The Bushman Chronicles!

@Bushman5

This is the greatest thread of all time, on any forum, anywhere.

The years of time and effort you have given to this forum through your incredible posts is absolutely, inequivocally epic. You don’t get enough credit my friend.

Thank you for keeping the posts coming and giving everyone the chance to live vicariously through your posts

 

yea my credit sucks......ex ex ex GF from many years back had a friend that looked like me (but shorter) and they applied for credit cards in my name. Racked up $2000 at home depot, $5000 on Visa, $3500 on Master card ad $700 at rogers communications. Hid the bills (i worked , she didn't (on disability) , she would hide the bills from me - I literally ahd no idea for three years. )

Imagine my surprise when collections agencies started knocking on the door and garnisheeing my wages.

fought hard fought long, got most of everything tossed out based on handwriting analysis (of my signature on the purchases receipts) , but credit still ruined for life.

 

........that sucks.

 

June 23/2019, sunny then rain, then storm then sun, "The Major Forest Fire, Brew Creek FSR Drive, Hike, Make Two Hikers Nervous, Equipment Fail, And Great CookOut Tour"


Loaded up the L.R.R.P.R. webbing with food and gear and headed out late. Got stuck in major traffic delays on The Sea To Sky Hwy due to a 4 hectare wildland fire burning past Horseshoe Bay (STRIP CREEK FIRE). The two northbound lanes were closed off to accommodate the massive amount of ladder trucks (to get the wildland fighters up the vertical cliffs), pumper trucks, water pumps , crew rigs etc. I would have loved to stop and take pictures but the RCMP and WEST VAN Police were keeping things moving (GOOD!) . The attack was spearheaded by 5 "Hornet" water planes - (cuzthey sound like angry hornets.....) it was amazing watching those 5 fly, bomb the fire with water and land in the ocean to refill,. This was followed by two fire attack choppers with water bags slung under their longline. Secondary attack was 50+ wildland crews.

they suspect a powerline failure caused this but there is talk of a homeless person camp being found. Which would ot surprise me at all, i bushwhack up there and there is several occupied camps.

https://www.narcity.com/news/ca/bc/...ently-burning-along-sea-to-sky-highway-photos

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/sea-to-sky-wildfire-strip-creek-blaze-still-burning-on-2nd-day-1.4479728

https://www.squamishchief.com/news/...ers-contain-fire-south-of-squamish-1.23864902

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/video/topvideos/fire-crews-battle-blaze-north-of-horseshoe-bay/vi-AADmnP5

you can see how steep the terrain is, almost a 75 deg slope



once past the fire, I drove all the way to Brew Creek FSR, near Whistler. My goal was to get to the Brew Lake trailhead and hike to the lake and hut.

the B4000 truck said otherwise....despite very good tires, limited slip diff, and a very well tuned V6 with power to spare......it just couldn't make it up the loose rough road with the highway gearing........my BushTruck (1990 B2200) can get up these hills no prob........

so i parked the rig and hiked the FSR instead , intent on getting some great views of the Whistler valley.

the steep but easy sections, driving up


i'd advise against stepping off the FSR...you injure yourself less than 2 feet from the road edge...you'll never be found.


after The Potjie Skeeter Cookout on Saturday, I took no chances. SOAKED my clothes and exposed skin with bug dope.


the section I simply could not get up with the B4000. Its even steeper than it looks. While hiking up it I gained 1000' in less than 1 Km


cleverly made and hidden dry shooting range shelter.

I might snag that shooting bench.... you know, cleaning up the forest?

nice 500 yard range


spent and not spent casings......I should have grabbed the .22's

hiking up , looking back down the more level section. LOL! it got steeper again. At this point i heard two dirtbikes slowly making their way down the FSR. I could have ducked off into the shrubs and they would ahve never seen me.....but I carried on. Got a WTF moment when the two young males (under 30) rounded the corner and saw me. They each had a .22 and a .308 rifle on them, slung over their shoulders, they asked if i knew where the shooting shelter was. I told them to ride down to my truck at KM 3.5 and go down the little overgrown spur and they would find it. Also told them there was about 7 x .22 rounds on the log, use em up.

told them there was heavy duty garbage bags in my truck box, if they wouldn't mind emptying the garbage can in the shelter, the could throw the full garbage bags into my truck bed , and then said "don't steal my gas in the jerry can = i know what you look like and what your tags are" and I winked at them .......Yes Sir, we're not losers like some of the people that come up here. (they did clean up the shelter, tied off the bags and placed them in my truck, and left the gas. Nice to see good folks still). If i see them again I'll give them some money for ammunition .


almost completely hidden from above. Looks like a slash pile./

I carried on, and decided to haze the area with bear bangers and screamers to announce my presence to the bears. Misfire...misfire....hmmmm......for **** sakes....these are rimfire primed. My truflare launcher is centerfire (the older rimfire style is prohibited now up here....due to people putting .22 rounds in the spent flare/banger/screamer shells and using them like zip guns. Looks like i got mismatched stock (box said centerfire, cartridges were rimfire)

going up. and up. and up.


this would be a wicked downhill ride on an OFF ROAD LUGE.............


the valley below

entering the rock slide area. Lots of pika chirps and whistles , but you never see the lil buggers. Big rock on the left of the FSR is two story house sized

 

the road and bridge have deteriorated quite bad....enough that Ministry of Forests condemned the bridge. However I would still drive my BushTracker on it NO PROB......the 4" thick deck is shot, but the 12" x 12" timbers and steel cross members are fine.



looking back, I was pretty impressed that low clearance AWD suv made it up.

valley pics.


mad respect to the Faller's , chokermen and treeplanters that scramble down and up this area to fall trees. 65+ deg slope.....just insane.

hiking on and up. My L.R.R.P.R. webbing was a solid 40 lbs today. (Food, 6 liters water, gear, Knife, bear sprays etc). I was freaking hammering up the steep grade.
not even 1.5 KM from the truck, yet almost 2000 feet higher up. Took a good 45 minutes to get to this point.


the FSR levels off and even goes downhill slightly for a bit.


brilliant oranges break the constant green
Esee CR2.5,




a weee LIL mouse! like 1.5" long body......no fear.......licked the salt sweat off my finger when i touched a finger onto its fur.


heard voices from a little ways beyond the FSR, finally saw a dog walking towards me and two hikers , male/female.

Dog was oblivious .......hikers did not see me, i was standing off the FSR in the dense overgrowth taking valley pics. I stepped onto the FSR silently (just the way i walk) and the dog suddenly stopped and growled and sniffed. I clucked my tongue a few times and dog suddenly looked all happy and ran over to me, smelling me and licking my hand. gave it mega scratchies. Chatted with the hikers for a bit.....(See General Discussion for what happened....LOL)

after that little incident, I left and hiked back down. It started pissing rain and there was a major weather system blowing in over the mountain tops.





then it got sunny, then rainy then overcast again,.

 

after leaving the hikers ,, doggo and wee lil mouse, I took another spur road. For the love of god...dont fall off the FSR and into the dense growth....no one will see you........



200' tall giant

bear scat......dried out , i figure 3 to 5 days old????



a beautiful lil stream. So clear .



the weather system that drenched me an hour prior. RAPIDLY moving North just below the mountain peaks


time for chow and a brew up! I didn't eat last night nor this morning.........and I was HUNGRY! but first , FIRE! cedar bark smashed into fibers with a rock. This was my tinder for the MKettle SAS boiler



I love this stuff....almost ready to eat......(ARTE)....LOL.....you can heat these with a MRE heater or boil the bag in a pot of water for 3 minutes....OR....just dump out the contents into a cup and pour boiling water over it and let SOAK.......then drink the soup broth!

adding two cans of spicy tuna and olive oil.

1 lb of protein/fiber/fats powerhouse - took me literally 45 seconds to INHALE this down

shameless gear and me selfie.

rocking the TYR TACTICAL lower back roll pouch and Jungle Butt Pack.

fueled up, I hiked back to the truck and drove out.









parting shot

 

Such great nature and truly amazing landscape!

That meal made me hungry!

 

Very cool, as always. Thanks for sharing.

 

...and it rains, then it's sunny...and it rains, the it's sunny, which leads to the vulture mozzie cloudscape! . Still, delicious food and a brew up? Like we need an excuse to go outside right?!! Great ride along man. Stunning as always.

 

This post was exceptional brother.

I’m headed to general discussion with great anticipation lol

 

July 1st, 2019, Sunny, Warm, "The Get Out Of The Apt, Just Wander & Sit, Carve A Hiking Staff, Sit And Listen To The Forest Tour"

got up late, was up late Sun because I slept all day Sun........Watched movies all night Sun and got up late Monday (Canada Day. )

threw on the full on load out L.R.R.P.R. rig and drove just past Furry Creek BC and pulled of and parked.

was not into a big hike, but needed to get woods time. Hate the city and needed to get Church Of The Woods time, even it was just for a few hours.

rocking the TOPS Operator 7 today.



I bushwacked across the power-lines clearing and dropped into the woods. WOW! this is why BC has such massive wildfire problems.....MEGA FUEL!
slamming the Operator into a fatwood stump, not great stuff but serviceable.





cougar scratch.
deep claw marks. about 1/8" tips.



kept a constant look out for any cats

Tops slaying fatwood











mega creosote/pine tar build up after just 2 boils, Burns very well.

 

Awesome as usual !
I really like that Tops, however one thing concerns me - the hole for the first handle bolt (after the guard) seems to be made at a pretty narrow part of the tang - I hope it is a small one, so it won't cause a weak spot. It is 8 mm thick and probably zone tempered, but I find it odd that they have decided to drill the tang at that exact point.

I see that you use it hard, so it should be plenty strong

 

its a tiny hole, and yea that knife aint breaking. I've already pried open a door at the scrapyard and i had a bar on the handle.

 

Tough knife for sure!

 

@Bushman5 gave me one of these tops operator 7 knives. Toughest knife of its size. Totally useable blade shape and tough as hell.

 

It slightly looks like a recurved Busse TGLB to me

 

I have a TGLB and they share a lot of similarities!

 

Good stuff.
Other than some read literature experiences you are the first real person I have encountered who uses bear bangers. Not sure if they can be had in the US. Just seems hikers here in the 48 use whistles (sometimes). And the morons like to carry the tinkling dinner bells.
Maybe I don't get out far enough or run into the hard core, but most hikers I encounter don't even carry bear spray!

 

There is a simple answer for this.

They are not prepared and are not considering what the results of such incompetence could be.

Bear bangers are cheap and easy insurance to help increase your chances of not surprising an animal that could decapitate you.

In most cases, you will scare them away as well.

In the US, most of you can carry handguns into the bush with very little licensing compared to Canada. We are required to notify the RCMP if we are taking a handgun to our gun range. We have to notify them in advance and receive a permit just to do so.

So if I was in the US, you can bet that I would be carrying my Glock or 1911 instead of a bear banger.