How did your time in the wilderness impact your relationship with each other?


Isaac: I think it strengthened our relationship it huge ways – we had to lean on each other for everything. By contrast, filming your own journey can be a bit trying on your relationship at times…

Bjornen: I feel like this experience strengthened our relationship in ways we will still be finding out when we’re 90. It’s just hard to explain in one little paragraph, but it has something to do with a certain level of trust and reliance on the other person, with unconditional love (Geez, he had to dress me some days, prop me up at night so I wouldn’t be in so much pain, rub my smelly,swollen feet, listen to my grumpiness sometimes, convince me that we weren’t going to get too cold…). But we have a pretty solid relationship because of it. I know he’ll be there for me no matter what comes along, and I hope he feels the same way about me. I think he described me as a “mule” once… and I’m pretty sure that’s a good thing. At least that’s how I’m seeing it.

Isaac and Bjornen Babcock in the River of No Return Wilderness

Isaac: Too few for my “observational desires”. But from a biological standpoint, I feel the numbers where just about right when we were there, but today wolves are under some pretty heavy hunting and trapping pressure in Idaho, including the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The state of Idaho has committed to have wolves in the state, but at a much lower population than they are currently at, (and much lower than the level they were at when we were back there for our film). I don’t think we would have the same opportunity to see and watch them now, as we did just two years ago (when working on the film). It is quite a controversial subject here in Idaho, and while the above comments are my opinion, please realize that the opinions on this subject vary widely and are often extremely emotionally charged. Unfortunately the views seem to continue to be more and more polarized. In the end, the number of wolves in the wilderness will have less to do with biological carrying capacity (the number that could exist in a somewhat sustainable system) and more to do with the number of wolves that is deemed socially tolerable, which is largely a product of political interest and desired ungulate hunting opportunity. Sorry for the lengthy answer, but this is one of the most complex issues in having wolves return to Idaho, there is no simple answer, and a lot of work ahead for us to get through it.

Bjornen: Just about right, I’d say. I mean, we went for long periods of time without seeing any wolves or sign at all. But then we’d see something, some interaction, hear them (one of the best sounds in the world), or even just some fresh tracks and it would make everything worthwhile. I mean, wolves were what brought us out there in the first place, but they weren’t the only reason.

Would really be interested in hearing or reading more about the equipment and any problems you experienced!

Isaac: We used a Red One camera and an HV20 for the ad lib hiking camera (b-roll). The Red One was a newer camera with a tremendous picture, but presented some technical difficulties in the field. It was power hungry, and it recorded to hard drive which meant we had to offload it at times. It also took 90 seconds to boot up before you could record. A lot can happen in those 90 seconds of watching wildlife, and one can pull out a lot of there own hair in frustration waiting for the camera to be ready to record. But the picture quality it captured, and the slow motion capabilities made it worth while. We hiked with foldable solar panels to charge batteries, which worked acceptably in the summer, but struggled to keep up in the winter. Generators and other motorized equipment are prohibited in designated wilderness, so solar panels were the only option. There were plenty of challenges, and lots of frustrations and troubleshooting, but it’s all part of what made the journey what it was.

Bjornen: Oh gosh… how long do you have? Isaac is really the equipment guru, so I’ll let him answer this one. Ha! I got out of that pretty easily…

Is Bjornen able to continue with her backpacking adventures? What kind of treatment is she receiving for her RA?

Bjornen: I am very happy to report that my RA symptoms have all but disappeared (I’d say they are 98% gone). I have no idea what exactly it was that made it go away. It was a long 3 years of trying all kinds of different approaches, everything from conventional medication (which I really disliked, and though it helped in the beginning, it gradually lost its power to make me more comfortable) to restrictive diets, to acupuncture, homeopathic remedies, keeping stress out of my life… So I don’t know what it was that helped, maybe a combination of everything, and maybe simply time. I did learn so much in the process though, the most important thing being that you really have to take responsibility for your own health, and that your body can heal itself if it is given even half a chance… it’s an amazing thing! These days I can do everything I used to be able to do. I feel absolutely great! I appreciate everyone’s concern, and hope other people who are dealing with painful illnesses can take some comfort in hearing about my experience, and that I was able to get rid of it. I know I loved to hear about that kind of stuff when I was in pain, it gave me hope.

I wanted to ask if that was actually the only time you caught the wolves making a kill?

Isaac: This is the only time that we saw the wolves make a kill, in fact, it is the only time I have ever seen the wolves make a kill here in Idaho, and that includes my entire 16 years of working on wolves here. I’ve seen a handful of unsuccessful hunts, but this was the only successful hunt. Statistics show that wolves are only successful in 1 of 10 hunts. That’s like working 10 different jobs and only getting paid for one of them. It’s my opinion that getting food isn’t as easy or straightforward for wolves as some make it out to be.

Bjornen: Yes, it was. There were several times when we saw interactions that we were almost sure were going to end up in a kill, but never did (like the lame elk on the ridge interaction). We found several kills that had just happened the night before, or very recently, but had never seen one before.

Isaac and Bjornen Babcock

Isaac: You get an inkling of what you need vs. what you want. Unfortunately the longer I spend back in society, the more I slip back into confusing those two things and justifying wants. It’s human, it’s ok – but it is interesting when you cognescient of it happening.

Bjornen: I’m not sure that we live differently, but that we live with more awareness perhaps… It’s always a good reminder to be present as much as possible, and living in the wilderness it’s just hard to be anything BUT present. It’s a great reminder as to what is really important in this world.

What were you able to carry in your packs? Even with the mail/food drops, what were some of the things you did to hunt, live and eat off the land during the year?

Bjornen: This is an area that I wish we could have been better at… living off the land, that is. Honestly, we brought most of our food with us, but it was stuff that we had made ourselves, and then dehydrated. We did do some fishing, where it was legal (mountain lakes, stocked rainbow trout…which is an interesting issue in itself… but an entirely different subject that I’m not going to get into right now, AND our pole broke almost right away, so it was rather unsuccessful), and of course obvious seasonal foraging along the way (wild strawberries, morel mushrooms, huckleberries).

Would you do it again?

Isaac: Yes and no. I would love to go spend a year, or many years back there filming. I think we barely scratched the surface of wilderness, the Frank Church River of No Return, and what makes it so special. I’d love to spend the rest of my life working on capturing some of that essence. But in truth, our journey may be the only opportunity we’ll have to spend such a concentrated amount of time and effort out there. I’m grateful for the opportunity we had.

I’m not so sure I would bring a small camera to film ourselves again, we never intended to have “our journey” be such a large portion of the story, and that was challenging, both on a relationship and on altering and infringing on one’s own wilderness experience. But I am not sorry that we did, I just don’t know if I would put Bjornen or I through that aspect of it again.

Bjornen: Sure, if it weren’t for being really excited about starting to farm and being rooted in one place. Actually I have to amend that answer. I would NOT go make another film. One is plenty. But spending a significant amount of time in the wilderness, absolutely… if the time were right.

 
(View full post to see video)

 
(View full post to see video)

Central Idaho’s Frank Church – River of No Return Wilderness is the largest contiguous wilderness area in the lower 48 States. Endless rugged mountains, wild rivers, forests and deep canyons define this land — home to numerous species of wildlife, including wolves, who have just returned after 50 years of near absence. A young couple, Isaac and Bjornen Babcock, chose this wilderness for their year-long honeymoon. But what begins as a romantic adventure becomes something much greater for the couple — and a tale of hope and celebration for every life trying to make it in the unforgiving heart of the wilderness. Buy the Blu-Ray or DVD. This film premiered April 18, 2012. (Video limited to U.S. & Territories.)

Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canus
Species: Lupus

Size and Weight: Gray wolves are the largest canids: on average, adults have a nose-to-tail length between 4.5 and 6ft (1.4 to 1.8m), a height at the shoulder from 26 to 32 inches (66 to 81cm), and a weight measuring between 50 and 110lbs (22.7 to 50kg). The largest wolf on record weighed 175lbs (79.3kg). Males are larger than females, and northern wolves are generally larger than those in southern areas.

Physical Features: The animal’s scientific name is Canis lupis, meaning “dog” and “wolf” in Latin. Domestic dogs are descended from wolves, which closely resemble some domestic breeds like the German shepherd or malamute. However, gray wolves are larger than most dogs, and appear even larger in the winter because of their thick undercoat. Their coloring is usually a mix of gray and brown (though white, red, and black coloration has been observed) with lighter fur on its legs and belly. They have relatively short ears, and a long bushy tail. For pushing through snow, wolves have narrow chests, and when walking on top of snow, big paws to help distribute their weight. Long legs and dense muscles make wolves excellent runners. They can reach 38 mph (61kph) sprinting, but will more frequently run long distances at around 5 mph (8kph). Marathon chases help wolves tire their prey which, once caught, are quickly killed by wolves’ powerful jaws and teeth. Their mouths contains 42 teeth including carnassial teeth, unique to carnivores for cutting through meat and bone, and can snap closed with pressure exceeding 1,000lbs per square inch (6895kPa).

Life span: The life spans of wild wolves vary dramatically. Although the average lifespan is between 6 and 8 years, many will die sooner, and some can reach 13. Wolves in captivity can live up to 17 years.

Diet: Wolves are carnivores, and tend to prey on large ungulates: hoofed animals like elk, deer, and boar. When livestock is readily available to them, wolves have been known to prey on animals like sheep and cows. When ideal prey is unavailable, wolves will eat smaller mammals, reptiles, insects, and fruits and berries. Since wolves may have to wait for days between big kills, they eat a lot when they can. They can consume as much as 22lbs (10kg) in one sitting.

Geography: Gray wolves and their relatives, red foxes, have the largest natural range of any land-based mammal besides humans and possibly some rodents. Even with their habitat and population severely constricted by human activity, various subspecies of gray wolves can be found in North America, Europe, and Asia, and as far north as the Canadian Arctic and as far south as India.

Habitat: As their range indicates, gray wolves are able to live in many biomes, from Arctic tundra to dense forests, to mountains, to dry shrublands.

Breeding and Social Structure: Wolves live in tight social units known as packs. The basic unit of a pack is a monogamous breeding pair. Beyond the founding male and female, wolf packs include their most recent litter, their offspring from previous years, and occasionally unrelated wolves. The average size is about 6, but packs exceeding 30 members have been observed. The breeding pair was once referred to as the alpha male and female, but some researchers believe that wolf hierarchy is not as rigid as those terms imply. In rare circumstances, if a pack faces a high mortality rate, or if there is an abundance of prey, other wolves in the pack may breed. Wolves mate once a year, generally in early spring. Pregnant females have a gestation period of about 63 days, and produce litters of about 4-7 pups. Pups are born unable to see or hear, and remain inside the den for about 4 weeks after they’re born. After about 10 weeks pups are weaned and become part of the pack. After a year or two a pup, now a young wolf, may leave in search of its own territory, or it may stay with the pack.

Wolves communicate in several ways, often to reinforce the breeding pair’s dominance and the rest of the pack’s submissive roles. Body language, such as eye contact, facial expressions, posture, and tail positions, can have specific meanings. Wolves also use sounds—whimpers, whines, barks, and howls—and scent marking to communicate with pack mates and strange wolves in their territory. Strengthening the hierarchical relationship in a pack may lead to physical conflict, but wolves try to avoid injuring members of their pack. Companionable behavior is much more common: wolves have been observed bringing food to incapacitated pack mates, and relating to dead pack mates in a way that suggests mourning.

Depending on prey density and other conditions, a pack’s territory can be small and close to other packs’ ranges, or larger and more spread out. Territories can be anywhere between 50 and 1,000 square miles (80–1,600km²).

Risks: Pup mortality rates can be as high as 60%, and starvation is one of the main causes of natural death. Territory fights with other wolves and scuffles with large prey can lead to injuries and death, and wolves are subject to diseases like Lyme disease, and those endemic to canids, like canine mange, parvovirus, and distemper. When in close proximity to wolves, humans pose a major threat to the animals. Humans have a long history of hunting and trapping wolves. These practices are still legal in some places, and still occur even in areas where wolves are protected. Ranchers may kill or poison wolves to protect their livestock. Human destruction of wolves’ preferred habitat has forced the animals to move closer to developed areas in search of food. And when roads divide the wilderness, wolf populations can become isolated, inbred, and more susceptible to disease.

Additional Facts:

• Wolves’ sense of smell is estimated to be 100 times stronger than humans. They are reportedly able to smell prey from miles away.
• DNA sequencing now shows that domestic dogs, once thought to be bred from a mix of canids, in fact descended solely from gray wolves.
• The Egyptian golden jackal, once thought to be a sub-species of the golden jackal, is actually a type of gray wolf.
• Not much is known about wolves’ ability to perceive color, but one experiment found that they can detect red and yellow more easily than blue or green. This may be related to how important blood and urine are as sources of information.
• Wolves tend to initiate play with other wolves by bowing.
• At about 5 inches long and 4 inches wide, all wolf tracks are larger than coyote tracks, but not all dog tracks. To distinguish wolf prints from dog prints, compare patterns. Unlike dogs, wolves tend to travel at a regular pace in straight lines.
• Wolves appear in Roman, Turkish, Norse, Japanese, and Native American myths and legends.

Working with the Nez Perce Tribe in Central Idaho, wolf biologist Isaac Babcock spent 13 years participating in the wolf reintroduction program organized in the area. Wanting to share the raw beauty of the land and the wolves with his new wife, Bjornen, Isaac proposes spending a year there as an unconventional honeymoon, documenting their days as they go along. River of No Return tells their story, the story of a couple that took on the wilderness and all its challenges. The two have come to treasure their experience in an untamed place that, for a period of time, they called home. River of No Return premieres April 18, 2012.