Game 2, the "Iron Fjord"

[Charles R. Stevens]

Time to take invantory of what survived to wetting. Hats gone, I'm sure, I would assume vest, boots, belt, britches, shirt and base layer survived. Checking "pocket lint". 

[Daswulf]

I doubt I have anything but worth checking if I have anything left after dumping stuff that was weighing me down in the water. 

"Of course!" Max pulls out a soaked pack of cigarettes from a pocket and tosses them to the ground in frustration. 

Also pulls off the life vest and gets ready to get some outer layers off to dry out once we get a fire going. 

[Charles R. Stevens]

Untile the fire is going, keeping the clothes on, even wet the brush popper cuts wind, and over the wool long handles will still keep one warm, doubt the tin pants soaked up much  water. But wringing out the wild rag and wrapping it around my head might be a good idea. 

Once a shelter is chosen for the night we can adress wet boots. And strip outer layers to dry the base layer, this isn't Clintons first wetting. 

After checking his pockets, and belt case, it's time to invantory the emergency pack. 

Dang, I wish I had stuck those spare socks in my pocket...

[Frosty]

I's going onto 1700 day 2 game time. You've made it up onto the bench above the shore and are safe from being pounded to pudding by the surf. You've all made contact and found shelter under a small Sitka Spruce who's lower branches are close enough to the ground to provide shelter from the wind as well as rain.

Weather is easing but it's still raining steadily with gusting winds up to (at a guess) 20mph and the waves are beginning to slam directly against the cliff face and spraying over it. Good thing you picked a shelter 25M. back.

The bench you're on isn't level nor particularly smooth, it looks a lot like the shore you just abandoned just filled with soil and plant matter. There is dense alder and willow so close to the open daylight of the shore. You moved back where ground cover opens up.

The medic bag contains a pretty decent medium level 1st. aid kit. There are 4 space blankets along with rolled gauze and bandages, tape, anti-septics, air splint, suture and various emergency medicines Aspirin, ibupropfen. Water bag filters and pruifiers, tea pot, cup fire starters.

The other bags contain heavier versions of space blankets, 3 ea. a 2 man tube tent, a 6'x6' orange plastic tarp, food concentrates, water purification tabs, fire starters, accelerent paste in a tube, water proof matches and magnesium fire starter W/striker. Knife, compass w/signal mirror, radar reflector, orange survey tape, small cook pot, snares W/tubes of peanut butter.

So far you've collected 7 emergency bags and 2 medic kits.

After realizing he needs to clear almost a foot of organic material off the ground before starting a fire Brandon devotes time to clearing the organics and collecting stones to build a fire on. This takes about 20 minutes, everything is overgrown. Being out of the wind and rain, wrapped in a space blanket and having someone sitting against him Aaron's immediate condition is improving.

Ben having spent more time running up and down the break in the cliff returns to camp with a piece of steel sheet a little more than a foot on a side and it's used to build a fire on. Aaron shows you how to heat a cup of cocoa in the foil package over the fire.

How big a fire do you build?

How do you collect water?

Night is beginning to fall, it'll be DARK by 1830.

Frostig Den Arbitus.

[Charles R. Stevens]

"Indian" fire would be the normal gig, and with the small sheet of steel that is a given. With the space blankets, and all of us more or less dressed for the conditions we should be good. 

As Aaron already pointed out, the servival pack can be used as 6L water bags, and with 4 tea pots/billy cans we are set there. As you described a small stream running out of the cut, water is not a big issue, just scoop up 4 bags of it. Worse comes to worse we have rain and tarps. 

We can set up the heavier space blankets as reflectors to not only block the wind but "stretch" the effectiveness of a small fire. 

"Hey, Aaron, how long do theise lights Last?" 

Speakng of lights, any sign of the engineer or the captains beacons?  Don't expect we can mount much of a rescue, but...

As we have Arron's injuries under control (air splint and an open fracture are counter indicated as one can not tend to the wound).

we have water under control, and a small amount of calories (even tho you can live for up to 30 days, ones abilities rapidly deteriorate)

furming up shelter and signaling are the last things on the list. 

    

Signaling should be taken care of for now by placing two becons on the cliff visable from the sea. 

[Darious]

Brandon builds the fire up until the flames are only about 8 inch high. He feeds what wood he can find (Mostly Deadfall) onto the fire to keep it controlled and lets it burn to a bed of charcoal keeping one larger log burning. Once he has a bed of charcoal he separates it using a green branch and moves it to the side so he has 2 separate sections; the bed of charcoal on one side and the active burning log in another. As the log burns down he replaces it with another and continues to grow the charcoal pile.

Brandon asks ben to find a way to dig a hole a few feet from the fire for later use.

“I need someone to find 2 large branches; Alder would work well, Approximately 5 feet long and 1.5 inches in diameter. Bring them over so we can fire harden them and set up the shelter better. We will use them to prop the Tart at an angle.

Knowing light was soon going to be an issue Brandon attempts to make some torches using green branches wrapped with a mixture of twigs, bark, and woven evergreen. (Beach grass if he remembers seeing any while leaving the water line)

Snares and deadfall traps can be set tomorrow for more long term food sources. As well tomorrow they could start scavenging the beach and surrounding area for metals and items to make better tools out of.

With the fire burning Brandon takes the survey tape and walks about 20 feet outside the camp. He ties a knot about shoulder height facing the camp where everyone could see it. Then he walked a circle around the camp tying a knot about every 5 feet (Where trees permitted) breaking it off so as not to waste line in between the trees. “If anyone needs to use the washroom do it outside that line. Don’t use the same spot every time. We want to create a line of smell in that circle to deter animals from getting to close to the camp.”

He marked off one area to use as a entryway into the camp.

“While there is light let’s get some of those tents set up.”

While Brandon was helping to set up he was being sure to keep an eye on the fire to stop it from burning down. Steadily increasing his pile of Charcoals.

[Daswulf]

With Clinton taking care of water and Brandon working on the fire Max goes on fire wood detail while there's still a little light, going a little further out first so later if we have to we won't have to go as far for more. He also looks to get the branches Brandon asked for. 

" Hey Ben, why don't you give me a hand with this. Not going far but better to go out in pairs. And if we take an extra tarp we might be able to carry more fire wood  "

Max also pockets one of the knives and fire starting kits from one of the pouches. Hate to atleast be without a knife. 

[Charles R. Stevens]

Live fire and hilly cans are ok, boiling and frying use live fire, so cooking coals are of secondary importance. 

Once the shelter and water isues are delt with, Clinton will see to some insulation from the ground. Dry litter from under the firs, the neadle bunches from them and such. Wet, cold forest duff is not going to be good for sleeping. 

Mince all the "chores" are handled it's time to strip the outer layers and get them dry. The base layers will dry faster with body heat. 

 

 

And addressing the leg would be good, lol. Plenty of cool wet for compresses, lol. 

[Frosty]

Bruno sets up one space blanket to catch rain and fills an empty emergency pack. He breaks up a granola bar in a foil cocoa packet and heats it into hot grain cereal, sweetened with a malted milk ball. He hands it and a spoon to Aaron who gives him a big smile. "Thanks Bruno, just the thought of hot food makes me feel good. It's berry season but don't pick and eat any, just pull a plant or cut a branch and bring it to me, I'll tell you if it's safe to eat. Bane berries are ripe too and they're pretty poisonous."

With Advil, a little warm food and cocoa in him Aaron becomes more alert and starts examining their cover. He reaches out and strips some long, narrow thickish leaves from a low plant. Gives the broken bundle a sniff and drops it in his foil pouch billy cup. "May I have some water please? This herb is Labrador tea, it's not much for calories but it's packed with vitamins, minerals, an analgesic and even tastes pretty good. The stuff grows everywhere."

Bruno brings the water filled pack over within reach of Aaron and props it up, "Here you go, help yourself, give a shout if you want something."

"Everybody should get dry and keep that xxxxxx fire small! good grief we're IN a spruce tree, these things go up like gasoline on a stick. You need to keep the ground around the fire wet too. The metal plate and rocks are a good idea but all this deep organic cover needs is a spark and it can flare right up or smolder for months before flaring."

Max and Ben are bringing in a steady stream of downfall wood . "It's getting too dark to be wandering around guys, we're good till dawn. Pull up a patch of duff and have a cup of tea," Aaron says.

With Aaron more aware you guys ask your questions and he replies best he can. "Yeah, turn your flashers off we're all together. Did anybody turn your ELT on?" It's then you realize in the rush of the sinking you thought the flasher was the ELT and nobody's ELT was on. "It happens in emergencies, I didn't turn mine on either and I've been drilling with the things for years." Just one of you take your ELT out." He says pointing at Ben, "The manual start button is also a twist switch, make sure it's in the "B" position and turn it on." Aaron takes his out of the pocket in his life jacket and turns the button to the "L" position and turns it on.

For about 30 seconds Aaron swings his ELT back and forth with barely a spit of static. "Okay, everybody push the activation button." There is a little more static. "Try twisting the selector to the "L" position," Still nothing. "Well, that's interesting these are locators as well as beacons, the same principle as used in avalanche locators. These should be screaming this close together and all we're getting is static from the lighting. Might as well turn them off and save batteries."

He is asked about the captain, Pete and what happened.

"Seems the Dahlia B. was struck by lightning. The electronics are shielded but evidently not well enough for that kind of storm. We were heading for the lee side of Naked Island when we lost GPS and the skipper decided to run before the storm on a compass heading to Eaglek Bay to ride it out. I don't know where we are specifically, we could be on Glacier Island but I don't think so, I could see a headland across the wet when we hit the rocks so I think we're in a fjord. No telling which one till we get a look around but the ELTs being off line puts us in a high metal formation region. There's a LOT of magnetite and copper on some of these Islands."

He makes himself another cup of tea before continuing. "I don't know about captain Harden or Pete, I was in the main cabin getting you off the boat. The skipper was in the wheelhouse nursing what little the remaining engine had trying to get us to shelter. Pete was on the fore deck getting one of the inflatables off so we'd have something to run for help in. If they made it they'll turn up. If not they're in good company, there must be one big party going on with all the souls lost to these waters." He lays back while Clinton checks his leg. "I'm beat I'm going to try and sleep. Keep that xxxxxx fire to a handful of twigs small, if this tree catches we'd be lucky to get out alive if we were awake and ready for it. Wake me when it's light."

Night falls on Day 2.

Frostig Den Arbitus.

[Darious]

Brandon watched as Aaron sipped his tea then laid back to sleep.  His mind drifted over long distances and too many good people who went out to sea. He could feel the touches of mental fatigue and lethargy pulling at him and shook his head to fight it off. He took the opportunity to adjust the fire so it burnt much lower and slower.

“We should take the night in shifts to make sure the fire is kept controlled and no wildlife causes any issues. I’ll volunteer to go first.”

Brandon Settled for a cup of the same tea mixed with fresh spruce needles to enhance the vitamin C and Beta-carotene and stripped out of his outer layers to dry.

While waiting he took out his knife and grabbed a branch for some constructive whittling. Hopefully he could get a decent fork and spoon shape out of it to lightly fire harden.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Clinton wants third watch, it's a hard watch for young's. After getting a bit off dry insulation under himself and Aaron, he strips off his outer wear and hangs it up. Boots upside down, not particularly close to the fire. Tho checking to see if the coffee and tea survived...

A cup of coffee (even one of those nasty bags, will be good for a late night watch. If not it native tee and pine needles, lol. A couple of hours on watch will be spent insuring his clothes get dry. The little "Indian fire" works even with larger (rist size sticks, fed but first so as to control the coal bed to just the right size for 3 rocks and a kettle.  

 

[MrDarkNebulah]

Ben settles down for a long night after listening to what aaron had to say. He has the last shift, so he props up a bunch of leaf litter under him and wraps himself in the blanket.

[Frosty]

The weather breaks over night so you can get an idea of the lay of the land within the visibility of climax spruce forest. With the light Brandon discovers why the addition of evergreen needles to his tea tasted like pitch. It's fall so there are no new shoots on the trees and spruce is not as good as pine for making tea. It's not toxic just not good eats. Unless you LIKE the taste of pitch say Retsina.

Max, Bruno and Ben start bringing berry bushes in for Aaron to look at, they find blue berries in huge patches, the high and low bush cranberries are everywhere and rose hips aren't hard to find. "These are bane berries, lets leave them be. I'm not a medicine man so I can't take advantages of their medicinal qualities."

Brandon strips the bark off green willow and adds it when he starts Labrador tea. Aaron says, "Don't drink too much aspirin tea it inhibits clotting and we never know when we may need bleeding to stop."  He accepts a pouch and relaxes while Clinton checks, doctors and re-bandages his leg.

Before long you've gathered enough berries to turn everybody's faces and fingers red while filling your bellies. During breakfast Aaron begins laying out the situation and what they need to get started doing. "I don't know where we are but I can saw we're at least on a fair sized island or larger. That's a good thing but the storm and tide were driving us North pretty hard so we could be anywhere in a thousand square miles of coast. Anybody here know any geology?" At the group's blank stares he shakes his head and goes on." Well, that's okay I know more than enough for what little we need."

"How high is the shore line cliff we grounded against? I was so out of it I didn't even think to look, getting off the rocks was all that counted."

Bruno says, "Fifteen to twenty feet most places and it seems to be getting taller going that way," He points.

Brandon says, "I think it was probably almost thirty feet where I made it up." He points the same direction.

"Anybody go inland yet? We're on a stranded beach, guessing by the size of this tree, uplifted a few hundred years ago at least, not the sixty four quake or this would be saplings and new growth. Lets find out how large this bench is. We need a couple guys to explore the top of the cliff. The way we were driven here there's bound to be plenty of flotsam and maybe even a boat or two beach combing. We don't  want to miss beach combers."

Sipping another pouch of tea he relaxes and answers questions. Before he suggests the party get moving he says, "Keep an eye open for a better camping spot, we're way too close to the water, too exposed and we really don't want to be building fires under evergreen trees." he gazes up at the branches starting less than 6' off the ground and spreading probably 20' from the trunk. "Burning to death isn't how I want to go."

Frostig Den Arbitus.

[Charles R. Stevens]

"Well I would suggest cutting one Of the cheap space blankets into 4" strips. Placed on a pole or tree facing the beach will provide a rudimetury signal. The flashing Mylar and movement will might just be seen."

 

"So, Aaron, when is low tide? Might be worth a look are selves" 

[Frosty]

"Use one of the orange backed silver tarps in the emergency packs, they're radar reflective and have grommets for making signal flags or high visibility shelters."

"It varies in the sound I don't know the tides here, you'll need to watch and see. Do NOT go out on the rocks or a mud flat on a rising tide, it comes in deadly fast depending on the moon phase. A mud flat liquifies on a rising tide of if you walk on it wrong. Turns right into quicksand."

Frostig Den Arbitus.

 

[Charles R. Stevens]

"I considerd the heavy duty one, but discarded the idea, as they are to valuable as shelter. Not saying that a more permanent signal wouldn't be worth the sacrifice. You young troops are just to use to calling in a chopper. Lol." 

"So your elected as safety officer, we will keep off the beach untile you say it's safe."    

[Daswulf]

Max asks who's coming with him to search inland a bit. He grabs a compas and signal mirror and some possible necessities and one of the Orange packs full of water. He whittled a walking stick. 

On the way on top of taking a bearing with the compass we should leave little markers. We could either use some of that orange tape every so far or something.  With the Orange tape we can collect it on the way back or leave it if we find a good spot so we can easily find it again.

 

[Charles R. Stevens]

As some one has to stay with Aaron, Clinton will content him self with constructing a set of crutches for him. If nothing else we have fir roots for cordage to make something truly functional. Infact we may consider something more perminet for his splint, such as a bent peice of that willow (to discorage him from trying to bear weight on it after the crutches).

but first order is getting me some of that sea water, as we need to irrigate that wound and that (after boing) and a dash of providine will do the job nicely with out further damaging the tissue. 

 

So fir roots and a stout stick look to be in order, for a bit of "fishing" of sea water (unless one can walk down the creek and safely get some with out such precautions) besides with the rock you might want a stout stick, say 6'. 

[Darious]

Brandon agrees to head out with Max and places the water at his back as he heads away from the water line. Brandon is searching for higher ground with a better view point and better protection from the elements.

Every 50 feet or so he places a mark on a tree with his knife to show which direction he is travelling. The orange tape isn't a bad idea but it is a good idea to try and conserve it as well.

"Chances are we can't trust the compass readings. if there is enough metal in the ground to disrupt the beacon readings then the compass will be useless."

[Frosty]

Bruno starts scouting the coast from the top of the cliff, he's drawing a rough map estimating distances. His compass is scrambled it changes bearing inconsistently as he moves.

Ben? YoHoooo Ben.

(Enjoy the holiday, I'll be remembering my parents and people I know who've passed while I whack weeds in the sun)

 

 

[MrDarkNebulah]

Sorry for being late here, I had Prom and memorial day with family. 

Ben decides to to help Clinton gether things to help out Aaron recover. He finds a stick that Clinton was looking for and helps him do more reppetitie tasks like making cordage and boiling and purifying water, etc.

[Frosty]

Brandon and Max explore inland. The terrain slopes uphill through climax stand and meadow evergreen forest. The slope increases till it's evident you're starting up a mountain side still in forest though reasonably open. The mountain slope starts less than half a mile from camp. You never come to a place open enough for a clear view with much width. You can see the forest continues as high as you can see. Through gaps above meadows you can see mountains in the distance, blue with haze. 

You discover there are quite a few cedar trees along with the spruce Aaron identified. Evergreens range from saplings to forest giants some 5' dia. on the butt. Berries are plentiful and you take samples of a couple you don't recognize.

Clinton keeps Aaron safe and well tended. He helps Ben identify collect and process various things to make crutches. Clinton teaches Ben to twist cordage from grass and willow bark Clinton experiments weaving a basket.

Bruno explores about a mile to the right as you face the ocean and around the point to the left. He's made maps of the cliff, what's in the tidal zone and estimated distances. He's also explored into the tree line but not too far even though he's figured out how not to get lost and stopped flagging continuously. He is flagging the corners of his maps and route beginnings to possibly good materials. He's also noted the tides and retrieved some wreckage from the Dahlia B including a cooler strapped to Pete's wrist. He managed to drag Pete's body above high tide and secured him to a large boulder. There was nothing of significant survival value in his pockets.

Bruno found one significant thing in his exploration. There's a wrecked steel hull fishing boat about 2 miles to the right. It's a way in the surf but it wasn't low tide when Bruno looked it over so he didn't get very close. There appears to be quite a bit of material left but he was probably 1/4 mile away.

Aaron is doing pretty well for his injuries but is weak and ill. He's not happy that Bruno had to explore the coast by himself and Clinton can do what Aaron needs help with.

Frostig Den Arbitus.

[Charles R. Stevens]

So let's find 3 or 4, 1" staves. The knife from the bag should do just fine to harvest them, Adler or willo will be better than pine or spruce but they will work. Measure up armpit to heal on Aaron. Wipping about a third or the way up, about 4-6" with a good peice of spruce root. Now split down from the  two thirds end to the sipping, wiggle up a wedge to slip down and hold open the split (and tighten the wiping) might take a couple of tries to get two that split right. Once we have two we can use, then we need to wittle tenons in the top branches of the crutches for the top bars, sliding them down about 6 inches below his arm pits and pushed out even with his feet at the hotel to figure out were to put the hand bars. A couple of withs twisted around like windlasses. To hold it together. This should give him sturdy functional crutches. After that we can see about coming up with a better splint system than just what we cobbled up on the beach. So we can get him mobile. 

Irrigating the wound with a 1/2% providine in boiled sea water will help stave off infection, that scares heck out of Clinton. Who knows with a bit of luck it just might heal up. 

[Darious]

Brandon asks Aaron for tips about walking and estimating the tidal lines in the northern side of the planet. Back in Nova Scotia he could use the suction sound in the marshes and muck to help determine the water levels. he wasn't sure if the same held true here. 

Going out to that beached boat was definitely a good idea if they could possibly reach it. the salvage would. help.

"Id like to go monitor the area around the boat from a distance to check to see if it is accessible. But first some more sustainable food is in order."

Brandon grabs the snares and his knife to make some dead-fall traps. then heads away from the camp to a few likely areas to set them. On the way he gathers up a few small piles of berries to bait them with.

 

 

[Frosty]

Bruno has pretty detailed maps of the coastline for 2 miles up the fjord and a little more than 1 towards the sound proper. He only went a little ways around the point, far enough to determine it is a point and the mountains on that side are big slabs running from jagged peaks straight into the sea where they're eroded into moderate cliffs he estimates to be from 20'-50' high. The mountain sides have benches he estimates to be every 30- 100' above sea level looking like steps.

Up the fjord he's identified a typical topography of benches and near vertical rises to the next bench then steepening to rough mountain sides. He only made 2 forays uphill before he determined his time was best spent exploring up the shore line and drawing maps to locate useful materials. He didn't locate any good materials unless the boat wreck is accessible. He also watched and timed the tides and has it noted on page 2 of his water proof journal.

Lastly he marked the better routes he found leading inland with surveyor's tape but didn't use much seeing as the lay of the land makes getting lost almost impossible. From virtually any place he explored just walk down hill and you'll come to the fjord, turn towards camp and you're home free. Orientation is very easy now he's had a chance to look around. The far side of the fjord only looks to be a few miles away and the mountains are really tall, the snow line is half way to the shore.

Aaron asks him why he went exploring alone, Maybe getting lost isn't easy but there are dangerous animals and a fall is always possible. Aaron is frankly angry at Bruno for taking such an unnecessary risk.

Bruno says, "Ben isn't getting over the shock of being wrecked very well. He can be of some help in or around camp but Bruno wanted to watch what he was doing rather than having to spend most of his time keeping Ben safe." Bruno is looking uncomfortable and Ben is looking ashamed."

"Don't worry Ben it was a hell of a shock," Aaron says, "you're doing fine for being in a completely alien environment. Everybody is having troubles adjusting. Stick with us in camp, Clinton I can use the help, we have work to do."

"What do we need to do?" Bruno asks.

"We need to get farther from the point, let the mountains break the weather and find a better place to camp. We're over due now, every tour boat, fishing boat and the coast guard will be searching. We need to be as visible as possible but we aren't likely to see aircraft in a narrow fjord. It's too easy to fly into a canyon too narrow to turn around and too high to climb out of. Mountain sides in Alaska are dotted with perfectly good planes that were flown into them." Aaron takes a deep breath looking tired.

Bruno says, "There are meadows just inland from the shore and up to the next bluff I think the trees will make a good wind break. It's windy here because we're just off the shore line."

Aaron rouses enough to agree and tell Brandon setting snares is a good idea, "Do you know how to set a trap line?" Aaron appears to be drifting to sleep but mutters one last thing, "Wish we could've saved a rifle, a deer would be good, getting tired of berries." He drifts into mumbles and incoherence.

Frostig Den Arbitus