Jim, a Southern Comfort on ice in the sauna will sort you out and make the -50 bearable.

Mike & I had a nice ride yeterday. Too busy cleaning my shorts to get a picture. Real deal, though. 70mph+ for the next week.

I can hear it starting now, in the treetops outside the house. Guess I'll go down and check the boat once before turning in.

I'm in a sheltered bay but N & NW kicks me a bit...

Its headed your way if its not already there. It's getting nippy again. Got a boat ride tomorrow myself that I'm not looking forward to.

It was cold running the skiff today. Was right at 2 degrees when we left.

2 degrees is a cold boat ride!

Good luck tomorrow, SC. I'm afraid I'll be cut off from my traps due to ice in the bay. There was already an inch this afternoon so if it gets cold tonight (crystal clear out now) I'll be SOL.

We had to motor through about 4 inches to get to a couple of our sets. We use the company boat though. They are pretty tough skiffs.

Mine starts trying to ride up on top if it gets that thick!

Ours does too. When my trapping partner is with me he goes up front so we cut through it better (he is a big dude). If I am by myself I run the skiff up on the ice and then run up to the bow and rock the boat back and forth until it breaks through. Takes a while but it works.

I came around the tip of an island into a sheltered bay on my way home in the dark last year at about 24kts. Could see just enough to tell that the bay was flat calm. Turned out it was froze over, about 2inches thick. Scared the heck out of me when I hit it. The boat didn't know whether to crash through or ride up onto it, so we did a little of both until I got her pulled back. Good times...

Yikes!!! That would be scary. We aren't allowed to run the company boats after dark so my time is pretty limited on my checks. We have to pay close attention to the water when we are running too, there is a big glacier at the head of the inlet and we get bergy bits all the time. Some are darn near impossible to see. Had a couple close calls but I haven't hit one yet.

Good policy, not to run in the dark...grin.

BD:
Nice photo. Sure miss those winter boat rides in SE. A balmy -17 here yesterday in the midday heat. -10 is starting to feel normal. In the 2nd photo the eagle looks like it needed to be deiced before it flew.

Hey Bob! Nice shots. Those rivers always seem treacherous to me in winter...

BD:
After you get the first set of tracks down its better. Making the first set is always pucker time. The open part you see in front of the house is fast water so its the only section that stays open most of the time.

I bet it's coooold water...

UBob - as usual, great photos! saw where KTVA was impressed with it last night too.

Southpaw:
I sent one in the other day then went to bed to early and missed it. Was getting bored watching the weather forecasts that just moves the big highs around a little bit every day.

Went out today and got the trail back in on my Dads line, all the sets were buried for cats, Alot of cat movements. No wolf sign, but i put in a set for them where they usually run the trail. Heres a few marten pics.

Cool. how are you setting up that box? Just setting the trap inside. Has the pole moved? Is that the way he gets to and inside the box. Looks like he has to jump. Am I seeing things. I can't find the head on that marten?