Operation firewood, and quadding adventures

Yesterday we went out to our firewood source, an old forest fire burn, about 15 years ago old now?

We like this place, because Jeff can pull the trailer right off the road and we can cut the trees down right beside the trailer, and load it up easily.

Only this time wasn’t as easy. We’re a year older. <snicker snicker> And we’ve hit it pretty good previously, so there wasn’t as much beautiful wood in easy reach. And when there was a good looking tree, some times they were finally starting to rot and just weren’t worth hauling back to town.

Early on in the day, I was hauling a tree out of the woods. I had my brush ax (Sandvik) hooked around a knot and was pulling with all my might behind me. Then it was suddenly easy to pull, but I was on such a lean I couldn’t recover. I did the ol’ cartoon tumble, where I was almost running and couldn’t get myself upright, and then finally fell with enough force on my wrists that I overpowered them too and took the brunt of it on my cheekbone.

While I was sitting there trying to figure out if I was broken, almost in tears, Jeff didn’t see me and kept cutting trees down with the chainsaw. He started to cut one that was going to fall on me, so I was shrieking to not kill me or something ridiculous and finally he heard me and finally spotted me under the bushes.

Luckily I was fine! Just some bruises!

On the way back to town, we drove on Dominion, along the Hunker fire that burned this summer. There is almost 15 kilometres of burn along the road! This may be our new source of wood. Some big ones too! I wonder how long people wait before tackling forest fire kill. It would definitely be a little too sooty the first year I think!

What a gorgeous territory we live in. This peak is near where the fire started. Luckily the ruins of an old road house to the left of this next photo was spared by the fire.

Quadding

Today, despite being super sore from hauling wood (and falling on my face), we met a friend to go out for a day on our ATVs!

It was clear and sunny and only about 1C when we left our place. And it turned into the nicest, warmest fall day!

We drove about 100 kilometres of trail, really bumpy trail! It was big and wide in places, but had drainage ditches carved across it in so many places. I bumped and banged around, having a blast!

Look at all the fall colours! (ya ya, we really do have fall in August!) And the smell of fall – labrador tea, spruce, mmmmmm, delicious fall.

We stumbled upon someone’s hunting cabin and lookout! Nice place for a view!

Eventually the road closed in. I was motoring along, at about 35 km/hr when suddenly there was banging and tearing. I somehow caught the edge of a dead tree, well maybe a branch, no bigger than a branch, limb? Anyway, I didn’t even see it coming but it caught me, ripped the plastic moulding of my left foot well on the quad, knocked the lid off my quad’s trunk box, sliced my seat, tore my pants, and my underpants, and my butt cheek. AHH!

I grabbed my hand brakes and came to a stop. Jeff was riding behind me and picked up the lid of my trunk box and came over to inspect the damage (me and the ATV). My butt was scraped bad enough to be bleeding! HA! Oh well. Wish I didn’t hit that wood, but still don’t know how it happened.

The views on our ride today were breathtaking. I can’t even count how many times I said it was beautiful. The mountains, valleys, glimpses of the mighty Yukon River. We rode way up and then way down, over and over. We rode over big piles of blueberry filled bear poo, and wolf scat. Even some old moose poo. We saw scattered grouse feathers of a recent kill, and trapper boxes on trees as we went along part of a trapline. We went until the trail closed in tight and eventually there were too many trees fallen across the trail for us (and by us, I mean not me, but the men folk) to chop and move out of our way.

When we went as far as we could, we turned around, found a clearing for lunch, and then drove all the way back to town.

This is the view from the peak where the town’s fire tower is. It was a hub of action for awhile just a few weeks ago, but now it is already boarded up for the season.

Jeff wanted me to show the world the hole in my pants and underwear. He stopped short of wanting to show you the wounds underneath.

I am so broken now. And giggly. I love being sore because I had fun! And what a good day to have a power recliner and a hot tub!!