Post by minnesotascott on Jun 4, 2010 7:53:22 GMT -5
Onto Thin Ice
This is the story of a little misadventure on the trap line when I was a bit younger. One of the most important details of the day was that the thermometer was hovering right around 20 below zero. I can remember the weatherman saying that with the wind chill it would feel like -40.
At the time of the story I was 16 and my partner was 15. Being two young guys full of piss and vinegar, we had the world by the horns. My folks had left the night before to go to my sister’s house in the Twin cities. I can clearly remember mom telling me it would be to cold to check traps, but with me being 16 I knew I would be ok.
My partner and I did not have much of a line to check so we walked it every day. Most days it was an easy task for us. We were to meet on the little lake I live on. When we joined forces all we could say was “BRRR it’s COLD”. We both looked like the little boy from the movie “A Christmas Story”. And we set off to walk the line. Now most days the 1.50 mile walk was no big deal and that’s the way it started today.
Our little line started at the creek goes from my lake to a little lake back in the woods, which was the end of the trap line. Checking traps on the creek was going good. For some reason we were catching more mink than we knew lived in the area. Ok maybe not that many. It was more like 3 mink and a muskrat. We felt like we were two pro long liners though. The critters we got off the creek my partner would stuff them in to the little backpack I had on.
When we reached the edge of the second little lake, we faced an obstacle, to walk across the middle or stay in the woods out of the wind. Well, we started right out across the middle. All was going just ducky. At the creek that went out of this lake is a beaver dam, about 5 feet tall. The beaver house was only about 75 feet from the dam.
We had set up the feed bed and house the day before. It was our first try at trapping beaver through the ice. Man we felt like true trappers. On that day we walked the ice with no problem at all.
Well it was the day for us to check out our new found sure fire way of catching more beaver. As we got closer to the house, my partner was getting very excited and was walking or maybe even jogging, in front of me. I was yelling at him to slow down but he just kept going. Not wanting to be left behind, I picked up the pace also. I was following right in his foot prints. He had gotten to the first set when it happens.
I heard it; I felt it in my feet. I was just about to yell at him that he was going through the ice. But it wasn’t him that broke the ice. It was me! When I realized what happened I was under water!!
What I am about to tell felt like an eternity to me, but I am sure it was just seconds.
Here I was on the bottom of the lake in the middle of winter. My eyes were open, but all I could see was silt and weeds. The first thing that went across my mind was “Will they find me in the spring?” I looked up and all was white with a big dark spot. For some reason I didn’t want to die in the cold water. Looking up I knew the dark spot was the sun reflecting off the open water from the hole in the ice I created.
I jumped up and got my fingers on the ice and it broke again. Again I jumped. This time the ice held me. I was able to get my elbows on top of the ice, my head was out of the water, and I could breath. I was alive! Again the time that passed seemed like an eternity.
My partner was running around the shore and I yelled at him, but he didn’t respond. I yelled again, maybe a little more frantic then before. Well he stopped and looked at me; the first thing he said was “Leave me alone Scott went through the ice I have to get a big stick”. While he was looking at me it dawned on him I was Scott. Well he found a dead Balsam tree about 20 feet long, just long enough for me to get hold of. I had to tell him not to come out, that the ice would hold both of us.
It was all I could do to crawl out of the water and all he could do not to come out on the ice. When I was finally out of the fridged water we both said at the same time that we had better get a fire going. We tried to get out of the wind on shore to make a fire. Each time he would strike a match the wind would blow it out. After about 5 times of this I told him we have to go or I will not make it.
We set off with a pace I couldn’t believe. We were making good time. With sub zero temps along with the wind chill of -40 I was loosing strength fast.
We are at the creek to my lake; we are in the trees, less wind but more snow. Going through the woods with 2 feet of snow was extremely taxing on my energy. I wanted to sit down and rest and I said so. My friend thinking more clearly told me that if I sat down most likely I would die. He said that I would freeze; he pushed me to keep going.
After the half mile walk along the creek we reached my lake and more wind. As we started off across the lake I noticed that all my clothes were frozen stiff, my boots and pants legs covered with a layer of ice and snow a good 2 inches thick. The only areas of my clothing not frozen were the arm pits and the groin area. When we reached the middle of the lake I told him to go home, I would be fine. Well, with a little reluctance he went his way to go home. I still had about a quarter mile yet to walk home. As I am writing this you know I made it. When I got home I had a problem. I couldn’t move my arms due to my sleeves being frozen and my choppers were frozen to the sleeves. Try as I might I could not open the door. Man, was I getting very tired. I wanted to lie down and sleep.
I knew I had to get inside. I had to get to the warmth of the house and I had to take a leak very badly. All I could think of was to throw myself against the door. On my third try the door gave. I was inside! I could feel the heat! I still needed to use the bathroom and my clothes were still frozen. The shower!!
I got into the shower and was able to get the cold water turned on and then get the shower head turned on. I only turned the cold water on, for some reason I knew just turn the cold water on. By now the water had been running for about 5 minutes, but it felt like fire it when got through the ice on my jacket and pants and it was just cold water. I was shivering out of control I wanted to cry. As the water thawed out my clothes I was able to shed them and slowly turn the hot water on.
For some reason I remembered what Grandpa Kangas said. Well he wasn’t really my grandpa but all the kids called him that. He told me if I ever fell through the ice, when I got home to get a tub full of very cool water and cut potatoes into the water. Grandpa K told me when a person gets frostbite the skin loses potassium, but the skin will also absorb potassium. He said the potatoes will help ward off the effects of frostbite. I didn’t and still don’t know how true it is, but I did like he said to do.
I don’t know it if was the potatoes of just luck, but the only frostbite I got from that ordeal is on my ears and cheeks. This all happened when I 16 and I am now 38, my folks never knew this happened till about 10 years ago, I was so afraid to tell them. When I did tell my mother she said I was smart not to tell her before.
I still trap beaver through the ice and I love it. I never take ice for granted. It is always unsafe, but a person can be safer on the ice. I always have a set of ice picks that I made out of a broom handle and two nails, hanging around my neck. I carry a long stick under my arm; this stick is 8 about feet long. If I go through the ice again, with luck this stick will be long enough to catch on good ice and keep me from going under again.
Using common sense a person can trap on and around ice and stay safe. The ice picks I spoke of earlier can be made very simply or many outdoor stores sell ready made picks. To make the picks all a person needs is a broom handle, two nails, drill and a 2 to 3 foot piece of string.
Cut the broom handle so that you have two pieces that are about 4 to 5 inches long. The nails need to be at least 3 inches with the head of the nail cut off. Drill into the pieces of broom handle, length wise, an inch to 1 ½ inches. The drill bit needs to be slightly smaller than diameter of the nails. After that is done in the opposite end drill through the diameter of the wood. When all the drilling is done, carefully, so as to not split the wood, pound the nails into the wood so that about 1 inch of the nail is sticking out, the pointy end, the take the string. I use nylon, and tie one end of the string to one pick and then other end to the other pick.
The string is to hang the picks around your neck. I always put the picks under my jacket so they do not swing around. Remember no ice is ever safe so take care and be ready for the worst but pray for the best.
Never, never take ice for granted! It is always unsafe.
This is the story of a little misadventure on the trap line when I was a bit younger. One of the most important details of the day was that the thermometer was hovering right around 20 below zero. I can remember the weatherman saying that with the wind chill it would feel like -40.
At the time of the story I was 16 and my partner was 15. Being two young guys full of piss and vinegar, we had the world by the horns. My folks had left the night before to go to my sister’s house in the Twin cities. I can clearly remember mom telling me it would be to cold to check traps, but with me being 16 I knew I would be ok.
My partner and I did not have much of a line to check so we walked it every day. Most days it was an easy task for us. We were to meet on the little lake I live on. When we joined forces all we could say was “BRRR it’s COLD”. We both looked like the little boy from the movie “A Christmas Story”. And we set off to walk the line. Now most days the 1.50 mile walk was no big deal and that’s the way it started today.
Our little line started at the creek goes from my lake to a little lake back in the woods, which was the end of the trap line. Checking traps on the creek was going good. For some reason we were catching more mink than we knew lived in the area. Ok maybe not that many. It was more like 3 mink and a muskrat. We felt like we were two pro long liners though. The critters we got off the creek my partner would stuff them in to the little backpack I had on.
When we reached the edge of the second little lake, we faced an obstacle, to walk across the middle or stay in the woods out of the wind. Well, we started right out across the middle. All was going just ducky. At the creek that went out of this lake is a beaver dam, about 5 feet tall. The beaver house was only about 75 feet from the dam.
We had set up the feed bed and house the day before. It was our first try at trapping beaver through the ice. Man we felt like true trappers. On that day we walked the ice with no problem at all.
Well it was the day for us to check out our new found sure fire way of catching more beaver. As we got closer to the house, my partner was getting very excited and was walking or maybe even jogging, in front of me. I was yelling at him to slow down but he just kept going. Not wanting to be left behind, I picked up the pace also. I was following right in his foot prints. He had gotten to the first set when it happens.
I heard it; I felt it in my feet. I was just about to yell at him that he was going through the ice. But it wasn’t him that broke the ice. It was me! When I realized what happened I was under water!!
What I am about to tell felt like an eternity to me, but I am sure it was just seconds.
Here I was on the bottom of the lake in the middle of winter. My eyes were open, but all I could see was silt and weeds. The first thing that went across my mind was “Will they find me in the spring?” I looked up and all was white with a big dark spot. For some reason I didn’t want to die in the cold water. Looking up I knew the dark spot was the sun reflecting off the open water from the hole in the ice I created.
I jumped up and got my fingers on the ice and it broke again. Again I jumped. This time the ice held me. I was able to get my elbows on top of the ice, my head was out of the water, and I could breath. I was alive! Again the time that passed seemed like an eternity.
My partner was running around the shore and I yelled at him, but he didn’t respond. I yelled again, maybe a little more frantic then before. Well he stopped and looked at me; the first thing he said was “Leave me alone Scott went through the ice I have to get a big stick”. While he was looking at me it dawned on him I was Scott. Well he found a dead Balsam tree about 20 feet long, just long enough for me to get hold of. I had to tell him not to come out, that the ice would hold both of us.
It was all I could do to crawl out of the water and all he could do not to come out on the ice. When I was finally out of the fridged water we both said at the same time that we had better get a fire going. We tried to get out of the wind on shore to make a fire. Each time he would strike a match the wind would blow it out. After about 5 times of this I told him we have to go or I will not make it.
We set off with a pace I couldn’t believe. We were making good time. With sub zero temps along with the wind chill of -40 I was loosing strength fast.
We are at the creek to my lake; we are in the trees, less wind but more snow. Going through the woods with 2 feet of snow was extremely taxing on my energy. I wanted to sit down and rest and I said so. My friend thinking more clearly told me that if I sat down most likely I would die. He said that I would freeze; he pushed me to keep going.
After the half mile walk along the creek we reached my lake and more wind. As we started off across the lake I noticed that all my clothes were frozen stiff, my boots and pants legs covered with a layer of ice and snow a good 2 inches thick. The only areas of my clothing not frozen were the arm pits and the groin area. When we reached the middle of the lake I told him to go home, I would be fine. Well, with a little reluctance he went his way to go home. I still had about a quarter mile yet to walk home. As I am writing this you know I made it. When I got home I had a problem. I couldn’t move my arms due to my sleeves being frozen and my choppers were frozen to the sleeves. Try as I might I could not open the door. Man, was I getting very tired. I wanted to lie down and sleep.
I knew I had to get inside. I had to get to the warmth of the house and I had to take a leak very badly. All I could think of was to throw myself against the door. On my third try the door gave. I was inside! I could feel the heat! I still needed to use the bathroom and my clothes were still frozen. The shower!!
I got into the shower and was able to get the cold water turned on and then get the shower head turned on. I only turned the cold water on, for some reason I knew just turn the cold water on. By now the water had been running for about 5 minutes, but it felt like fire it when got through the ice on my jacket and pants and it was just cold water. I was shivering out of control I wanted to cry. As the water thawed out my clothes I was able to shed them and slowly turn the hot water on.
For some reason I remembered what Grandpa Kangas said. Well he wasn’t really my grandpa but all the kids called him that. He told me if I ever fell through the ice, when I got home to get a tub full of very cool water and cut potatoes into the water. Grandpa K told me when a person gets frostbite the skin loses potassium, but the skin will also absorb potassium. He said the potatoes will help ward off the effects of frostbite. I didn’t and still don’t know how true it is, but I did like he said to do.
I don’t know it if was the potatoes of just luck, but the only frostbite I got from that ordeal is on my ears and cheeks. This all happened when I 16 and I am now 38, my folks never knew this happened till about 10 years ago, I was so afraid to tell them. When I did tell my mother she said I was smart not to tell her before.
I still trap beaver through the ice and I love it. I never take ice for granted. It is always unsafe, but a person can be safer on the ice. I always have a set of ice picks that I made out of a broom handle and two nails, hanging around my neck. I carry a long stick under my arm; this stick is 8 about feet long. If I go through the ice again, with luck this stick will be long enough to catch on good ice and keep me from going under again.
Using common sense a person can trap on and around ice and stay safe. The ice picks I spoke of earlier can be made very simply or many outdoor stores sell ready made picks. To make the picks all a person needs is a broom handle, two nails, drill and a 2 to 3 foot piece of string.
Cut the broom handle so that you have two pieces that are about 4 to 5 inches long. The nails need to be at least 3 inches with the head of the nail cut off. Drill into the pieces of broom handle, length wise, an inch to 1 ½ inches. The drill bit needs to be slightly smaller than diameter of the nails. After that is done in the opposite end drill through the diameter of the wood. When all the drilling is done, carefully, so as to not split the wood, pound the nails into the wood so that about 1 inch of the nail is sticking out, the pointy end, the take the string. I use nylon, and tie one end of the string to one pick and then other end to the other pick.
The string is to hang the picks around your neck. I always put the picks under my jacket so they do not swing around. Remember no ice is ever safe so take care and be ready for the worst but pray for the best.
Never, never take ice for granted! It is always unsafe.
