Bitter Cold | Firewood Gathering | Yamaha Bravo

 Firewood gathering can be a huge chore; however, if you look at the work as a chance to workout and be outside for days at a time, collecting firewood for the homestead becomes somewhat fun. 

On this particular day, the sun was bright but the temperature was brutally cold. I fired up my little snowmobile and away we went to cut up some trees which had blown down in a violent summer storm.

The little Yamaha Bravo is a perfect sled for the woods as it is nimble and narrow. Air cooled and no frills it's perfect for the punishment I put it through to supply my home with wood. 

Come along for a ride and experience a day in the woods collecting firewood. 

 

Bitter Cold and This Little Sled Still Goes

The temperature outside was - 25 degrees Celsius as I trudged toward my little 256cc sled. 

I needed to pack in the trails for future firewood gathering but I was unsure if the little Bravo would fire up. 

One pull on the cord and the little Yamaha started. The game was on and away we went to pack in the trails and collect a few pieces of firewood I had previously cut. 

It's amazing how fast the wildlife catch onto the trails and use them to their advantage. Instead of pushing through deep snow, they can traverse the land and conserve energy. 

In the coming days, my little Bravo will be put to heavy work hauling out the cord wood needed to keep the homestead warm. 

Stay Warm and Happy Trails. 

 

Winter Trails for Wildlife

 Winter is harsh on wildlife. Food sources are limited and therefore the animals energy levels are not optimal. 

All winter wildlife have adaptions which allow them to survive during the lean months.

White Tailed Deer for example, enter a state where their metabolism reduces to the point where they can subsist on buds from trees.  

Never feed deer in the winter unless you can sustain it over the entire duration of the cold weather. The food you feed them will increase their metabolism to the point where they will become dependent on you for survival. 

You will help them much more by simply creating trails in the deep snow with snowshoes, skis or snowmobile.   This allows the wild ones to move through their home territories with very little expenditure of valuable energy. 

Of course, the wild ones do not need us; but since we live in their homelands, it suffices to say that helping them out by simply packing down a few trails goes a long way to making our transgressions feel less intrusive. 

Happy Wandering. 

  

Keeping the trails groomed.

When the snow gets deep in the woods, the wild ones follow in each others foot prints creating trails which crisscross the forest. 

In the woods which I call home, there are many such trails which lead from feeding areas to sleeping areas. There are always stories written on the snow which, to the observant eye, will entertain the imagination for hours. 

I have always groomed trails through that same forest using my little Yamaha Bravo. It is light and maneuverable allowing me to go into areas modern machines can-not follow. 

The snow gets packed down by the sled and within a few hours, the wild ones are using the trail as if it were a sidewalk. Wolf, deer, moose and a host of other forest dwellers leave their footprints superimposed on the track impression of the Bravo. 

This video is a rear view look at the grooming process as I traverse my forest following and being followed by the wild creatures which reside within its shelter.