(From “Diaries...) Fail-Safe Duping Device Dec 24: I knew that Christmas eve might be real quiet up here. But this is ridiculous! Yesterday, I floated the upper 9-miles of my survey route. Today, I’ll cover the lower 9 miles. From experience, I know that vehicular traffic on the road connecting my put-in (for the boat) and take-out will no doubt be very light today. So I’m up and moving early. At 6:30 am I roll into the parking area at the take-out. I quickly grab my gear and lock the car. Now the goal is to get quickly back upstream the 11 miles by road to where my boat is stashed in the underbrush next to the river. Its 6:37 am and a dirty dawn is just breaking as I step away from the car onto the nearby road. I have my little red and white duping device (gas can) in hand. It’s ready to do its job and ‘buy’ me a quick ride back upstream to the boat. For this trick to work, however, there has to be some traffic. So I am worried. The first hour comes and goes without a glimmer of hope–not a single vehicle passes. The second hour is now nearly history and I still haven’t heard the first car engine. So its decision time: If a ‘live’ vehicle bringing that requisite ride doesn’t appear by 8:45 am, I will abort today’s survey mission. The days are just too short this time of year; there might not be enough daylight left to navigate the whole 9 miles of river, which winds mostly through a roadless wilderness area. Although I have the requisite survival gear, who wants to spend a night down there with the wild pigs, bears and lions? Setting the 8:45 deadline brings the desired effect. On cue at exactly 8:44 am I finally hear the engine of the first car. In a few seconds, a new Subaru rounds the bend. The single occupant–a middle-aged woman on her way to her daughter’s in Santa Rosa–and I make eye contact. She hesitates briefly then grinds to a stop next to me. Since it’s a woman alone, I won’t lie. “I am not really out of gas,” I explain, “I’m just trying to....” My story is believable. She decides I look okay. I climb in, buckle up, and we’re on our way. Once again my little fail-safe duping device, like it has now more than a thousand times along rivers everywhere, saves my day. This one is special though. It’s Christmas eve.