Oh boy — 5:45 a.m. came early! My batteries weren’t holding a charge for some reason, so I had to run the generator all night just to keep the heat going. Thankfully, Matthew volunteered to handle the refueling through the night, which let me try to stay warm and catch a bit of rest.
When the alarm sounded, it was time to get day two rolling. We’d decided the night before to repeat the same ride as yesterday. After a couple of strong cups of coffee, we packed up the quads and hit the trail.
The route started out the same, except Matthew planned to ride his quad a little farther down the trail to make the hike back easier. The biggest change today was the weather — a fresh blanket of snow had fallen overnight, perfect for spotting moose tracks.
We made a quick stop at the viewing hill before Matthew set off on his morning hike. It was colder than the day before, so I dug out my battery-operated gloves to keep my hands warm while glassing the swamp below. Hours passed as I scanned the frosty landscape until I finally caught sight of movement — a small whitetail buck bedded down right in the middle of the swamp. He was alert, keeping a close eye on where Matthew was moving.
Several hours later, Matthew returned, a bit discouraged. No moose sign anywhere in the valley. After a quick chat, we decided to ride farther east to scout for fresh tracks in the new snow. Miles and miles of riding later, we still hadn’t seen a single set of tracks — so back to camp we went.
Lunch was simple — just snacks and a few drinks since we rolled in later than usual. Supper, though, was another masterpiece: chicken thighs cooked in peanut oil over the glowing coals of the afternoon fire. Absolutely fantastic. A few drinks around camp, some good conversation, and we called it another early night. This time, it was my turn to keep the generator running.
