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| A LARGE, LONG-TRACKED SNOWMOBILE AND SLED... |
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| ...A FULL-SIZED 4-WHEEL DRIVE PICKUP... |
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| ...DRIVEN FAST |
We dropped in on Andy and Judy at their sugar camp late yesterday afternoon. Neighbor Myron was there as well. They were nursing sore muscles and joints and a bottle of whisky. The sap has not been flowing well and even seems to have stopped because of the warm spell, but the snow is still waist deep in the woods, too soft for snow shoes and a suction trap, akin to quick sand, with every step. I will help haul sap when and if it runs and conditions warrant the effort, but at this point things look pretty futile. I hate to see them so dispirited, and it doesn't help that none of us are getting any younger.
It is rather fascinating to watch the activity on the deteriorating Ice Road, which is now for all intents and purposes officially closed. The big wind sled runs several times a day but it carries only passengers and small packages. But of course the longer the ice remains, the more often folks are likely to try to get supplies across it by whatever means they can. Stores and other businesses need merchandise, work needs to be done, tradesmen have jobs to do.
So, folks can get pretty desperate and pretty inventive. The ice is still thick so there is not much danger of actually going through right now, but it would be quite easy to get stuck in the slush. I doubt an automobile, even one with four-wheel drive, can make the trip, but at present a full-sized pickup truck with four-wheel drive and driven fast can do so.
And of course snowmobiles are zipping across. The one in the clip above (sorry, I should have zoomed in...I'm still getting used to doing this) is one with extra-long tracks. It easily held two persons and puled a large sled full of construction materials and tools and more importantly, a couple of days supply of beer.
Folks are doing whatever it takes.
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