Help with Spatizi - meat cooler

[markathome]

Hey All - Sooooo my partners and I drew Spatizi Sept 1-15 Caribou and Moose (Aug 15-Oct 15)! Looks like the trip hinges on the caribou dates. We're planning on two weeks up there (hoping for 12 days in the bush).

My hopeful plan is to head in for the mid Caribou dates (Sept 6th or so) and if we're successful, hike the caribou back to Iskut or Bell II. Then hike back in for our shared moose draw.

Does anyone know of a cooler in Iskut or Bell II we can rent space in if need be? Any contacts with outfitters or camps that could help us out?

I guess plan b would be hanging it somewhere cool - but I doubt we'd be able to find a bridge or something to hang it over the water. We've done that before and it worked out pretty well (cool, shaded). I'm guessing that time of year we'll be seeing below zero at night but daytime highs could still get into the high teens.


We're all fit and keen to make this plan work... and a pretty big crew so hoping many hands will make light work.

Thanks for reading!

[JAGRMEISTER]

Talk to John at Tatogga lk resort/gas station.

[BromBones]

Bell II is a heli-ski lodge about 150 km from the highway access to Spatsizi (Ealue Lake Rd). They do not have a cooler you can rent/use.

You're planning to hike in?

[mikek blacktail]

yep call john at tattoga or bring a freezer and plug in in there

[markathome]

Not exactly sure what the plan is at this point. Fly in? Drive to the end of the railway grade and access the river - float down the river for a day? We're still gathering information. A freezer is pretty key to the whole plan though.

[markathome]

Thanks Mikek Blacktail - great idea - I didn't think of packing my own freezer and plugging it in - great idea.

[Blockcaver]

Generator for your freezer? Honda 2000 ran my old freezer.

[mikek blacktail]

tatogga will let you plug in in there,i'm pretty sure there great people

[mikek blacktail]

oh and pretty sure the railk grade is in rough shpe last i checked

[markathome]

Man the internet is flooded with rumours about Klappan Railway Grade...

Can anyone here confirm if the bridge is still in? It seems in place looking at Google Maps (2016 watermark). I'm good if I can make it to the Eaglenest Creek Trail Head. Anyone with boots on the ground experience in 2015? or 2016?

Also - anyone heard about any blockades in 2015-16?

I thought I was super lucky with the draws and time off, now I'm not so sure...

Any info greatly appreciated.

[Blainer]

Thank you BromBones. Hiking in was not really an option in my mind when I hunted the Spatizi.

[markathome]

Thanks Blainer - what approach did you take? Fly into Cold Fish Lake and take it from there? Or horses up McEwan Creek? How'd you do? Fill your tags? Cheers - M

[BromBones]

Flying in is your best bet for caribou. If you go to Coldfish lake you can use the one building to hang meat (just keep it clean!!). It has/had an electric fence around it. De-bone the meat and section it in hanging game bags to keep the big cuts apart to cool easier. Trying to get meat out of Spatsizi to Tatogga & then return to hunt is not practical IMO.

Hiking in is a tough go for any critter, sheep and goat are do-able but get a big caribou and you'll be eating half of it before you can pack it out. Takes two days to walk to Coldfish at a good pace on either trail (50-60 km one way). The Eaglenest range is not caribou country, you have to get in to the plateaus.

[cas-has-cars]

Agreed that the best bet is Fly in or horses for caribou.
We were in there last summer and we were the first hunters to hang meat in the new meat shed that was built. Bear proof for sure and good ventilation and hanging hooks.
We got ours up the Black fox trail.