Lynx's blog: "Traveling Tech"

I was once in this reserve (which will remain nameless) to realign a satellite dish. I stayed at the lodge that was the only one available. Ay about 11pm I hear people talking outdoors from my room. It sounded like 2 guys and a girl. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but the seemed to have a very lengthy conversation. I was the only person staying in the lodge, so it was a lot like a scene from 'The Shining'. I shut off the light to the hallway and snuck to each room to see if I could see anything out of the windows of each lodge room. I was too dark. My room was the last room at the end of the hall. I slowly made my way to the lobby and then into another hallway , which led to a room containing a mechanics/carpenters/plumberls work bench. Then I heard someone crawling through a window that wasn't locked. I grabbed a 2x4, but then I realized 'this guy could have a nail gun for all I know', so I made my way to the closest room which gave me a limited view of the lobby area (The lodge wasn't large, had 6 rooms and the lobby was also a dining room on the other half). I waited until I heard the footsteps of the other guy to get close enough. I looked into the lobby/dinning area and peered into a poorly lite area and waited. I saw the guys reflection off of a 2x9 plate glass window and hide myself behind the wall, listening for his footsteps. I then was overwhelmed with the smell of gasoline, 'A gas sniffer!!'. From what I know from my experience with a gas sniffer is that they don't feel most impacts unless it's directly on the forehead. I knew I was screwed if he found me. I could've had a gun to shoot him with, but he would've just smiled and overpowered me despite his size and strength. The closest thing I could find was a lamp to thow at his head, A LAMP! I waited for him to get closer but I heard a door open. 'WTF?' I looked only to see him leaving the building. I went over to the dining area and found a rubber mallet. He left because there is an apartment connecting to the building and there was a family in there, had a couple of dogs that wouldn't stop barking that night. The caretaker ruched over with his wife, daughter and dogs behind him. They questioned me for 20 min about what happened and investigated the areas the gas sniffer was in. Apperently, they were after food and prlonged their stay by accessing the basement hatch which was under the room I was staying in. I didn't do anything at the time because I couldn't find the other 2 ppl trying that were outdoors. All in all, I came out of that one without a scratch. Had I tried anything, I might've been killed.

I took a trip out to Oxford House, God's Lake Narrow's and God's River. I went with 3 other technicians and a technical consultant, in two seperate vehicles. I drove the Suburban and the consultant drove a jeep. This trip was in the span of about a 2 weeks. The roads aren't cement either. Winter roads are the only option in reaching remote communities as apposed to flying in warm weather. Some of these reservations can only be accessed by an airline or winter roads, when lakes and rivers freeze over. The winter roads are alot like a dirt course, with hills, sharp curves, so taking anythin other than a truck meant, your vehicle would either get stuck or suffer alot of damage. Rough roads are pretty much a norm to me since I've been driving them since I was 15. We headed up the no. 6 hwy until we came to the Norway House junction and headed to Norway House. We've only passed by it along the way and headed east towards God's Lake Narrow's to stay at Healy's Lodge, which is a nice place btw, but a 11 our ride from Winnipeg. We went to Oxford House in the morning, because it was the first on our list. I was the guy who had to climb a 120 ft tower in -35 Celcius weather to replace a piece of equipment on the tip. It was cold, windy and deadly, so making a mistake was not an option, especially when your muscles cramp up if it's too cold, but mine didn't. The gear I wore was rated for -60. The coldest I've been in was about -50 celsius with wind chill. Going up and down that tower twice in 1 day in the cold, with tools and equipment can take a real toll on your arms and legs. For the first 3 days we commuted to Oxford from God's Lake to configure satellite equipment, then the next 4 days in God's Lake for 2 Satellite configurations and another satellite install and the last 3 days in God's River for a 2 climbs and 2 Sats and 1 sat install. It was one of the most toughest trips I had and we only spoke to eachother. I was climbing a tower every other day and the weather was mostly snowy. I crash the car twice in case you were wondering.

On my travels, I've met many people and heard some pretty funny stories. I've also had some strange, interesting and funny experiences. I've got to meet a great deal of people both nice and cruel.

With a job like mine, I travel all over the province of Manitoba. I've been to Lac Brochet, Brochet, Split Lake, York Landing, Nelson House, Opaskweyak, Garden Hill, Red Sucker Lake, St Theresa Point, Wasagamack, Roseau River, Rolling River, Dakota Plains, Dakota Tipi, Long Plains, Chemawawin, Ebb and Flow, Grand Rapids, Little Grand Rapids, Thompson, Poplar River, Jackhead, Brokenhead, Birdtail Sioux, Barrens River, Sagkeeng, Sandy Bay, Lake Manitoba, Crane River, Little Saskatchewan, Pauingassi, Pukatawagan, Bloodvein, Swan Lake, Black River, Oxford House, God's River, God's Lake Narrows, Lake St Martin, Tootinawazabeeng, Birch River, Dauphin River, Pinaymootang, Cross Lake, Sapotaweyak, Waywayseecappo and Fisher River. I've to almost every first nations reservation in the province.