I need a lift
Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 10:38 pm
Poking around Furry Creek FSR this weekend - great trail, lots of fun spots to play on the various tributaries.
Went back today and pressed in further, to see how far it would go. Just over 8kms in...
Me: "Love this road! I only have one request: creeks. It would be fun to have some little crossings to get our feet wet."
A dip and a trickle appears ahead in the road.
All cheer: "Your wish is granted, PeeWee!"
Another dip and a trickle, and another. Each bigger than the last.
An actual creek with a foot of running water appears. I grin widely. It looks deceivingly easy, so I proceed. A rock gives way, I bottom out the front, three wheels lose traction. We're stuck. Not even badly, but I don't have any recovery gear on board, and we have no cell coverage. I'm an idiot.
I use a 10ft steel pole that was lying around and lever up the truck here and there while the girls shore up the wheels. The truck is no longer bottomed out. Better, but still not enough traction. We need some muscle. This is when I start to get light headed. The girls have been stepping out of the creek now and then but I've been standing in glacier cold water for most of an hour, exerting myself pretty hard. We get me out of the creek, fluids and food in. Its a nice warm day, five minutes and I'm good to go. I secure the truck, leave a note with the time and our trajectory, pack the food and water and we start hiking back the 4 clicks or so to where we have cell coverage and I can fire off an SOS.
Within 800 meters we run into a group in a Rav4 with a sat phone. I call Coaxial and give him coordinates of the van. An ATV approaches from the direction of the van, we saw him and his buddies on the way in.
Quad Dude: "Need help getting out of the creek?"
Me: "You can do that?"
Quad Dude: "No problem. Hop on."
I get on the quad and we go back to set up. The girls follow in the Rav4.
At the scene, the ATVers are drinking beers: "You were supposed to bring the girls and leave him behind!"
In no time, we anchor two quads together to one tree and the little winch to the straps. There is talk of anchoring to the Rav4 but we decide to try this once first. There is now a small crowd of people watching the fun, including the drunk ATVers who are having a grand time.
Four of the bystanders get on one side of the van and rock her onto her right feet so she's got traction on those and the one rear. I give gas and she moves easily. I'm not sure if the winch helped but it didn't hurt. Truck is free in one go. We unhook everything and I proceed to climb backwards out of the creek. It isn't pretty but she's got plenty of torque and I find a line that works.
We all cheer the ATVers, I give some fresh batteries to the guy with the sat phone for his GPS (least I could do) and we all proceed to go on our own ways.
Coaxial calls as we regain cell reception. He's just around the corner, we know where he is so we meet up. He shows us a different route out that passes through what I would characterize as the Delica Proving Grounds - we should have a mini-meet there sometime.
So, I'm not going to be pushing my luck with the van until I get the proper recovery equipment. But in the end it was a really great day and even the girls thought it was fun. No harm was done to man or machine.
Went back today and pressed in further, to see how far it would go. Just over 8kms in...
Me: "Love this road! I only have one request: creeks. It would be fun to have some little crossings to get our feet wet."
A dip and a trickle appears ahead in the road.
All cheer: "Your wish is granted, PeeWee!"
Another dip and a trickle, and another. Each bigger than the last.
An actual creek with a foot of running water appears. I grin widely. It looks deceivingly easy, so I proceed. A rock gives way, I bottom out the front, three wheels lose traction. We're stuck. Not even badly, but I don't have any recovery gear on board, and we have no cell coverage. I'm an idiot.
I use a 10ft steel pole that was lying around and lever up the truck here and there while the girls shore up the wheels. The truck is no longer bottomed out. Better, but still not enough traction. We need some muscle. This is when I start to get light headed. The girls have been stepping out of the creek now and then but I've been standing in glacier cold water for most of an hour, exerting myself pretty hard. We get me out of the creek, fluids and food in. Its a nice warm day, five minutes and I'm good to go. I secure the truck, leave a note with the time and our trajectory, pack the food and water and we start hiking back the 4 clicks or so to where we have cell coverage and I can fire off an SOS.
Within 800 meters we run into a group in a Rav4 with a sat phone. I call Coaxial and give him coordinates of the van. An ATV approaches from the direction of the van, we saw him and his buddies on the way in.
Quad Dude: "Need help getting out of the creek?"
Me: "You can do that?"
Quad Dude: "No problem. Hop on."
I get on the quad and we go back to set up. The girls follow in the Rav4.
At the scene, the ATVers are drinking beers: "You were supposed to bring the girls and leave him behind!"
In no time, we anchor two quads together to one tree and the little winch to the straps. There is talk of anchoring to the Rav4 but we decide to try this once first. There is now a small crowd of people watching the fun, including the drunk ATVers who are having a grand time.
Four of the bystanders get on one side of the van and rock her onto her right feet so she's got traction on those and the one rear. I give gas and she moves easily. I'm not sure if the winch helped but it didn't hurt. Truck is free in one go. We unhook everything and I proceed to climb backwards out of the creek. It isn't pretty but she's got plenty of torque and I find a line that works.
We all cheer the ATVers, I give some fresh batteries to the guy with the sat phone for his GPS (least I could do) and we all proceed to go on our own ways.
Coaxial calls as we regain cell reception. He's just around the corner, we know where he is so we meet up. He shows us a different route out that passes through what I would characterize as the Delica Proving Grounds - we should have a mini-meet there sometime.
So, I'm not going to be pushing my luck with the van until I get the proper recovery equipment. But in the end it was a really great day and even the girls thought it was fun. No harm was done to man or machine.
You must be the girls hero now! hahaha
