It was an adventure in its own way I learned I am not 30 anymore. The mountains got dumped on 10" of heavy, wet, nasty snow and the dogs don't have enough miles on them to do this trap line. Up until this storm started I had been running this line with my 4X4 pickup. I had to pull the traps so I rented a snow machine to run the line.
I talked to the owner of the rental shop about what I wanted to use the snow machine for, so we start talking about trapping and how as a kid he had followed his dad on a trap line. Then he told me he was care taking a small farm and he is having problems with coyotes, fox, muskrats and would I be interested in trapping them. We are setting traps Thursday. I not only got a snow machine to use but I also got a new trap line.
He delivered the snow machine to my trap line so I didn't have to pull the snow machine trailer which was huge and my truck is small (can't afford to drive the big truck). The machine started right up I didn't have any problems with the machine the problem was me.
One of the great games that is played on the trap line is "Guess where I set that trap". This game is played after 2ft of snow has just buried everything. Nothing looks anything looks the same as when I set the trap. I got to the same general area of the marten sets, I thought I recognized a couple land marks, I was wrong. I thought the the cubby set was just off the trail and down that bank.
I decided not to put on the snow shoes because at the last set the snow had only been 2ft deep. I was wrong it was crotch deep. After I searched the area where the trap should but wasn't I realized this wasn't the place. I started up the bank at first I tried walking but not having snowshoes this wasn't going so well. This slope was a lot steep than I thought, I gave up walking and started crawling or should I say trying to crawl. The snow layers starting at the base was sugar snow, the middle layer was crusted wet snow and the final layer 3ft of fluffy dry Champagne powder.
At first I was sliding back faster than I was going forward. Every time I thought I had a solid foot hold the crust would break and away down I would go. I gave up trying to climb up the bank and started trying to crawl up this almost cliff wearing a pack basket. Thirty years ago this might not have been that big of a deal but this was kicking my ass. I finally made back onto the trail doing the "Low Crawl" unlike the last time something like this happened I was able to get to my feet I wouldn't say quickly but I did stand up. The next time that I think "Maybe I should put on my snowshoes" I am going to put on my snowshoes. You can wind up is serious trouble in deep snow without snowshoes or skis. First thing I had done was strap my snowshoes onto the snow machine but the snowshoes being strapped to the snow machine weren't doing me any good.
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