Back Country rule #1

[bleepo]

Don't get stuck.

 

Pics and story to follow once we're thawed.

[ec437]

STORY NAOW~~~

 

[zachoff]

Nothing worse than post-holing out of waist deep snow while carrying skis/snowboards. Sucks man, but good you made it home.

[bleepo]

Yesterday we made a day trip. It was supposed to be about 70 miles, highway in my Dodge Ram Megacab. Instead our cousin insisted on his 04 Tacoma 2 door, with jumpseats.

 

An hour into the bush (his route) we hit snow at the top of the mountain. Stuck. We cut down a tree (had a chainsaw) and got ourselves out. We kept going forward.

 

3 kms (7or so miles) down the road, stuck again. Cut down another tree, try everything. Really stuck. So we had a sleepover. Overnight it snowed another foot or so (on top of the 1.5 already on the road). We had made shovels from the tree, but they sucked and there was just too much snow.

 

We ended up walking back 10k in the snow (22 miles) before our search party found us. Luckily we had left detailed route plans etc. and family is in the local rescue squad.

 

We went back for the truck later today, no luck. We'll try again tomorrow.

 

Mrs. Bleepo will have pics and her side of the story soon!

[mrs. bleepo]

what we could have take vs. what we took

 

 

photo i took to be funny of the tiny little space i got, unwittingly setting myself up for disaster since that is where i "slept"

 

 

first time getting stuck, not last time being stupid

 

 

how high the snow was second time we got stuck

 

 

my cousin made "shovels" out of a cedar he fell... they did not work so good

 

 

terrible photo of me pretending i'm not terrified of the chainsaw

 

 

not pictured, the snow after we woke up and the sheer misery felt by all on the walk back. will follow up with pictures if we ever get his truck back!

[Crescent Seven]

OK I was thinking you guys were on snowshoes or something..

 

I have very little sympathy for people who try to drive their trucks across snow-blocks in 4x4 trails. In fact, I've gotten to the point where I refuse to pull people out with my truck. If they're in dire need of help, I'll drive them out, but I won't put a strap on my truck if they tried to cross a snow drift and got stuck. They put reverse on 4x4's for a reason.

 

Glad you guys are OK, when I read "backcountry" I thought Bleepo slept in a snowhut because he got disoriented, which is a bad situation. Wait for that thaw, man!

 

I'm dying to go wheelin', BTW.

C7

[mrs. bleepo]

there was not much snow when we started out, but yes, we were not thinking. we were also not driving, my cousin was. if we were, like bleepo stated, we'd have been on the transcanada in lush dodge glory

[bleepo]

...And this guy turns around in poor conditions.

 

The recovery vehicle driver (uncle) was telling us his motto/joke while going up. What's the difference between a 2wd with chains and a 4wd? the 4wd gets stuck 30 feet later.

 

Our cousin thinks he's a hotshot behind the wheel. He also didn't listen to me when I said to jack the truck and put boards under the wheels. He took the advice the next morning, when it was too late.

[ec437]

10k in the snow (22 miles)

 

10k=6.2 miles...

 

[Kindness]

That sucks! Glad everyone is safe.

[Rowka]

Thawed? It was 85F here today.

 

I'm just sayin'.

[bleepo]

10k=6.2 miles...

I'm a bass player. I can count to 4, over and over.

 

I have no idea how far a mile is to be honest.

[bleepo]

 

Thawed? It was 85F here today. I'm just sayin'.

 

During our walk it was about 32f (freezing, if I'm correct)

Overnight it was colder, but I'm not sure how much. When we went to try to recover his truck it was 8C. (46f)

 

This was in the mountains. It was in the high 50's in town.

[stevieb]

I'm not a Toyota fan, but all you offer (that I can tell) about the Dodge somehow being better suited to the trip was that it belonged to you, and perhaps that if might have been more roomy to sleep in- but nothing about why it would have been less likely to get stuck- if there even is something about it that would result in that. Pic does not seem to show any greater ground clearance, for instance.

 

I agree with your uncle-

 

Q: What's 4WD good for?

 

A: Getting stuck DEEPER in the woods.

[Sonic1]

I'm not a Toyota fan, but all you offer (that I can tell) about the Dodge somehow being better suited to the trip was that it belonged to you, and perhaps that if might have been more roomy to sleep in- but nothing about why it would have been less likely to get stuck- if there even is something about it that would result in that. Pic does not seem to show any greater ground clearance, for instance. I agree with your uncle- Q: What's 4WD good for? A: Getting stuck DEEPER in the woods.

 

SnaP!

[Crescent Seven]

His point about the Dodge was that he would have been driving instead of his cousing, and would not have attempted the snow crossing.

 

I didn't mean to sound snarky, it's just that I've spent a night in the snow because I was a dip{censored} and looking back, a little common sense would have kept me out of it. Bet that your cousin doesn't try that {censored} a second time.

 

Some guys think their truck is totally capable of kicking any ass it comes upon. My Pathfinder can negotiate most trails, I'm confident of that. However, deep snow is not navigable by trucks; I've never seen a pickup truck NOT get stuck when the driver tries crossing a snowblock more than 4 or 5 truck-lengths wide. It's a fool's endeavor, man.

C7

[faileddrummer]

I always thought back country rule #1 was STAY AWAY!

 

Nothing scarier than raging rednecks. Nothing at all.

[sub5ound]

post

[bleepo]

His point about the Dodge was that he would have been driving instead of his cousing, and would not have attempted the snow crossing. C7

This. I also mentioned I would have taken the highway. My plan was lunch (we never got there) and then a trip to Glacier National Park. The plans changed, and i wasn't informed! At least family was. I wasn't dressed for it either. Peacoat, and leather loafers.

 

They are about equal off road. I have limited slip, Solid axle, tons of torque, more power, and more weight. He is shorter, lighter, has better tires, independent front suspension and is stick. They all come in handy at one point or another.

 

I however, know that I would sink like a rock in that! My truck is capable, if not too big, but I also don't like wheeling without the buddy system. If it looks like you will get stuck with 2 of you, there's help. One truck, well...

 

First sign of snow and I'm outta there. BC's mountain weather is nothing to toy with. We were picked up with snow falling. Bottom of the hill? Sunny and warm. It was clear yesterday, and a foot fell overnight. In April.

 

But damn rights I'd rather spend a night in a mega cab than any other vehicle! The rear seats recline and have more legroom than the front! Pop in a DVD, and you'd think you're at home!

 

C7, I sensed a night in the woods from your post. I don't imagine Colorado and BC are that different.

[perrydabassman]

No offense Bleepo, but Mrs Bleepo with a chainsaw.....

[philthygeezer]

Yep. Most vehicles make horrible snow plows.

[Crescent Seven]

No offense Bleepo, but Mrs Bleepo with a chainsaw.....

 

Word. It's obvious that the pic was taken long before she realized she would be sleeping in the crewcab of a Tacoma in the middle of nowhere.

 

As far as CO and BC being similar, I think the terrain itself might be the same, but the weather patterns are much different. You guys get WAY more snow than we do from what I understand.

 

I haven't even considered 4wheeling yet this season, but I have a buddy who went out and bought a lifted Jeep Grand Cherokee and just couldn't wait. He thought it was funny, getting stuck up to all 4 axles, and unfortunately he had tire chains with him. I say unfortunately because now he thinks that he can just throw chains on his {censored} and he's unstoppable.

 

Several years ago, a couple friends and I were heading up Rollins Pass to shoot guns, right about this time of year. We didn't get far, the road was blocked by snow. The first block we get to, there's a kid and his dad in a brand new F-150 (purchased that morning), stuck about 50 feet into the drift. Since we were likely the only vehicle they'd see, I started setting them up to pull them out. The hill sloped sideways into an ice-ditch, so they had to back out perfectly straight or else they would go into that ditch.

 

The kid was driving, he was probably 18 or 19, and I gave him very specific instructions NOT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. His dad was standing right there when I said it. I start pulling with the Pathfinder, and the kid romps on the gas, and right away I hear his dad yell "TURN THE WHEEL LEFT!!"

 

Turn the wheel left. That truck slid sideways and directly into that ditch, and my Pathfinder couldn't pull it out. I jumped out and the dad asks me "what happened?" I asked him if I could drive them down to the Sheriff's house, but he was so pissed at me that he wouldn't take the ride. He knew it was all his fault but instead of admitting that in front of his son, he tried blaming me.

 

So I took my tow strap, my chain, my shovel and my truck and left.

C7

[perrydabassman]

Word. It's obvious that the pic was taken long before she realized she would be sleeping in the crewcab of a Tacoma in the middle of nowhere. As far as CO and BC being similar, I think the terrain itself might be the same, but the weather patterns are much different. You guys get WAY more snow than we do from what I understand. I haven't even considered 4wheeling yet this season, but I have a buddy who went out and bought a lifted Jeep Grand Cherokee and just couldn't wait. He thought it was funny, getting stuck up to all 4 axles, and unfortunately he had tire chains with him. I say unfortunately because now he thinks that he can just throw chains on his {censored} and he's unstoppable. Several years ago, a couple friends and I were heading up Rollins Pass to shoot guns, right about this time of year. We didn't get far, the road was blocked by snow. The first block we get to, there's a kid and his dad in a brand new F-150 (purchased that morning), stuck about 50 feet into the drift. Since we were likely the only vehicle they'd see, I started setting them up to pull them out. The hill sloped sideways into an ice-ditch, so they had to back out perfectly straight or else they would go into that ditch. The kid was driving, he was probably 18 or 19, and I gave him very specific instructions NOT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. His dad was standing right there when I said it. I start pulling with the Pathfinder, and the kid romps on the gas, and right away I hear his dad yell "TURN THE WHEEL LEFT!!" Turn the wheel left. That truck slid sideways and directly into that ditch, and my Pathfinder couldn't pull it out. I jumped out and the dad asks me "what happened?" I asked him if I could drive them down to the Sheriff's house, but he was so pissed at me that he wouldn't take the ride. He knew it was all his fault but instead of admitting that in front of his son, he tried blaming me. So I took my tow strap, my chain, my shovel and my truck and left. C7

 

I think I would have gunned it a little and thrown snow all over them.

[Crescent Seven]

I think I would have gunned it a little and thrown snow all over them.

 

Not possible; I was on dry land. I don't drive across snow drifts.

C7

[perrydabassman]

Not possible; I was on dry land. I don't drive across snow drifts. C7

 

I was having pleasant flashbacks of my old CJ-5. Some previous owned had slapped a 360 J20 engine with a T-18 four speed in it. I put six inches of lift on the suspension and 35 inch Grabber AP's on it. The only time I COULDN'T spin the tires was when I was in 4 wheel low, and then it would pop wheelies....