My partner and I decided to trap a different area, neither of us had ever trapped it but Will had hunted and camped there most of his life. I knew another trapper who had trapped it off and on over the years and talked to him before deciding to trap it. We decided to set up two camps 65 miles apart, we would run between them and also run a "day" loop out of each of the camps. The primary target would be marten, and if time permitted canines.

Will had a few days before I would be able to get there, so he went ahead and set up one of the camps cut some wood and even got 8 marten sets out on opening day. The next day I arrived and met him at the lodge so that we could go to set up the other camp. I arrived at 11 AM, he already had two marten, this was looking to be a promising trap line. It took most of the day to travel to the other camp site; actually we had to decide on one. An hour or so after dark we finally decided on a well used spot that even had an outhouse. Against our better judgment we decided to set up camp in a stand of heavy timber. Heavy timber means less daylight and also danger from the wind blowing something over on you or breaking big limbs off and having them fall on you. And then if you get heavy snow it can accumulate in the trees and then come down in tent demolishing chunks. We spent the night in the horse trailer on folding cots, so that we could set the tent up in the daylight. It was raining off and on and had been for several days.

The next morning we set up the tent, a new one Will had purchased from Cabelas just before elk season, an Alaknac.This tent was touted as the best thing since sliced bread. It was easy to set up and roomy enough inside for the two of us and our gear. It was waterproof and had an apron for the wood stove to keep it from burning holes in the tent. Well as I said it been raining and continued to do so, we needed fire wood so decided to take the pickup to get some and set some marten sets in the "day" loop for this camp. We managed to find some fire wood left over from an earlier elk camp, and put out 8 marten sets. The rest of the day was spent splitting wood and loading the Rhino with the gear we would need to start setting the long line between the two camps.

Early the next morning we set out in the rain for the other camp setting as we went. We hadn't gone but a couple of miles when we both had the same thought, we don't have enough equipment to set all this area up, it was that good.  We were "cold rolling" this line, we didn't have time to locate sets in the off season so had to choose locations and construct sets as we went. We managed to set about 30 sets before dark, and then high tailed it back to the other camp. We still had to take the Rhino down to the lodge to get Wills pickup, which we did after starting a fire in the tent stove. After a dinner of "soup in a bucket" or whatever you call those handy meals we eat at the end of a long day,  we discussed the amount equipment we had to set up this line. We decided we had enough for a couple more days of setting so would worry about  it when we returned to this camp; Will had brought a length of "rabbit wire" to make more boxes.

The next day we ran the "day" loop for this camp picking up another marten and putting in a few more sets, and preparing for the next days run to the other camp. As it continued to rain.

Early the next morning we set out for the other camp, in the rain. We put out another 30 sets before we got to where we had sets from the last run. We put out a few more sets in likely spots that we had skipped on the last run, until we ran out of daylight. We picked up a couple more marten which was remarkable considering the weather. Then  hightailed it to camp to get dried out and something to eat. The Rhino was acting up again and would hardly keep running, I had to pump the gas pedal to keep it running. My leg was getting tired from pumping and was starting to cramp up for the last 2 miles to camp. I asked will if he new some really fast music so I could tap my foot to it. He suggested that we put a CD player in so we could have some music like that to play.  It was decided that we would run the "day" loop the next day in the pickup and go to town to see if we could find some water proof head gear and gas and diesel.

After a leisurely breakfast we loaded up some gas cans and equipment and headed out to check the "day" loop and go to town. We made a few more sets and headed for town. In town we were unable to find any rain hats, but Will did find a pair of rain pants. We returned in the rain to camp.

At camp we fired up the stove and spruced up the camp. We had found out by now that the highly touted Alaknak tent wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Yes it was waterproof but that means that it is hard to get the condensation out, it rained in the tent most of the time. Every time you touched the tent drops would fall from the ceiling. When you tried to dry your clothes the condensation would rain in the tent. Will nicknamed the camp, "Camp Dismal". The sun never shown, and even when the rain stopped, which was seldom and briefly, the water still dripped from the heavy timber. Another night spent listening to the rain fall and dreaming that it would stop.

The next morning we headed for camp #1 checking sets as we went. We again filled in with sets in places we had skipped on the previous runs. Will's new rain gear was a little snug and the crotch ripped out right off, every time he exited

or entered the vehicle they would rip some more, by the time we got to the other camp they looked like a set of chaps.Again

picking up a couple more marten, in this down pour we felt fortunate. The fuel filter on the Rhino was plugged so we fought

that most of the afternoon. It finally cooled off and snowed that night, we thought the gods had smiled upon us.

The next day we ran the "day" loop and put up the marten from the previous day. We were skinning off the back of the Rhino when we heard a vehicle coming from the direction of  "Camp Dismal". We threw the marten in the box and watched a pickup drive through camp, they waved reluctantly as they passed. That night we spent building wire boxes out of the rabbit wire Will had brought, we made 25 more to set out.

The next morning after breakfast we set out in the 5" of relatively new snow, the only tracks were those of the pickup from the day before. About 1/2 mile from camp we found our first trap missing, the wire cut. The plastic cover was off and laying on the ground a sure indicator that a catch had been made. So now we are wondering how many more the occupants of the only vehicle to pass by had stolen. At the next set a paper tube with a 120 conibear, the trap was also missing, we think that it too had made a catch. But thankfully those were the only 2 traps they had stolen. We made another 25 sets using up the rest of the boxes we had made the night before. It started to snow in the afternoon and was quite dark when we reached camp. We went to bed the snow still falling with about 8" on the ground. It was fairly powdery and would slide of the branches and cascade down on the tent periodically all night.

About 6 AM I got up to answer the call of nature, I opened the tent flap and found almost two feet of snow on the cab of my pickup.

I told Will "We have to get out of here there's two feet of snow on the cab of the pickup, and it's still snowing."

We spent the better part of the next 2 hrs breaking camp and getting everything loaded to head out. The new pickup I bought had 17 in tires so my old chains didn't fit. The first 40 yards was uphill so I turned the pickup around and drove it to the brink of the hill and back a couple of times before I hooked up to the horse trailer. I then pulled the trailer to the brink of the hill and loaded the Rhino in it.

Will and I jumped in the pickup and headed to town to buy a set of chains as we still had the other camp to pull. The snow was powdery and flowing away from the pickup like a boat wake. We made it about 1 1/2 miles to the first junction, as I went to make the turn onto the other road the back of the pickup lurched sideways and spun out. I looked in the mirror and could see what had happened, as the trailer is fairly long it can’t follow the pickup and started to push snow with its side. The berm it was pushing was about 2 feet up on the side of the trailer. Also the bumper was pushing snow and it was half way up the grill, this is a 2004 Dodge 1 ton 4X4. We got it shoveled out and backed up a few feet for another try at it. I started up again and was able to keep it going. We made it to town and bought a full set of chains for the pickup, and headed for the other camp. We had to go around making it about 120 miles that way. We made it within 6 miles of the other camp and dropped the trailer. We went on to camp by this time it was way past dark thirty. We tore down this camp and got it loaded in the other trailer, got Will's pickup chained up and hooked to the trailer. We got back down to the horse trailer and hooked up and headed for home. We still had to get the sleds and come back to pull the line, I got home about 2 AM.

By the time we got back with the sleds there was 4 feet of snow and lot of trees across the road. We spent the next 2 days getting all our traps fired off. It is now late June and we still haven't been able to get our traps out, hopefully on the 30th we will be able to get to them.

       

    

 

My partner and I decided to trap a different area, neither of us had ever trapped it but Will had hunted and camped there most of his life. I knew another trapper who had trapped it off and on over the years and talked to him before deciding to trap it. We decided to set up two camps 65 miles apart, we would run between them and also run a "day" loop out of each of the camps. The primary target would be marten, and if time permitted canines.

Will had a few days before I would be able to get there, so he went ahead and set up one of the camps cut some wood and even got 8 marten sets out on opening day. The next day I arrived and met him at the lodge so that we could go to set up the other camp. I arrived at 11 AM, he already had two marten, this was looking to be a promising trap line. It took most of the day to travel to the other camp site; actually we had to decide on one. An hour or so after dark we finally decided on a well used spot that even had an outhouse. Against our better judgment we decided to set up camp in a stand of heavy timber. Heavy timber means less daylight and also danger from the wind blowing something over on you or breaking big limbs off and having them fall on you. And then if you get heavy snow it can accumulate in the trees and then come down in tent demolishing chunks. We spent the night in the horse trailer on folding cots, so that we could set the tent up in the daylight. It was raining off and on and had been for several days.

The next morning we set up the tent, a new one Will had purchased from Cabelas just before elk season, an Alaknac.This tent was touted as the best thing since sliced bread. It was easy to set up and roomy enough inside for the two of us and our gear. It was waterproof and had an apron for the wood stove to keep it from burning holes in the tent. Well as I said it been raining and continued to do so, we needed fire wood so decided to take the pickup to get some and set some marten sets in the "day" loop for this camp. We managed to find some fire wood left over from an earlier elk camp, and put out 8 marten sets. The rest of the day was spent splitting wood and loading the Rhino with the gear we would need to start setting the long line between the two camps.

Early the next morning we set out in the rain for the other camp setting as we went. We hadn't gone but a couple of miles when we both had the same thought, we don't have enough equipment to set all this area up, it was that good.  We were "cold rolling" this line, we didn't have time to locate sets in the off season so had to choose locations and construct sets as we went. We managed to set about 30 sets before dark, and then high tailed it back to the other camp. We still had to take the Rhino down to the lodge to get Wills pickup, which we did after starting a fire in the tent stove. After a dinner of "soup in a bucket" or whatever you call those handy meals we eat at the end of a long day,  we discussed the amount equipment we had to set up this line. We decided we had enough for a couple more days of setting so would worry about  it when we returned to this camp; Will had brought a length of "rabbit wire" to make more boxes.

The next day we ran the "day" loop for this camp picking up another marten and putting in a few more sets, and preparing for the next days run to the other camp. As it continued to rain.

Early the next morning we set out for the other camp, in the rain. We put out another 30 sets before we got to where we had sets from the last run. We put out a few more sets in likely spots that we had skipped on the last run, until we ran out of daylight. We picked up a couple more marten which was remarkable considering the weather. Then  hightailed it to camp to get dried out and something to eat. The Rhino was acting up again and would hardly keep running, I had to pump the gas pedal to keep it running. My leg was getting tired from pumping and was starting to cramp up for the last 2 miles to camp. I asked will if he new some really fast music so I could tap my foot to it. He suggested that we put a CD player in so we could have some music like that to play.  It was decided that we would run the "day" loop the next day in the pickup and go to town to see if we could find some water proof head gear and gas and diesel.

After a leisurely breakfast we loaded up some gas cans and equipment and headed out to check the "day" loop and go to town. We made a few more sets and headed for town. In town we were unable to find any rain hats, but Will did find a pair of rain pants. We returned in the rain to camp.

At camp we fired up the stove and spruced up the camp. We had found out by now that the highly touted Alaknak tent wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Yes it was waterproof but that means that it is hard to get the condensation out, it rained in the tent most of the time. Every time you touched the tent drops would fall from the ceiling. When you tried to dry your clothes the condensation would rain in the tent. Will nicknamed the camp, "Camp Dismal". The sun never shown, and even when the rain stopped, which was seldom and briefly, the water still dripped from the heavy timber. Another night spent listening to the rain fall and dreaming that it would stop.

The next morning we headed for camp #1 checking sets as we went. We again filled in with sets in places we had skipped on the previous runs. Will's new rain gear was a little snug and the crotch ripped out right off, every time he exited

or entered the vehicle they would rip some more, by the time we got to the other camp they looked like a set of chaps.Again

picking up a couple more marten, in this down pour we felt fortunate. The fuel filter on the Rhino was plugged so we fought

that most of the afternoon. It finally cooled off and snowed that night, we thought the gods had smiled upon us.

The next day we ran the "day" loop and put up the marten from the previous day. We were skinning off the back of the Rhino when we heard a vehicle coming from the direction of  "Camp Dismal". We threw the marten in the box and watched a pickup drive through camp, they waved reluctantly as they passed. That night we spent building wire boxes out of the rabbit wire Will had brought, we made 25 more to set out.

The next morning after breakfast we set out in the 5" of relatively new snow, the only tracks were those of the pickup from the day before. About 1/2 mile from camp we found our first trap missing, the wire cut. The plastic cover was off and laying on the ground a sure indicator that a catch had been made. So now we are wondering how many more the occupants of the only vehicle to pass by had stolen. At the next set a paper tube with a 120 conibear, the trap was also missing, we think that it too had made a catch. But thankfully those were the only 2 traps they had stolen. We made another 25 sets using up the rest of the boxes we had made the night before. It started to snow in the afternoon and was quite dark when we reached camp. We went to bed the snow still falling with about 8" on the ground. It was fairly powdery and would slide of the branches and cascade down on the tent periodically all night.

About 6 AM I got up to answer the call of nature, I opened the tent flap and found almost two feet of snow on the cab of my pickup.

I told Will "We have to get out of here there's two feet of snow on the cab of the pickup, and it's still snowing."

We spent the better part of the next 2 hrs breaking camp and getting everything loaded to head out. The new pickup I bought had 17 in tires so my old chains didn't fit. The first 40 yards was uphill so I turned the pickup around and drove it to the brink of the hill and back a couple of times before I hooked up to the horse trailer. I then pulled the trailer to the brink of the hill and loaded the Rhino in it.

Will and I jumped in the pickup and headed to town to buy a set of chains as we still had the other camp to pull. The snow was powdery and flowing away from the pickup like a boat wake. We made it about 1 1/2 miles to the first junction, as I went to make the turn onto the other road the back of the pickup lurched sideways and spun out. I looked in the mirror and could see what had happened, as the trailer is fairly long it can’t follow the pickup and started to push snow with its side. The berm it was pushing was about 2 feet up on the side of the trailer. Also the bumper was pushing snow and it was half way up the grill, this is a 2004 Dodge 1 ton 4X4. We got it shoveled out and backed up a few feet for another try at it. I started up again and was able to keep it going. We made it to town and bought a full set of chains for the pickup, and headed for the other camp. We had to go around making it about 120 miles that way. We made it within 6 miles of the other camp and dropped the trailer. We went on to camp by this time it was way past dark thirty. We tore down this camp and got it loaded in the other trailer, got Will's pickup chained up and hooked to the trailer. We got back down to the horse trailer and hooked up and headed for home. We still had to get the sleds and come back to pull the line, I got home about 2 AM.

By the time we got back with the sleds there was 4 feet of snow and lot of trees across the road. We spent the next 2 days getting all our traps fired off. It is now late June and we still haven't been able to get our traps out, hopefully on the 30th we will be able to get to them.

       

    

 

CAMP DISMAL

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