Part 3 (1/2)

October 9 was largely sunny, with light rain in the evening; wind light to moderate, southwest to south; temperature, 29 to 38; ground with a 6-inch snow covering. No Caribou sighted.

Some snow fell on the 10th, though the day was partly sunny; wind very light, south to west; temperature, 33 to 36. No Caribou sighted.

Clouds prevailed on the 11th; wind no more than very light, westerly; temperature, 33 to 38; about 4 inches of snow on ground. Charles reported about a thousand Caribou scattered over a long hill several miles to the northwest; they were not traveling.

October 12 was marked by clouds, mist, and rain; wind light to moderate, southwesterly; temperature, 32 to 40. No Caribou sighted.

There was a little sun on the 13th; wind light to moderate, west to east; temperature, 37 to 45.5; ground largely bare and tundra ponds open. In the afternoon we set out for Simons' Lake, and camped about 4 miles up the Windy River. No Caribou sighted.

On the 14th we reached the upper end of Simons' Lake, for a several days' stay at a deserted trading-post. There were snow flurries and a little rain; wind brisk, westerly; temperature, 35 to 36; ground mostly bare. A band of about 15 Caribou, a solitary buck, and many tracks and droppings were seen along the way.

October 15 was partly cloudy; wind very light to light, west to northwest and east; temperature, 21 to 36. Four Caribou sighted.

October 16 was a stormy, cloudy day; wind brisk, easterly; temperature, 30.5 to 34. About a dozen Caribou were noted in the vicinity of Simons' Lake.

A strong easterly gale during the night, with heavy rain, was followed during the day of the 17th by steady rain, with moderate to light easterly or southeasterly wind; temperature, 35 to 38. A single Caribou seen.

October 18 was partly cloudy; wind brisk to light, westerly; temperature, 31 to 41; waters open; some small patches of snow in sight. Four Caribou (at least two of them bucks) pa.s.sed by.

The 19th was partly cloudy; nearly calm to moderate wind, west and northwest; temperature, 30 to 40. About five or six bucks (three of them together) appeared, perhaps moving south.

The weather on the 20th was raw, dismal, and gusty; wind brisk, northwest; temperature, 27 to about 35; some ice on Simons'

Lake; a little fresh snow on higher hills. No Caribou sighted.

October 21 was somewhat foggy; nearly calm; temperature, 25 to 32; Simons' Lake partly frozen; ground generally bare. A lone fawn was seen as we started on the return trip to the Windy River post.

The 22nd was largely sunny; wind very light to brisk, southwesterly; temperature, about 30 to 46. A medium-sized buck was seen near the mouth of Windy River.

The 23rd was largely cloudy; wind brisk, southwest; temperature, 35 to 39; ground practically all bare; bay and river open.

A buck started to cross to the north side of Windy River, but went back.

For the better part of a week, till October 29, I found no further fresh indications of Caribou in our vicinity. In the meantime the weather was largely cloudy, with some rain and snow (4-5 inches of the latter on the 27th); winds very light to moderate, swinging from east to south and west; temperature, 27 to 50; waters generally open.

October 29 was largely cloudy; a gentle wind, south to east; temperature, 29 to 35; 4-5 inches of snow on ground; thin ice on a tundra pond. The fresh track of a buck (fig. 20) was found near camp.

On the 30th gentle rain changed to snow; calm to a moderate wind, northeast to north; temperature, 30 to 33. Tracks showed the pa.s.sing of about a dozen Caribou, including half a dozen that swam westward across the mouth of Little River, breaking through a rim of ice at the edge.

Clouds prevailed on the 31st; wind moderate to brisk, northerly; temperature, 17 to 25.5; 5-6 inches of snow on ground, with drifts up to a foot deep; river and lake open. Fred reported three Caribou.

November 1 marked the long-delayed ”freeze-up.” Windy Bay and the edges of Windy River were frozen, while pieces of ice floated down the river. The day was cloudy, with continual snow flurries after noon; wind light to brisk, southeast; temperature, 21 to 31; about 6 inches of snow on ground.

The 2nd was cloudy, with some rain and sleet; wind moderate to brisk, southeast to west; temperature, 29 to 34. No Caribou sighted for two days.

On the 3rd it was cloudy all day; wind light, northwest; temperature, 16 to 20. A herd of about 50 Caribou (largely does, with a few fawns and well-antlered bucks) hurried down the side of Little River Ridge onto the ice of Duck Bay, with the apparent intention of crossing to the south side of Windy Bay; but they were intercepted by a hunter and retreated northwestward along the ridge. Fred secured three southward-traveling bucks at a distance from camp.

No Caribou were sighted on the three following days (November 4 to 6), which were more or less cloudy, with some snow; wind light to brisk, southerly to northerly; temperature, 13 to 24.5; ice 3 inches thick on Windy Bay; about 6 inches of snow on ground.

There was snow during the night of November 6 and the morning of the 7th, resulting in drifts up to a yard deep; wind brisk, northerly; temperature, -3 to 13. Fred reported ”lots” of Caribou some 10 miles to the north, moving south.

The next three days (November 8 to 10) varied from cloudy (with a snow flurry) to sunny; wind moderate to strong, northwest and north; temperature, -10.5 to 1; 6-8 inches of snow (much drifted); Windy River gradually becoming ice-covered. No Caribou sighted.