In March 2014 Whitehorse Patrol Rangers Bob Daffe, Pat Hogan and Tom Nelson along with Carcross Ranger Chris Cassia were part of an exercise that began on the land at Eagle Plains and travelled along the winter road and Porcupine River to Old Crow.
After refueling in Old Crow, the Patrol went Northeast through Little Crow Flats to the Blow River; down the Blow River past the DEW Line Station at Shingle Point and onto the Beaufort Sea at Shingle Point. We met the Beaufort Ranger advanced party of Dawson and Old Crow Rangers and the Aklavik Rangers at Shingle Point. The Aklavik Rangers led the group to Herschel Island. The Aklavik Patrol Rangers in the lead, we returned to overnight at Shingle Point. We then travelled to Aklavik, overnighted in the school there and continued to Fort MacPherson where we met Dawson Rangers with our trucks and trailers and returned via Dawson to Whitehorse.
Our group of 24 Rangers and one Ranger Instructor travelled by snow machine 1100 kilometers in 9 days.
Bob was always trying something different. On this trip, he decided he didn’t need a cot and packed all his gear in two large aluminium boxes. Each night, he would drag the two full boxes into the tent (they were not light!) and pushed them together to make his bed on top of them. By the time we got to Shingle Point, we would tease him about taking his boxes for a “walk” each night. Despite the gear he put on top of the boxes to soften his bed, it was pretty uncomfortable. That meant he would get out of bed periodically and early in the morning. The phrase “while you’re up Bob” came to haunt him. He was always good natured about it and loaded the stove or started the machines. By the end of the trip, we were offering to help him “walk his boxes”.
“Life is good” was his constant reply, said, with an infectious grin and a great twinkle in his eyes.
The first time I met Bob was on a Tatshenshini raft trip. I had some neoprene waders with a camo pattern. He looked at me, smiled and said “nice pants”. I won’t comment on his bush haberdashery!!
