Winter is a couple weeks early. I was on the edge of it and came out of it a lot better than the people east of me. So of them got 28". You add a 40-50 MPH wind and open country to that and you have a mess. I am hoping for a warm up and melt. The ground here is already soaked up about all it will take. So I don't need that part of it. If you notice thew leaves on the trees, that will tell you its a little early. We wind kept the snow from sticking to the trees and breaking them down.

No snow yet in the valleys but hard frosts in the 20's the past several mornings....its gonna be here soon .

Blue reminds me of Garth, Jack .....Im always astounded at how large his head is as you are propping him up on the ground ! Always wonder what they think as they remain unable to move in temporary scheming !

Gulo, yes, heading towards retirement and using this cabin for some semi serious trapping each winter is part of that plan. This is a reconstructed pre 1980 cabin on the lower Nowitna. I own the cabin but not the land it sits on. The original cabin went over the bank and the F&W cabin policy allows cabins lost to acts of nature to be reconstructed. I've got a house in Ruby and all the toys to go with it. 60 mile run in the boat from Ruby to cabin.
You must have managed 21A from McGrath. Today all of 21 is managed by Glenn Stout in Fairbanks. Who was the unit 21 bio when you were in McGrath? Maybe Roland Quimby?
Surprised you can sell fox caught this early. Fox around Nome didn't prime till around Nov. 10 and the taxis wanted those big furry, bushy tailed western Alaska reds to be fully furred.
Nice lake to land on behind the cabin:
Would enjoy a pic of a mountain Idaho red when you get one
mt

Jack: Are those reds you are skinning those same horrible straw colored foxes from down by the store ? Can't imagine there is a market for that color.

Mike: Is that your Citabria ?

Yes, that's my rural Alaska truck aka Citabria.
mt

Nice !!

white17/mt - attached a couple pictures of these local red foxes. Actually get about 20% crosses, but have never caught a silver down here (but have seen one). And yes, White17, they are straw-colored, not the cherries. Remember, however, you were seeing them down here in their summer finery. They are heavy (pelts, not live weight). Generally, they run about like any other foxes I've ever caught, right around 11-12 pounds.

mt - That is a fine-looking plane and looks like a great place for a cabin. The photo of the cabin itself makes me extremely jealous, and really missing Alaska. We may yet return for good, with this country building up so much.
Yes, in the old days, 21A and 21E were managed (along with 19) from McGrath. The remainder of 21 was managed by Tim Osborne out of Galena.
I've got a middle-man that I sell all my taxi furs to. Last couple years, he's paid me extremely well even for the early-caught foxes, and he just does a nose count; Doesn't even grade 'em. He must be happy with the fur, as he just called me last week to make sure I had fur on the boards already (skunks and foxes).

Jack

That fox in the blue coat is the best of the bunch !!

Which blue coat?

Not the silver. Looks like that one is ready to slip !!

Now that's funny.

Lots of room on the Novi, Jack. Or on the Yukon R. between Novi and Tanana. Might have trouble arranging a cabin tho, with current refuge staff. I'm even a little worried.

I think I see Tim here in Fbks once a year at a local outdoor show. He's selling Africa hunts now. Used to see Roland in Nome when he was travelling around looking for/buying old ivory and such.
mt

mt -

We're semi-seriously looking in the NF Kusko or around Minchumina. would certainly mean that I'd need to have a 'Cub again, and I might be a little too old and crusty to get back into that. I suspect we're dreaming, though, because we have it pretty good down here. Sure miss Alaska, however.

Jack

Great pics, thanks for sharing!

Thanks Flipper. You get a chance to work out those knives yet?

Jack

Nice pictures you two. I did a year at Galena in 91-92. I was in the AF then. I met Tom Paragi while I was there. He was at the dump, "shopping" as he called it, when I met him. I made him a push fleshing knife out of a leaf spring. I kept in contact with him for years. I have not spoke to him for a while now.

Tom Paragi works for ADF&G in Fbks now. I see him occaisionally. He was working for Nowitna refuge back in the 1990s.
mt

I suspect a guy could do alright accessing a camp on the Yukon R. by boat in fall. Quit a bit of unused country between Ruby and Tanana.
mt

Not yet, won't be long!

I knew Tom was in Fairbanks working for ADF&G. If you see him, tell him I said Hello if you think of it.

I keep in pretty close email contact with Tom. He's out of the airplane gig these days I believe. Real good guy, with a family currently. I'll pass on a big hello for you Mark.

Jack