”I shot that bird. You wouldn’t have got it on your own. I share. You bring it to me, I take it and later I share.!” He got the picture and loves praise. So after that one time we returned to his fetching the birds and dropping them at my feet.
I loved the Honda 420 quad . Madigan and I rode all over the back woods. Of course I heard my guide friend Bill saying, “You’ve to stop moving if you are to get any big game Best to sit in ambush. “
My dad would say, you see more game sitting or walking than you’ll ever see from a vehicle.” The trouble is we like riding about in the ATV and we do see grouse.
The ride out to Princeton picking up the trailer and ATV in Chilliwack, there was traffic slow down due to construction but we kept moving. The leaves were changing with lots of yellow and orange going through Manning Park. I’d been concerned about parking with the trailer but there was plenty of street parking near Ace Motel. I’ve been staying there for years. There’s a new Korean family in charge replacing the last Korean owners since before Covid. The rooms were immaculate and even elegant. Lovely bathroom, couch and comfortable bed. We loved that it was right in town. Having unloaded what I didn’t want to leave in the truck we wandered about town going into the terrific Outdoors store. Their stock was depleted due to their suppliers having empty shelves. I did get Laura a knife and enjoyed the visit. I’ve been stopping there for a couple of decade The owner and his wife are totally knowledgaable congenial and know the local area so well. Once I bought a lure and asked where to fish and sure enough they directed me to a stocked lake and I caught rainbow.
Laura came with me for the night hunt since we just had time to drive up the easy mountain main towing the trailer knowing I’d have to turn about somewhere. Madigan and I were pleased to get a grouse. A good start. The trip back in the dark didn’t please Laura who is literally blind at night. She was glad to get back to our Motel. I had to unload the pack and rifles each trip. Not far though.
Pasha’s Pizza and Indian Food was the best, We had thelasagna and garlic bread take out. It was absolutely delicious with just a faint spicing of cumin plus the tradition Mediterranean spices. The cook and presumably owner is a beautiful delightful woman happy and friendly while working serving customers.
I was up at 6 to be at the A&W for 7. I learned later it opened at 6 am so was earlier the next couple of days. I had planned to go out Henly where I’ve shot a lot of grouse in past years. When I took a cabin for Laura at the Princeton Castles or left the camper there this was my favourite hunting road. The sun was well up when I unloaded the ATV fro the trailer and then loaded all the gear on . I have a short leash that clasps onto Madigan’s harness as he sits behind me. A couple of times he’s fallen off his seat into the foot well but the leash keeps him above the road, Each time I just lifted him back up with the harness. I could tell he was thankful. He then for a while tried not to lean out toofar to peer around me.
I shot more grouse that day and he’d fetch them. He was so proud and happy and we really do like hunting grouse together. It always reminds me of the very good times with Dad and my brother Ron hunting Prairie Chicken and Partridge on the prairies growing up.
The scenery in autumn is glorious. Sunny days, blue skies. Chilly in the evening but hot by late morning. I explored everywhere I could go encountering a couple of other hunters on ATV’s or in trucks.
Back in Princeton I took Laura to our favourite coffee shop by the bridge, Thomasina’s. Laura had home made Peach Pie and I had the delicious meat pie. It was great to sit outside on the street and enjoy the ambience. A touch of Europe in Canada.
I didn’t make it out for night hunt but instead had take out Steak and Prawns from Little Creek Grill. The food was incredible. We watched Operation Seawolf on the on demand in room big tv with Madigan happy to accept little bits of our dinners. The cheese cake for desert was the best too. We have take out so we can stay with Madigan but also we like it. Cozy.
Knowing A&W opened at 6, I was up at 5 in the dark loading the truck and first to get A&W sausage egger and hash browns with double double coffee and a thermos of more coffee. Over the years we’ve become soft and enjoyed collecting A&W breakfast and coffee to eat as we drive into the woods for a day hunt. I drove up Jura again but this time headed all the way to Fry where I’d seen a place big enough to leave truck and trailer and have room to turn around. I imagined heading up Fry as the light came up enough to shoot. I had the ATV unloaded and gear loaded. I was just about to start it up when another ATV and small truck careened off Jura at high speed heading up Fry. So much for my slow quiet chugging along and plan to sit in ambush up the mountain.
I decided to head up Jura more exploring so far being the first that morning. This turned out to be godly. I phoned Laura on my satellite phone and let her know my plan. I’d leave her messages on the cell phone or sat through out the day so she’d know approximately which logging road and how far I was. The logging roads have Km sign so knowing I’d taken a side road at 32 km on Jura narrowed the search if anything went wrong. Younger I never concerned my self with such things, no one knowing where I was for a week or more at a tie, but now I’m much cautious and simply don’t want to inconvenience search and rescue should I need help. I’m older and it’s becoming more apparent with all the aches and pains .
The blessing was meeting Anna and the meerkats in their SUV along with their friend Nicole on the Moosecamp road. What a joy to meet up. We’d talked of this weeks before but I’d not been able to find their camp then but this time it was just happenstance. Synchronicity. Luck - god acting anonymously.
Anna rcognied me as I passed her on the logging road. What a riot to see this car load of kids grouse hunting. Kenda, Izac, Alex and the two little guys Billy and Bobby. Izek had shot a deer and showed me his belt knife. ‘We say they will get a big knife when they shoot big game’. Anna shared. Alex showed me his leatherman. Later Kendra would show me her mermaid bathing suit. Kids are funny. Bobby and Billy in there car seats looked like twins and were just wide eyed with curiosity.
We separated and later I got lost in the back woods after turning around on this rock strewn sharply descending trail. The trouble is a trail can get treacherous real fast and you need a bit to turn around on these trails with drop off precipices. I even had to back out of one horrible bit the next day but this day I eventually found a flat enough area to turn and then headed back up over great boulders standing and balancing and cursing myself for getting in this mess. Having got out of that I was turned around and rode for an hour or more with the gas tank depleting int this endless area of great hunting. I just don’t like not knowing where I am if only vaguely. I began marking the trail and places I’d been with the gas tank half empty and considering when to add my half tank spare, concerned that the gas had sat for a year. I got out the compass and began to go into navigation mode checking the gps and knowing I had the sat phone wondering if I’d have to phone Laura to get someone to give me advice on how to get out of the warren of roads. I prayed . I pray a lot hunting. It’s a major mental activity, the constant praying and talking with Jesus. An ongoing conversation including Madigan.
I experience a lot of the ‘flow’ and have a lot of gratitude out in the woods. Breathing the air is so wondrous with the smells of plant life, passing swamps, burn area, creeks. It’s an amazing eye and nose smorgasboard.
I found my way out having got turned about coming off the rock slide trail. I then had to drive to the end of a couple of long dead ends till I actually found my way back the main. It was a relief to find Moose camp again ,the little lake I’d passed and knew.
I was glad for an outhouse at that point only I had put my cell phone into my back pocket to have with me along with the sat phone , only when I undid my trousers facing the hole the cell phone flipped out onto the floor but bounced against the toilet wall and slid down under the floor,. I could touch it but couln’t get a hold on it. Every campers nightmare. I’ve had a life time of caution with outhouses fearing loosing knives or anything down the hole. There was a father and son hunting at the campsite with their truck when I pulled in. I checked my gear for any tool kicking myself for leaving the needle nosed pliers I’d just bought in the truck. They had a larger set of pliars which I tried but the hole in the floor was too narrow. There was simply no other way. I had to reach down in the shallow outhouse toilet through to the outside wall where the phone was wedged again. I was able to push it out and retrieve it. I did consider chopping off my hand after that but had Clorox wipes and decided after I’d cleaned phone and hands as much as I could I’d have a swim and wash then the Irish spring soap into the lake,. The trouble with quadding is dust. The water was freezing but it was hot out and I went nude into the lake off the dilapidated dock. A great refreshing sensation after soaping off with the Irish spring I felt clean again.
Dressed and packing up my gear the Bustards En mass arrived. Nicole had had to go early but Devin was with them. The kids got into the canvas hot tub water with Kendra in her mermaid bathing suit. Kevin talked hunting and guns and game with Devin and Me while Anna talked with the father and son.
They’ d all camped here but a couple had been drunk and played loud music all night so they moved their camp further around the lake. The drunk girlfriend at 5 am was running along the rocky lakeshore near their camp and began screaming having broken her ankle. This required a major rescue action with a make shift stretcher to get her out to the canoe which they then pulled out with their quad. What an amazing wee morning story. The bf was going to drive her to Merrit where they thought there was more medical resources that Princeton.
After that tale of horror with pictures Kevin showed me they took me to their camp two minutes away. I loved their great igloo shaped tent and the smaller tent for the boys the guide like set up of the area with Anna’s cooking area Madigan loved playing with the kids. The older kids would lead off and billy and Bobby would follow and madigan would go with the two little guys. Great mark twain like adventures. Kevin and Anna and I were talking while these child adventures were happening. Next they were all on the ground. Madigan loved it. It reminded me of my childhood growing up outdoors camping summers having the best time of my life. The kids didn’t wear shoes Kevin commenting on Kendra running on rocks and reminding me how we did the same not wearing shoes in the summer, hiking barefoot everywhere, Incredile, What a great family. I liked Kevin showing me his sat message GPS device they could call out on in case of medical emergencies. They had Walky talkies. Too.
He topped my tank up with gas saving me from unloading my gear to get at my spare, and even gave Madigan a little deer sausage meat. Madigan was too excited there but ate it back at the motel. I had Welch raisin cookies and gave them to the kids to share, Then I was back on the road.
I found my way back to Fry and loaded up and headed out. I wasn’t more than 10 km when I heard this racket ,stopped and found I had a flat.
I put out my recently acquired hazard signs to the front and back and proceeded to get the equipment, Jack and tire iron needed to change the tire. I hadn’t changed a tire in 25 years. I had the excellent ford book but it took a while to find I needed to use my key to open the hole for inserting the pole to release the spare wheel under the the truck,
I’d phoned Laura and left a message saying I had a flat and could she find out if there was a wilderness tow service in case I couldn’t do this. Fortunately it was 2 in the afternoon. Then the angels arrived. A truck stopped and asked if I needed help. I said I was having trouble releaseing the spare. So this whole crew I’d later learn were from Langly parked their truck got out and took over the whole operation. I had laid out a tarp and been under to inspect the spare tire but this one fellow ,was right under and guided the release pole. Then with the spare out he managed to get the tether released with the help of another fellow who had brought out some grease to help loosen the tether bolt. Another fellow was setting up the jack I had out while one of the girls, a laughing enthusiastic delight, was loosening the lug nuts saying how she loved this part. The guys had the truck lifted on the jack. I’d blocked the tires already and then the difficult thing happened, The old tire would not come off. Well that would have stymied me alone. The two guys just began kicking it and said it would be best if we had a long handled axe or ball peen hammer but it released with their major kicks. Then they put on the spare and the girl added the lug nuts.The truck was lowered. Done. Doing the faux pas I asked if they would accept money and they all laughed pleasantly shaking their heads. Good samaritans They acted like a pit crew all working together like I was in a Trueman Show rally . I felt touched by grace and they were the best crew of angels a person could hope for out beyond the wire.
I continued on my journey and there was another grouse I shot and madigan fetched. It was amazing how long the grouse waited for me given I was having a time finding shells with the zippers sticking on my jacket or the 20 guage shot gun strap tangling. I actually only missed a couple on the weekend because they got bored and flew away. It was a great hunt seeing the Bustards, being rescued and getting a grouse.
We had Pasha’s Pizza that night and it was delicious,
I was thrashed. Shared the stories with Laura and showed her pictures of the kids and later the Langley crew,
In the morning I just drove up Copper Mountain with my A&W breakfast coffee and thermos in the dark, unloading the ATV and heading up as the sky turned orange with dawn, I had hoped for a deer as I was there at the best time but instead I just mozied along in the ATV enjoying riding about as the clouds passed over and the sun appeared. I stopped often and sat watching the valleys for a half hour or so. I used to sit for hours but Madigan and I both enjoyed the ATV so back we went shooting another grouse. We even almost collided with a moose. All the deer I’d seen were does except a fast moving buck who ran across the road before I could even load my rifle the first day. Almost colliding with a great female moose they’re so big was an event.
Then it was home and Thanksgiving Dinner. Billy’s Restaurant had a great turkey dinner and we enjoyed eating it watching more tv.
The next day I bought an air pressure guage at Lordco rather than search the truck to find the one I am sure I had. Loaded up we stopped at the Chrevron to top up the spare before heading down the mountain with our A&W breakfasts and coffee.
It all went so smoothly even parking the ATV and trailer in Chilliwack.
It was great to get home and find every thing safe and undisturbed. I was glad to address a little work and get the mail and collect food for our dinnner. I barbecued steaks and we had them with potatoes, butter and sour cream, peas and Hagen daz ice cream for desert. Great meal. We watched Brad Pitt in Bullet Train and it was a fabulous romp.
I was glad for bed and sleep aching all over with a wind burnt face. Madigan was sad as I was seeing Laura off in her little SMART Car. She has to work later this morning as do I.
I’ve 6 more grouse in the freezer and it was a god send of a Thanksgiving weekend. What a joy! Thank you Jesus. Thank you God. Thank you for Ace Motel, the Ford and Honda, the hunting gear, Princeton Town, Pasha Pizza and Indian Food, Thomasina’s, Little Creek Grill, Lordco and Chevron, the Princeton Hunting Store, the Bustards and the Meerkats, the Langley Truck Rescue Crew and all the good times and grace.
Thank you.
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