this up for bids again maybe I can play.....without death threats from the southern US this time??


Thanks.

I'll try to keep the competition friendly, but I cant make any promises if that scoundrel Cotrell gets involved!
Posted By: countrysmith

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 12 - 04/20/10 02:11 AM

oh great. now we have to wait 3 weeks for the rest
i bet he will make a website that we have to pay 20$ a pop to read it
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 12 - 04/20/10 02:19 AM

Here's a short video of the "camp raider" before he met his demise.

Posted By: TravC

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 12 - 04/20/10 02:29 AM

i think id give almost everything i got to enjoy what you folks are doing
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 12 - 04/20/10 02:45 AM

Here is a couple of short videos of the hay set producing.



Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure Day 12 - 04/20/10 03:33 AM

That's a good lookin' guy driving that machine! Oh....nice fox too BTW
Posted By: nelacres

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 04/21/10 02:55 AM

ttt
Posted By: nelacres

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 04/22/10 01:54 AM

Okie, White


nice read, it took me three wvwnings to read it, I didn't have to wait for a single story. LOL

If the price of milk evere gets back to normal perhaps I will contest the Great Alaskan Adventure....

Thank You
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 04/22/10 02:41 AM

Well it's not finished yet. Unfortunately OKIE had a computer failure yesterday and lost everything. He's trying to recreate it all now.
Posted By: bearbait

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 04/22/10 05:56 AM

That's a convenient excuse, I used to use it at work.
Posted By: otterman

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 04/22/10 06:47 AM

Originally Posted By: bearbait
That's a convenient excuse, I used to use it at work.

Me too sure glad I don't have to sit in front of a computer except when I want to anymore laugh
Posted By: tmrschessie

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 04/22/10 09:19 AM

Gentlemen, together you have produced an excellent read thus far. THANK YOU...Tom
Posted By: Eric Cottrell

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 04/22/10 10:28 AM

Ken, glad it didn't take yall as long to catch the critters, as it's takin' Jon to write about it! He'd of had to change his drivers license!
Posted By: BlueRidgeTrapper

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 04/22/10 10:30 AM

Poor Okie....lol
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 05/24/10 05:17 PM

So we have never finished this. I was curious.
Posted By: don Wolf

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 05/24/10 05:42 PM

Me to Mark. I just never wanted to hunt it up.;
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 05/24/10 08:41 PM

Nope it's not finished. Okie had a hard drive 'event' and lost almost everything. He said last week that he has been working on the rest of the story. (I think he's in touch with Paul Harvey somehow) Anyway, one of these days he should finish it up.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 05/24/10 08:49 PM

By hard drive event, White17 means,

Okie lost his crayon sharpener and thus, hasn't had anything he can write with.
Posted By: swamphaunter

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 05/24/10 09:23 PM

it takes awhile to secure movie rights and a proper cast, i suspect the ending wont be revealed till all those details are worked out.
Hup! scroll back and you will see perfect southern snow script in a dazzling yellow multi vitamin hue.
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 03:22 AM

....CONCLUSION TO DAY 13….


The roar of the Cub's engine is drowned to a purr as I turn away from Ken and put on the noise cancelling headset. Curly and I skim along the frozen river ice picking up speed as we head into the light breeze and relatively heavy snowfall. In seconds the powerful engine of the cub has us airborne and climbing quickly. We leave Ken standing on the river ice, and begin our trip to Curly's lodge. We’re only in the air for minutes before I pick out the familiar features of the tundra below. We are flying directly over the northern line. I point out the remnants of the hay set to Curly. He banks for a closer look and comments on just how visible the set is. The golden brown grass really sticks out on the mostly white tundra. It’s a whole new perspective to get to see the line from the air. From the ground, the area looked like an endless sea of timber surrounding the tundra, creek, and river. From the air you can clearly see that is not the case. Previously unseen ridges and drainages run right up to the edge of the "gulo gauntlet". Large swampy areas with innumerable small ponds lay a short distance from the tundra. Steep rugged ridges running between the river and the tundra drop off sharply into the river on one side and into the creek, where our spur line was located, on the other. It’s no wonder this area held so much wolverine and marten sign, for miles around every terrain feature seems to form a natural funnel and the northern line flows right through it.

As we fly over the northern most set we had made on the line, I can see where what I once thought of as a “vast sea of timber” is really only a thin strip of trees. On the other side of them they open into another tundra area of several hundred acres. It’s here, in this opening, that we spot a solitary red fox. The fox is hunting his way southward, toward our northern line. In the few seconds I have to watch him I can not decide if he has not yet heard us, or if he is just not concerned by the giant bird in the sky. Either way he seems unaffected as he stops to paw at the snow, and then continue on. I cant say for sure, but, I believe if I would have remade the hay set and stayed on another day, Ken and I would have found him waiting for us and wearing a shiny new MB550.


Since flying in with Curly on the first day, I’ve given a lot of thought to the location of Ken’s cabin and line. Miles and miles of wilderness, and he chose this particular spot. After getting to know Ken, and observing his personality, I had doubted he threw a dart at a map to make his decision. More likely, I thought his selection process had required hundreds of hours of research and physical scouting. The requirements of; seclusion, summer and winter accessibility, land availability, and an abundance of natural resources; may seem like a “gimmie” in this vast wilderness, but the opposite is true. One or two of those requirements may be easily met, but finding the combination of all of them, in one attainable area, is the hard part. Now that I'm more familiar with the location of his cabin and lines, both from the ground and air, I have an even greater appreciation of why he chose this area to build a home and spend his winters.


While I try to look at every track, tree, and rock there is in sight, Curly makes me an offer I cant refuse. He tells me that although he is remodeling his bathroom at the lodge, the shower works and he has an unlimited amount of hot water. He also says that he’ll be cooking up some hot food and he may even be able to scrounge up a “celebratory beverage” or two. Wow! What can you say...I’m sad to be leaving the line with Ken, but nothing sounds better to me right now than hot FOOD, a long HOT SHOWER, and an ice cold BEER. I’m opening my mouth to tell Curly just how good that sounds when he continues…or, he says "we could do a little sightseeing and check some wolf and wolverine traps first before we go to the lodge". In addition, Curly says that since I don’t have to be back to Anchorage until Wednesday night, if I want to, I can stay with him at the lodge until Wednesday morning and we could spend all day Tuesday checking all of his lines. The shower, food, and beer are forgotten, for now anyway, as I quickly agreed to this new plan. Let’s recap this trip, I just had two weeks of awesome wilderness living and trapping with a guy who I’m proud to now call my friend. Now I’m being offered the opportunity of running an aerial trap line, with an experienced bush pilot, trapper, wolf hunter, guide and outfitter. Did I win the lottery, or what???


We fly along looking over some unbelievable landscape. It’s hard to wrap you head around the idea of just how much land is here. To reach a destination here travel by air is measured in hours, by river it's measured in days, travel by land is nearly impractical. Curly is continuously pointing out different tracks and items of interest. We see several moose in the willow flats along various creeks and rivers. I’m surprised to see several bulls that have their antlers. I find this odd until I realize that if I was a bull moose spending the winter in wolf country, I too would like to keep a hold of those antlers as long as possible. Peering out the front window, I notice a large ice and snow covered lake on the horizon. Curly says that is our first destination. Several weeks earlier Curly had found the remains of a caribou along the lake and he has set several wolf snares and a wolverine bucket in the area. He says he’d rather not land to check this if he doesn’t have to, as he likes to limit his human odor in the area he has wolf sets. Making a pass over the lake, Curly told me of the large numbers of Caribou that were often found here. Unfortunately, there were none to be seen this day, but the tracks all over the lake were proof they had been here in great numbers. Curly began to make a few...let’s call them sudden...maneuvers to get the plane in position to spot the sets. I’m again quickly surprised by the power of the little plane. There’s no question about Curly’s flying abilities. I told him I believed he could fly the wings off of that plane if he wanted to. He started chuckling and told me that a lot of his clients will ask him if he’s ever crashed before and he’ll tell them that he has “worn out a plane or two in an afternoon of flying”. I think that is akin to the Captain of the Titanic saying he just "gave his ship an early retirement". As we sweep down over the sets, I am unable to see anything except for blurred tree tops and my own white knuckles. Curly says the snares appear fine, but he's unable to see if his wolverine trap has made a catch. He decides we'll land and walk in. We drop to a smooth glide over the ice and taxi to the edge of the lake. We get out and I try to follow along walking in Curly’s tracks. The wolverine bucket is undisturbed, so we head back to the lake and waiting plane. I notice the air seems to have taken on a chill, and the wind blowing in from across the lake of ice is definitely cooler than the protected area around Ken’s cabin.



We hop back into the plane and take off. Curly keeps me entertained as we fly along, always turning to look at this or that, always handy with a story about a particular river, lake, or mountain we fly over. As we approach an unnamed river he points out a cabin that looks vaguely familiar. It seems I’ve seen pictures of this famous cabin before. Does it look familiar to anyone else??







As we circle the cabin Curly opens the window of the plane so I can get a few pictures. Whew! That gust of air will wake a body right up! As we make our last pass I notice an unmistakable object on the ground.







I ask Curly if this is one of those planes he “wore out”. He laughs and says that it wasn’t him, but that an older gentleman had attempted to make the runway a little longer by using the prop of the plane. The trees didn’t give much, the old man lived, but the plane didn’t.


We check a few more lynx, wolverine, and wolf sets on our way to the lodge. We are able to check these from the air so we don’t land on any of them. Flying sixty miles an hour, diving in from two hundred feet to about twenty feet off the river, all while trying to spot a 330, is exhilarating to say the least. Here is a short video of one of the trap checks. Look quick!





What seems like only minutes has actually been over an hour. The sky has become a dark grey, and our afternoon of "flightseeing" has come to an end. We approach Curly’s base of operations, and I have to say I’m more than a little surprised. On the trip out here I had though that this wilderness lodge would probably be a medium sized cabin with a wall tent for the guides and guests. I was most certainly wrong. The lodge, guide quarters, guest quarters, outbuildings, fuel tanks, it’s all immense. What's even more amazing than seeing all this here, is realizing how it all got here. Everything has been either built from natural materials on site or flown in one plane load at a time. Just the logistics to keep this place operational must be staggering. The Stoney River Lodge ( Click here to see Stoney River Lodge ) is owned and operated by Curly and Betty Warren. An unbelievable oasis in the wilderness. I can tell right away that this place is a sight for sore eyes after returning from an extended stay in the bush. Later, while viewing the countless pictures, letters, trophies, and accolades covering the walls of the main lodge, I begin to get a sense of the world class hunting and fishing opportunities that the surrounding bush provides. Immediately upon returning home, I began recruiting the wife and several of our friends for another Great Alaskan Adventure. This one will be home based at Stoney River Lodge. ( As I write this a May 2011 black bear hunt/fishing trip is in the works!!)


We make another smooth landing on the frozen lake and taxi up to the runway. After tying the plane down we head up to the main lodge where Curly introduces me to two of the three women that keep him company out here. These two ladies are big, black, and very affectionate. Now, before you go thinking that Curly is some kind of interracial, polygamist cult leader, let me explain. Sassy and Belle are two black labs that are purported to be duck monsters. Curly has them demonstrate their fetching skills, and while I am impressed by the way they both work, I’m thinking for most of the year they probably devote the majority of their time fetching food from thier bowls. The two girls make it immediately clear, they love to play fetch and roll in the snow, and they are not bashful about getting strangers involved in thier games.

As it was with the Ol' Blister and Ken, I’m not lucky enough to meet the real woman in Curly's life, Betty Warren. "Bee-Dub" as she is affectionately called is off on a trip to sunny Florida, so Curly and the girls have been “roughing it”. Before I can pry myself away from the girls (happens all the time) Curly hops on a monster Arctic Cat snow mobile and heads down to the plane to bring up my gear. Curly shows me my room in the guest lodge. It looks very clean and comfortable, he’s already had the fuel oil stove running so it’s toasty warm. The place seems to be brand new, Curly tells me this guest lodge and all it’s rooms are a recent addition. The guest lodge has been winterized, so I’ll head up to the main lodge to enjoy that hot shower. Curly says that he mandates a minimum thirty minute hot shower when any of his clients return from the bush, and he's not kidding. I dont think I stink that bad, but I’m happy to take him up on that. While he takes off to fire up the generator and start dinner, I enjoy what felt like an hour of steamy warmth. I’ll say it again...I never did experience the brutal cold temperatures that can occur here during February, but after staying in the bush for two weeks you forget what it is to be completely warm. I was always comfortable, but unless you were buried in your sleeping bag, always something--your hands, head, feet, nose, ears,--something was chilled. Soaking in that steamy hot shower, I began to appreciate warmth again. The clean set of dry clothes that I put on afterward made me feel like a new man.


The dinner Curly prepared consisted of grilled moose steaks, sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes, hash browns covered with melted cheese, and green peas topped with melted butter. I have to say it was a feast of food piled high on the table. When we were finished there wasn’t much more than a spoonful of leftovers, I think I would have finished that too if it hadn’t been for the three beers and the cup of whiskey I had used to wash the meal down. After dinner Curly showed me some of the impressive mounts in the main lodge and tells me a few of the stories behind them. In particular the is a mount of a wolverine that Betty caught. It is a great full body mount of a beautifully colored wolverine. I can only hope my wolverine mount turns out nearly so good. Curly and I visit for a while but I don’t last long, after the few drinks and the huge meal I'm looking for the bed. I walk out into the night air and realize the temperature is steadily dropping. I turn to my warm room in the guest lodge, where I dream of what’s to come tomorrow.
Posted By: fishermann222

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 03:30 AM

I do believe I have seen photos of that cabin before, maybe by a forum member who has been in hiding lately? is it....UNDERDOG
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 03:31 AM

Originally Posted By: fishermann222
I do believe I have seen photos of that cabin before, maybe by a forum member who has been in hiding lately? is it....UNDERDOG


Close but no cigar!
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 03:36 AM

well sir that was worth waitting on
thanks
Posted By: dewayne

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 03:43 AM

Good read and good pictures.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 03:50 AM

Try this view Fish:

Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 03:54 AM

I seem to recall a picture of a beaver blanket on a bed in that cabin.
Posted By: countrysmith

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 03:57 AM

ok so whos idea was it to land the plane in such a tight place?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 03:59 AM

i like the underground mud bunker better..
Posted By: fishermann222

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 04:00 AM

well that was guess number two Ken, didn't realize it would look so nice from the air LOL.

Now Ken, you GOTTA tell us the poor landing story.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 04:00 AM

Originally Posted By: countrysmith
ok so whos idea was it to land the plane in such a tight place?


It didn't land where it's sitting. It landed just in front of there. It was pulled back into the brush to get it out of the way.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 04:05 AM

Originally Posted By: fishermann222
well that was guess number two Ken, didn't realize it would look so nice from the air LOL.

Now Ken, you GOTTA tell us the poor landing story.


I didn't put that one in there. As Jon said an older guy (that leaves me out) landed a bit too hot and over ran the available space and put it in the willows. It's a pretty soft surface and the gear didn't want to keep up with the rest of the plane. Totalled.
Posted By: mark

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 04:06 AM

Outstanding!
Posted By: fishermann222

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 04:07 AM

Was he flyin in to see you?
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 04:09 AM

Originally Posted By: fishermann222
Was he flyin in to see you?


No. Just passing through........the trees
Posted By: fishermann222

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 04:12 AM

well I was going to say was he dying to see you, but apparently he wasn't buried there LOL
Posted By: trapr

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 04:14 AM

is that the local parts store for planes?know there are a few in the primitive area here in Idaho.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 04:26 AM

Could be if you were looking for specific parts. That particular plane is not very common in bush Alaska.
Posted By: Tim Wilcox

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 10:40 AM

WOW, that was indeed worth waiting for !! Thanks for taking the time to share your trip with all of us !
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 12:42 PM

Great story.Thanks for sharing.
Posted By: SKAT

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 03:45 PM

This has been absolutely AWESOME!

Anybody else think this should be archived?

Thank you for sharing this with us.
Posted By: white17

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 08:20 PM

I suspect there might be one more installment forthcoming.
Posted By: Freepop

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 08:40 PM

Originally Posted By: white17
I suspect there might be one more installment forthcoming.


I hope that he has something to share from his time with Curly. Maybe even Hup too.
Posted By: cotton

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/15/10 10:15 PM

okie might not remeber(or want to) what all he did with Hup
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/16/10 10:31 PM

Thanks all.

Yes there will be at least one more installment, possibly two. With a suprise thrown in at the end.

Cotton, you are correct. Besides the marriage counselor advised me never to bring up that night again.
Posted By: Alaskan

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/16/10 11:20 PM

Originally Posted By: Freepop
Originally Posted By: white17
I suspect there might be one more installment forthcoming.


Maybe even Hup too.


Nothing happened then, and no need to report on it. Simple dinner and drop off at the airport.

I'm thinking this is a good a time as any to just end the thread. Moderators, can you lock it down!?!?!?!?!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/16/10 11:22 PM

Not before I get to say something.....
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/17/10 01:18 AM

Originally Posted By: Alaskan
Originally Posted By: Freepop
Originally Posted By: white17
I suspect there might be one more installment forthcoming.


Maybe even Hup too.


Nothing happened then, and no need to report on it. Simple dinner and drop off at the airport.

I'm thinking this is a good a time as any to just end the thread. Moderators, can you lock it down!?!?!?!?!


You're the bonehead that bought tee shirts.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/17/10 03:01 AM

with a credit card too no doubt....

all that glitter they wear, AND a CC receipt....

DOOHHHH.

Anyways, bout time you finsihed the story.... great job on the ending..
Posted By: Alaskan

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/17/10 04:42 PM

Originally Posted By: Okiekajun
You're the bonehead that bought tee shirts.


Hmmm...I'll take that as a "thank you". And you're welcome.

Originally Posted By: Hupurest
with a credit card too no doubt....

all that glitter they wear, AND a CC receipt....

DOOHHHH.

Anyways, bout time you finsihed the story.... great job on the ending..


You know better. There were funds, but none with a traceable history!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/17/10 08:48 PM

I do have to give you credit for the thought of bringing $500....

however, it was myforethought and pre planning that told you to get it all in $1's......
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/17/10 08:50 PM

Okie....

You need to fit the following quote into the story...

"Wow, you are soft. What kind of lotion do you use?"

LMAO....
Posted By: Pittu

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/17/10 09:23 PM

Something tells me thats an "inside" joke,lol

You guys better be careful razzin' okie or we'll have to wait another 3 months for the final chapters!!!
Posted By: Alaskan

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/17/10 09:28 PM

Originally Posted By: Pittu
Something tells me thats an "inside" joke,lol

You guys better be careful razzin' okie or we'll have to wait another 3 months for the final chapters!!!


If you mean "inside" as in "during a motorboat" bbbbrrrbrbbbrrrrbbbbbrrrrbbbbrrrrbbrbrrr

Seriously.....soft!
Posted By: Pittu

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/17/10 09:32 PM

Ha...Brrrrrrrrrummmmmski!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/18/10 03:28 PM

Originally Posted By: Alaskan


Seriously.....soft!


No Kidding..... I never , ever felt something so soft and warm.....
Posted By: Okiekajun

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/18/10 05:39 PM

Originally Posted By: Hupurest
Originally Posted By: Alaskan


Seriously.....soft!


No Kidding..... I never , ever felt something so soft and warm.....



NO question. Best float in the whole parade.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Great Alaskan Adventure ; Combined - 06/19/10 01:38 AM

The parade......

That is the BEST Parade in the world.
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