In episode 24, we discovered more about Joe's background and knowledge of Sasquatch after he discovers eighteen-inch footprints and runs to get his Winchester.
Joe stopped to catch his breath.
"I was blazing out a new skid trail up the hill," he explained.
"Ran across some tracks..." Joe stopped right there. He was still huffing and puffing from his run.
John gave Joe a funny look and asked, "What kind of tracks? Bear? Moose? Deer?"
Joe suddenly realized that he couldn't just announce that he had spotted Sasquatch tracks. What would John think? He might call Joe a lunatic.
Joe replied, "Moose tracks. The biggest ones I've seen yet."
He continued down the road to Mile 52 calling back to John, "Hey, John, if you see Mr. Anderson, tell him I got called away. He'll understand. I'll be back to work in a day or two."
John shouted, "You're going hunting? Just like that! What about your new job? Bjorn ain't gonna like it."
Joe was already out of sight, heading straight for the newly laid Grand Trunk Pacific Railway tracks.
Joe's full shell belt lay in a pack-box inside the Wall Brothers' shack along with other possessions. The Winchester was mounted on one of the inside walls on a railway spike gun rack. Once inside the building, Joe grabbed his hunting knife, rifle and the shell belt. Next, he headed out in the direction of old Sandy's trap-line cabin. His plan was to cut across the hill from the trapper's home on borrowed snowshoes and try to intercept the Sasquatch trail above Bjorn Anderson's logging operation
On reaching Sandy's cedar-log hideout Joe found smoke rising from the chimney. He passed by a wood-framed storage shed. The out-building was constructed of salvaged lumber and decorated with old horse hames.
Joe gave a loud friendly greeting before approaching the front door of the log home. The rough plank door was supported by three large moose-hide hinges and roofing nails. Joe knocked hard with his fist.
There was no reply so he yelled out, "Hey, old man. It's the Spuzzum Moonshine King! Are you in there?" There was still no answer. Joe tried the trapper's doorknocker.
In the next episode, Joe endures some unwanted hunting tips and a hot cup of tea.
Shuswap tea
Ben Sanders returned to his cabin with a full pail of cold mountain water. As he came around the corner of the building he saw Caribou Joe standing at the front door tapping out a repeated signal. Joe was using Ben's homemade doorknocker, which consisted of two pieces of scrap iron loosely attached to the middle of the door.
"The door isn't locked Sonny!" announced the old man.
Joe turned his head to face the trapper. "Sandy, I thought you were inside."
"Was down at the creek," replied Sandy. What brings you up to my neck of the woods?"
"Thought I'd do some tracking... I mean hunting," answered Joe as he propped his Winchester up against a wood pile on the front porch. He hung his shell-belt over a wooden peg that protruded out of the log wall. "Mind if I borrow your snowshoes for a few hours?
"That should be all right. I got two pairs. Come on in a while and visit. Would you like a cup of tea?" Sandy rushed to open the front door of his cabin.
Joe stepped inside and said, "How's the trap-line Sandy? Seen any big moose tracks around lately?"
"Not too many moose use my trail. When I'm up the line it's mostly rabbit, martin and coyote tracks."
He motioned to Joe to sit at a small table. There was a kettle of water already boiling away on the potbelly stove.
"What kind of tea?" he continued. "There's rat root and mint grass or some Oolong, from one of them oriental countries."
Sandy noticed that Joe was preoccupied. Joe sat staring at the trapper's tiny flour sack covered window as if in a trance.
"Would you like to try a local Shuswap Indian mixture? Them Indians make darn good tea! With lot of wild roots and herbs, you know."
Joe looked up at the ceiling and studied the timber rafters of the cabin.
"Indian tea will do fine," he replied.
"Nice rifle," said Sandy. "Where'd you find a Winchester like that?"
Joe explained that the gun had been a gift from his father.
"Where you fixin' to hunt fer moose?" questioned the trapper as he prepared the tea in an old lard pail.
"Thought I'd head over across the back hill, right above Mile 52," explained Joe.
"There ain't no moose up there," warned Sandy. "If it's moose you want, try the swamp over by Mile 49. Don't you think it's a might late in the day fer huntin'? You best start in the morning, Son. Just before sunrise. That's the best time. And, you should try the swamp first."
In the next episode, Joe is anxious leave on his own private Sasquatch adventure. He borrows a pair of snowshoes from the trapper and sets out.
