I always love Cantwell in March, the weather is usually starting to get warmer and the snow is fluffy and soft. We headed down on Friday the 20th for the Backwoods Lodge, Mike and Kathy are the best of host and always treat us well. This year they were swamped and out of rooms, but we got our regular which was good or I’d of had to drive another 45 miles to Byers Lake, also a good riding area, but it wasn’t on my schedule, at least not this weekend.
So Tyler, Trish and I got checked in and ready for a great weekend. I got up early Saturday morning and let Tyler sleep in a bit while I double checked our gear and had some coffee. The schedule was to meet folks at the Killer Smoke Café, the only place to eat that was still open in Cantwell, have breakfast, and decide where to ride and head out. When Tyler and I got there the wind was howling, the wind chill was way cold and I wasn’t so sure about riding, but after eating we all decided to go up the Jack River to Caribou Lakes and see what Mother Nature held for us. And a good decision it was, by time we got a mile out of Cantwell the winds died down and the day was just gorgeous as any I’ve ever seen.
Dean was going to join us, but the girls hadn’t gotten up yet, so Paul, Pat, Nokia, Tyler and I headed towards the Jack River. The trail on and along the Jack was pretty darn good, I was impressed considering what we’ve ridden on in past years. Impressed that there was actually a trail to Caribou Lakes with lots hills along the way to play on, not always the case, having a trail in that is. For those who have never been down there, the access down into the Jack River from the Denali Hwy is a spectacular view.
We saw Caribou, Moose and one Porcupine sitting on top of a stunted spruce tree eating his breakfast. At one spot I counted about 11 moose hanging out together and just enjoying the day.
So after playing around by the lakes we decide to head back to the rigs, Paul, Pat and Nokia were planning to drive back to Fairbanks, Tyler and I had plans to spend the night and maybe ride in the morning if conditions were right. On the way out we ran into Dean along with Tiff, her boyfriend and another couple that had brought their 3 year old son along. We’ll the weather was on the cool side so Tiff and her friend decided to head back to the cabin while Dean and the boys went on towards the lakes and points beyond. About half way out we ran into the girls again and this time their stopped because the 3 year old is cold and crying, so we pulled over and gave them a hand. I gave them some hand warmers and one of my space blankets for the little one to help warm him up, and also figured it be a good idea to keep behind them on the way out and make sure all was OK with them and the little one.
After getting back near the road the girls took off for the warmth of the their cabin while we sat on our sleds and chewed the fat a bit then went our separate way, Tyler and I to the lodge and the others to their rigs for the drive back to town. We had all agreed it was a good days riding, decent weather, beautiful country and a great day to be alive.
During our stop with Dean and the boys, Dean and I, made plans to get together that evening to go over some maps of an area we want to explore in the next week or two. So around 6:00 P.M. Tyler and I rode on up to the cabin they were staying at to visit. Just as we get there Adam (Tiff’s boyfriend) is heading out with a plastic drag sled. I asked him where Dean was and he said he’s broken down 12 miles back up the river. Well OK, let’s go get him. It turns out the adjuster bracket on his track broke and he was stuck. So Tyler and I got to do some more riding back up the Jack River, As we got closer to where they were I saw smoke from a fire on the trail and was thinking that maybe Dean got ticked off and decided to burn his sled, nope, they just made a fire to keep warm. I will say that someone should tell them boys that the next time they build a fire don’t build it in the middle of the trail….!!! Makes a big hole the rest of us have to go over.
So we hooked his sled up to plastic drag sled and as I was the only one with a tow hitch on my sled I got to do the towing , so down the Jack we go to get him back to their place. By now it staring to get dark and I wasn’t looking forward to pulling his sled up the hill we had to get over so we also took the river down to a road that runs into the river and by the airstrip to get over the hill. Along the way we actually had to stop twice to let the moose on the trail move out of our way, which was kind of cool I must say.
Some food for thought on today’s ride: We had to provide help twice, once because of the cold and then to get a broken sled out. This got me to thinking about what I was carrying for survival gear. My Panther is all geared up, but it carries a lot more than the M sled, so I’ve spend the past week reevaluating what I had and outfitting my SOS pack and sled bag. I just hope everyone else remembers to do the same, it may not be you who needs your survival gear, could be someone else you save, but then again it could be you riding out alone on a short trip when your sled breaks….