Every winter, usually sooner rather than later, Jim Masek knows he will get his snowmachine stuck in overflow.

It’s a fact of life for Masek, who has been trapping on the Minto Flats, east of Fairbanks, for more than 30 years.

“I have an awful lot of swamp that doesn’t freeze up, ” Masek said of the country he traps. “It looks frozen but it’s not. ”

Some winters, Masek said he puts as many as 10, 000 miles on a snowmachine, which is more than most people in Fairbanks put on a car over the course of a year.

“Going that many miles, you’re going to run into trouble, ” he said.

Trouble for Masek usually means overflow, water on top of ice that is often times hidden underneath snow. It’s the arctic version of quicksand.

“It can be completely hidden and you don’t even see it, ” Masek told a group of about 100 trappers last week during a presentation at the Alaska Trappers Association monthly meeting at the Mushers Hall. “The next thing you know you’re in this big quagmire of slush and snow one to two feet deep. You’re stuck. You’ve got a real problem at that point. ”

Just how big that problem is depends on a lot of things — how many people and machines you’re traveling with, what kind of equipment you’re carrying, what the temperature is, how far from civilization you are.

Twice, Masek has had to walk more than 20 miles to reach his cabin after getting stuck in overflow.

“Long walks are no fun, ” he said. “If your machine has gone down and you’re dry, you’re in pretty good shape; you can make that walk home. If you’re wet from head to toe, you’re not going to make it. ”

Hard to avoid

The best way to deal with overflow is to avoid it, but that’s easier said than done in Alaska, where overflow is as common in the winter as potholes are on roads during breakup.

“Sometimes it shows up where you don’t ever expect it or where you’ve never seen it before, ” said Healy trapper Coke Wallace, who also has plenty of experience with overflow.

But there are some simple precautions to avoid getting stuck in slush and ice. For example , if you’re traveling down a river or creek in severely cold temperatures and you see fog or steam rising from the creek or river bed, it’s a good idea to be suspicious, Masek said.

“That’s telling you there’s moisture being generated from somewhere, ” he said.

It’s also wise to be automatically suspicious before heading onto a lake or stream covered with a heavy load of fresh snow. The snow pushes the ice down and forces water up on top of the ice, which remains hidden by the snow.

The best thing to do, Masek said, is to investigate before venturing into a questionable area by stopping and walking in front of your machine to ensure there isn’t overflow or thin ice lurking ahead.

“That little walk can save you a lot of headaches and back injuries, ” said Masek, who wrecked his back long ago trying to yank snowmachines out of overflow and deep snow.

The first few times he travels around his trapline in the winter, Masek doesn’t tow a sled behind him.

“The first time or two around my|healthcare professional|personal|my own, personal|search terms|my own , personal|medical professional|published|health care provider|my business|all of my|of my|excellent|my own personal|keyword phrases|a|offered|economical|day-to-day|web page} line, I go through the ice probably 20 or 30 times, ” Masek said. “I’ll break the trail, let it freeze overnight and then I’ll think about coming back with that sled. ”

Air bubbles or pockets are another danger. Sometimes a river freezes and the water drops, creating an empty air pocket under the ice that can be several feet deep. If you hear a hollow, drumming sound as you drive over ice, don’t stop to check it out, Masek said.

“Don’t slow down; you want to get off as quick as you can. ”

If you see a hump in the ice, it’s also wise to be suspicious.

“I won’t drive over a hump, ” Masek said. “I’ll go around. ”

If you do find yourself in overflow and you’re still moving, the best thing to do is keep going, Wallace said.

“When in doubt, power out, ” he said, using a common snowmachining motto. “Momentum is your friend. Stay on it and hope you get through it. ”

Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner – It’s easy to get a snowmachine stuck getting it out is another matter