Overcome by Mother Nature

Sunday, February 4, 2018

It had snowed a couple more FEET since we were last at camp.  The snow up in Piscataquis County is no joke - the average annual snowfall of our town up there is 93" (7.75 feet) while the average annual snowfall of the entire US is 26".

Getting stuck in the snow was a real possibility.  An off-road recovery/tow would probably cost hundreds, if not more, so was therefore out of the question.  One of the neighbors we met said they'd gladly help us out in a bind with their bulldozer if need be, and though duly noted and appreciated, we'd prefer to figure out a way to manage by ourselves.  That being said, we creeped and crawled and spun our way cautiously down the trail, hoping that our previously made tire tracks from the other visits would aid us in staying on the trail - incredibly tricky, white-knuckle driving conditions.

The trail leading in to camp

Finally, after about an hour, we reached our land.  We thought for sure - hooray! We made it!  However, that elation proved to be short lived.  We got stuck halfway down our driveway...  Seriously stuck.  It was around noon that we arrived.  Darkness falls around 4:30 p.m.  We decided that since we were in it for the night anyway, we would work on making food and gathering firewood.  We would tackle the task of getting unstuck tomorrow.  The forecast only called for "a bit of snow" so we didn't think that was much cause for worry.  How much can "a bit of snow" be?

Sometimes things don't go as planned, so you have to adapt.  Surviving is all about adapting.  We'll be okay, despite the feeling of desperation creeping into my psyche.

Looking north up the driveway towards camp from the stuck truck a bit behind us

As the evening wears on and we prepare for dinner and bed, we hear in the distance the chorus of a pack of coyotes.  Over the course of the night, we could hear them move north across the frozen river, and then back south, parallel to our land to the west.  A friend once told me that owls will often "hoot" at the boundaries of their territory.  I wondered if this applied to coyotes as well, and if it means they'll stay over there..  We haven't seen any paw prints in the snow on our land, and had only seen deer and canine prints to the west on the neighboring property before we bought the land.

To be honest, the coyotes were a bit unnerving for me.  Growing up, I always had this unreasonable fear of the dark, and the things that can come out of the dark to get me that I can't see until it's too late.  The only thought which gave me comfort was that the forest had a blanket of snow at least 4 feet deep, so I didn't think the coyotes would come through the woods to get us, and that they would stick to the path of least resistance.  So I kept my focus on the driveway whenever I had to exit the tent.  And while Tyson is protective of his family, I've heard from multiple sources that coyote packs sometimes send out a female coyote to lure unsuspecting prey away from safety, only for the unknowing prey to be ambushed and attacked by the pack.  Coyotes are typically solitary animals, but in the winter they form temporary packs to make hunting larger prey easier - there are few small mammals around in the winter so the coyote's menu is limited.

That evening as we lay in bed, we hear snow falling.  As mentioned before, only "a bit of snow" was called for, so we didn't pay it too much mind.  Until we kept hearing it continuously snow lightly; like a heavy flurry.  It was so cold that every bit of moisture in the air was freezing.  AND IT KEPT SNOWING.  What is this "bit of snow" they speak of?!  We woke up to an additional 4 inches of snow!  Knowing we were still stuck in our driveway, 2 miles into the wilderness, 2 miles away from the closest neighbor, we made haste of breakfast, bundled up in our warmest gear, and went out to  get the truck unstuck - because let's face it, there was no "try" about it.  We HAD to get out!

As we approached the truck, the first thing we noticed was one of the tire chains was missing...  MISSING!  Where is it?!  Each back tire had one!  It must have flung off when the tires were spinning as we made a weak attempt at getting out yesterday when we initially arrived.  We can't get out without it...  So I had to take a shovel, and walk up and down the driveway, jamming the shovel in to the snow, waiting and praying for that "chink" sound of metal hitting metal.  After short time, thankfully, victory was mine!  I almost wept.  I found the tire chain.  We're back in business.

Now I had to dig the entire tire out of the snow in order to put the chain back on.  It's much deeper than it appears in this picture.  Additionally, there is a hazard lying in wait for us - along each side of the driveway, there is - again - deep ditches for water diversion.  Those small pine trees line the ditches.  But we don't know where the ditches end and begin because of all the snow!  If we lose our back end down into the ditch, even a little bit, there's no getting out without help.  Incredibly stressful.  Incredibly.  But R and I stood strong together and pressed forward.

One tire dug out; time for tire chains

Despite the 4 degrees F outside, we worked so hard trying to get the truck unstuck that I was down to a light fleece with a long sleeve shirt and tank top underneath.  When we went back to the tent for a quick break, it was a balmy 36 degrees F - so warm it felt that I had to take off my layers until I was in just a tank top until my body acclimated again.  I've heard of other people taking days for their body's to readjust after going on multiple day winter fishing camping trips.

Though I'm not amused, you must always stay positive

Looking south towards the trail; the truck is stuck just behind us

At one point, after about an hour, R walked down the bend of the driveway towards camp to get some waters for us.  I was at the truck with Willow and Tyson, resting for a minute, listening to the silence of the snow covered forest.  It was amazing how quiet it was in the forest.  Almost like you have cotton over your eyes, but it's over your ears, muffling sound.  A few moments passed when I saw R returning, however this time he had my .22LR and his 12 gauge resting on his shoulders as he trudged his way up through the deep snow.  I said, "Good job.  I guess it's a good idea to have the guns with us."  This isn't your suburban backyard and there are real predators around.  He responded with a bit of a start, "You didn't hear the coyotes?"  I said I hadn't.  I said it's only 1:00 pm in the afternoon.  He said that while he was down around the corner about 100 feet away he could hear the coyotes like we had heard them before - starting south of the river, moving north of it, then back south - yipping and howling and making a heck of a racket.  I was sitting - in silence - with Tyson and Willow - LISTENING - and did not hear a PEEP.  My mind was blown.  Not even Tyson or Willow seemed to hear anything.

Willow loves the snow (I think more than Tyson!)

As we toiled away, it kept snowing "a bit."  All.  Day.  It was late afternoon now, and we still were unable to free the truck from it's prison of snow.  We'd done a hell of a lot of work, but it hadn't been enough yet.  After pausing to catch our breaths, we decided that we *had* to get out of there.  We had to leave that night.  We could not spend an additional night like we had intended.  The snow was not stopping.

At one point, when R was using the snowblower to clear the driveway as best he could (it was rutty which made the going tough), Willow became uncomfortable.  She could only hear the noise of the machine because R was down the driveway, and did not like it one bit!  She told me, in so many ways if you pay attention, that she was ready to go back to camp, so I started to walk back with her.  We got halfway there when R appeared from around the corner with the snowblower going.  In the video, that's when she stopped and looked back (after I fell on my ass 😂).  She saw it was R and realized there was no threat afterall.  After I stopped recording, Willow actually started walking back towards R and the truck, and no longer felt the need to go back to camp.  Smart girl. ♥

Let me just say that when we finally got unstuck, after FOUR HOURS of hard effort, I almost wept again.  It was such a sweet victory.  I don't think I've ever felt so victorious in my entire 34 years of existence.  It was nearly dark by then, though only about 5:00 pm.  We were OUT of there!  We were so physically and mentally exhausted, but we certainly couldn't stay another night.  Just because we got unstuck from our driveway, our tire tracks from the ride in were nearly filled in from the "bit of snow" that had continuously fallen over the last 24 hours.  It would be tough, but we'd do it.  Plus, it was Super Bowl Sunday.  I would play The Game on my phone as we drove home to help stay awake.

As we drove out of our road after making it successfully through the trail portion, we laughed because the main streets up there had only one line of sand down the center of the street.  No salt, and not both sides of the street.  At least there was no traffic.  We made it home in around midnight, I think, safely.

That was an experience we will never forget.  Now we know what kind of punch Mother Nature can pack up there.  If we have any thoughts of visiting next winter, which we do, we will have to acquire a snowmobile.  We could park at one of the first neighbors houses and then tow our supplies in on a toboggan with a snowmobile.  What an adventure all on it's own!  I can't wait!