So our 4th day of data collection was at a site called Bushwack, and man, it was not fun, for several reasons:
1. It was an hour drive each way on the Canol trail, which is normally not a huge deal, except it was COLD AND RAINY (40F). In an open vehicle, here is what we looked like
2. There are two kinds of bushes here: willow and birch, which we think of as trees, but here, they are bushes. But they are as tall as I am! The birch apparently has the nickname “ankle tangler” – and for good reason. Also factor in that we are off trail, and literally bushwacking, but also walking in the bog…step, slip, avoid the water, try not to get tangled in the bush and fall, etc etc. Take a look
3. We’ve also decided we hate doing G-tree work….(sorry Steve!). Those cages are pokey, you have to crawl in the dirt and get down to see the seedlings. And then in the rain – miserable!!
So by the time we got back to the lodge, we were miserable, wet, tired, etc. So Lilly and I (roomies!) went back to our cabin and started a fire. Now, I haven’t really described the living conditions here, so here goes. It is not for the faint of heart: it is better than camping, because you are in a cabin, not in a tent. In addition, meals are prepared for us, so we come back from data collection, and there is coffee, hot tea, cocoa, and then food. However, there is no plumbing, which includes no running water with a sink, no flushable toilet, and…no electricity, because the area is so remote – like, literally, we power our phones through a generator, and we have internet access through Starlink. Take a peek:
Our cabin from the outside
Our cabin from the inside
Outhouse with a view:
Note the stove in the cabin: our only source of heat. So I tried to learn to light a fire from scratch (paper, kindling, wood)…and literally I had such a hard time. But then, Marisa (Josh’s wife, who, along with his family, were hosting us at Dechenla lodge….more on this later) informed us that the First Nations People of the area (Kaska Dena) traditionally use heather as a fire starter, and there was a bunch up the hill from the lodge.
So this heather doesn’t look like the flowering plant I traditionally think of (like the birch and willow here), but man, it is an amazing to quickly light, and hold hot flames to get the kindling going:
So every morning I went up the hill to gather heather (avoiding the bears!), and stashed a bunch in our cabin. And check out my fire making skills!
And then, of course, in the evening the skies cleared:
Because of the clearing sky, we were able to see the Northern Lights (photos courtesy of Sue!)
Tomorrow we move to the more “remote” location: Camp 222….stay tuned!
