Below Zero at the Tent

This week the temps dipped below zero for the first time this year.  When I returned to the tent after work on Wednesday the creek was frozen, my water bottles in my tent were frozen, and my potatoes in my cooler were brown rocks.  I’m not complaining.  I want to experience every aspect of life off-grid.  Actually, I would say after these past 5 days of cold temperatures that I love it.  To enter the tent with the fire burning warm from the cold crisp outdoors feels wonderful.  This gives me a sense of security.  I sleep better when I let the tent temperature drop overnight.  My bed stays warm and I wake early, add wood and return to slumber.  By the time I awake again my little home is warm and cozy.  I dress for the weather in layers.  Then as I split wood I remove my layers as I warm up.  Things are clearer in the cold; sights, sounds, smells, and believe it or not even tastes.  A steak from my grille always tastes amazing but in the warmth of my tent, it is gourmet.  A walk outside becomes an adventure instead of a stroll.  It’s OK to get cold because as I approach the tent on my return I see the smoke from the stovepipe.  I know warmth is only moments away.  Yes, I know this is mostly mental.  I am finding out most things are seen through my mental state.  This past week I took my after work drive at 10 pm.  The temperature gauge on my Jeep read -15.  As my new tires dug their way up the mountain road the snow flew.  After sliding into a ditch and becoming stuck I didn’t panic. 

I knew I had a plan and a backup plan.  In fact, I had a backup to my backup.  These consisted of my front winch, back winch, and my cross country skis.  I was about 7 miles from the school, mostly downhill.  I had spotted the wolf tracks on my way up the mountain road.  My plan for this is my 45 that sits under my front seat.  This would be in my survival pack on my trek back.  This is how it unfolded.  Hook up front winch to the bull pine on the other side of the road.  Fail!  My front winch rope screw had come loose from the drum.  OK, break out the toolbox and fix it.  Nope too cold, fingers won’t work, and can’t find the right size screw.  Plan B.  Dig out under back hitch, attach new back winch, and pull out.  Fail!  The back battery won’t power the winch after a quick connection is attached.  Well, shit!  Back in the jeep to warm up and go to plan C.  Skis!  This entails putting the gun in a survival backpack which consists of a change of clothes, socks, extra hat, two extra pairs of gloves, lighters, first aid kit, fire starter, water, and food.  OK, wait let’s try to MacGyver my back winch to my front battery with my quick connect jumper cables.  Check time. Midnight.  As I exit the warm Jeep the stars jump out at me.  Amazing how bright they are in the night sky from the top of a mountain in -15 degree air.  I take the next ten minutes to look at the night sky while drinking water.  Thirst in this extreme cold is nonexistent.  It needs to be a conscious effort to stay hydrated.  The formula is to drink until you have to pee.  When you pee is it yellow?  If so, drink more until it’s clear.  OK back to the Jeep buried in snow and ice.  Pop the hood, run the quick connect cables over the top of the Jeep to tether the back winch to the front battery.  A quick check of fuel status reveals half a tank (good).  As I walk to the back I look at my skis and poles zip-tied to my roof rack.  This is my final resort.  A push of the remote sends a sense of relief to my brain.  It works.  Run back winch rope to a tree across the knee-deep snow-covered road.  Run rope taut.  Make my way back to the jeep using the winch rope to help me through the deep snow.  Climb back in Jeep.  As my thumb pushes the in button on the winch remote I feel the back of the jeep jump (a good sign).  Put the Jeep in reverse four low with front and back axle locks on.  Apply gas pedal as winch pulls and snow flies. 

Back on the road in my tracks!  Not free and clear yet.  I’m still pointed uphill.  I do a 20 point turnaround to make sure I don’t go back in the ditch.  Also that I don’t go off the side of the mountain on the other side of the road (this would be bad) at least for my insurance company.  Now facing downhill in my tracks I put the Jeep in four-wheel high mode.  Disengage axle locks.  Put the gear shifter in drive and feel the wheels start to move ( a great feeling).  I enjoy the ride back down the mountain.  When I arrive back at school the clock reads 1 am.  I head to the bunkhouse, shower, and set the alarm for 5 am.  This way I can take a drive before school at 7 am.  

This is my typical day or night I should say.  

Back to the tent life.  

I arrive around 7 pm on Wednesday nights.  First off I plug the extension cord running from the tent to my dual battery system in the back of the Jeep.  Next, I crack a beer.  Next, start my ultra-quiet generator and fire up my Traeger Grill.  Throw a couple of steaks and potatoes on BBQ.  Now head inside to start the fire in my wood stove.  Usually, it takes about 20 minutes to take the tent from cold to 70 degrees.  As the fire gets going I take a walk around the property to see what is new this week.  This takes another beer’s time.  Now back to the tent and the warmth that awaits.  By this time my dinner is done. I add some more wood.  Open a third beer and eat dinner.  After dishes are done, then time to write.  Topic depends on where my mind brings me.  I write until midnight.  By now I’m pretty tired as I have been up since 4 am Pacific time.  I then set my alarm for 5:30 am.  I wake up and head to watch Emerie, my Granddaughter.  Absolutely my best day of the week. 

Thursday night brings me back to the tent early.  Usually, dinner consists of more beef, potatoes, and hard-boiled egg put on Traeger to give it a smoky tint (so good).

I read and write until sleep overtakes me.  Which to be honest is fairly early 8 pm.  I sleep long and hard.  I sleep in as long as I wish.  After adding my wood to fire early the tent is now warm and snug.  Now it’s time to explore the mountains around the tent.  As I throw on the snowshoes I grab my pack and head up the game trail that leads to an adventure always.  Today it was a Bull Moose whose tracks I had been following for a few hours emerging on the next ridge and turning to watch me.  He didn’t seem too anxious at the sight of me. I sit on a stump covered in snow and take my water out and drink as I watch him watch me.  After a few minutes, he decides to head off up the ridge towards the summit.  I decide to head back down towards the valley.  I arrived back at the tent just before noon. My pot on top of the wood stove has boiled most of its water away.  I take my pail and chop a hole in the ice to get some water from the creek flowing below the frozen surface. The rest of the weekend is much of the same.  Oh what a life I am allowed to live!