The above title doesn't necessarily fit with the legendary Camille Beaulieu pictured above! When ever I was near Camille he may have had a woods smell of spruce and fir, but I never smelled any foul odors! There were and are many trappers who do however have a distinct odor of old decayed meat, skunk and other lure scents that they come in contact with when doing their work! I do remember Camille's log home in Lac Frontiere camp having a strong odor of beaver castor. Of course he usually had a few beaver stretched on large oval shaped pieces of plywood getting them prepared to be sold to some fur buyer! I remember him showing me a couple of super blankets that he had trapped. If I remember right, one measured 75"and the other measured 82"!
He was a true woodsman who would live in the wilderness for days with minimal supplies. He would have done very well on the program survivor knowing what plants to eat as well as being able to trap, fish or hunt, kill and cook some fresh meat to eat! When on overnight trips checking his trap lines, Camille always carried some waterproof matches or lighter , a hatchet or small axe to build a fire, extra leather with him so he could patch his clothes, his pack bag, repair his snowshoes, or tie together a temporary shelter! He would carry two sleeping bags (one to sleep in and one to put under the one he slept in), a plastic tarp and some small diameter rope to build a lean-to shelter but Camille could build a shelter without rope if needed! I heard a story of Camille getting caught out on his trap line when some bitterly cold weather came unexpectedly and this was combined with heavy snowfall! Not having a camp or shelter nearby he decided to make a temporary shelter for the night! He cut some fir branches to lay under his tarp for his bed, then he laid down one sleeping bag and got into his other sleeping bag laying on top of the fir bows, a tarp and his second sleeping bag with the tarp covering the sleeping bag he was in. He then shaped the snow all around him using the snow as an outer insulation to help insulate him from the bitter cold weather for the night! He survived through the night but said he had never been so cold before in his life!
The early year as the mailman for Clayton Lake were the most difficult years. Before the snow came it was a fairly simple job of driving his vehicle down the road that Edouard Lacroix had built it the 1930's to Clayton Lake from Lac Frontiere! Lacroix bought a used Bridge from the city of St Georges and dismantled it and rebuilt it over the St John River near Nine Mile Brook! Camille had a lease and a camp on the east side of the bridge not far from the Nine Mile Bridge! When Lacroix's cutting operations ended the road from Lac Frontiere to Clayton Lake were not plowed, so Camille would walk on snowshoes, use dogs and a sleigh, use a snowmobile, or on occasion get a ride with a plane to deliver the mail to Clayton Lake!
After the road which connected to the American Realty Road was built by International Paper Co. between Daaquam, Quebec and Clayton Lake was built in 1954 and 1955, IP would plow this road in the winter and Camille would travel with the mail in his VW beetle to Clayton Lake once a week when the roads were rough in the spring and two to three times a week when the roads were good!
Eventually the mail to Clayton Lake came to the Ashland, Maine Post Office and Camille carried the mail from Ashland to Clayton Lake! When Camille retired from doing the mail he still trapped and guided sports to make a little extra income. His son Jack took over the mail run and was as faithful as his father to deliver the mail.
If you ever met Camille or any of the Beaulieu family (Marsha, Barry, Jack and Peter (the twins) you could see they were brought up to be independent and know how to take care of themselves. They were very clever especially when it came to working with leather! Jack made me a great leather sheath that I still have on one of my axes today!
Peter, Barry, Jack and Marsha Beaulieu, a wonderful family! Sadly Peter passed away a short time ago, Barry is in the Veteran's hospital in Togus, and says he is doing well, but I never heard any of the Beaulieu family complain! It possibly was passed down from Camille who was tough as nails! Jack is operating a grader for Blanchet logging (E. J. Carrier) out of St Pamphile. Marsha enjoys visiting with her 3 daughters and her grandchildren as much as possible!
Well that concludes my short story about a legend in the North Maine Woods! Camille was also known to have numerous camps and shelters that he could use over the years as he trapped throughout the North Maine Woods!
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