Night of the Wolves @ -26 Degrees

This was a 6 day winter camping trip to Northern Minnesota where temperatures dropped to -30F two nights and three nights of -9F. Daytime temperatures at 0 or below. A test of Man and equipment. 

On the second day I took the LAMERE fat bike out on forest roads and snowmobile trails. There was a set of fairly fresh wolf tracks down the Forest Road that I drive in on. All winter in this area I have seen the tracks and scat from wolves. 

The second day in the forest after a good roaring campfire the previous nigh. Spent the coldest night camping in the FWC @ -30F yet. The propane furnace kept the camper at 65-70 degrees.

So I’ll get to the wolf story. I set out on the fat tire mountain bike about 1 1/2 hours before sunset on the forest road that I was camped off.  It was about 0 degrees, beautiful fresh snow and crisp. It wasn’t long before I noticed that that I was following a pack of wolves. I figured there was 3-4 wolves. They were traveling the forest road and dipping into the deep snow along the road occasionally. I came to a trail marker and fork in the trail. The nearest town was 16 miles from that point. I decided to head north. 

Well the trail opened up into a large swamp. Right away I sensed that this is where the wolves that I was trailing might be headed. About a quarter mile on the snowmobile trail I was riding on, I saw the first wolf cross about 40 yards in front of me. The above photo shows him standing broadside. It was the best I could do with my phone camera. I had stopped and we stood and looked at each other, it was very cool. I started to slowly roll ahead, at that point I realized that there was another wolf, number 2 running parallel with me, about 30-40 yards away with me through the swamp. Wolf number 2 then ran into a stand of pines and I lost sight of it. At that point the wolf out in front ran back on the snowmobile trail ahead of me. It was a very cool experience I was just rolling slow on my bike watching. The wolves weren’t running scared, I believe they were curious of me, I was not the typical shape of a human and the wind was in my favor, so that they didn’t scent me.

My photo of the wolf track is of the wolf that ran in front of me. He cut into the swamp and towards the woods, he was cutting back to get downwind. Animals tend to circle back to where they started from. So I sat and watched hoping for another sight.

After about 15 minutes I put on another layer of clothes and had a snack. It was getting to be twilight and the temperatures were dropping, probably about -10F at that time. 

As I started to head back to camp, I was about an hour by bike on the trail, I came across the 2 sets of wolf tracks that crossed the trail back where I first saw the wolf. So basically I had split the pack after I moved forward, the remaining 2 wolves crossed and probably regrouped with the first 2 wolves that I saw. So there were 4 in total. 

Good sized wolf print from wolf that was running ahead of me. 

These are the 2 sets of tracks that crossed behind me. See how the track came together in the deep snow. The wolves will step in the the leaders tracks in the deep snow so as to save energy and be efficient.

So it was an hour ride on the bike  in the dark on the snowmobile/forest road back to camp. Needless to say, I kinda kept an eye on my back trail. It was another -30F night in the north woods. 

Ride on!

Camp the morning after the wolf adventure.
 

2 Wheel Adventures the Week of the 4th / Fat Tire Surly or Fat Tire BMW

 CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

Good mountain bike riding on the Murphy trails. These are the trails you can ride all afternoon and get back to the truck and savor the ride. Eat a sandwich and take your time packing up. A good way to spend a day of my weekend.

 The more I ride the Pugsley, the more I enjoy the fat tires. Kinda like riding the Suzuki 400 with the big knobbies.

Riding the BMW 1200 GS on Northern Minnesota Backroads

 So much rain this season. Everything is extra green and growing. Even the beaver house is sporting a green mossy looking roof. The swamps and Beaver dammed flowages are right up to the edges of the roads or in some cases, flowing over the dirt roads.  

 Got back on some remote dirt roads in northern Minnesota and caught a glimpse of tracks. Cranked the big BMW over and backtracked to the tracks and found some good prints of a large Timber wolf track alongside a set of whitetail deer tracks...I set my x-large glove along side the tracks. These are a good size set of wolf tracks.

 The foliage along the dirt road is tall and thick. Saw this deer alongside the road and was able to capture it before it disappeared into the woods.

Just me and the deer flys along this stretch of backroad...sipping on a Rockstar energy drink and eating a Cliff Bar...

Good Times!

The Beemer and I packed up for the road. Temps were in the 80s, bought a new pair of Olympia riding pants. they are vented with good protection, padded knees and tough http://olympiamotosports.com/catalog/mens-airglide-3-mesh-tech-overpant-2/ . These pants are a real addition to my gear for adventure motorcycling.

Riding along Mille Lacs Lake, staying ahead of my shadow...

Timber Wolf / Mountain Biking Adventure

 CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

A good day to be in the woods. With all the rain the past week it made for my kind of Fall riding adventure, mud and water. I like having a day off on the mid week days, it is quiet and I have the woods to myself for the most part. Was up in an area about 50 miles northwest of Lake Mille Lacs. I was traveling stealth in the woods this week, mountain bike and on foot.

The past 4 weeks have been exciting getting back on an enduro motorcycle, the 400 Suzuki DRZ. I am able to cover many miles in a single day. Traveling on-road to an area and exploring off-road, then moving to another area.

I always check out the mud holes and soft sand for signs of animals that have been in the area. In 2 trips to this area I had seen signs of wolves and 1 set of tracks that I believe were a Bobcat. My objective this trip was to catch sight of a wolf... 

Hunting the Timber Wolf...

Logging roads turned into swamp roads as I rode deeper into the forest. I was now into the area that I had observed the 3 sets of wolf tracks 2 weeks earlier. Since that time the area had received rain, the trails were flooded and I felt in my element.

I had traveled several miles to get this deep into the forest, keeping my senses keen on my surroundings. Checking all the mud holes as I pedaled through and around them for tracks or signs of wildlife.

I pulled off the trail to eat a snack bar and hydrate. I was hunckered down behind some bushes and I sensed some movement down the trail. It was surreal...I watched in amazement as a wolf sauntered down the trail towards me. Unaware that I was there, the wolf slowed and turned broadside to me and I saw the distinct shape of it. Long legs, a large head and the bushy tail. I slowly unhooked my camera and waited. The wolf turned and headed towards me still unaware. Then it froze, lowered it's head and stared in my direction. I knew I had been had...With just a instant I snapped a picture hoping that I had captured an image. Then the creature disappeared into the thick woods. I was pumped, not knowing where the wolf would go to, I stayed as quiet and still as I could for the next 40 minutes. Thinking that maybe I could catch another glimpse of that wolf or maybe another one. Then I moved forward to check for the tracks in the mud.   

The fresh tracks from wolf were exciting to observe, knowing that I had accomplished what I had set out to do...shoot a wolf in the wild with my camera.

Goal accomplished!!

 A break in the deep woods to grab a snack and soak in the late afternoon before the ride out.

 It is great to be out in the forest during the Fall, listening and observing wildlife and gettin' down and muddy.

Good Times!!

Me and my shadow livin' life.

Dang, it was a good day on the mud bike...earned a cold one today.

Later...Ride On.