Season Two Talk: Brand New Contestants, Same Old Bears

[riverheightsnancy]

Well, the extended version has little comments from the participants (and Alan), MK just stated that she did sever her tendon in the little font that I managed to read. If she stays, I will be surprised. 

[riverheightsnancy]

Wow, they got there pretty fast for MK. OMG, here is a transcript of the break out star of this season's ALONE:  

Larry vs. Nature

You ************* piece of ************. You almost *******got me, ************************************************* and ********************************, I need to ************* be more ************************* careful or my*********** collarbone almost got me right in the **************************************. I didn't even ****************. You piece of **********************************************************************! ******! ********crap!!!  ******! [climbs up hill]

I already said it, but I am saying it again, Jose will win. He is so zen nature. He is like that guy that had the documentary on PBS who did something like this in Alaska in the 50s or something like that.  His perspective compared to Larry v. Nature, is hilarious. When they show them back to back, comedy gold. 

I liked Nicole's perspective about the birds and using them as a warning system. So true. I can tell when a hawk is attacking a bird in my yard, because the other birds go nuts. Nicole, don't go towards the NOISE!!! 

Edited May 6, 2016 by riverheightsnancy

[MostlyContent]

I've been waiting for Jose to show up, and it was worth the wait!   Definitely my favorite, as I thought he would be.  

[cooksdelight]

Larry is making me laugh. Not necessarily in the right places for laughter, HA!!  I miss Justin of the Duck Funeral, I want to see what new fun thing he's doing today.

Nicole with her herbal remedies, I wish she'd post that somewhere. I have a dear friend with MS and I'd like to pass it along. She's come as close to anyone on this show to build a cabin. That shelter of hers is a work of art.

MK went out with a whimper, not a word from her, no goodbye, no "I need to tap out to save my thumb which isn't moving..."

[cooksdelight]

Jose is this season's troubadour. But he sounds like a dying calf in a hailstorm.

[riverheightsnancy]

The noise that Nicole is hearing is Larry v. Nature. lol

I agree Cooksdelight, I would love to know about Nicole's herbal remedies. 

This seem to be the season of extremes or opposites. We have Tracy, Jose, and Nicole, being zen and getting it done. Cripes, Jose built something and it looked awesome. He will totally build a cabin. And MK, Desmond, Larry, and Randy flipping out and making all kinds of mistakes. Randy is so tapping out. 

[MostlyContent]

7 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

 

MK went out with a whimper, not a word from her, no goodbye, no "I need to tap out to save my thumb which isn't moving..."

That surprised me, too.   I'm glad they didn't take much time with it.   Blood!  Shaking!  Push button!  Boat!  Done.  

[Auntie Anxiety]

Jose doesn't need to scavenge Mary Kate's keurig machine.  He's just going to carve one.

Larry is comedy gold.

Anyone else think we were going to see Randy fall asleep and tragically (hehe) lose his fire after hours of work?

[cooksdelight]

When Randy asked "How am I going to keep this fire going?" my friend and I both yelled "By staying awake 24/7 and hauling wood every hour!" :)

[Quilt Fairy]

I'm really surprised that Mary Kate didn't know "elevate and put pressure on it" which is pretty basic and intuitive, as is binding it up with something, anything, it didn't have to be from the medical kit.  She essentially squatted there the whole time looking at her bleeding hand.

[mlp]

I wonder what actually happens when someone presses the emergency button.  It looked like MK wasn't getting any response but the boat came rather quickly.  I kept expecting someone to say something like the device was a walkie-talkie.  Guess not.  I'm glad she had the sense to call for help right away.  That injury was really deep.  I suppose a crew went back later and tore down her camp because they didn't waste time doing it when they rescued her.

I feel sorry for Larry.  Everyone else has some level ground and he's having to expend a huge amount of energy just walking around.  He is comic relief.

I'll bet the guy who tapped out first because of unseen bears was really embarrassed when he watched Nicole and Tracy react to bears they could see and hear and, in Tracy's case, almost had to share a tent with. 

Jose seems to be the one to watch.

I don't remember so many commercials during the last season.  The popularity of the new show must have attracted advertisers.

[riverheightsnancy]

30 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I'm really surprised that Mary Kate didn't know "elevate and put pressure on it" which is pretty basic and intuitive, as is binding it up with something, anything, it didn't have to be from the medical kit.  She essentially squatted there the whole time looking at her bleeding hand.

I think she was in some level of shock. 

24 minutes ago, mlp said:

I wonder what actually happens when someone presses the emergency button.  It looked like MK wasn't getting any response but the boat came rather quickly.  I kept expecting someone to say something like the device was a walkie-talkie.  Guess not.  I'm glad she had the sense to call for help right away.  That injury was really deep.  I suppose a crew went back later and tore down her camp because they didn't waste time doing it when they rescued her.

I saw on the bottom of the screen that viewers can go to history.com to see the entire rescue. I will try to watch it when I get a chance. 

[LittleIggy]

I'm Just glad poor Randy got a fire started. I used to hear about "banking coals" to keep a fire alive during the night. Is this possible with wood fires? I know nothing about the subject.

[HurricaneVal]

I.....am actually wary of Larry.  I think he's got real anger management issues.  There's the bleepity-bleepity-bleep-bleep amusement, but tonight when he turned around and just pounded on the offending stick, I got chills.  And not good chills.  I got "must tread very lightly around this man" chills.

Jose is awesome.  Nicole is also surprisingly interesting.  I kind of thought she would be one of those very earnest "stick up her butt" holier-than-thou crunchy hippie-hipster type.  But she seems to have it figured out.

Tracy left us with a cliffhanger.  I hope she finds her peace in this experience.  What an awful story.  She is so wracked with guilt over something that might not have gone down the way she thinks it might have in her head.

MK was totally in shock.  I can't believe she had the wherewithal to carry and aim the camera with her when she took the med pack to the beach to await rescue.  Even Tracy had the flare in one hand and the camera in her other when she went out to confront the bears.  Either the producers really, really drilled the constant need to film into them so it was second hand, or the cameras have become their "Wilson" a la Castaway and they cling to them for comfort.

I'm good with just watching Tracy, Nicole, and Jose until the end.  I don't really care about the rest.

[holly4755]

the Tracy ending was really scary, was there a cougar in with the bears? Is she leaving a lot of scent around or is she just int he wrong place? I think she needs a more solid cave if she can get it. something at your back so they don't come in that way. It looks like she used her one designated flare.She took the horn instead of the bear stink. 

So can we declare Jose Lucas 2.0? he already has his musical instrument. The big question - will he build a boat? 

[jvr]

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I'll bet the guy who tapped out first because of unseen bears was really embarrassed when he watched Nicole and Tracy react to bears they could see and hear and, in Tracy's case, almost had to share a tent with. 

 

Sometimes the unknown can be scarier then the known. Just hearing something (like Nicole's creepy screaming thing or the snap and rustle of branches and leaves) can be scarier then seeing whatever it is. Your imagination runs wild... but yes Desmond was a little bit of a wuss and realized he bit off more than he could chew.

 

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So can we declare Jose Lucas 2.0? he already has his musical instrument. The big question - will he build a boat?

Nah, Lucas didn't win. We want Jose to be awesome and win (or Tracy or Nicole).

I hope Tracy can get a handle on her animal issue, they really seem interested in her camp. I like that she doesn't seem to panic, just acknowledges the situation.

[riverheightsnancy]

I think that Mike may be pretty zen too, so we have like 4 zen types and all the rest are anxiety prone freak outs. I was SO impressed with Jose. It is almost unfair that he is in this. Can anyone NOT see him winning? I mean, Nicole seems great and I am liking Tracy and Mike too, but Jose is MAN OF NATURE. No one can beat Man of Nature. He just belongs there. He will have a cabin AND a boat built. You wait and see. He knows exactly what he wants to do and he is doing it. He does not seem like a person who knows that they can leave tomorrow. He is there to live. I loved how he made the rope.  I love the lilt in his voice and his whole demeanor and aboriginal spirit about this process. I agree with the post up thread that Larry's swearing is really over the top. I find it amusing to make fun of, but it really is over the top. If he were anywhere near people in real life, it would not be funny. I wonder if he has any type of mental health issue like ADD/ADHD. Sometimes people with those disorders have a very low frustration tolerance. 

[MostlyContent]

4 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I'm Just glad poor Randy got a fire started. I used to hear about "banking coals" to keep a fire alive during the night. Is this possible with wood fires? I know nothing about the subject.

Yes, it is certainly possible to bank coals with a wood fire.  The 'coals' are the glowing bits, branches, logs, that are left after the fire goes out.  It has nothing to do, really, with 'coal', as in, actual coal.  If one keeps the fire circle small, as in 2'-3', the earth underneath is heated.   Just push the remainders of the fire (coals) over to one side (protected from the wind) with your fire stick.

Still, Randy has to collect some major firewood.  Seriously.  And he needs to protect it from the constant rain.  

I have to admit that I moved him up a notch or two, because at first I just figured he'd tap out like the 'oops! lost my fire' gentleman of last season.   But......he's Randy.  So.............perhaps now that he's got his fire, he can starve in a really spectacular way.  heh.  

3 hours ago, holly4755 said:

the Tracy ending was really scary, was there a cougar in with the bears?  

From what I saw, it looked like there was a cub along with mama bear, so perhaps Tracy might be a bit close to some sort of trail.  Tracy rocks though, to me.  She just uses her air horn and then the flair, without hysterics.  Was she scared?  Yes.  But no grabbing for the SAT and pushing the button.   

One thing I noticed, though.  Was she the one who said that the smoke dissipates the smell when she cooks?  If so, that's not correct.  Our four-legged friends have noses that can differentiate between smoke, and fish (or whatever).  I think she would be wise to cook a bit farther from her shelter.  

I don't think there's ever been a case of a mountain lion ripping through a tent in the dark intent on eating the human within.  :)   They are big cats.   Curious, for sure, but not overly aggressive unless the prey (children, dogs) are readily available and they are overly hungry.  There are, seemingly, a disproportionate number of mountain lion attacks reported on 'Alone' compared to the rest of the country.  Perhaps they are over-populated, as it seems all the larger predators are on Vancouver Island must be.       

Edited May 6, 2016 by MostlyContent

[ClareWalks]

I have a man-crush on Jose. Big time. I'm a woman, but it's not a romantic crush, just a man-crush. He is so CHILL. And the fireblower is friggin' genius. Randy could use one of those. I gotta say, with the Randy bow drill situation I found myself really rooting for him. He proved last season Joe wrong, friction fire is NOT impossible up there. Impressive! 

Nicole is just a ball of sunshine! Happily chowing down on plants and bearwatching. "This is my home!" I love her.

TracyGoddess will make final 3 if she stays as calm as she has. Her story made me so sad. What a burden to carry around. I was yelling "it's not your fault, sweetie" at the TV. 

Larry, Larry, Larry. There is something very off-putting about a man who screams that something is a "cocksucker." It's just the kind of latent homophobia I love to see from a fellow north-midwesterner. :(

[DropTheSoap]

MK may have had to wait for a signal. If she'd just turned on the device, it needs to triangulate, which can take a couple minutes. Once the rescue button was pressed, pressing additional times probably had the same effect as pressing the call button on an elevator multiple times. (Unless pressing a second time cancels the call - which would be bad.)

[jvr]

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One thing I noticed, though.  Was she the one who said that the smoke dissipates the smell when she cooks?  If so, that's not correct.  Our four-legged friends have noses that can differentiate between smoke, and fish (or whatever).  I think she would be wise to cook a bit farther from her shelter.

Yes, she was the one who said that and I didn't think that sounded right. Like you I think she needs to cook and eat away from her camp but it could also be like someone up thread mentioned, that she might be near a trail.

If nothing bad happens to Jose he is going to win. I'll be happy as long as this thing goes far (longer than Alan's stay) and the last three hanging on are Tracy, Nicole, and Jose, tapping in that order. I hope someone pushes Jose to his limits so he can show us all he knows, we won't see all the awesomeness of this man if everyone quits within a month (or 3 or 6 months). 

Does History say what happens if they hit the 1 year mark? Do the people still standing all win the prize? Maybe split between them?

[Jordan61]

12 hours ago, riverheightsnancy said:

Cripes, Jose built something and it looked awesome. 

Seriously, I saw that thing and told my husband it looked so good he could make and sell them.

I guess I'm in the minority in that I can't stand Nicole. I was so glad to see Randy suck it up and make a fire rather than giving up and tapping out, but it's just going to be so much work to keep it going.

[seasick]

So proud of Randy for not giving up!  I too, did think he was about to take nap, tho!  It'll be interesting to see what goes forward-- and if he's willing to do it again and again if necessary to keep going.    

Larry Larry.  I seriously hope he's not abusive in the home.   Putting that thought aside, I felt a little soft spot for this work-a-day guy who is having his first real adventure, practicing in his back yard, and just breathless with excitement at the dining room table with his wife.  Maybe the less experience you have, the bigger the delusions of great success.  I did think he was going to clunk himself in the back of the head with that axe tho!  Typical 'Life of Larry" expectations now lol.

I would think the emergency beeper would have a walkie-talkie that maybe they didn't show.  I'm just thinking they would have to know just how serious.. if to send a helicopter-- maybe that dispatch could take longer idk.  but it would be quicker to the hospital if time was more critical.  I was surprised that she was carrying the beeper.  I assumed they clipped it to themselves. You could get complacent and go off and leave it at camp. 

Jose is so fun to watch.  He did mention in intro one of his tools was for woodworking.  I'm curious what kind of shelter he will build.  I'm not sure it will be a 'white man cabin'  since he's spent so much time with native tribes he may have something different up his sleeve.  I hope they don't deprive us of Jose to keep us on the hook.  

[holly4755]

cursing, Since most of my cursing tends to be limited to the deity damning.the streams of cursing that came from my ex was a curiosity, but it definity included everything and more that Larry could  think up, I think  they are words they grew up forbidden to say without thinking of what he was saying, some times I could not help but laugh at the incongruity of what he said. I am pretty sure my ex was indeed homophobic, but that was the times, most people were, but never did he ever attack or insult someone directly for it like the nut cases of today, He was not violent, just typical of boy people back then.

I think Randy was quite amazing in getting a fire going in what looked like a rainy day. I think it probably went on for hours, so he would deserve a rest.

I am not sure Tracy will last if she doesn't move, that was her one and only flare.

As I remember from last year, that call may go out quickly but these people are alone, like the guy who called for help with the bear outside his tent sniffing around, I think he thought they would swoop in, but bad weather required the rescue team to park the car and then whack themselves through woods in the middle of the night. And then they had to find him, they only had a general direction. Could take a while

Edited May 6, 2016 by holly4755

[SRTouch]

10 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I'm Just glad poor Randy got a fire started. I used to hear about "banking coals" to keep a fire alive during the night. Is this possible with wood fires? I know nothing about the subject.

Randy's persistence and determination to make his bow drill work really impressed me. Banking a fire is really just a balancing act where you deprive a fire of some of the oxygen it needs to burn, leaving the hot coals/embers to smolder. On the one hand, nothing really hard, but it does take some practice. Definitely something that's doable, just requiring some attention to detail, and more wood. I seem to recall Alan saying that the wood he was burning burned faster than he expected. Of course, Randy's bigger problem now will be successfully finding a reliable food source. Unless he starts getting some food, I don't see how he can be there much longer he can stay. 

[ClareWalks]

It occurs to me that there is basically no way for someone to last a year out there. Don't they head out to Vancouver Island in October? And the show starts airing in April? They kind of give away that everyone has left by then. It's not like they'd start the season in April, not knowing who wins because there are still people out there, and have an indefinite end date. I wonder what they'd do if there were still folks out there. Maybe delay the season start?

[riverheightsnancy]

45 minutes ago, seasick said:

Putting that thought aside, I felt a little soft spot for this work-a-day guy who is having his first real adventure, practicing in his back yard, and just breathless with excitement at the dining room table with his wife.  Maybe the less experience you have, the bigger the delusions of great success.  

Aren't most things in life that way? Sigh :(

[DropTheSoap]

since Tracy had a bear cub in camp, that's a reason for greater concern, I think, than a solo bear. (Cf., the old joke about being between a bear sow and cub. Don't have to outrun the bear, just need to outrun your buddy.)

I can see getting angry at inanimate objects as a way to reduce stress. I tend to yell at my equipment and/or make it sit there and think about what it did wrong to fail me. 

[LittleIggy]

I'll be upset if Jose doesn't build a cabin with a sauna! ;-)

[seasick]

3 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

I'll be upset if Jose doesn't build a cabin with a sauna! ;-)

No kidding!  I had the privilege of living in a Yupik Eskimo village on the Bering Seacoast for several months.  The community sauna ( if forget now what they called it)  was basically how one bathes.  Many homes didn't have electricity or running water. 

We befriended another white couple who had made their home out on the tundra and were invited  to come out and stay with them.   They were completely off the grid except for the  rare, occasional lux of using their generator.   They had built a sauna building behind their cabin!   It was dead of winter and freeeezing cold  and I will never forget the warmth and comfort of that sauna/steam.  It was pitch black outside and when we came out the stars took my breath away. And it was so quiet.  Just a rare, spirit-filling moment I'll likely never see again.  

They did an interesting thing with the entrance.  They dug a hole/ditch thing where you had to crawl thru to go in and out.  Since cold air sinks it kept the entrance from bringing in cold air.  I think that's common in igloos and 'hogan' type buildings up there.  (except igloos were mostly used for transient hunting etc..I never knew of anyone making one anymore )   So yeah, Jose.. go for it!!

[piequinn35]

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

I'll be upset if Jose doesn't build a cabin with a sauna! ;-)

I'll be upset if Jose doesn't win ;)

[SRTouch]

3 hours ago, jvr said:

If nothing bad happens to Jose he is going to win. I'll be happy as long as this thing goes far (longer than Alan's stay) and the last three hanging on are Tracy, Nicole, and Jose, tapping in that order. I hope someone pushes Jose to his limits so he can show us all he knows, we won't see all the awesomeness of this man if everyone quits within a month (or 3 or 6 months). 

As expected, and hoped, now that Jose and Nicole have arrived onscreen they're showing us how it should be done. No long profane rants against nature ala Larry, just calm competence. They seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves as they go about creating their home away from home. I liked what little they showed us of Nicole's shelter. Not sure if she has a insulated lean to or if she'll end up with a wickiup. She doesn't seem to be having trouble finding food - I guess that's to be expected from a biologist who already supplements her diet from plants found in the Pacific Northwest. Her downfall may be missing her boys - I think she said she had never gone longer than 7 weeks without seeing them.

Jose, OTOH, hasn't show us much about his shelter. As industrious as he is, he may be building a cedar plank house like the old time First Nation/Indians of the region. Wouldn't be surprised if he invites the rest of the contestant's and production crew to a potluck when he wins. I think he's at home in the woods, while everyone else is visiting. I picked him as one to teach us how the original inhabitants did things, and so far he's delivered. Course back in the day, food would have been a lot easier. I've heard they could just about get a year of fish from the fall salmon run. VI is still pretty famous for salmon fishing, but like everything else location is everything. They just don't appear to be close to good shore fishing locations, and are a long way from the self proclaimed Salmon Capital if the World http://www.campbellrivertourism.com

[HurricaneVal]

I think the flares, air horns, medical kit, GPS signalling device etc. are all a part of the basic emergency kit that the producers provided at the beginning.  I imagine when they come to do the med checks on the aloners that they also replenish batteries, swap out recording media and perhaps replenish the emergency supplies like bandaids in the med kit and maybe even the flares?  If so, then Tracy is probably OK.  I don't remember flares and air horns from last season, but maybe production edited any use of them out of the footage.  Or maybe they didn't have them last time bout thought it would be a good idea for follow-on seasons.

[SRTouch]

9 hours ago, MostlyContent said:

I have to admit that I moved him (Randy) up a notch or two, because at first I just figured he'd tap out like the 'oops! lost my fire' gentleman of last season.   But......he's Randy.  So.............perhaps now that he's got his fire, he can starve in a really spectacular way.  heh.

Yeah, he showed us you CAN get a fire with a bow and drill. Now collecting firewood and protecting it from the rain is much more critical - which means squat unless he starts finding food. Wonder what he'd give to be able to trade his archery equipment and trap wire for a couple ration packs. Once I saw that they could take 5 pounds of dried beans along with 5 pounds of jerky, I knew what two of my ten choices would have been - and he took no rations.

Quote

From what I saw, it looked like there was a cub along with mama bear, so perhaps Tracy might be a bit close to some sort of trail.  Tracy rocks though, to me.  She just uses her air horn and then the flair, without hysterics.  Was she scared?  Yes.  But no grabbing for the SAT and pushing the button.   

One thing I noticed, though.  Was she the one who said that the smoke dissipates the smell when she cooks?  If so, that's not correct.  Our four-legged friends have noses that can differentiate between smoke, and fish (or whatever).  I think she would be wise to cook a bit farther from her shelter.  

I don't think there's ever been a case of a mountain lion ripping through a tent in the dark intent on eating the human within.  :)   They are big cats.   Curious, for sure, but not overly aggressive unless the prey (children, dogs) are readily available and they are overly hungry.  There are, seemingly, a disproportionate number of mountain lion attacks reported on 'Alone' compared to the rest of the country.  Perhaps they are over-populated, as it seems all the larger predators are on Vancouver Island must be.       

She showed the scaredy cats how to act when confronted by bears in camp - no panic,  just noise to let them know she was there, then louder noise to scare them away when they didn't want to leave, and finally standing up to look big and scarey to the bears. My biggest fear in her shoes would have been if there were a second cub on the other side of camp, and having mama bear worried big scarey human is between her and one of the cubs. She needs to rethink her camp location. She already said she considered moving, but decided that spot was as good as any other. If that's the same spot where she originally put her lean to, it looked like it was right on a trail.

I agree that her theory of the smoke covering her cooking odors is flawed. I think that's one thing MK was doing right, the separate cook area, with the beginnings of a good wood pile - course almost cutting off her thumb wasn't part of the plan. One question Tracy's actions raised in my mind, was whether or not the air horn and flares might be considered essential safety equipment and be replaced if used. I kind of doubt the replacement idea, but wouldn't be upset to see it happen. If they won't  replace her air horn, I suppose she can always go old school, yelling and banging on her pot with her knife or ax.

Edited May 6, 2016 by SRTouch
Clarification

[seasick]

5 hours ago, DropTheSoap said:

MK may have had to wait for a signal. If she'd just turned on the device, it needs to triangulate, which can take a couple minutes. Once the rescue button was pressed, pressing additional times probably had the same effect as pressing the call button on an elevator multiple times. (Unless pressing a second time cancels the call - which would be bad.)

I'm pretty sure the device is always on, and is always aware of their coordinates.  In fact I think that it is tracked so that if someone doesn't move for hours after daylight, they check on them either by walkie-talkie (still to be determined) or by a visit.  

I wonder if having  bears around is a deterrent to cougars.    As someone pointed out, bears are intensely curious.  It seems Tracy has that viewpoint rather than assuming they are there to attack like the former tap-outs.   

Edited May 6, 2016 by seasick

[SRTouch]

3 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

It occurs to me that there is basically no way for someone to last a year out there. Don't they head out to Vancouver Island in October? And the show starts airing in April? They kind of give away that everyone has left by then. It's not like they'd start the season in April, not knowing who wins because there are still people out there, and have an indefinite end date. I wonder what they'd do if there were still folks out there. Maybe delay the season start?

Ah ha, but you see the real reason they're moving to South America is because Jose is still out there, reno'ing his cabin, remodeling his kitchen, adding running water and an outhouse.

[riverheightsnancy]

39 minutes ago, SRTouch said:

Ah ha, but you see the real reason they're moving to South America is because Jose is still out there, reno'ing his cabin, remodeling his kitchen, adding running water and an outhouse.

Ha! I pondered if anyone could still be out there. But the way they did it last year, TWO would have to still be out there. The minute #2 taps, they go and pull the last one. I wonder if Jose will build a Totem as a marker for having been there? I would like to see that. I also liked how Nicole was merrily eating away on the flora that she knows is good to eat. I worry about Randy. Has he had ANY water yet? 

[seasick]

1 hour ago, SRTouch said:

Ah ha, but you see the real reason they're moving to South America is because Jose is still out there, reno'ing his cabin, remodeling his kitchen, adding running water and an outhouse.

And actually, I think that is what will be the win factor for Jose.  

Kidding aside, I think what will win it for Jose is the ability to limit the suffering factor.  Being holed up in a tiny cave through endless raw rainy days has got to suck and the misery eventually caused some of the final tapouts.  If you can manage to stay warm, dry, fed and occupied it makes it a ton easier. (no foolin'!) That sounds obvious, but perhaps the S1 contestants either underestimated that factor, or just accepted it.

Jose seems to have no intention of suffering.   I think food may be his biggest challenge though, as it's something he can't necessarily control.  I'm so curious how he conquers the food challenge.  I haven't looked yet at his rations list but I wonder if he chose the one with salt so he can dry fish.  

Edited May 6, 2016 by seasick

[holly4755]

they needed permits to stay on the island and there is the rule book to tell them what they can hunt and what they can't.I believe they can't build any semi-permanent structure, the yurt may have been the limit. There may be fewer rules in the new location. . 

 

I found this backpacking guide on the island

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/cpar-hunting-guidelines.pdf?v=1462564572418

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• In the backcountry leave live trees; please scrounge for firewood or tent poles from dead and downed trees. •

also found this on hunting rules

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/sports-recreation-arts-and-culture/outdoor-recreation/fishing-and-hunting/hunting/regulations/2014-2016/hunting-trappingsynopsis_2014-2016.pdf

there are seasons for certain species. Page 29 shows hunting seasons.  but I found this notice rather frightening. 

Quote

There have been a number of grizzly bear sightings on northern Vancouver Island in recent years. Appropriate safety precautions should be taken and hunters are reminded that there is no open season for grizzly bears on the island. Please report any sightings of a grizzly bear on Vancouver Island (which would be brown in colour compared to the uniformly black colour of black bears on Vancouver Island) to the Nanaimo Regional office, (250) 751-3100, or the 24 hour call center line at 1-877 952- 7277. For more information on bear safety visit: www.bearaware.bc.ca/bears/safety.html

[humbleopinion]

Jose 's List of Tasks

Whittle:

Blow pipe-done

Spoon

Chopsticks

Randy needs a blowpipe to keep his fire going when it is just embers in the dead of night as well as much wood he can chop and

 drag over to start drying out.

MK's rescue timeline, less than 45 minutes

Episode opens with Screen shot: 8 remaining and time shown as 8:13am

Assuming it is approximately  8:13 am when she axes her tendon,  goes to beach and pushes button on yellow walkie talkie

Pushes it again but no clock time given

Time in white in left bottom of screen shows 8:45am as she pushes it the third and last time

8:51am she opens up gauze package to put on wound

9:01 is when she sees boat and hears someone from production yelling to elevate her hand.

Edited May 6, 2016 by humbleopinion

[SRTouch]

52 minutes ago, seasick said:

And actually, I think that is what will be the win factor for Jose.  

Kidding aside, I think what will win it for Jose is the ability to limit the suffering factor.  Being holed up in a tiny cave through endless raw rainy days has got to suck and the misery eventually caused some of the final tapouts.  If you can manage to stay warm, dry, fed and occupied it makes it a ton easier. (no foolin'!) That sounds obvious, but perhaps the S1 contestants either underestimated that factor, or just accepted it.

Jose seems to have no intention of suffering.   I think food may be his biggest challenge though, as it's something he can't necessarily control.  I'm so curious how he conquers the food challenge.  I haven't looked yet at his rations list but I wonder if he chose the one with salt so he can dry fish.  

I'd like to see someone catch enough fish or game to make a smoker. I believe it was on Alaska the Last Frontier's that I saw a simple smoker made using a tripod and tarp. So far, in two seasons Sam had the biggest animal taken with his mice, and last week Mike with his three fish, so food storage has never been a big deal. BTW, in the popup rerun before this week's episode Mike says his buried fish was good after being buried 4 days, and he thought it would probably last a week. He also talked about being a vegatarian, and said that was part of the reason he didn't just gorge on his 3 fish bounty, since he wasn't sure how his body was going to react to the unfamiliar meal.

I really like Jose's attitude. When we saw him at home, I was impressed by his quiet confidence. You could tell he was sure of his ability, but wasn't about to brag. He said something along the line that it was best to be humble, because as soon as he started becoming overconfident he might stop paying attention to what he was doing, slip on a log and be injured. I couldn't help but think of MK talking to the camera and not paying attention as she split her firewood. The first time we see Jose in the woods he's carving a branch he found into a digging tool. When it's finished he uses it to digs up some roots. Then he's showing how to make cordage with the roots, and how to store the roots. Next he's carving a neat fire blower tool, something he says is one of the first things he always makes when he arrives in a camp. Hmmmm, sounds like this isn't exactly the first primitive camp he's established. Of course he uses his home made cordage to make his fire blower. He tells us he's going to carve a spoon next, then make chopsticks, and, oh, he has a bunch of projects he wants to make while he's there. Sounds a lot like Lucas, and I hope he doesn't run out of projects and decide to go home. Really, when you compare his home in the Yukon to everyone else, he lives a lot closer to nature then any of the others.

[seasick]

I wondered how Mike made out with his fish.  Good for him.   Annoyed that the rerun had more info that I missed.  Last week  the rerun with comments was called   "A deeper cut"    and luckily I caught it or it would not have recorded. Maybe they will replay this rerun. 

I wanted to look myself at the timeline for MK's rescue.  Thanks humbleopinion .      45 minutes  gives me more reason to believe they know the nature of the emergency somehow before they come out.

[raven]

This episode had everything.

MK's injury, Jose's smoke gadget doubling as a didgeridoo, Nicole's competence and scary noises, Larry's histrionics, Tracy's bear encounter and emotional story, will Randy make fire???  I swear there was more drama in "will Randy make fire" than most other things I watch.  I don't think he'll last much longer, he's way short on food and will need a lot of energy to keep that fire intact.

I think MK was also angry at herself while she was waiting for rescue and was trying to keep herself calm.  She told the men on the boat that she was pissed at herself and I can see that - the whole, "can't believe I did that" etc.  She knew her time was over. 

I liked Nicole more than I thought I would originally.  I liked what she said about listening to the birds and she has skills.  I usually can't stand the spiel about wanting to show my kids, blah blah but didn't here because her kids are old enough to understand what she's doing.  I hate when people say that and their kids are too young to know.  I know they will some day but it doesn't carry the same weight with me. 

Tracy's story - I just wanted to tell her it's not her fault, don't feel guilty.  She's been carrying that to this extent since 1996?  I hope she finds a way to deal with it.  I'm a little worried that she's telling that story this early and she mentions there's more things; she's hoping I think for this to be a cathartic experience but I hope bringing up lots of "stuff" won't drag her down.  I want her to last a long time.  Nice dealing with the bears and she has a nice shelter too.

8 hours ago, DropTheSoap said:

I tend to yell at my equipment and/or make it sit there and think about what it did wrong to fail me. 

Hee I do the same thing.  It gives me the silent treatment :(

You all have praised Jose's competence and attitude so I'll just add I loved the shot of his dogs at home, faces in the camera :)

Edited May 6, 2016 by raven

[humbleopinion]

What has me very vexed is the wolf/coyote jumping on a participant holding a camera in the tease.

Who is the wolf whisperer?

Guessing Jose trained a wolf to hunt for him on land and an orca to hunt for him in the water during his time on VI.

[SRTouch]

19 minutes ago, humbleopinion said:

What has me very vexed is the wolf/coyote jumping on a participant holding a camera in the tease.

Who is the wolf whisperer?

Guessing Jose trained a wolf to hunt for him on land and an orca to hunt for him in the water during his time on VI.

What did you guys call it when you got in trouble on that other forum for talking about another shoe in a forum - "board on board" or something? Here's my second offense today. On Life Below Zero last night Sue Aiken was out hunting birds and one of the foxes that hang around her camp was out with her. She said the fox was like a hunting dog, pointing out the birds for her.

[SRTouch]

OT: something I wonder about every time they show it is the bald eagle with the deformed or broken beak. I swear they've shown several times, and again last night while Nicole was discussing birds alerting her to dangers. I wonder if that is stock footage, or if the bird just hangs around the vicinity and gets it's picture taken a lot. I suspect it is stock footage, as my understanding is an eagle like this would have trouble fishing/feeding itself. Anybody remember Beauty, a bald eagle who was shot by a poacher, rescued back around 2005, and has received a prosthetic beak. https://www.singularityweblog.com/bald-eagle-gets-3d-printed-beak-prosthesis/

[muffkins]

As soon as my husband say MK cutting the kindling, he said that it wouldn't end well.  I was cringing everytime she brought the hatchet down.  I wanted to take it away from her and cut it myself.  Not a good way to go out.  I figured she was in shock though, just from the way she was staring and shaking.  I thought she was going further, but sometimes accidents happen.

The screamy noises that Nicole heard were bear cubs.  She just couldn't see them as they were probably wrestling in a dip in the ground where the mom was, who she could see. 

I don't know if anyone cares, but this is where I think they are, and also where I grew up.  It is a wonderful part of the country, if you don't mind rain. :)

[rainsmom]

If they're where they were last year, they're closer to the ocean. They were as far east as Quatsino Provincial Park and up toward (and past Winter Harbor).

[LittleIggy]

Poor Tracy needs therapy for her PTSD. It's sad how she has convinced herself that she was responsible for that woman's death.

[Jordan61]

5 hours ago, SRTouch said:

OT: something I wonder about every time they show it is the bald eagle with the deformed or broken beak. I swear they've shown several times, and again last night while Nicole was discussing birds alerting her to dangers. I wonder if that is stock footage, or if the bird just hangs around the vicinity and gets it's picture taken a lot. I suspect it is stock footage, as my understanding is an eagle like this would have trouble fishing/feeding itself. 

I was wondering about that. I couldn't figure how it can eat with virtually no beak. Every time they show it I wait for a caption explaining what the story is and why they are showing it (like the Beauty story you linked, for instance).