Winter Caretaker 2025 Blog Volume 2
A few more weeks have flown by for me at Gangler’s North Seal River Lodge. Since my last entry I have done many hikes and had plenty of opportunities to explore the surrounding area.
From peat lands to long sprawling eskers, reindeer moss forests and endless beaches. In my time up here I have managed to put more miles on my boots than I have in years. Aurora Borealis seems to be a nightly occurrence at Gangler’s as well.
I’ve had success with hunting small game and I was lucky enough to land a beautiful lake trout from shore not far from the caretaker’s cabin. I still have not seen any bears and I’m sure they must be close to hibernation.
At one point in my adventures I had spotted an injured wolf. From my experience I knew to be wary of him as when they are injured they become desperate. Sadly a few days later I found what I believe to be his remains, completely picked clean. To my amazement even the skull had been chewed to the point only the large upper K9’s and a chunk of its snout were present. From what I understand wolf K9’s are a symbol of strength, perseverance and good fortune so I kept them to clean and preserve as a keepsake or a gift.
Getting water as the lake begins to freeze over
Over the course of the last few weeks the weather has stayed consistently around freezing until November 4th when I watched the temperature drop to around -14. To my surprise the next morning I woke up to a completely frozen lake. A process that happens much quicker in the Subarctic than it does down south.
Very little snow has fallen aside from one day when it was too warm to stick. That was the case until today (Nov 14). I woke up to about 8 inches of fresh snow that had fallen overnight.
The forecast looks as though the colder weather is here to stay. I have started monitoring the ice thickness and planning some ice fishing excursions.
My hope is to find a few more lake trout as they are not available to me where I fish on Lake Winnipeg. Equipped with my insulated ice fishing tent, a mini wood stove and a darn good parka I’m excited to see what monsters Egenolf Lake might hold.
As I am writing this it has been 50 days since I arrived, 40 of those being alone. I have endured a few challenges such as the solar power bank failure briefly mentioned in my last entry. Because of this I have been running solely on generators for power and have had to ration my fuel consumption to the best of my ability.
A daily routine seems to have been helping with this. I wake up, start the small generator to power the internet, check my emails and message my loved ones. After a coffee or two I shut the generators down and begin my daily adventures or tasks that need to be done as a part of the off grid lifestyle.
When all tasks and adventures are done for the day, I power up the larger generator that will run the lights and freezer in the cabin for a few hours while I make dinner & do any inside chores.
It is shocking to me how I have adjusted to such isolation. The fear of being lonely or homesick has subsided due to the ability to explore such a unique area. Having the internet up here is also a large benefit in keeping a lonesome bush man sane.
I have officially crossed over the halfway point of my stay up here and it feels as though I just arrived yesterday. There is something truly special about this place, every day spent up here feels like the formation of a lasting memory.
In my next report I look forward to highlighting some of my ice fishing adventures, I am really excited to see what I can find! Wish me luck !
And last but not least- the caribou have arrived !
