groceries
6-11 Feb
Winter Study
notes from the field
6 Feb –
Wind and snow, no flying. Most of the crew relaxed between rounds of hot cocoa. Don Murray let time pass lightly with a little ice fishing on Washington Harbor.
The re-supply flight that carries our groceries from Ely, MN hasn’t flown since the opening of winter study. Today is the ninth day that flight was canceled by a blanket of clouds obscuring the flight path between Minnesota and Isle Royale. We ran out of butter and ice cream days ago. Tonight, bacon bits were the only meat in our dinner.
7 Feb –
Both research planes flew today - counted seven moose plots in the morning. A growing SW wind pushed the planes around all afternoon and prevented any further moose counting.
Returning to Windigo for afternoon fuel, Don Murray and I saw, for the first time in days, fragments of the north shore along Minnesota and Canada. It wasn’t enough to bring the supply flight in, but it suggested an improving trend. We notified Ely. They remained on stand-by. We remained hopeful.
9 Feb 2008 - Members of East Pack racing between sites where Chippewa Harbor Pack had left scent marks.
Most Recent Travel Routes of Isle Royale Wolves
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Don Murray, Sr. and his Champ, 1972
Grandson, Don Murray, Jr. and the same Champ at the same gas dock, 2008
It’s been 72 hours since we last had any knowledge of what the wolves have been up to. The afternoon flying weather was acceptable for catching up on this account. We observed four of East Pack’s five wolves curled into tight little balls, sleeping the afternoon away at their Lake Eva moose carcass. The sun shone just long enough - we followed East Pack’s tracks backward (see map below). Within a few days of the formation of an ice bridge to Amygdaloid Island, East Pack took advantage. For the first time this winter they searched Amygdaloid for moose that previously had been safe. That foray was unproductive for the wolves.
We observed Chippewa Harbor Pack traveling from their Newt Lake moose carcass. They trotted in single file southwest down the trail that carries summer hikers from Moskey Basin to Lake Richie. Ten or so days ago, CHP had wounded a couple of moose in this area. Today would not be the day they’d see a return on those investments.
In the past couple days, Middle Pack traveled, but a route that we can only guess at, more than two-thirds the length of Isle Royale, from one kill site to their next (see map below).
For dinner, we had spaghetti with meat, butter on our bread, and ice cream for desert. For the past 12 days safety pins had been holding my parka closed - the zipper broke. The supply flight also brought a new parka. We hadn’t been anywhere close to suffering - hardly inconvenienced. Nevertheless, the feel tonight was festive.
8 Feb –
We counted 16 moose plots. Many of today’s plots had no moose - these plots cause numbness and disturbance in the mind. The whole time, you wonder: where are the moose, have I missed any. But some plots simply don’t have any moose.
With today’s moose counts, we have completed the moose survey. In the days to come, we’ll engage our data, borne from these flights, with formulas and mathematical expressions designed to torture the numbers until they confess an estimate of abundance for Isle Royale’s moose population.
As for the wolves... Middle Pack and East Pack each sat tight on the kills they’d been at. Chippewa Harbor Pack fed on a moose carcass just northeast of Lake LeSage. Although this is the first day CHP had been here, we discovered this carcass a few days ago - uneaten and tended only by foxes unable to reach the live-giving meat beneath the frozen hide. Very likely, this moose died here about a fortnight and a mile from where CHP had wounded it (see image for 25 Jan).
For just the fourth time this winter we saw Paduka Pack on the north shore, near Lake Desor, traveling northeast. A bit of afternoon sun allowed us to find and follow some tracks that PP had made during the past few days (see map below).
9 Feb –
In the morning, we flew and observed three packs. During the night, Middle Pack left their Feldtmann Lake kill and traveled to the south side of Washington Harbor - just a couple miles from where the planes are tied down on the Harbor. Chippewa Harbor Pack had been resting at their LeSage Lake moose carcass.
East Pack left their kill site near Lake Eva, traveled to Angleworm, then onto Moskey Basin. Chippewa Harbor Pack believes they own this country. At the base of Moskey Basin, EP found, with great excitement, several places where East Pack expressed their belief by painting a few rocks and shrubs with urine. Without the slightest sign of hesitation, East Pack continued on in the general of Newt Lake, where CHP had recently killed a calf. We couldn’t be sure if EP knew what lie ahead.
And then the wind came. The western sky quickly grew dark with snow. As EP continued across Moskey Basin, Don Glaser turned the plane southwest and we headed home for the day.
10 Feb -
to -11F and hurled snowflakes with a velocity that seemed to cut into the flesh of your face. The peak wind gust recorded at Ojibway Tower was 61mph.
Except to check on the planes and visit the outhouse, no one ventured far from the bunkhouse. We spent most of the day reviewing our field notes from the past three weeks.
11 Feb -
Woke at 5am, on the prospect of a good forecast. The plan was to start two small generators that would preheat each of the plane engines in time for an 8:30am take-off. Instead, we woke to a 35mph NNE wind and blowing snow. Back in bed by 5:15am. Re-awoke at 8:30am. Rolf and I spent the morning, continuing to catch up on field notes and paper work. The rest of the crew worked on chores.
For the afternoon, we watched the tree tops and ridge lines, waiting for that which never happened - a break from the wind and snow.
