THE ROCKET TOUR
DAY TWO
APRIL 2008
AFTER A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP ON VERY COMFY BEDS THAT HAVE HOME MADE BLANKETS. THESE BLANKETS ARE THE BEST I HAVE EVER SEEN OR SLEPT UNDER. FLOYD IS GOING TO HAVE TO DO A LITTLE MARKETING LIKE MARTHA STEWART, LOL.
RON AND I TOOK TURNS COOKING BREAKFAST AND IT TURNED OUT VERY WELL.
GRAND SLAM LODGE HAS FULL POWER WITH A GENERATOR SO I CHARGED UP THE BATTERIES ON THE LAPTOP AND CAMERA FOR TODAY EVENTS. (note the kraft dinner, name brand pop and extra soft toilet paper, i spared no expense on this tour because of the funds from my new "real job" lol).
RON AND I KNEW IT WAS VERY COLD OUTSIDE BUT INSIDE THE CABIN WAS VERY COMFORTABLE. THE TWELVE MILE SKI-DOO TRIP BACK TO "THE HOOD" WAS VERY VERY COLD BECAUSE A SKI-DOO DOES NOT PUT OUT MUCH HEAT FOR SOME REASON.
"THE HOOD" RAN ALL NIGHT AND BURNED NEXT TO NOTHING FOR FUEL. WE PUT A SLEEPING BAG OVER THE AIR CLEANER SO THE ENGINE WOULD BE SUCKING WARM AIR WHICH ALL ENGINES LIKE. NOW I TAKE THE SLEEPING BAG AND VISE GRIP IT TO THE WINDSHIELD SO THE HEAT FROM THE ENGINE WILL WARM ME UP. WHEN YOU TRAVEL ON ICE YOU CAN'T HAVE A CAB OR ANYTHING ABOVE YOUR HEAD. IF THE CAT GOES THROUGH THE ICE, YOU CAN ESCAPE UP AND OUT OF THE OPERATORS AREA. SO A SLEEPING BAG IS THE BEST BECAUSE IT WILL RIP AND TEAR AWAY AS YOU TRY TO ESCAPE THE OPERATORS AREA. BUT TODAY BEING SO COLD AND WINDY ON REINDEER LAKE, THE SLEEPING BAG COULD NOT KEEP ME WARM.
I'M DRIVING "THE HOOD" WHILE RON IS AHEAD ON THE SKI-DOO SCOUTING A CROSSING OVER A PRESSURE RIDGE. THE CAT JUST COULD NOT PUT OUT ENOUGH HEAT TO KEEP ME WARM. I COVERED IN THE RAD AND SAT ON A 5 GALLON PAIL IN FRONT OF THE GEAR SHIFTER TO BE CLOSER TO THE ENGINE HEAT. I JUST REACHED BACK TO THE STEERING LEVERS TO STEER AND IT WAS STILL COLD.
RON ON THE SKI-DOO COULD HEAD TO SHORE AND BUILD A FIRE TO WARM UP WHILE I HAD TO KEEP THE CAT GOING STEADY TO GET THE MILEAGE NEEDED. IF I STOPPED FOR AN HOUR TO WARM UP THE PROJECT WOULD BE DELAYED LONGER AND THE WEATHER COULD CHANGE FOR THE WORST. I ONLY STOPPED FOR OILING AND FUELING UP "THE HOOD" BESIDE AN ISLAND WHICH WAS PROTECTION FROM THE WIND.
I ARRIVE AT THE ISLAND RUNWAY AND THINGS SURE LOOK DIFFERENT ALL COVERED IN SNOW.
HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE CASE FRONT END LOADER WORKING BACK IN THE EARLY 1960s FROM THE DEADLINE JUNE 7 BOOK BY FRED LOCKHART.
EVEN "THE ROCKET" LOOKS DIFFERENT.
"THE ROCKET" KNEW HE WAS COMING HOME BECAUSE HE DID NOT EVEN PUT UP A FIGHT. "THE HOOD" JUST DRAGGED HIM FROM WHERE HE WAS HALF BURIED.
I ALMOST HAD "THE ROCKET" LOADED WHEN RON ARRIVED WITH LUNCH ON THE SKI-DOO. I TOLD RON LUNCH CAN WAIT BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS GOING TOO WELL.
IT ONLY TOOK HALF AN HOUR TO LOAD UP "THE ROCKET" AND THEN I HEAD BACK ON THE ROAD THAT I MADE TO THE ISLAND WHERE I OILED AND FUELED UP. THERE RON HAD A FIRE GOING AND LUNCH WAS SERVED. RON CAN BUILD A FIRE WITHOUT THE USE OF GAS, PROPANE TIGER TORCH OR OTHER MAN MADE TOOLS FROM THE MODERN CENTURY.
"THE HOOD" DRAGGING "THE ROCKET" HOME, IT COULD BE HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF BECAUSE "THE HOOD" COULD HAVE CAT TRAINED "THE ROCKET" TO THE ISLAND 50 YEARS AGO. MAYBE THAT IS WHY THIS TRIP WENT SO WELL.
FIFTY YEARS AGO, "THE ROCKET" RODE IN STYLE ON TOP OF A WINTER FREIGHTING SLEIGH. ANOTHER PICTURE FROM THE BOOK DEADLINE JUNE 7.
WHEN YOU RUN REINDEER LAKE, YOU NEVER BUILD A ROAD BECAUSE MOTHER NATURE WILL JUST FILL IT IN. I'M GLAD I DIDN'T WASTE TIME ON A ROAD TO THE ISLAND RUNWAY BECAUSE TEN HOURS LATER IT WOULD BE GONE. THE BIGGER MY BALD SPOT GETS, THE SMARTER I GET, LOL.
IF YOU NOTICE IN THE LAST PICTURE, THE TRAIL TURNS AND HEADS BACK. THAT IS BECAUSE RAYMOND AND RON HAD SCOUTED A TRAIL THAT WAS 2 MILES OUT OF THE WAY TO GET AROUND THE ICE PRESSURE RIDGE. THIS IS NO BIG WOW WHEN YOU DRIVING AT CAT AT 2 mph. THAT IS ANOTHER HOUR ADDED TO THE TRIP DOWN AND AN HOUR ON THE WAY BACK. IT IS BETTER THEN SPENDING 5 DAYS SALVAGING THE CAT, BECAUSE THE PRESSURE RIDGE SWALLOWED THE CAT, LOL.
EVERYTHING ON THIS ADVENTURE WAS MADE EASY, PLACE THE FUEL BARREL WHERE YOU CAN BACK UP "THE HOOD" AND FUEL UP WITH EASE. JUST DON'T BACK UP AND HIT THE BARREL WITH THE WINCH OF THE CAT. NO FUEL SPILT BUT WILL HAVE TO BE MORE CAREFUL WHEN WEARING 3 JACKETS, 2 HATS, AND SLEEPING BAG OVER MY HEAD.
ONCE THE STONE BOAT WITH "THE ROCKET" ON IT HIT A HARD DRIFT, "THE HOOD" WOULD SPIN OUT ON THE ICE. ICE FOR SOME REASON DOES NOT HAVE MUCH TRACTION. WITH THE 10 FEET STEEL SLING BETWEEN "THE HOOD" AND THE STONE BOAT. I HOOKED THE WINCH OF "THE HOOD" TO THE STONE BOAT. WHEN "THE HOOD" HAD A SLIGHT TRACTION PROBLEM, ENGAGE THE WINCH AND THE STONE BOAT COMES THROUGH THE HARD DRIFT. I DID THIS ABOUT 3000 TIMES ON THE RETURN TRIP WHICH I WAS IN 2nd GEAR THE WHOLE WAY. AS LONG AS YOU ARE GOING FORWARD, THAT IS THE MAIN THING. MIGHT BE 10 FEET AT A TIME. LOL.
GETTING CLOSER TO KINOOSAO AS THE SUN SET.
NICE COLOURS EVEN FOR A COLOUR BLIND FELLOW LIKE ME, LOL.
THE LAST LEG OF THE HOMEWARD TRIP, 20 MILES TOOK 10 HOURS AND LOTS OF WINCHING, BUT WE MADE IT.
AT THE END OF DAY TWO WHICH WAS MIDNIGHT, "THE ROCKET" WAS IN KINOOSAO. RON HAD THE CABIN EXTRA WARM AFTER FREEZING ALL DAY ON THE SKI-DOO OR "THE HOOD". IT IS THE COLDEST I HAVE EVER BEEN.
THE COUNT DOWN TO "THE ROCKET LAUNCH"