Seshins

I've been up there a couple of times now - but my strategy was always run around to all the regions like a mad-man in the first few months to horde everything at the PVFS then just live out of there. I still go on the odd expedition though because i invariably miss itmes, and to combat the long-term boredom.

I’ll PM you in a few mins (keep the thread tidy)

I’ve been a few times now but if familiarity breeds complacency. The mountain can be savage if you don’t plan ahead.

Day 164 - Mid-Day I woke to a blizzard outside so lay in bed for an hour or two until it sounded like it was easing. When i left the house the blizzard had cleared up leaving an overcast sky and a stiff breeze. I decided then to leave CH and head home. It was taking some time and i recall clearing out the other property's in the area rather thoroughly. I made my way up into the high country to make for the mine. As i was traversing the trail, a wolf popped up from behind a snow bank not 20 metres away. Instinctively i shouldered the rifle at the same moment he charged. I shot him full in the chest and put him down. Sadly i couldn't afford the time or backpack space to harvest him so left him for the crows or other wildlife. I emerged from the mine a while later and made my way home. Day 165 - Morning I decided to push on up to TWM to scavenge the remaining supplies i'd left up there. I wasn't sure what the pickings were like since it had been a while since my last trip there. I dropped my hatchet and rifle and decided on the bow. I also packed a hacksaw - i'm sure there were a couple left up there but i didn't want to attack the mountain only to be found wanting in the tools department. I set out in snowy but otherwise calm conditions. After the usual hike i made my way up to the rope and climbed up. I made sure to pick up as much easy firewood on my way as possible - i'm sure i'd left the cabin in a poor supply situation. I got to the cabin at dusk and lit a fire. I'd packed 8 kilos of moose meat to see my through this expedition. Day 166 - Dawn After getting a good night sleep next to a well lit fire i started my attack. Going was tough but i made my way past the first few ropes before exhaustion started to take hold. I managed this by taking a few sleeps along the way in my nice toasty bearskin bedroll before getting to the last rope before the summit. At this point i was absolutely shattered so i setup in a cave for the night and went to bed. Day 167 - Dawn Summit day. After waking early i climbed the last rope up to the tail section. As i had feared, most everything left was ruined or i didn't need. I found a few packs of matches, some food still in good condition and the expedition parka i'd left up here last time. Time was on my side so after a final double check i made my way down from the summit for the last time. There's no need for me to come back here again with the whole area having been scavenged. I meandered my way down the mountain, but got trapped for a time by a roving pack of wolves. I hid behind a small outcrop of rock until they had passed. After getting back to the cabin i collected some firewood for another night before making my way back down to the valley. Moose meat and soda for dinner then off to bed. Day 168 - Morning A blizzard set in during the night but eased off before first light. I collected the few remaining tools and odds and ends i wanted to bring down with me, took a final wistful look at the shabby but robust cabin that had kept me alive whenever i was up here and made my way towards the fixed rope. I arrived at the fixed rope and took in the view. The morning sunrise and overcast sky cast a beautiful vista over my (brutal) home valley. I took a long look and made my way back down to the valley. My trip was uneventful - the area having been well covered over the last half year. I was surprised to see a large pack of wolves in the bale field - i worry they may thin the deer herd that usually kicks around this area. I'm down to my last few days of moose meat so a hunt will be on the agenda in the immediate future. I haven't decided but i think deer will be on the cards. I got home and used the hacksaws i'd brought back from the mountain to cut up the useless shelving in the basement - i'll use this metal for hooks or tools in the future. My plan for the next few days is to repair clothing (the mountain can be brutal on clothing) and plan my hunt.

Day 161 - Morning After awaking in the morning i listened but couldn't hear anything outside. I had a quick breakfast and stayed put for a few hours - listening for the sound of a heavy animal skulking around, leaning on the door, snow crunching etc but heard nothing. I made my way down to the road and crossed onto the ice. As i was heading the island commonly known as Jack Rabbit Island, i spied a fishing hut at the edge of the ice pack. My memory failed me but i couldn't recall checking that hut out. When i got there, sure enough my suspicion was confirmed. I found a couple of food items, a rifle round and a box of ammunition on the shelf. This now leaves me 110 rounds at home, 10 rounds in the rifle and 2 in my pack - enough to hunt for a long time just using the rifle. As the sun was setting i made my way up the island to the house nestled at the top. I took a moment to look out over the ocean to contemplate the vista before me. Was there anyone on those islands in the distance? Could i get there? What was happening over there. I felt so alone, but also exhilarated. Its funny what the mind will do to you. After coming back to reality, i went into the house and set in for the night. There were some odds and ends i had missed here the last time, some food and coffee and a box of matches. Maybe the Aurora will come tonight? Day 162 - Mid-day I'm writing this at Mid-Day because a terrible blizzard is howling outside. There isn't much for it but to hurry up and wait. I have ample food and water so have no concerns. I think i'll just do something i haven't done in a long while - relax. Day 163 - Morning The blizzard ended sometime last night. I emerged from the house to calm weather but snow and a light fog. I took off over the ice towards the log sort, hoping i'd missed something there last time. Alas there was nothing of any value. I set off across the ice, hugging the coast towards the township. As i approached the town i slowed down and took my time. The place is usually infested with wolves and bear, so proceeded cautiously. I found a few odds and ends in the first few houses before raiding the well worn Quonset gas station. I didn't find anything there that i needed - most everything i had left i had left for a reason. On the bottom shelf of some shelving units in the garage i did find an item i've long coveted - another whetstone! This will extend my tool life a few weeks in the future so this is a boon to me - almost as precious as rifle ammo. After leaving the gas station i jumped into one of the abandoned cars there - i was rummaging when i heard it. A soft pitter-patter of paws and a low growl. Turning around i saw the wolf - he was obviously keen for a bite as he patrolled around the car. After a few minutes of not being able to work out how to get to the meat inside the box, he lost interest and moved on. I made sure to give him enough time before jumping out of the car and jogging to the last house. This was another place i'd been reasonably thorough - there was nothing worth taking or eating. By now it was late in the day so i went upstairs and jumped into bed.

Day 156 - Lunch Nothing much to report to today. I spent the day tidying up the house, sorting gear, taking stock and crafting. I made up a few torches and some hooks out of some scrap metal i had laying around the house. I think when these sewing kits run out, hooks and line will be my only way to repair clothing. Day 157 - Evening Today was another marking time day. I'm waiting out on the moose hide to cure so i can craft this satchel. I did spend the night camping in the hope of catching the Aurora again but alas, no luck. It's been at least 6 weeks since i last saw it so i'm not sure what that means. Moose meat for dinner and slept in my nice new bearskin roll. Day 158 - Morning Today the moose hide was about cured. I took it down to the workshop and spent the day crafting. Doesnt look too bad if i say so myself. Day 159 - Mid-Day As of late i've been fighting boredom so i decided to head off to CH to have a poke around. I stocked up on moose meat, checked my rifle and tools and set off. PV was kind to me - the day was good which made going easy. After passing through the crossroads town i found the turn off to the mine and made my way up. It appeared i left in the nick of time. As i turned around or a last look at the valley the weather was rolling in. I arrived in CH and set up for the night in the trailer just down the trail. Day 160 - Morning I set out along the trail and stumbled across 2 cabins i was previously unaware of. Pickings were slim however, just some jerky and a single rifle round. I pushed on and crossed a frozen stream before coming across a small cabin. There was a hatchet outside and some jerky inside but not much else. I pushed on further down the stream and found an abandoned camp ground in poor repair. There were bear tracks in the area so i was wary, but there was nothing worth salvaging here. As i was leaving the area i saw a cabin in the distance. I started making my way there. Halfway there i realised at the last second i had just crossed a set of fresh bear tracks. Looking left, there he was. He roared a challenge at me, and after a heart stopping moment i bolted for the cabin. I arrived just in time - i spent the night facing the door, with the rifle in my lap before falling asleep.

Day 153 - Mid-day I slept in this morning and got up well rested. My plan for today is to repair some kit and finish cooking that moose meat. After a few hours behind the stove i had my outdoor larder stocked with freshly cooked moose, enough for a few weeks (or longer if i rationed it but i'm not at that stage yet!) The container on my porch is now only half full of bear, as soon as its empty i'll start moving this meat into it. I also repaired my wolfskin coat and deerskin boots - the remainder of my clothing is in fairly good repair so i'll wait out on those repairs. I started to feel a bit stir-crazy after cooking this moose so i set out for my snow shelter for the night. Day 153 - Morning I slept in starts through-out the night - i wanted to see if the Aurora would show itself but alas no luck. I started to collect some firewood to replenish the supply i've been slowly draining over the last few days. Once i got the wood sorted i fixed up the snow shelter and left some wood there for future stays. Once i got back to the farmstead i dove straight into making my bearskin bedroll. I worked into the night but emerged victorious - the old bedroll was torn up for cloth (i still have a decent spare in the downstairs closet) but this will be my main sleeping item when i'm away or not next to a bed. Day 154 - Afternoon After getting ready i set out to observe the local wild life. To the east i saw a decent herd of deer - it seems they've bounced back from my last massacre. They should be find for the next few weeks as i go through the moose and bear meat i've harvested, i'm considering switching to rabbit for a time to break up the monotony, plus they seem to bounce back even faster. I turned around and headed west into the orchard and lo and behold i saw a pack of wolves! This pleases me. I hadn't seen them in the area for quite some time so was concerned something had happened to the pack. I haven't shot one in the area for quite some time, so i'm glad they are back (and not - after all they do want to eat me - this is an interesting moral conflict) (there is actually 5 of them in this pic but some are behind tree's) A less pleasant surprise is a bear - one has moved back into the farm property. It hasn't been long since my last bow hunt of the previous bear so i wonder what has brought this one in. I suspect the lack of a previous tenant and the smell of meat that's been in the area. I'm going to tolerate him for now - shooting him would just be an awful waste of meat, so for now he's safe. I'll stay out of his way as best as possible. Day 155 - Morning Well what do you know. I've been living here for a good few months now. I decided to have a scout around with the lantern and managed to locate another sewing kit (score) and 2 more rifle rounds (double score) I just haven't noticed them, and obviously my initial scout was poor (to be fair i think i was hypothermia, starving and terrified when i first arrived) so that's a bonus. My plan for today is collect some wood, craft some torches for emergency's and wait on this moose hide to cure so i can make my satchel.

I’ll give it a read - should definitely get back into it if you can, I’m keen to have a decent thread to read!

Day 148 - Morning After reorganising (i.e. eating) a good portion of my outdoor larder, i stored the remainder of the bear meat in the container on the porch and decided to push out to ML to hunt this moose. After getting a few hundred metres away from the farmstead something stopped me - this was going to be a serious undertaking. i was reasonably confident of finding a moose in ML, having seen one around the Trappers Cabin a few times, but ferrying all that meat was going to take time and some patience. Patience isn't my strong suit. I decided to head back towards the birch forest East of the barn. There was multiple sign of moose there so i decided to give it one more go. I made my way out to the forest, but alas didn't find anything apart from some deer and the ubiquitous rabbit. I didn't want to kill them at this stage because A. I don't need to and B. they aren't on my radar at the moment. I returned to the Barn to lay up for the night. Day 149 - Morning I set out again in the morning to continue my search. I had left some of my heavier clothing back at the farmstead as i want to move quickly and be able to carry more meat on the chance i knock over a moose - this is a risk but that's life. After meandering around the frozen pond and birch forest i again didn't see moose - but i did see a bear in the distance, perhaps 200 metres way. I wouldn't mind an extra bearskin to mend the bearskin bedroll i'll be crafting, and decided to test my long range shooting. I have 8 rounds in the rifle and 110 back home so i can afford this luxury. I lined him up and got a shot away - i heard the "wump" of the round hitting him and saw the spray of blood, however he didn't go down. I let a second round off and he dropped flat. 200 Metres (give or take! that small lump above the front sight post is him dead) As i approached him the weather began to turn so i quartered him up and pushed back to the barn to harvest the meat and settle in for the night. Day 150 - Morning Once i woke i set out for the kill to bring in the rest of the meat. As i was traversing the short distance to the kill the weather turned on a dime, and it was savage. The lighter clothing i was wearing became a serious liability and i felt hypothermia setting in at an alarming rate. Once i was back at the barn i started to cook the meat while the hide started to cure. Previously when i was here i had torn down a number of the crates littering the barn, so i had a reasonable supply of wood to cook meat and warm up. I worked through into the night but got all the bear cooked up. It was at this point that i noticed the poor condition of my hatchet, and to a lesser extent my knife. This isn't a problem at this stage however as it fits into my new tool strategy of saving the whetstones for my final hatchet / knife combo before i move onto the crafted tools. Day 151 - Morning As i was weighing up the options of ferrying this meat back, i decided to set out on one more patrol. Taking the moose at this point would potentially be a waste, despite the long duration cooked meat stays safe to eat when kept outdoors, however i figured i was already out here so might as well. I pushed on through the birch forest but saw nothing, so continued on towards the frozen pond again. As i was climbing one of the large rock outcrops for an elevated view of the area i saw him - MOOSE! He was eating cattails along the frozen pond, minding his own business. Whether he had winded me yet i don't know, but i lined him up in my sights. I got two rounds into him before he fell - FINALLY!!!! I approached his carcass warily, in case he wasn't dead and lashed out but he had breathed his last. I took stock - this is what hunting is all about. Many days and much effort spent on fruitless endeavors, and then finding success on a whim. I started to harvest him but a cruel blizzard rolled in after an hour and forced me to retreat to the barn. I had expended all the wood i had on hand cooking the bear so now found myself in a bind - i couldn't cook all the meat with the wood i had left so i cooked a portion and stored the rest outside as night fell. I went to bed satisfied in my efforts paying off and my calorie needs being secure for at least the next month. Day 152 - Morning I woke to a fine sunrise and decided to take my current haul (including bearskin and moose hide) back to the farmstead before coming back for the final haul. After getting home and having a drink, i swung by the snow shelter to make sure it was still standing - it was but needed some slight repairs so i got them completed before heading East to the carcass again. As i was crossing the bale field a small murder of crows flew over head, signalling a potential shift in the weather. I was nervous as the majority of the carcass still needed to be harvested and would surely be frozen, but i was committed so pushed on. When i got to the carcass it was frozen solid so i lit a small fire to thaw most of it out. After an hour or so i had successfully harvested all the edible meat from the carcass so pushed on back to the farmstead. Once i got home i lay out the cooked and uncooked moose meat for a mini stock-take. Now that i'm home i'll cooked the remaining meat and start the hide curing process - i've decided to make an extra pack back or satchel to carry more items. This haul doesn't include the 15kgs of cooked meat already stored on the porch, and the additional 20+ kgs of fresh cooked bear back at the barn. I'd say my food situation is good for at least 2 months now. I've noticed as i was crossing the bale field that i haven't seen any wolves in this neck of the wood in a number of weeks. This is curious. Now that my food supply is firm for the time being, i may devote some time to studying the deer herds (they've bounced back with the lack of hunting pressure) and also scout out the local wolf population. I don't particularly want the wolves around, but i am concerned about their population and what is happening to them - after all they are a fundamental cog in the food chain in the wild. I may also do some observation, either here or in ML to confirm why i haven't seen any aurora as of late. There is also gear and clothing maintenance to attend to after the last week or two and the savage blizzards i've been experiencing.

Day 142 - Morning I woke in the morning and lay in bed for a time, listening to the wind howl outside. There's nothing like being in bed, nice and warm with atrocious weather outside - even when i am surrounded by solitude and desolation. I pushed on around mid-day towards the Dam, and once arriving set to work breaking down all the crates i could see. I figured if my haul from my last expedition was the sum total of 5 rifle rounds, i would load my backpack to the brim with reclaimed wood. I ahead of myself, by the time i finished it was dark so i laid my sleeping bag inside the dam and went to sleep. Day 143 - Mid-Morning I pushed out with the whispers of a snow storm in the air - but the weather held.....until i got to PV and it welcomed with with a cold fist to the face. Luckily i've navigated this route a number of times, so i was confident i could find my way home. The blizzard turned against me and i struggled my way through - hungry and overloaded with wood. In my stubbornness i didn't want to drop the load and come back (that would've been the smart thing to do) so i struggled on. As dusk fell the temperature dropped sharply - by this stage i was still only 2/3rds of the way home. I realised that my hubris may in fact get the best of me - it's been a long while since i've been caught out in a blizzard that was savage enough to cut through my clothing. As i emerged from the draw into the farmstead area, the weather dropped into a light snow and then cleared. When i got back to the property i dropped the lamp on the porch to take stock. After dropping the wood in my pack and having a steak or 3 i turned in for the night. Content that i was home, full and safe. Day 144 - Morning Today was a day of water. Lots of water. I melted down around 20 litres of snow, boiled it and through it in the freezer section of the fridge. I'll only use this when i need to restock or drink quickly, otherwise i'll boil water as i go. I also went out and trimmed up a large number of cedar logs, with a smaller number of fir logs (38 and 6 respectively) which i added to my main wood pile on the front porch. More steak and off to bed. Day 145 - Afternoon Today was a day of wood - lots of wood. I went out and trimmed up a large number of cedar logs, with a smaller number of fir logs (38 and 6 respectively) which i added to my main wood pile on the front porch. More steak and off to bed. Day 146 - Morning Today was the day of the hunt for a moose. The weather was good so i stepped off towards the clearing to the east of the barn. I had decided to setup camp around the frozen pond - this was to save time moving from the area into a sleeping zone each day. Once i found my old campsite from my previous moose hunting trip, i built up my snow shelter, collected some wood and harvested a few rabbits to feed me over the next few days. Day 146 - Morning I woke to a blizzard. Not much for it so i stayed put in the shelter, skinning and gutting the two rabbits i killed the day before. Once the storm cleared i stepped out into the clearing and decided to scout around the area. As i was making my way down to the frozen river i saw....MOOSE!!!!!!! oh no wait it's just a deer. Damn it. I continued on scouting out the area, i did manage to find more moose sign (tree rubbings) I didn't locate a moose, but did have a slight run in with a bear. He was in the birch forest and surprised me from only 20 metres away. He snuffled and moaned, so i back away slowly - always with the rifle aimed at his skull. He soon lost interest and ambled away back into the birch forest. I made my way back to the snow shelter and settled in for the night, however i'm a bit nervous knowing the bear is out there in the area. Hopefully he's wary of me or if a storm blows in will hunker down. I'll sleep with the rifle close tonight. Day 147 - Morning I woke up. That's a good sign - no bear tracks around the snow shelter so maybe hes pushed on. But also no moose. I scouted around the area again, but alas only more deer-that-looks-like-moose-from-a-distance type animals. I decided to break camp and head back to the farm stead. I could stay out for another few days, an in Murphy's law the first morning i'm not here the moose will show up - but that's life. I think the bearskin is nearly cured so i'll turn it and the other bearskin i have into a bedroll. I know there is a moose around the trappers cabin in ML - i could mission back that way and setup camp in the cabin for a few days. I'm mainly after his skin, but being such large prey animals he will have a ton of nutritious meat on him which i don't want to waste. Shuttling the meat back to the farm is an option but would be a big job - i'll consider this option and make a decision in the next few days.

Day 137 - Morning After inspecting my outdoor meat supply in the morning i noticed some degradation of the meat - this just won't do. I decided to spend the day cooking. Before long the house was filled with the smell of fresh cooked meat. It took a whole day to complete but i managed to get all of the venison and bear cooked. I stored a portion in the chiller box on the front porch and kept the rest outside to freeze. Day 138 - Morning I decided on a whim to set out for Milton. My journey there through ML was uneventful. Oh except for this bloody valley trolling me. Over the last few days the weather had been nice and settled. I hoped i could eek an extra day of good weather but typically, the weather broke as soon as i set out. Once i had moved into the Milton climbing area the weather calmed down and i made my way into the main climbing area. The day was old by this time so i set up in the local cave and got a nice fire going. I had set out with a number of venison steaks (my last trip this way was touch and go re: food) so i settled in for the night. Day 139 - Lunch I had pushed out of the cave this morning and into Milton town. It turns out my hunch of missing something was correct - i found a box of rifle ammunition! No whetstones though, but ammunition is worth its weight in gold (or brass) so that was a boon and made the trip worthwhile. Stepping out on the porch i was confronted by leaden skys - that doesn't bode well. I pushed out to the shortwave tower but found nothing of value. I did however get lost. After meandering around the back country of area i stumbled upon a lone trailer in what looks like a wood cutting area. I setup here for the night - not too soon either, a storm is howling outside. Day 140 - Morning I stepped out first thing and found my way down to the old farm. I had spied a rope behind the farm on an earlier visit. I found the rope and found my way down, and was confronted with a desolate wasteland. What am i doing i asked myself. By the time i had made it down the weather was turning and light was fading. I found an old derelict structure which thankfully had a rusty wood stove and some wood lying around. I was out of steak at this point so i managed to grab a couple of rabbits (this took WAY longer than usual) and found a fresh wolf kill with a kilo of meat left on the carcass. I started a fire, cooked my rabbit and deer and settled in for the night, somewhat in a panic with the rabbit-footsteps-that-sound-like-wolf-steps outside. Day 141 - Afternoon. Not much to report today. I made my way through FM in an uneventful trip, making my way into ML and holing up in the Lake office. I'll stay here tonight and push on back home tomorrow morning. Once I get back I’ll try my hand at Moose hunting if he shows up that is.

Day 135 - Dawn Worked through the night until this morning and stepped outside to a red sky - What was that saying again? Red Sky at night, sailors delight. Red Sky in the morning, Shepards Warning? Something like that. After having a nap for a few hours i woke up and cracked into my arrow making. I started by splitting around 5 cured birch saplings into 3 staves, which i shaped into shafts. Once there were ready, i managed to get around 5 full arrows crafted before night fell. Day 136 - Morning My plan today was to finish off the arrows, but i believe survival is dependent on making the most of all oppurtinitys. Over the last few days, a large bear has been roaming around the farm area. I think the latest deer kills have attracted him, but he's a risk and i can't have him wandering around. Add to that i wan't my bearskin bedroll so i decided to take him. I only had the bow with my fresh quiver of arrows so i used myself as bait. I got one arrow off which struck him in the hind quarter and BANG off he went. I followed at a distance but lost sight of him when he went under Heartbreak Bridge. As i cautiously stepped around the abandoned car i heard him in the river bed - he sounded pissed. I got another arrow away, this time striking him in the front leg. He charged as i dove into the car, my heart racing/ After a few minutes he took off back towards the farmstead. I couldnt look around wearing all my bulky clothing so once i estimated him as being 20-30 metres away i jumped out of the car. He heard me and turned around - at the same time another arrow was already in flight, striking him in the face. I dove back into the car for a second time - he charged and collapsed outside the rear passengers side door. I felt bad for the old boy - not being able to make it a quick clean kill but i'm sure he would've eaten me alive so i guess we are even. I quartered him up and started to shuttle the game bags back to the snow shelter, before starting my shuttle to the farmstead. Once i had everything back at the farmstead, i started to cure the skin and gut and got to work harvesting the joints. 90 minutes later i had a considerable supply of meat added to my outdoor larder / meat storage area. It's time to take stock and repair my clothes again. Once i've got those in order i'll get back into finishing the arrows. After that i'll go on a firewood detail and then start planning this quick trip to Milton. After today i'm wrecked - fresh deer steak and off to bed.

Day 129 - Morning I woke up to the sound of a snow storm raging outside. Perfect weather for repairing clothing, taking stock and resting. Since i'd accumulated a reasonable supply of cloth and cured skins, i was able to liberally repair all the clothing items i wear regularly - the closet in the master bedroom is full of half-decent clothes to be broken down or repaired. I'm considering making two kits of clothing - one (which will be my main set) to have a balance between warmth and durability. The second set will be based on speed of movement. Once my clothing was repaired i set about catching up on some reading. I'm considering a new hunting strategy but more on that soon. Day 130 - Mid-day Today was a wood day! I spent a good portion of the day harvesting wood and sticks to re-pay my wood bank on the front porch. It's easy to take from it but never easy to re-pay it. Well, now that i have time on my side i figured now was as good as ever. I estimate i've got a months supply of wood on the front porch now. Not bad. Once the wood mission was over i went out to look for a deer - fortunately i found him only a few hundred metres East of the farmstead. Day 131 - Morning I've decided to change my strategy from hunting as required, to building up a reasonable supply of meat and keeping it in the snow outside. I'm tired of always living on the edge with my meat supply - i've lost count the amount of times i've run out of steak only for a blizzard to roll in for days (typical PV) This will mean putting a lot of pressure on the local deer population but if i stagger the herds i target it should be ok. I'm also getting reasonably proficient with the bow now, saving that rifle ammo for emergencys, bears or expeditions can now be the new order of business. I've also collected a good supply of Birch and Maple saplings over my travels, along with feathers so keeping my arrow supply healthy shouldn't be a problem. Day 132 - Mid-day Today is hunting day. I found the first Deer in the front orchard of the farm - he was quickly dispatched with a mid-range heart shot. I skinned him out and headed back to the farmstead to drop the meat. Typically the good weather broke as soon as i got home so i was forced to hunker down. During a break in the weather i headed out to my snow shelter to spend the night there. It helps keep me from going crazy - once i settled in the blizzard came back with a vengeance. Day 133 - Morning Once the weather cleared i went back onto my hunt circuit - i found another two deer across the creek to the East. Once i had gutted them out i took my haul back to the farmstead and laid the meat out. (its fortunate that predators don't seem inclined to target this meat - maybe its my human scent?) I was left with 25+ Kgs of meat which should last me a month or more. If i use the meat wisely then the herds should recover before i go out for another full hunt. Day 134 - Morning Today i decided to head up to the signal hill to scavenge around. The trip up there was uneventful and my searching was also uneventful. I did however find a decent rock to fix a rope to - peeking over the edge i could see what looked like a ledge with a body on it! I nipped down the hill to the lower fixed rope position and lifted the rope. Heading down to the ledge there was definitely a body - however determining how long it had been there was beyond me. The ledge gave an impressive view of the valley proper though. I climbed the rest of the way down the rope and went home. On the way i stopped by the snow shelter - it's in need of some repair, however i didn't have any spare cloth on me, so just added that task to the to-do list. My plan for the next week or so is it begin crafting some arrows - i've also seen a bear in the area and wouldn't mind a nice bearskin bedroll so will keep an eye out for him. Finally, i'm considering going back to Milton for another look around. For some reason i feel like i've missed something so i'll plan an expedition and head out in the next week or so.

Day 124 - Morning I arrived at the lake office once the sun had set, luckily with the fangs of a blizzard starting to rage but as per my last entry i was asleep with a full belly. Once morning broke, i took off for a clearing marked on a map up the frozen creek. I found the clearing with a hunters blind which i raided for a bow and arrow. I also found a crowbar which was fortunate as there were a few secured lockers in the trailers by the Dam and in the Dam itself. In typical Murphys law fashion, it was a waste of time. Day 125 - Afternoon. I went back towards the lake to check out the cabins one more time, it appears i had always missed something but in this case i had been thorough. I did however manage to find a substantial amount of cloth which i packed away, along with the carcass of a wolf i fought off the last time i was here. By the time my search was finished it was snowing and cold so i jumped into bed. Day 126 - I decided to head back towards home so pushed on towards the dam. I've scoured this place numerous time but its like a gift that keeps on giving - i fond a box of rifle rounds in the bathroom! How or why they were there i'll never know, but i was thankful. Still no luck finding any more whetstones - i'm going to have to start husbanding my supply of hatchets and axes until i'm down to my last pair. Once i'm at that point i'll start maintaining them with the 10 odd whetstones i have and when they are done, i'll still have my forged set (which came at considerable time and blood). Once they are used, i'll need to re-think my entire strategy as i'll need to forge tools as i need / use them. That may require a full on shift to be closer to a forge, but there is no way i'd move to the muskeg so DP will be the next home base. Day 127 - Dusk After finishing looking through the Dam, i decided to push on towards home finally. Of course i had mucked around inside the Dam for too long so by the time i set out proper it was already sun-down. I was approached by a wolf but kept him at bay with one of the ubiquitous flares i seem to have. I used the remaining amount of the flares light to make my way halfway through the mine before hunkering down for the night and getting some sleep. I'm down to 5 or so Cat-tail stalks but that's what they are there for - emergency food. Day 128 - Morning I woke well rested by thirsty and hungry, downed the rest of my water and Cat-tails and headed for home. I emerged from the mine back in PV to an overcast but still beautiful morning. Damn it feels good to be home! (Don't get complacement yet!) And in typical PV fashion welcoming its only human resident home, the weather turned at the drop of a hat. Still - it was good to be home and i was confident i could find my way home in any weather. It wasn't long until i was passing my little camp at the end of the farm and i was heartened to see a new Rabbit mob had moved in - i'll let them settle in and feel safe before i shatter their resolve and eat them. Survival of the fittest and all that.... Once i was inside i disbursed the meagre findings from my increasingly long and fruitless expeditions. I'm reasonably confident that there isn't much left to salvage in the local regions, so i may need to focus on surviving PV until one more more critical supplies or equipment runs or wears out. I estimate a good 6 months though before i need to re-evaluate. The plan then is to develop a hunting, cooking and general exploring routine and work from that. These diary entries may become mundane - if so to any future readers i apologise but survival is key. I'll mix it up with the odd expedition, who knows what i've probably missed. A nice can of condensed milk and some pork and beans for dinner and then off to bed. Tomorrow will be a restock, repair day. Oh yes i still have a number of books to read, can do that to break the monotony.

More updates coming soon. Work / life is busy but a good sized update will drop in the coming days!

Day 122 (cont.) - Midday I decided to set out for one last look around Forlorn Muskeg as there were a few structures I had seen on my travels the last time I was there I packed my rifle for this trip, the last of the venison and set out in a light snow, making good progress to the cave which connects to ML. After meandering up through the dam I was heading towards the lake office to spend the night when I was attacked by a wolf my blasted hatchet handle snapped during the struggle (a product of my new policy of saving the whetstone for 1 x hatchet and knife plus my hand forged tools) but he got the message and scarpered. I arrived in the lake office shaken but no worse for wear, so I kicked off my boots and fell into bed. Day 123 - Morning i pushed on without delay, making my way through the train tunnel and emerging in the muskeg. My first stop was the high blind where I found another bow and arrow, which was to prove the extent of my find on this trip, but I didn’t know this at the time. I pushed on to the farm shed as a blizzard began to break, by now on the verge of hypothermia. I went up into the loft to warm up, before catching a few hours sleep. In the early afternoon I took off back towards ML in a light fog which quickly settled into a heavy ground mist. I found myself at the Muskeg lookout and took shelter in a lightning split tree. The fog didn’t show signs of lifting after an hour and I estimated darkness was only an hour away so I decided to push on back to ML as I had a good idea of where I was. I emerged from the train tunnel as the sunset illuminated the surrounding fog and set off for the lake office where I arrived after dark. last piece of venison in my belly and off to bed.

Day 116 - Midnight (continued) After a few hours of sitting in the belly of the Riken in what can only be described as despair, i found the will to continue. I banked my new found resolved, rode out the blizzard and set out at first light across the ice. After my last few encounters with Wolves, and well aware of my shortfall of equipment and medical supplies i was wary of those fury beasts and kept my distance. After crossing through DP and Crumbling Highway i worked my way up through the low country and spent the night in a trailer along the trail. Day 117 - Morning I set out again at first light heading up to the mine connecting CH to PV, however there was a bear not a few hundred metres upwind of me patrolling the same route. Knowing what the wolves could do, i was fearful of even the sniff of an encounter with the bear so kept my distance. After breaking through the mine i made my way down towards the crossroads and picked up the half-cured Wolf skin. In typical welcoming PV fashion, a severe blizzard rolled in nearly without warning before breaking into a dense fog. After stumbling my way down the main road, i crested a small rise and there she was... HOME! After falling through the front door, i tore into some pork and beans i had stashed in the cupboard before crawling into bed and crashing for the next 12 hours. Day 118 - Mid-day I decided today would be for R & R. I pottered around home, repairing my now torn clothing and reorganising the admittingly meagre findings from that last expedition. I pulled some wool ear wraps out of my coat pocket - where had i picked these up? No idea but damn they are warm. Day 119 - Morning Today was a hunting day - I lost two arrows but had a blood trail to follow....before a blizzard rolled in obscuring the trail in minutes. I managed to snag a deer and was harvesting him up while a wolf took one of his own not 100 metres away! I scared him off and harvested the remaining meat left on his kill, but there wasn't much. I've noticed the wolves getting more aggressive lately - maybe they are feeling the pinch now, like me. I took off back home and spent the day reading fishing magazines. Day 120 - Morning Today is a cloth day. I need more if i'm going to survive the long haul. I've also decided a new strategy to manage my tools and whetstones. I'm going to use the most worn hatchets and knives and save the whetstones to keep the last 2 of each in good repair. This should extend the life of my tools (i hope) before i'm forced into expeditions to craft tools as required. When this time comes i know things will be desperate. I went up to the crossroads and spent the rest of the day tearing curtains and worn clothing into cloth before crashing in the only furnished house up at the crossroads. Day 121 - Morning Fishing! I've decided to go up to the fishing hut up at pensive pond and put some of this fishing knowledge i've been reading about into action. I went up with snow falling but otherwise agreeable conditions. Once i'd opened the ice hole and set a line i scoured the area for wood to stock up for the night. When i got back to the hut i had a 5kg Bass on the line! I should've known this was going to be the best catch of the day but details. As night rolled in, i lit a nice fire and settled in for the evening. Day 122 - Morning After a nice sleep beside a warm fire and some paltry fry ( i knew that first Bass would be the best) i had gone through the two lines i had brought with me, thus ends my fishing trip. It was pleasing to leave the hut, looking back and seeing a tendril of smoke drifting up in the calm air from the fire still burning. I completed a circuit of the pond looking for Moose sign - my reasoning being the sign i had seen earlier in the low country was around the frozen pond to the East of the barn, but no luck. I've got back to the house and cooked the fish i had caught, stashing it with the venison i had left over from the previous days hunt in my ice box on the front porch. I think i'll collect some firewood today and settle in with another fishing magazine. It's not a particular hobby of mine but the fish is high calorie and yields some oil with each fish (i have a surplus of oil at the moment but better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it)

Day 116 - Midnight. A lot has happened in the last week. I'm currently holed up in the belly of the Riken, hungry, just recovered from multiple infections with a blizzard blowing outside. How did i get here you ask? Going from a comfortable existence in the PVFS to my current situation? Hubris, complacency and a mixture of luck ranging from good and bad. Let me start at the beginning.... On Day 111 i decided to head East from the farmstead to set up a small camp to hunt Moose. Over the next two days i sat in my snug snow shelter while blizzards raged outside. During the night, i heard a bear prowling around close to the shelter, but thankfully he didn't bother me. I awoke to a stunning morning on Day 112 Sadly no Moose, just Rabbits and a lone Deer. I packed up camp and went back to the Farmstead to prepare my trip to DP to finally forge a new Hatchet and Knife. Day 113 was expedition day. I set off mid morning with clear skies but a cold gale blowing. I was surprised by a wolf on Contemplation Bridge but managed to hit him with an arrow - his skin is sitting in a house curing as i write this, and in fact is probably done by now. This is probably where things started to go down hill. In my complacency i had packed poorly - i was missing some essential items like a sewing kit, flare gun (i brought along the bow, not the rifle). In my hubris i decided to push on. After clearing the mines i crossed the Coastal Highway (CH) making for DP, where i spent the night in the crumbling highway. Day 114 saw me come through into DP proper - i made my way through Mine No.5 and ran smack into a Bear. I think he was just as surprised to see me as i was him, but i was quicker off the draw (the fleeing in a blind panic kind of draw) and dived back into the mine, slamming the gate shut. Once i was confident he had left the area, i left heading out to the waterfall where i had caught a glimpse of a cave the last time i was here. This cave will be known as Scruffys cave due to the resident who had set up shop here. I suppose the rib cages should've given it away, but i pushed on without checking the fuel level in my gas lamp. As the light started to wan, i heard him. Within seconds he was on me, the lamp fell to the floor and a struggle for life and death ensued in the pitch black. I felt my hatchet sink into him somewhere for he let go of my arm yelping and scarpered off into the dark, leaving me to flee the cave. Once i was outside, the pain hit. He had torn my forearm up really good. I went to patch myself up but of all the medical supplies i had left, antiseptic and old mans beard were the two items i had left at the farmstead. Shit. At this point i started to head towards the old whaling station while a blizzard rolled in. On my way, i ran smack into another Wolf. This one must've known i was in bad shape for he didn't hesitate one second before he sunk his jaws into my thigh. Again i smashed him bodily with my hatchet and he took off. Double shit. I limped into the whaling station and set up around an old barrel that looks to have been used for fire's in the past. While looking for food, of which i had none i felt the first hint of the fever. The wounds on my arm and leg were throbbing and oozing in a way that indicated a serious infection. Luckily i had plenty of antibiotics so i popped some, crawled into my bedroll and passed out. I awoke some 12 hours later starving, but the fever had broken. I managed to scavenge a couple of cans of food i left behind last time and made my way finally to the Riken. Once at the Riken, i stoked the furnace up to temp and started forging my tools. In between tools i found another can of food which i greedily consumed, finished my hatchet and a few crude arrow heads. So here i am, Day 116 stuck in the Riken while a blizzard rolls past outside - hungry, tired and fearful of the next few hours. I have to get out of here and make it to the Lighthouse, i'm pretty sure i had left some more food there. I want to go home.

Day 109 - Afternoon Socked in my snow. There isn't anything for it but to catch up on some ready, so managed to finish the archery book i was reading. Interesting stuff. I went out for a quick look to see if there were any wolves around but they must've bedded down for the day. Cooked venison for dinner and off to bed. Day 110 - Midday I was still housebound by snow, but come midday the snow cleared revealing a nice day. I took off to the East to look for wolves. Today was going to be one of those days. I managed to find some more moose sign which is excellent - thats two areas close together with rubbings so this indicates they are at least moving through the area. I'm considering setting up a small snow shelter camp and settling in the area for a few days to try knock one over. I also managed to surprise wolf patrolling over a small rise. I've got his pelt curing on the back porch as i write this. I loosed a few arrows at a deer buck but poor aim lead the arrows to hit him in his hind quarter. He took off before i knew what was happening, so i've possibly lost those two arrows. I'll have to go look for him in the morning, but i dearly hope he bleeds to death quickly in this cold - i don't want him to suffer due to my poor marksmanship. The irony after such recent success and finishing that archery book. More cooked venison for dinner and off to bed.

Day 107 - Midnight What an eventful day. I managed to ride out in the blizzard in the small rangers hut back up in MT before finding my way through to ML. Once in ML i decided to spend the day looking for some prepper caches i'd seen mentioned in various scraps of paper. I didn't find any, however at the top of a high feature i caught some stunning vista's. During my hunt for these caches, i was caught out in a small snow storm and took shelter in a cabin, just north of a frozen unnamed pond. While i was resting here i heard a wolf snatch a deer - wolves are efficient hunters though and the deer went down quickly. While the wolf was feasting i snuck out of the cabin to make my way home. At this point though, i was hungry. I had spent longer than anticipated at MT and had consumed some of the food i had found and cached there. I was reluctant to hunt as it would tie me down in the area for longer than i wanted so hunger was the order of the day. By the time i reached Carter Dam the sun had gone down, i was tired and hungry. After passing through the dam, i had to make one of those infernal decisions. Do i keep going or hunker down? If i keep going i'll be traveling through dangerous, yet familiar terrain. If i hunker down i could get caught in a blizzard which would further complicate my options, so i decided to push on. Now, i mentioned familiar terrain - during the day. At night disorientation is but a hair's breadth away. Not only that, but paranoia reigns supreme. I was VERY nervous making my way through the country back towards home. Any sound (mostly my own footsteps) set off a panic response like no other. I wasn't armed with the rifle, but just a flare gun (with one flare) and a bow and arrow. A number of rabbits set of strings of obscenities and nervous laughter, but the tension was high. Fortunately i made it home without incident and collapsed into bed after eating one of my two remaining MRE's. Day 108 - Morning After waking this morning, i took stock. I had come away with a number of more knives and hatchets, matches and 2 extra bows along with 2 extra arrows. Not a bad haul all things considered but i really want ammunition and whetstones of which i found only one (rifle round) and zero whetstones. Once i had woken properly, i decided to start repairing some clothing but totally messed up my only cured wolf skin, so now i need to go predator hunting. I fixed up my deerskin boots and other pieces of clothing. I'll head out to fix up my snow shelter down the other end of the farm and look for a wolf.

The journal entries will probably come through a bit slower now that I’ve returned to work. stay tuned though!

Day 104 - Morning Today is expedition day. In typical PV fashion my run of food weather ended as soon as I stepped out the door. I struggled my way up to the cave system to ML and pushed on. By the time I reached the Dam it was early afternoon but I was fairly exhausted walking into the gale wind. I wandered down to the logging camp and set in for the night. It was comforting to be wrapped up snug while the freezing wind howled outside. Day 105 - Morning i set out first thing with the intent of swinging by the destroyed watch tower, but with the exception of a rifle round, some minor bits and pieces and one unfortunate soul there was nothing worth while up there. Around mid day I arrived st the cafe system and dove in. At this point a series of small errors began to multiply. I had spent the best part of last week indoors preparing in between my daily excursions and had come down with a serious case of cabin fever. Not only that, but I was tired and it was blowing a gale in the MT climbing area, so now I was stuck between two ropes, a full blown snow storm in action and exhaustion setting in. Luckily I found a cave with the sad remains of some other lost soul so settled in around a fire at the back of the cave for the night. Day 106 - Morning i set out first thing and climbed the cliff into town. While I was there I ransacked the caches I’d left during my previous visit but found nothing of any real use. I took a wide route up to the graveyard and back via the farm. During the farm trip I was jumped by a wolf. I fought him off but he tore my favourite wool mittens to shreds! Once I sorted myself out and calmed down I started back for home, but was caught in another infernal blizzard. I’m currently holed up in some sort of rangers hut with a small pot belly stove burning as the day fades into The Long Dark. Hopefully the sun will rise in the morning and I can strike out for home.

Day 102 - Morning I woke this morning to some really good weather so decided to make the most of it and check for more Moose sign along with collecting sticks. I've got a reasonable supply of Cedar and Fir (35 and 16 pieces respectively) but due to the wear cutting them imposes on my tools, i've decided to hoard sticks for my main fire-lighting needs. Over the course of the day i meandered over towards the barn to see if i'd missed anything. By the time i got there it was getting late in the day and there were a few wolves patrolling in the area. Stupidly i had a game bag full of raw venison on me so decided to hunker down in the barn for the night. Cooked venison and water for dinner then bed. Day 103 - Morning Woke to yet another stellar morning so wandered back to the farmstead. I've decided i'm going to head back to Mountain Town (MT) to see if i've left anything of real value there. All my equipment is in order, i'm down to my last two cuts of meat and since the weather is agreeable i figure now is as good a time as any to make a move.

Haha naw but the right is reserved for family / personal ones.

Day 101 - Afternoon Well after my attempt to leave the high-country last night i was socked in by a blizzard and retreated to the bunker to ride it out. Mid-way through the night i went up to the broken house to light a nice warm fire and watch the northern lights. Spent the remainder of the night watching the lights through to dawn. They say fortune favours the bold. Near the farm i spotted a dear feeding on the riverbank. I figured i needed to practice my bow hunting skills and i'm fresh out of meat so why not. First shot went over him but he didn't seem to notice, maybe the wind drowned out the sound of the arrow in flight. I adjusted down and BAM! Perfect shoulder shot. I quartered him up and ferried the meat and skin back to the house. I've got the skin curing on my front porch of horrors as i write this. Now that i've got a few more days worth of meat i think i'll stay home and repair my skin clothes. Once this meat is gone i'll push on to FM to FINALLY forge these tools.