Saturday, February 01
Worked on the books today. The slack month of Jan has been fine for me as I have caught up a lot of the back stuff that we were afraid would have to hold back all winter and that would mean that we would go still farther back by next summer. We had the Pearsons over to supper tonight. I cooked fried potatoes, the real good old kind, and we had peas and caribou steak. This was the first caribou that Mrs Pearson had ever tasted. Gee, when I think of going out I sure will miss the good old feeds of nice lake trout, caribou and moose that we have so much of now. After supper we played bridge till after 01:00. While we were setting the table Mrs Pearson saw an old picture in the cupboard and right away she wanted it so Joe told her that he would make it the first prize in the bridge game. We pulled her leg about it all thru the game. At first we were way ahead of them but the luck changed later and at the end they were ahead. Joe hid the pitcher and we had a great time kidding her about it. She got real mad I think and told us several times what she thought of us for making it a prize, then when they won it fairly to try to do them out of it. We kept telling her that we didn't remember any pitcher that she wanted and that she must be thinking of one she saw at Leggos or somewhere. While hunting for it I happened to move a Horlicks Malted milk bottle. Right away she wanted to have a drink of it so we told her that if she liked it she could have the bottle that neither of us liked it. She sure took us up on that, so I wrapped it up and she took it home (the bottle was empty). Just after they got home we had some fun with Jack over the phone. He doesn't know who called up and bit hook line and sinker. The stunt was this. About the time he got home, we rang the radio station call but didn't answer. After a couple minutes we rang again and Jack answered from the house. Joe spoke very broken English and said that he had a rush message that he would like to send. I was in the office and I nearly died as Joe I was laughing so hard I hurt my sides. Jack told him that he was sure we were not there to call us in the morning. He said that he was just going to bed, and if it was real important and we didn't answer to give him a ring 4 short and he would dress and take it over so that it could get away at 05:00. Joe said that it wasn't important enough for that and asked what time tomorrow the station was open. Jack said it would open at 12:00 on Sunday and Joe said that would be soon enough. Then to make it realistic Joe rang one long twice after he hung up but there was no answering ring. We went to bed then about 2:30.
Sunday, Feb 02
I was up about 11:00 and after dinner I went up to Leggos and installed his push-pull amplifier that I had got in for him. While I was there Jack & Mrs Pearson came in with Mrs Leggo. They had all been out skiing. Jack asked me if anyone had called up this morning or afternoon with a rush message. When I said no, he told me all about the Englishman, whose voice was strange to him, calling up at 02:00 with a rush message and he said that he had listened for our ring but hadn’t heard it. Gee I nearly had a fit keeping a straight face when he was telling all about it. I finished Leggos set about 17:00 and tried it out but all we could hear was Yorks lighting plant but it sounded ok. I told Syd to call me up tonight and let me know how it was, then I came back home. I told Joe all about Jacks worrying over who called with a message at 02:00 then neglected to send it out when the station was open. I worked on my set for a couple of hours then read till about midnight when we had our regular lunch and went to bed .
Monday, Feb 03
I got up at 09:30 and we all tightened the aerial then I went uptown. I went up to Mrs Conibears and spent most of the afternoon and got back to the station about 17:00. After supper I worked on the books and balanced Jan.’s business and wrote out the service wires to Resolution and Simpson and Aklavik giving our check on them and then worked for a while on my set. Joe started to build a transmitter again tonight but hadn't any success with it. I checked it over and found a half dozen mistakes but couldn't get the thing going and as it was nearly 01:00 we quit for the night. He couldn't get it to oscillate at first but we finally got the oscillator going, but couldn't get the modulator coupled to the oscillator. It was 01:30 when we went to bed.
Tuesday, Feb 04
I woke up at 09:50 and put the perc on and as Jack was not over I came down and put in the first call to Edm. I sent two to them then got the place swept out and the fires going and called Resolution and took two from them. I gave Stony a call at 10:00 but got no answer and a few minutes later Jack came in. He had overslept till 09:35. We got a service check back from Resolution and Simpson checking out Jan. figures ok. Then I made out the check ledger and went uptown to deliver the days messages and collect the accounts. I was loaded up with parcels etc and gave Joe a call. He said he would come up. We stayed and had supper at Lanouettes then came home. I brought our electric lights out to Pearson. He bought them all. I sent $36 to the savings account today. The parts for Leggos set cost me about $23.50 and I collected $40 from him. After we got home Joe worked on his transmitter and I worked in the office. When I was finished the work I went up and gave Joe a hand. We got the set working fine and tried some rebroadcasting. It worked OK. Jack phoned and let us know how it was coming in. We went to bed about 01:00.
Wednesday, Feb 05
I worked the set all morning alone. Joe slept till 11:30. During the lull in the afternoon we monkeyed around with the transmitter and played a few records. Joe went uptown with the messages about 16:00 and I took the set from then till closing time. While he was delivering messages he had to go over to the Barracks and Bob Browne asked him to stay for supper he phoned me and told me about it and I gave him the only message for delivery. About 19:30 he came back with Browne. We got the set going about 21:00 and broadcast a couple selections then rebroadcast the program from Winnipeg. It went out fine but our wave length is too low. We come in at the very bottom of the dials. After Winnipeg signed off we tuned in another one and rebroadcast that one till about 01:00 when we signed off. Our transmitter is a 2 watt set. While the program was in motion we played cards. Browne left about 01:30.
Thursday, Feb 06
I slept till 10:30 today then got up and had a cup of coffee. I didn't care about going uptown so got into my overalls and overhauled the Delco. I started about 11:00 and finished at 16:00. It runs much quieter now. I put all the batteries ready to start charging then went upstairs and helped Joe with the set. Our wave length is too low so we decided to raise it up just over or under Winnipeg far enough not to interfere. In the changing and with the bunch of wires that we had, the capacity effect was terrific and Jack called us up and said that our modulation was now rotten. We tore the set out and started to rebuild it. We had it finished about 22:30 but it was 02:00 before we got it working. We hunted for two hours for the trouble to discover that our input leads were reversed. I didn't know that it made any difference which way the leads went as I was under the impression that the output of the phonograph pickup was AC, it isn't. I made some tea and we then went to bed. It was well after 02:30 when we finally went to sleep.
Friday, Feb 07
I finished the last of the Jan.business this morning and had intended to show Jack how to go about the entering of the DR’s but the time was too short. As is usual the afternoon business kept him continually on the set. The mail arrived today and I went up for it at 16:00 when I took up the Press and all the messages. I was disappointed in not getting a letter from Nona. All I got was a Radio News, the papers, two letters from AMORC and the Rosicrucian Digest. The digest was very interesting this time. There are several articles that are really worth reading and after going as far as I have thru the lessons I find many things of interest between the lines that I am sure I never would have seen or understood had I not been reading those lessons. One in particular entitled the Evolution of Life, is very interesting and it is surprising how closely life itself is connected to the Electron theory, which is such an important theory in radio or any other branch of electricity. I forgot to mention on the 4th that I sent a deposit of $16 to the savings bank at McMurray. That was the first that I have been able to send for many months and I sent another deposit of $36 today. These two deposits were both radio and photography accounts that came in. For supper tonight I fried potatoes and beefsteak. The beef was tough compared to the caribou that we have had for some time but was nevertheless a welcome change. The flavour of it and the gravy was worth the tougher meat. After supper Joe went uptown and took all the mail up with him. He phoned from post office that he would listen for me on McDougals radio if I would give him a test. I put on the Gay Cabeliero and he was surprised at the volume and good modulation that we had. I tried announcing but used the mike upstairs and it didn't get thru. It is a poor mike anyway. When we got back we fixed up a few things and at 23:30 we put on another test program. McDougal promised to listen in for us. I announced from the telephone downstairs. We put in an elaborate control and remote system. By turning a switch downstairs beside the telephone, the output of the phone goes into the transmitter and as the strength of the line is sufficient we get away from having to build a speech amplifier. The microphone of the phone is not a really good sensitive one, however. We played three records, then re-broadcast from Hollywood Cal, CKCK and KJR then I read some news items from the Leader and closed by one more record. We went to bed 01:45.
Saturday, Feb 08
I was on the set all morning. During afternoon I had a small nap till about 15:00 then went uptown to deliver some messages. I was back about 17:00 and cooked supper. After supper I worked on my radio for about an hour then read for a while. Joe and I put in about three hours testing the transmitter, but it was very poor so Joe and I tore it to pieces and rebuilt it and finished about 02:00. Roast chicken for supper tonight.
Sunday Feb 09
I was on the set all day but during the afternoon, between calls, I went home and got my rifle and some things I will need on the moose hunt. I expected Bert in today but he didn't show up. We had roast pork and mashed potatoes for supper. We thought they would be a treat. Browne was here. After supper we played cards and listened to the radio. Browne went home about 02:00 and we arranged a short programme with him for 02:30 to make some other tests.
Monday, Feb 10
A fierce blizzard blew all day today. Bert not expected in during the present weather. No word yet as to where he is. I worked on the books for the most part of the morning and showed Jack how to enter the DRs as he is going to look after it for me while I am away. Browne was up after supper so we had to turn down a substitution party at the Pearsons when their H.C. friends couldn't come on account of the weather. I refer to Govt officials. Our transmitter is getting out fine now and for the tubes we are using we are putting a great punch in the air. We have on 201A for a modulator and two 201A’s for oscillators and the plate current consumption is nearly 100 mils. Too heavy I admit, but the kick is there just the same and what does a little thing like efficiency matter anyways. We will get around to that later. We went to bed about 1:00.
Tuesday, Feb 11
Blizzard still blowing. I had to go uptown this afternoon and it was a treat to get back believe me. I did a little work on my set today. I hadn't intended to but was in the room and noticed a wire connected wrong so changed it over then checked over some more. I have the audio and intermediate frequency amplifiers all finished and tested thru OK. It is going to be a humdinger. Jack hasn't started on Feb. business yet so I did the first to the sixth incl. Then cooked supper, Bert had to go up to York & Lyalls with some things and was coming back for supper. By the time he got his dogs fed and the sleigh unpacked it was likely supper time and I guess he stayed at Yorks as York would undoubtedly ask him. We waited till 18:30 then ate. We had fried spuds and caribou. While we were at supper Browne came in. Joe and I were going to build him a small transmitter so that he could talk back to us here. Bert was saying that he would be going back tomorrow so I finished up some work in the office that I had started and Joe went ahead with the transmitter. The skies are all clear now but the wind is still very high, being around about 40 miles per hour. Bert slept here at the station with us tonight.
Wednesday, Feb 12
We were up at 10:00 and we expected to leave for the bush but Bert changed his mind and decided to wait over till tomorrow. He and I went uptown this morning to get some things that we would be needing such as chocolate bars to eat on the trail and cigarettes. We were back to the station for dinner. Joe had some caribou, fried spuds and preserved rhubarb on for dinner. Shortly after dinner, while Bert, Joe and I were upstairs talking, Jack brought up a service from Edm. saying that the auditor was there and wanted to check on all stations, from April 1st 1929 up to January 1930. As Jack and Joe did not know just where to get these figures I made them out for them during the afternoon. After supper I went uptown to get some bread and went in to Yorks to wait for Bert. I stayed listening to York’s radio until 23:30. York and I went up to the house to look at our easy chairs. He is going to buy them. Bert decided to stay there tonight as that would save him walking back in the morning for the dogs so I came home alone. I fixed the fires up for the night and went to bed at midnight. It was from 30-35 below all day, but the wind has dropped and the sky is clear.
Thursday Feb 13
I was up to take the Meteors at 05:00 then slept till 10:00 when Jack came upstairs and told me there was a moose out in the yard. I thought that Bert was here so hurried into my clothes. Bert arrived soon after. I had my breakfast and it took us about half an hour to pack the sleigh up. Before we pulled out we had a few cups of coffee and left at 11:15 arriving at Gravel Point at 13:20. We stayed there talking to “Dad” Burnett until 14:45 then went on to Salt River. Billie Lyall met us on the ice. He had expected us down yesterday. He had supper all ready for us when we arrived. It was 16:00 when we landed. The trails from Smith to Salt River were poor. They were drifted and soft in the bush and drifted with a hard crust on the river. The crust would hold us OK but they were so high and steep and uneven that it was hard keeping the sleigh right. Supper consisted of roast moose heart stuffed with poultry dressing and fried potatoes. It sure tasted good after running 18 miles in 30 below weather. According to arrangements made before leaving Smith we tuned in the radio at 19:30 and listened to Joe. He and I wanted to know how far our transmitter was getting out. It came in real loud but the voice was very poor that was due to the fact that we had a very poor microphone from an old telephone. We did get some of the announcements, however. Joe announced to Billie Lyall that Bert and I had left for Salt River at 11:15 and that came thru perfectly. Dave Watson, Bill Schaffeur, Sousie King, John James and his son came in at eight. When Joe signed off at 20:00 he announced he would be on again at 23:30. We sat around talking until then and turned on the set again. Other stations were not coming in very well. His 23:30 broadcast was considerably better but the voice did not improve. After he signed off again I showed them a few card tricks then the gang got to talking about Dan Hudson. It appears that he has taken a course, or should I say is taking, in magic. The school advertised that Magicians got up to $1000 per night on the stage and he thinks that he is going to be one of them. I nearly split laughing at the yarns that were told about him. When Burstall was passing thru Grande de-tour Dan told him about his work and said that he could take an orange in his fingers and while Burstall was looking at he (Dan) could make it disappear. Burstall told him that if he had an orange he could also make it disappear. Dan didn't know that he was having his leg pulled and said, “Do you know that trick too?” When any one asks him a question he is strong on the “Im sworn to secrecy” statement. From what I have heard of it from those around Salt River who have been down to his cabin he is bugs over it, but it looks very much like he is just another fish. Burstall had been down and had listened to his talk all evening, and he cant talk of anything else, and he showed him a letter that he was sending to the school enclosing 10 cents for the trick to make the Parliament Buildings disappear. He was asking Burstall to go along with him as his assistant but Burstall told him he couldn't get out of the Police and told him to see me as I was on the stage in that kind of work and maybe I would go. I wish he hadn’t as I could have had some fun with Dan when he comes to town. I wrote a letter to Joe telling how the broadcast was coming in then went to bed. It was nearly 02:00 when I rolled in.
Friday, Feb 14
We were all up at 09:00 and immediately after breakfast we loaded the sleigh. It was 10:00 before we got away. The temp was about 40 below. The river trail was badly drifted but the drifts were crusted over heavily enough to hold us and as the river along there was there was wide enough and free from islands, the edges of the drifts were not as steep as those we had to navigate over yesterday. When we arrived at Berts cabin, 7 miles from Salt.River we found Blackie. Blackie was Berts wheel dog and he had taken sick with a disease that is raging among the dogs in the country and Bert let him follow us in. He didn't hitch him up, and when he camped for dinner about half way to the Big River, Blackie laid down by the fire and couldn't get up when it was time to go. Bert figured that he was tired and would follow on later so left him. We examined him and he was pretty weak and still sick and shivering with the cold. If he had gotten to Salt River Lyall would have looked after him and might have saved him but it was seven miles to Salt River and we couldn't turn back so Bert shot him. It was better than leaving him there alone with no one to look after him. It was hard for Bert to do it as he thought a lot of old Blackie and he was a good hard and willing worker, but was in harness 11 years and pretty old to pull thru. We arrived at the shack on the Hanging Ice River at 21:45 that night. The shack is one belonging to Walter Johnson and Pete McCallum and Bert uses it. It is about twelve by ten feet with a bunk along one side and a chimney fireplace in one corner. We got a roaring fire going then cooked supper. We had bacon, bannock and tea. It was still about 40 below and we could not get the whole place warm on account of so much of the heat going up the chimney. It was not properly designed. We took off most of our cloths and hung them up to dry then piled the fuel higher in the fire and went to bed. It was around midnight when we got into bed. The long travelling on snowshoes made me so tired that I was asleep as soon as I laid down. It was quite warm in the feather robe that I had too. When we left Salt River this morning we only had three dogs. Queen, Peps and Shorty. The other two that we had when we left Smith were Lyalls, all that were left of his big team with exception of one that is not expected to live long. Billie lost two and this one is so sick that he is all skin and bone.
Saturday, Feb 15
About 03:00 Bert woke me up. He was dreaming and shouting for Queen. Yesterday was such a hard day that I guess he was dreaming about it. He admitted when he was getting into bed that he was never so played out in all his life. We had to break trail all the way from the river to the Hanging-Ice. Bert woke up at 07:30 and lit the fire. I woke up at 08:00 and had a cup of tea then fell asleep again. I slept like a log until 10:00. We had lunch shortly after I woke then started out. My feet and legs were so sore from being on snowshoes all day yesterday that it was torture to try to walk until I had gone far enough to begin to feel warm, when the stiffness left me. We only had a short day to do today. We went on to his own shack 5 miles down the Hanging-Ice. Bert looked at all his traps along the way and re-set them. They were all blown over by the recent blizzards. The going was very tough as the snow was too soft to hold us even on snowshoes. We sunk about 18 inches at every step. It was 16:00 when we got to the shack. While Bert went out to look at some more traps I went to the River and cut some ice for water. I had tea ready when he returned. He had no luck. So far from the river we had seen no tracks nor signs of fur. The fur situation all over the country is very poor this year on account of the abnormal amount of snow that we have had. They say here that this years snowfall is by far the greatest that they have had in the past 40 years. Not only has the snowfall been greater but the winter has been a succession of blizzards for the past three months. At 17:00 Bert returned from his line and we had supper then talked till 20:00 when Bert went to sleep. I went to bed and read a magazine that he had there until 21:00 and I went to sleep.
Sunday, Feb 16
I awakened at 07:15. Bert cooked breakfast. The sky was all clouded over and there was no wind. The temp was up to 25 below today. It was 09:00 when we started out for the last lap of the trip. I started ahead to break trail, and to get the stiffness worked out of my legs before the team caught up to me. I was about a mile out when Bert caught up to me. About 12:00 a strong head wind started up, and was blowing very strongly all the rest of the day. We had to break trail every bit of the way today owing to the strong winds since Bert was over it when he came in to Smith. The only place we had a good trail was one Hay Lake which is so big that the wind had a chance to blow all the loose snow off it. We stopped for dinner at 2:30 on Trout Creek. At 3:30 we were on our way again. Long trout Creek there were overflows and we got into the water three times. The water was from on to five inches deep and the loose snow on top didn't show what was underneath. It was so cold that as soon as we stepped into the water our moccasins and snowshoes froze. This made the shoes very heavy. Three times we had to stop and turn the sleigh over to scrape off the ice off the bottom, and to take the axe and scrape the ice off our snowshoes. The ice on the bottom of the sleigh made it drag so heavy that the dogs could hardly move it, and on out snowshoes it made them so heavy that we could hardly lift them off the ground and out feet keep slipping all the time. My feet became so sore that I could hardly walk. Bert seemed to be suffering too, for all that he was used to it and travelling all the time. The last four miles my feet were in such bad shape that I had to take off the shoes and ride the sleigh. My moccasins were frozen stiff. We arrived at the shack at 21:45 and had supper. I changed my footgear to dry and hung the wet up to dry, I examined my feet and found that the bottom of both under the instep had chapped and cracked open. The skin at the base of the toes was cut by the bridle on the snowshoes and there were blisters on the heels. These were caused by the shoes not fitting properly and not so much from the tough going. One of my own shoes disappeared and Jack loaned me his. Before going to bed I soaked my feet for about fifteen minuted in hot salt water. It was midnight when we got into bed. Saw many moose tracks today. Most of them less than 24 hours old.
Monday, Feb 17
Bert was up at 09:00 and cooked breakfast. He heated up the water I used last night and I soaked my feet again before getting up. They felt much better today. Strong wind blowing all day and cloudy. Temperature 26 below. Neither of us left the shack today except for wood and water etc. It is Berts habit to rest up for a day after making the trip. I don't wonder either.
Later in the afternoon the wind began to increase and snow began to fall, and by night there was a blizzard blowing, which wiped out all our tracks completely. We spent the time reading from magazines and telling stories to each other. When we became tired we just laid back and went to sleep for a while. About 17:00 we fell asleep and were awakened at 18:30 by a knock on the door. We were both surprised as the devil to hear a knock on the door when were some 90 miles out in the bush, practically on the border of the Barman Lands. Bert Hollered and Pat Brown came in. We were surprised to see him, and when he said he was on his way out to Jackfish Lake (three day travel from there) and that he had just come from the Fort we were still further surprised. We both thought he and Johnnie Broomfield had gone on about three days ahead of us. I wouldn't wonder, now, that if Pat hadn’t woke us up we would have both been asleep for the night. It was quite dark out. He had come across Trout Lake in the blizzard and when Bert and I went out to help him unhitch the dogs we could not see the leader from the back of the sleigh; and Pat only had four dogs. We had supper then sat around talking until about 01:00. The gossip was the usual kind for the bush, fur, fish, trails, the different catches fellows were making, etc. Before going to bed I bathed my feet again. Wind died down about midnight and sky is clearing up.
Tuesday, Feb 18
Up at 07:30. After breakfast we sat around smoking and talking until 08:30 then started out over to Berts Bine running east to the end of the lake and down Trout Creek a ways then cutting across several sloughs and into the bush. The line runs towards Pine Lake. It was quite warm today, about 15 below, but the sky was hazy. Bert shot a moose near the end of the line and we turned back, bringing a small piece with us, we couldn't bring more as we had left the dogs behind to rest them up. We saw fresh moose tracks today but no sign of fur. All the traps had to be cleaned and reset as some of them were under big drifts. It was 15:00 when we returned. Pat had left with us but branched off a few hundred yards from the cabin and headed straight east across the lake, where we had gone more to the N.E. Just before we got home Bert found a weasel in one of the traps. It began to snow before we reached the cabin and the air was damp and raw. We had a big dinner of moose liver then laid down and slept till 18:20. I woke up and Bert went for more dry wood while I started supper. More moose liver, bacon, bannock and tea. After I got the stuff on I went to the lake for water and swept out the place. He had some broom too. Len made it last winter. They shot an owl and nailed it to the cabin and when it had dried out they cut the wings off and fastened then on to a stick. It is pretty well worn now. I put a pot of prunes on also and they were ready at supper time so we had some of them too. I had put them on for tomorrow. We went to bed at 23:00.
Wednesday, Feb 19
Bert was up at 07:30 as he wanted to get an early start. Today he went out over the Jackfish Trail to clean and reset his traps. His line runs about 7 miles from the cabin. He did not take the dogs with him. I stayed in bed till 11:00, then got up and cleaned up and had breakfast. I took the rifle and camera and started back for Grassy Lake about five miles back over the trail we had come in on, although after the blizzard the other day there was no sign of a trail left. I crossed a fresh wolf track and a fox track but saw no moose tracks at all. I took several snaps and turned back at 15:00. Bert and I arrived at the cabin at the exact same time. He got a mink today that was all, and he had about thirty traps out. He had to re-set every one of course. Before going out I had put a pot of beans on to soak. We got the fire going and out them on to boil. While supper was cooking Bert told me some stories of the early day shipping on these rivers. He worked on the old McMurray and Echo, in 1921. There were only three trips a year from McMurray to Fitz in those days and the game laws were not as they are today. They used to always tie up at the mouth of Athabasca Lake and the crew and most of the passengers would go off duck hunting. Another time he was telling me when the Captain wanted to do some exploring up the Dog River across from Fitzgerald and he and one of the engineers and Bert and a couple others went up and were gone three weeks. They sure had a great life in those days up here. We went to bed early tonight.
Thursday, Feb 20
Up at 09:00. Today was a clear and calm day so we went out to fish the nets. It is three weeks since he pulled the nets out and we had to cut down thru ice three feet thick. We got 27 fish altogether. Four live trout averaging about 8 pounds each, and the rest were mostly whitefish and jackfish (Pike) it was 14:45 when we finished then Bert went for more wood while I got the fire going and the place swept out, then we had tea. At 16:00 Pat & Johnnie Broomfield arrived from their line. They are trapping together this year. We saw them out over the lake about two hours before they arrived. I was looking thru the field glasses at the country when I first spotted them. They were about seven miles away then. After supper we chinned for a while then played cards. The game of course was the ever popular game of “American Whist” with jokers for Aces straights and flushes, and 30 matches 1 weasel, I won 18 weasels. We had nothing else to do so played till 16:00. The wind came up again during the night and Pat said that if it was light in the morning he was going hunting moose. I decided to go with him. Bert told me on the quiet that Pat was one of the best moose hunters in the country and he got every moose he saw and usually saw one or more. He learned all his knowledge of moose hunting from Pat.
Friday, Feb 21
Up at 9:00. The wind has gone down, and it was snowing heavily so the moose hunt was off. It is almost impossible to hunt them unless there is a wind and the stronger the wind the better the day for it. By 11:00 all the chores were done and as there was nothing to do we started playing cards again. My luck was not as good as it was yesterday and I lost 4 of my 18 weasels. However I am still 14 to the good. We went to bed at 01:00. I fell asleep almost as soon as I hit the pillow and I never woke until......
Saturday, Feb 22
.......Bert got up to light the fire at 08:00. Breakfast was over at 09:00 and Pat and Johnnie left for the “Big River” while Bert and I started out to Jackfish Lake. Today was too calm for moose hunting and the snow out here is over four feet deep and as high as twelve to fourteen where it is drifting. We had the dogs with us today and brought in the rest of the moose that Bert shot out here the other day. It was 13:00 when we got back to the cabin while Bert went off to clean out the snow from the traps after the blizzard the other day. I took a few snaps of Trout Lake on the way in and arrived at the cabin at 17:00. I made a bannock and had a lunch ready when Bert got back I put a roast of moose spare ribs in the oven for supper. He returned at 17:30. We had supper at 19:30. After supper we sat talking and before either of us realized it was 23:45 so we went to bed.
Sunday, Feb 23
Bert got the fire going at 09:00 but we stayed in bed till 11:00. Bert took the dogs and went to bring in the fish we got the other day, while I cut wood. When he got back he had to rebuild the Fish stage because the wind of the past few days had blown a tree over on it breaking it down at one corner. I have to be back at the station on the 27 so we are going to pull out from here on the 24. So far we have had no luck at the moose but we might see one on the way home. There was another blizzard tonight but it began to die down at midnight. We both repaired our snowshoes this afternoon. I put a roast on for supper and it was one of the best I have ever tasted. It was from a 2 year old moose. Bert baked four bannocks while I did some packing. We went to bed early.
Monday, Feb 24
Both up at 04:00. The trails are all blown over and we have a long road ahead. High winds still blowing although late last night we thought they would be down by morning. It was not cold but was very cloudy and threatening looking. As we only have three dogs left and their feet are sore and the road will be tough, we could only put one hind quarter of moose in the sleigh, but we threw in four of the fresh trout. We left the cabin at 08:30. It’s now 21:30 here at the shack on the Hanging Ice at last and ready to drop. Just finished supper. We came from Trout Lake to here over Pete McCallums by the short cut over Petes trail. This trail has not been travelled for over two months and there is from two to two and a half feet of snow on it but it cuts about ten miles off the other trail which had about one foot on it so I believe we still saved time by this route. I couldn't get the dogs to go at all as the dragging was so heavy so Bert had to go behind the sleigh, and as some one had to break trail for them I went ahead. I had to break it the whole twelve miles and I had never been in that part of the country before. It was no picnic as the road had only been used three times this winter and I had to feel for it under the snow the whole way. Whenever I came to a drift that was strong enough to hold me up I would loose the trail then have to hunt for it again when I came to the end of the drift. At that I was able to keep ahead of the dogs by a few hundred yards. They had to stop for a rest more often then I did. Some of the meat stuck out over the side, and this acted more like a snowplow, the trail it left behind the sleigh looks like as if a plow had been over it. The trail is about eighteen inches deep all the way. To drag a sleigh over a twelve mile trail making a trail that deep with about two hundred and fifty pounds on and only three small dogs, two of whom have sore feet takes a lot out of them. We did not push them at all, other than to see that each pulled his share. I was so tired that I could hardly eat. I did however, and will go to bed as soon as I finish this. It took us 1 hour to do the miles; now that it is over I believe we made remarkable time, when I think of the trails we came over. It was cloudy all day with the wind about 20 m.p.h. blowing from the East all morning and from the South all afternoon. At 20:00 the wind died down and the sky began to clear. It is now bright out and the Northern Lights are all over the sky, and all colours.
Tuesday, Feb 25
Both up at 06:30 and breakfast was over at 07:15. Got away a little after 08:00 with 28 miles to do. The trail across the meadows from the Hanging Ice to the Long Slough was exceedingly bad with enormous drifts and it was 12:00 before we crossed it 5 miles. We stopped and had a cup of tea and gave the dogs a spell and a bite too. When we got about three miles down the slough the trail began to get better for the dogs. The winds have blown all the loose snow off the trail leaving a hard surface which they can get a grip on and the sleigh passes over easily, but it is hard for Bert and I as the trail has worn rounded on the top and all the time the sleigh and our shoes are slipping off. When we got down to the half way of the slough we came on the Johnnies and Pats trail where they came back to the same road that Bert uses and from there to the river. The trail was real good and after stopping at the end of the slough for lunch we made real good time to the river. It was just getting dark when we arrived at Broomfields cabin, but believe me those marathon runners had nothing on us for travelling steadily and fast. We kept up a steady dog trot of about five miles per hour with a break at every two miles for a spell. It turned hot this afternoon and it was necessary to take off my parka. We saw a plane going south while out on the slough. It was the Ballanca mail plane from Resolution. Johnnie was just making supper when we got in at 19:30. There were a lot of fresh moose tracks about a mile from the cabin but it was getting dark and we were too tired out to try hunting them. We were telling them about it at the cabin and they saw them and were going out to hunt in the morning. We sat around talking till a little after 22:00 then went to bed.
Wednesday Feb 26
We were up at 07:00 and after breakfast Pat, Johnnie and I took our rifles and the camera and went to track the moose down. Pat and Johnnie told me that if I saw him shoot as soon as I saw him no matter where I fired at. The moose would see me as soon as I saw it and once it saw or heard me it would be off and it would be almost impossible to get another shot. Unfortunately I didn't see it but Pat did and he fired four shots before it was dead. It was remarkable too that he hit it. It was about 70 feet away but the poplars and willows were so thick that he could only see a very little part of him. We had left the dogs behind but I ran back and brought them up to where we were while they cut a trail from the road in to where the moose was. It was a two year old buck that we got. We took some pictures of it but there was no blue showing in the sky and the bush was thick but I think it will show up ok. Pat discovered that there was another one there with this one so while Johnnie and I skinned and butchered it he went after the other one. When we were on the way back with the meat we heard him fire 3 shots. He got back to the shack a little after we did and said that he had wounded it but it got away so will wait till tomorrow and track it down. If he followed it up it would go for miles, whereas if he leaves it alone it will go a ways and when it finds nothing after it will lay down to rest, and in the morning will be too stiff to get up. It was after 10:00 when we got to the shack and we got dinner. We had the tenderloins from the moose for dinner and they were sure good. After we finished dinner and had all the dishes done we all went on to Salt River and got there at 16:00. Just at Salt River where the ice had dropped about twelve feet there was a wide crack that I fell into. There was loose snow over the top of it and the crack couldn’t be seen. I went down about five feet but managed to get out without help. I didn't have the snowshoes on at the time or I would have broken them. Billie Lyall had a dinner on for us as he had seen us coming. Then we all sat around till supper time chewing the rag and smoking. Just before supper Gagnon came in. He is on his way back to Smith. He came along from Reliance about a 1000 mile trip, he was a little tired out having come from Grande-de-Tour, ep miles today. Last weeks mail was there for me. I got three letters from Nona and an income tax form to fill out and send in. We played four handed cribbage and talked until about 02:00 then rolled in and went to sleep.
Thursday, Feb 27
I was up at 06:30 and lit the fire then got back into the robe until the place was warm. Billie cooked breakfast and Gagnon pulled out for Smith. He is quite a good sport on the trail. He is a good mixer and much better liked on the trail than Insp. Trundle. Lyall was going to Smith too today so Bert and I waited until after dinner for him and we all went together. Pat and Johnnie went back after their other moose. We got to Gravel Point and stopped for a couple of hours to talk to Burnett. He gave us lunch and we started out at Smith and made the ten miles with two rests. It was 16:30 when we got back to the station.
Jack Taylor was here when we got in. Bert and Billy Lyall came in and talked and after leaving my stuff they went on up town. I had intended on going up but JT had been here waiting to see me so I stayed. Bert dropped off a big piece or moose at Pearsons and two trout on his way uptown. Joe had expected me back today as I had said I would return about 15:00 on the 27 before I left and made it just one hour later. Not a bad guess when starting out on an unknown country trip of 100 miles. He had invited Burstall, Browne and Jack down for supper and we had made the spuds, fried caribou and green peas (canned) and rhubarb it sure was a banquet to me. After supper we played cards and listened to the Sharkey-Scott right. The gang stayed here till about 01:00 and went home. JT slept here at the station.
Friday, Feb 28
I was up at 08:00 and got the fires going then while Joe and Jack started breakfast I took the set and worked Edmonton until Joe finished and he came and relieved me. Jack showed me all the official mail that came in since I left and the answers that he sent to it and showed me the ones that he wanted me to answer. The mail arrived this afternoon and I went up for it and got back at 17:15. I didn't get much work done around the station today. I answered Nonas letter but had to make it snappy as I only had a half an hour to get it to the PO. I got two letters from Nona, one from Dr. Andrew in Vancouver and a National Geographic, together with the Regina Leader that I get every week. I get the whole weeks issue every mail day. I took Nonas letter to the PO then JT and I went up to the house to get the stuff that belongs to him then went down to Lyalls and stayed there for a while talking to them and Bert. I went from there to Lanouettes to get some bread and saw Walt. He came over this afternoon and is going right back tonight. The dogs were being hitched up then. I promised to take a run over some Sunday when I was off duty. He said he would bring me back with the dogs and if I would phone he would come after me. I got back to the station at 22:00 and started to enter up this diary from the notes that I had kept on the trip. Joe was uptown too and got in about midnight. We went to bed at 01:00.