Well Friday I went out to my cabin, which is normally a forty mile snow machine run to get there, one way. This time due to the fires we had this last summer, the trails have been blocked by fallen timber and it took a 50 mile detour ride to get there.
Got the State permits to bring my dozer back now that the runway is done and it isn't needed at the cabin any more. Will use it to open the trails back to somewhat "normal".
The trip started out Saturday morning at first light and went though the Totek hills, had to use the GPS to run the trails since almost all landmarks that we were use to were burnt off. Some of the snow drifts had to be plowed though where the snow had come over ridges and settled into a hard pack three to four feet deep, but not hard enough to support a dozer.
First day made it 18 miles on what amounted to a very rough trail, the ground out in the swamps had burned down almost a foot, what was left was mounds about the size of black frozen basket balls that made the dozer pound and jolt all over the place. At dusk, fueled the dozer and parked it and rode back to town on the snow machines while it idled in subzero temps for the next day.
The morning of the second day, arrived at about 11 AM after the snow machine ride back out. Started into the heavy timbered area where the trees root systems had been burnt out and fell over the trail. Had to clear about five miles of what ended up being a thatch weave of logs across the entire section as well as some shorter stretches. Once I hit the last 12 miles of trail, the trip was smooth sailing. Arrived and crossed the Nenana River just as the sun was dropping into darkness. A friend was there with his truck and equipment trailer to haul the dozer to the house. Had I shut it down, the cold would have made a restart of the engine almost impossible until a generator could be brought in to preheat the engine.
Didn't see much sign of wildlife other than some wolf, lynx and fox tracks since they are the more mobile of the animals, but they will return in a few years with the new growth...
All in all it was a great trip with sunny days, the temps went from -20ish to almost 30 above at midday. Wouldn't want to do the trip for a daily job, but it was a kick anyway!!!
Morning at the cabin
Few hours into the trip and getting bored, so took a self shot..
Going though the first phase of the burn
Starting to get into the lighter burned areas
The fallen timber is getting bigger and bigger.
This area was like this for a few miles, nothing but soot and fallen big trees woven into a mess... GPS kept me on the trail, which is totally covered with this stuff... Without the GPS, there is no way to find your way though this.
Got the State permits to bring my dozer back now that the runway is done and it isn't needed at the cabin any more. Will use it to open the trails back to somewhat "normal".
The trip started out Saturday morning at first light and went though the Totek hills, had to use the GPS to run the trails since almost all landmarks that we were use to were burnt off. Some of the snow drifts had to be plowed though where the snow had come over ridges and settled into a hard pack three to four feet deep, but not hard enough to support a dozer.
First day made it 18 miles on what amounted to a very rough trail, the ground out in the swamps had burned down almost a foot, what was left was mounds about the size of black frozen basket balls that made the dozer pound and jolt all over the place. At dusk, fueled the dozer and parked it and rode back to town on the snow machines while it idled in subzero temps for the next day.
The morning of the second day, arrived at about 11 AM after the snow machine ride back out. Started into the heavy timbered area where the trees root systems had been burnt out and fell over the trail. Had to clear about five miles of what ended up being a thatch weave of logs across the entire section as well as some shorter stretches. Once I hit the last 12 miles of trail, the trip was smooth sailing. Arrived and crossed the Nenana River just as the sun was dropping into darkness. A friend was there with his truck and equipment trailer to haul the dozer to the house. Had I shut it down, the cold would have made a restart of the engine almost impossible until a generator could be brought in to preheat the engine.
Didn't see much sign of wildlife other than some wolf, lynx and fox tracks since they are the more mobile of the animals, but they will return in a few years with the new growth...
All in all it was a great trip with sunny days, the temps went from -20ish to almost 30 above at midday. Wouldn't want to do the trip for a daily job, but it was a kick anyway!!!
Morning at the cabin
Few hours into the trip and getting bored, so took a self shot..
Going though the first phase of the burn
Starting to get into the lighter burned areas
The fallen timber is getting bigger and bigger.
This area was like this for a few miles, nothing but soot and fallen big trees woven into a mess... GPS kept me on the trail, which is totally covered with this stuff... Without the GPS, there is no way to find your way though this.
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. I,ll bet thats quite a rough ride going through & over the burnt stumps . Was that like a controlled burn or one of the many wildfires I had heard about up there this last year ? Very interesting to see 
, Bob
