They drove north to a secret fishing spot known only to Koskie and some Cree elders. They listened to Bluegrass on the long road up and told Punto long stories of camping trips past. Punto devoured their wisdom, eager to try his hand at pursuing the great Northern Pike.

The three companions head towards the secret fishin' spot.

They arrived and set up camp. They had packed light; they'd only eat what they caught, they drink from the pure spring that flowed nearby.

"This is gonna rule!"

But soon, the weather turned cold. Twins fans far south in the Twin Cities felt some of this chill themselves. And it began to snow. At first, the snow cast a delightful cloak over the landscape. It was beautiful, and surely it would pass soon.

"Man, this is pretty!"

But the North can be pernicious. It snowed. And snowed. And snowed. The secret fishing hole froze over. The bubbling spring froze solid. In retrospect, travelling light didn't seem so wise. The men grew hungry. So very very hungry. Punto began to hallucinate, seeing Dome Dogs peering at him from the forest. Damon grew faint. Koskie used a mystical technique taught to him by an Inuit elder to go into a trance and dull the pain of his empty belly, a trance he goes into often during the season. But the human body can only take so much. Finally, Damon, dizzy with hunger, took Koskie aside.

Desperate, Damon tells Corey his plan...

They had the most serious, desperate discussion people can have. They had to take a drastic step or surrender to starvation. The two of them came to an agreement and returned to seek out Punto....

And then there were two.

Finally, the weather broke, and Koskie and Damon were able to return to civilization in time for the upcoming three-game series--changed men. Certainly they were furrier.

Koskie and Damon, home, but forever changed.

Damon decided to keep his wilderness-survivor look as a monument to what had passed. As for Nick Punto, he's "on the D.L..."

Posted by Batgirl at June 24, 2004 06:34 PM