Showers off and on all day yesterday. 15C at present. We failed miserably in our last game last night. All four of  us bowled badly while the other team bowled well. In the last half we improved a bit so the final score was 17 - 11.

  By three o’clock they had another mile of line done and with the half mile of cruising decided to call it a day and headed back.  When they got to the point where they had recommenced blazing, they struck out on a compass bearing that should bring them out pretty close to the camp.  This was slower than following the back trail as bearings had to be taken and a new trail had to be broken.  Once again the lantern light was a welcome sight in the dusk a few minutes after they re-entered the original trail. A pale moon glowing throw a gossamer sheet of ice particles prompted Harv to look at the thermometer as he kicked off his snowshoes. It was thirty-five below.

  After supper, they laid in some extra wood for the night, sorting out pieces that were mostly knots to help the fire burn slower.  They decided to play a game of crib so that they would stay up longer and make the night a little shorter. However by ten o’clock the warmth of the tent and the day’s efforts was causing them all to start nodding off as they sat on their wooden blocks. By ten thirty the lights were out and the stove was tightly stacked and damped down.

  The next morning the thermometer read thirty-nine below, with no discussion about it everyone dawdled over breakfast and preparing lunches, they didn’t strap on their snowshoes until almost eight o’clock.

  Jerry and Milford would have the closest distance to go, but were going to be cold because they would be cruising, the other two had to retrace three miles but would be reasonably comfortable until they recommenced extending the line.

  The moose had been on the prowl again and for short distances had once more chewed up the trail and had wandered along and back and forth.  It took over an hour to get to where the line had been completed the day before. After a brief rest they carried on changing off every two and half chains two try and both keep up their body heat.  When mid day arrived, instead of lighting a fire they just stood and wolfed down their frozen sandwiches and shared the tea again.

  A couple hours later they had completed only three quarters of a mile and both, in spite of the axe work were starting to shiver continuously.  Harv called a halt, said not to roll the chain, but for Ken to tie it to his belt and they turned and headed back.  It took close to two hours on the return trip, but after the first few minutes on the return trail they both started feeling warmer.

Jerry and Milford had just got the fire started and were cutting more wood when they reached the camp.

  The temperature was forty-two below, frost crystals sifted through the air leaving trees, shrubs and brush glistening in the pale afternoon sun.

  When they were all gathered once more in the heat of the tent, Jerry said, “At this temperature it’s just too hard to do this, the cruising is so slow we couldn’t generate any heat and were just lucky not to get any frost bite.”

  Harv followed with, “And the trees are like hitting rocks, a couple of times I glanced off and almost got a leg and we found that whoever was compassing just plain got cold while the blazer caught up.”

  “Okay, we’ll stay in camp tomorrow, the weather should change in a couple of days, we can go out and get wood in pairs a few times a day.”

  No one objected, the crib game got going and supper wasn’t started until well after dark.

  The next morning it was fifty-two below.  There was little discussion, the fire was re-stoked and they took turns going out to get more wood.  The day passed slowly as did the following night.  They all slept fitfully and woke early; the temperature had warmed all the way up to minus forty-eight, still much too cold to continue the job.  Another day was spent, feeding the fire, reading and playing cards.  Around three o’clock Harv announced that he was going out to get more wood, as he was pulling on his parka, Jerry started dressing as well and followed him outside.  The two worked for about an hour gathering and piling the wood along the walls of the tent.