A Family Blizzard Outing....

Figured that we should take advantage of this three day weekend we had here in Russian Mission and get out there. The Russian Mission Carnival was postponed this year, but we still had Monday off from school in anticipation ...And, of course, there were traps to check as well...and so, on Saturday, with the added bonus of the borrowed Bravo, we were able to make it a family affair.  Trouble was, the weather was not so grand.  :)  As in, windchills forecast to be as low as -26, and white-out snow conditions.  Not a good time to take your 16-month old out with you, you say?....   Nonsense!  :D   And it wasn't his first time - by a long shot.  He is Alaskan born, after all.  And he lives like one.  And, now he can officially say (at least, once he learns to speak, he can...) that he checked traps with his dad and mom before he was 2 years old.   An enviable, and yet quite normal statement - in this family, anyway.   First time I ever wore a backpack with Diapers, baby wipes, baby's water bottle, and baby-lunchie-munchies out on the 'line...but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Accordingly, we fired up the Bravo and the Ski-Doo Saturday morning, and we were off.   Conditions be damned.  Here is a shot of Sarah and Warren as we were leaving the village.  Warren is held on Sarah's chest in the Baby Bjorn, dressed in his winter gear, and then covered with one of Dad's parkas, zipped together with the one that Sarah is wearing.  Alaskan Bush riggin' for ya.... but it worked.  At a time and in a place most people would call us crazy, - we were having a blast.
 

 Kind of like last year when we took Warren for his first snowmachine ride ever to Kako, for his first Easter service.  Only the weather was a little better for that trip - and the trip was shorter....

 Here is another shot that SHOULD show you a lot more of our surroundings - buuuut....all you can see is swirling snow back there, instead.


Nonetheless, we made a fun trip out of it.  And Warren got a good nap in on the way downriver, too.  Yes, despite the many-decibel roar of the snowmachine(s), he was out in no time.
 


 ...zzzzzzzzzzz......  !!!

We got there to find that the traps had experienced a high rate of fouling due to - guess who? - the swirling, drifting snow.  One of the trees with the 110 on it in the flowerpot had about 4 inches of snow stuck to it, effectively blocking the trap opening.  Not that anything was likely prowling around in these conditions anyway, but we wouldn't have seen their tracks even if they WERE out and about. Fixed up the sets as best we could, and moved on.

While checking the Gulo set, Warren stopped to take the time to taste the snow...and made his first ever snow angel...





Love the HUGE looking-paunch dad is sporting in this one thanks to all the gear under the coat...  hah hah!


When he was ready, it was time to head back home, the entire round-trip taking about three hours.  About halfway back, the skies started to clear....isn't that how it always goes?