Darko, Austin and Javier in matching swimwear. Photo: Skylar Shepherd
By Javier Puac and Landon Bick
I never truly believed in bad luck until June 25, 2026. That morning before heading out to our sites, I noticed a four leaf clover sitting on top of the dashboard. About an hour later while driving down potholes and washboard resource roads, the clover fell down onto the floor mats. I had noticed but made a mental note to pick it up and place it back on the dash when I got the chance. When I decided to finally pick it up it was no longer a four leaf clover but a two leaf clover. This was a mistake in hindsight, as our day was only just getting started and little did we know we would be in for a long day.
Trying to get to one of our sites, there was some bridge construction going on. It was going to be a significant wait, so after looking at our maps, we tried an alternate route only to find another road block, the bridge being out. Much to our disbelief, we still were able to find another route to one of our sites, only this time we had to take the long way around. After some more travel time had passed, we got closer and closer to our site. I was finally getting excited to get out of the truck and enjoy the bush on such a sunny day. I’m still in denial as I write this, but once again we came to another road block. This time the road was completely closed. So not once or twice, but three times were we halted. I genuinely could not believe all the bad luck we were having.
After hitting three separate road blocks we had a few more sites on our list to go to, and thankfully they were close by. We got to our first site of the day and headed into the bush. Finally! After maybe walking in the bush for about 300 metres or so Landon gets a phone call from one of the other crews nearby. Essentially the phone call was a head back to the truck as a crew nearby had gotten their truck stuck and needed a tow out. The bad luck continued. So we headed back to the truck and were now on a rescue mission. When we finally got there, we were greeted by two quite muddy individuals and one truck deep in the mud. After trying various methods and ideas to get the truck out, we had to call the help of another crew to come and assist. Thankfully with the help of everyone we were able to get the truck unstuck and head back to camp after a very long day. If there is anything I learned from that day, it was never to alter a four leaf clover even by accident, as it will lead to some serious bad luck.
The challenging access continued through the shift. On the fifth day, it began to rain, turning what had earlier been rough but hard-packed resource roads into slick mud. While most of us are used to muddy conditions by this point in the season, me and my fellow field tech Darko happened to have a quad trailer in tow on this day, which added another layer of treachery to attempting to navigate the Marten Hills clay. After one too many fish tails from the trailer, and with over 40 kilometers left to go to our site, we made the decision to throw in the towel and try an alternate route that would keep us on pavement for more of the trip.
Luckily our detour was uneventful, and we managed to get within fifteen kilometers of our site before having to unload quads. From here, we traversed a deactivated logging road that at times felt like it was more water than land. After about forty-five minutes on the quads followed by a two kilometer walk, we finally reached our site. Thankfully, after all of the effort spent on getting there, our site passed our assessments for disturbance, stand type, and cutblock age flawlessly. With trees marked with flagging tape for camera deployment later in the summer, we departed from what would be our only site of the day. While we may not have set any production records, those challenging sites often feel the most rewarding to complete.
Despite the difficulties with access, this shift had its share of good times and fun experiences as well. This shift was our second for the moose-microclimate project’s new study area, centred around Lesser Slave Lake. For this phase of the project, we partnered with Swan River First Nation. As part of this relationship, the caribou crew had the privilege of taking part in a day of ceremony with Swan River First Nation elders and Land and Environment Stewardship department staff. The day started with the raising of a tipi, followed by a traditional pipe ceremony and sweat lodge ceremony, along with plenty of time to get to know community members. Afterwards, we were rewarded with a delicious meal of goose chili and fresh bannock. It was a fantastic day full of new experiences for most of us, and I believe we all left feeling very thankful to the great folks at Swan River for so graciously welcoming us into their community and traditional lands.
Left: heating rocks for the sweat lodge. Middle: raising the tipi. Right: field tech Madi peeling bark off a lodgepole pine.
Camping so close to the beautiful Lesser Slave Lake had its perks as well. Most mornings I would have my alarm set early to go and enjoy an awesome sunrise dip. It is probably one of the best ways for starting a day, along with being able to enjoy the water and the beach all to myself since no one is around at those early hours. The only sounds I’m hearing at this hour are the birds chirping, the water as I wade in, and the squeak from my crocs as I walk back from my swim. Not too bad if you ask me.
After hot days out in the bush we all enjoyed having nice floats in the lake, and swimming. One evening we all went as a crew to fish, some of us were luckier than others with actually catching something. All in all it was another fantastic shift. From all the lows to the highs, to great team bonding moments it always reminds me why field work is just so awesome. I eagerly await what adventures as a crew await us next.
Top left: 6am views of Slave Lake. Top right: enjoying a nice float in the lake. Bottom left: Darko fishing. Bottom right: the crew enjoying some sun and some fishing.
