My Yamaha does not float. We checked the moose camp on Monday

John Y Cannuck

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The water was high at the creek crossing into the moose camp. We were going in to check stuff, and clean out the dead mice prior to the season.
The two bikes stopped ahead of me, where the trail bends towards the bridge.
The creek was flowing over the end of the bridge, and about half way up it's sloping surface. It was one of those.. who's going first? moments.
I saw a bike moving as I talked to one of the guys, and suddenly it became clear that it was MY bike!
Rolling rapidly down hill, and rolling on it's side in about two feet of water.
I was told that I can still run quite fast, after the incident. I was running to hit the key, but the bike quit first.
Managed to right it, with some help.No damage done, except to bend the tongue on the trailer.
This put me dead last in line, and as I watched the bike ahead of me cross, I saw three planks rise, and drift off down stream.
This is just not my day!
I determined that the bridge beams (two logs) matched the width of my machines wheels, and as my trailer was the same width, I went for it.
I made it, no problem.
More trouble was to come, as I rammed my machine off into the bush to avoid getting hit when the trailer on the machine ahead of me snapped the ball off the hitch, and came racing down the hill towards me.
I escaped, and we got the trailer back on with help from the usual stuff that one of the guys always has.
Same trailer came off later, when a big rock popped it off. That time, we had rigged a safety chain, and, as a result, the machine pulled the hitch into the next rock, making it oval, and not a good fit for the ball.
We took that off and beat it into submission.
We had a newbie with us, who didn't know the trail, and for a short while, got in front. He missed a turn in the water, and went for a tour down the side of the pond. I was waiting for him to find a big hole. We were all yelling, but of course he could not hear us. Finally, he looked back, and figured it out.
He tried to cross the second beaver pond by not following the bike ahead, and got stuck. The big Bombardier he was riding got out by itself, but not before he was about as wet as I was from wading.
There was a huge beaver pond, that had emptied as a result of dam burst, ripping up trees, and making a hell of a mess.
An ATV ride, that should have taken 45 minutes, took most of the morning. The trail has suffered from the heavy rains this year.
If you are going in to moose hunt by machine, be prepared!
 
Sounds like a comedy of errors!

One of the guys from work was going to cross a beaver pond/creek, in the spring a few years back. His 8 year old son said he didn't think it was safe and didn't want to do it. Of course Dad insisted they could cross safely and then they spent the next 3 hours trying to get his submerged quad out of the ice! Only the rear tires were visible, sticking out of the ice!

Those are some funny pictures!!
 
Thankfully, all the guys are seasoned hunters. We are quite used to this sort of thing, and rarely get excited about it.
We will have a good laugh, about it at camp.
I had to work, and went out in the dark, using the headlights. No incidents.
The other guys came out the next day, and, I understand the bridge boards gave way under the big trailer. Two guys in their skivies wading in the ice cold water got it out.
Thankfully, it didn't go through when it was fully loaded.
The bridge has been repaired for now, using some old rock crusher screens.
 
Swimming lesson

What a hoot! I'm surprised no one got stuck enough to require any winching operations. These usually have to take place under darkness or rain.

Did you see many birds (grouse)?


FM
 
John those times are what makes the most tales every evening after the hunt.
They're never as bad after, as at the moment. Laugh at yourself & enjoy :)

Yeah, it's always the horror shows you remember, talk and laugh about.
It seems the trips that went smoothly, with no problems, are forgotten in your tales of the hunt.
 
What a hoot! I'm surprised no one got stuck enough to require any winching operations. These usually have to take place under darkness or rain.

Did you see many birds (grouse)?


FM
I didn't mention the winching stuff, because that is normal operations.
We had to winch the big trailer over when it flipped for example. The load was tied in.
Had to winch it to the top of the hill too, before it could be re-hitched.
Birds? only one lone grouse!
Lots of Fox and coyote tracks, deer, and, some moose sign!
 
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