bowsniper Report post Posted February 23, 2010 I grew up driving in snow, but I'm not as good as I thought I was. Sunday I was cruising through the forest at 7000 feet doing some scouting. I'm driving my Toyota 4wd pu with new BFGs ATs, and life is good! I'm following quad tracks but I'm cutting through easy. I'm conservative, so at the first sign of problems, I put the chains on all 4 tires and retreat. But no problems today, so I drive in about 4 miles and spend the day hiking around in the rain and sleet. I got the forest to myself, it's great! I leave late in the afternoon, the snow seems different, so I put chains on all four tires. Five minutes later I'm high centered and buried in my own tracks from the morning. I spend an hour digging out and 5 minutes later I'm buried again. Is this really the same road I came in on this morning? I call up my good buddy, willhunt4coues, and he calls a tow company for me. As an added bonus, I find a new fallen tree blocking the road as I'm hiking out to meet the tow. Is this really the same road I came in on this morning? It's about 7pm when I meet the tow. He starts having problems, so we retreat to town for a different truck. At 10pm we finally get to into my truck, and the tow truck gets stuck. Is this really the same road I came in on the morning? We hike out 3 miles, and get back to his other truck at 1am. We come back the next morning with two more trucks a two more guys. Both trucks get stuck within a half mile. Is this really the same road I came in on yesterday morning? We give up. My truck and one of the tow trucks are still up there waiting for the Spring thaw. So any guesses what changed? Was I on drugs when I drove in? The snow was a little wetter from the rain, but no deeper in the afternoon. I cruised on in in the morning, but kept getting high centered on my way out. Must have been a different road...................... Mark Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
willhunt4coues Report post Posted February 23, 2010 Well at least you got out safely thats all that matters. I hope you are able to get it out within a few weeks at least. IF ANYONE is ever in the GLOBE area or surrounding the Globe area and need help just give me a ring 928-473-4062 home or 928-200-0166 cell. I know how it is to be helpless and I LOVE to help out. If I can't make it I will find a way to at least get you some help. Mark I am sure glad you got out. When you called me at 8:00 a sigh of relief came over me. You know you were more than welcome to stay at the house. Good luck buddy on your truck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soazarcher Report post Posted February 23, 2010 Frozen soil when you came in, thawed later. Simple. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azryan Report post Posted February 23, 2010 Crazy story! Good thing to know that you have people you can count on to help you out. I feel bad that there is a lone Toyota stuck out in the woods Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowsniper Report post Posted February 23, 2010 Clay, thanks a bunch! The tow guy, Ray, is a good old boy, and I made a new friend. If it was the Frozen soil, why was it still impassable the next morning? The over night temp was about the same as the day before. Mark Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
willhunt4coues Report post Posted February 23, 2010 Clay, thanks a bunch! The tow guy, Ray, is a good old boy, and I made a new friend. If it was the Frozen soil, why was it still impassable the next morning? The over night temp was about the same as the day before. Mark Did he ever charge to run you home? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
russd Report post Posted February 23, 2010 fresh snow is one thing.easy to bust through.when snow melts and re freezes it becomes a different animal altogether.even with chains a mere six inches is difficult to get through. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Str8Shot Report post Posted February 23, 2010 I guess I am confused .... how deep was the snow on the road it sounds like you were digging into the thawed soil of the road and not the snow and if that is the case I would question using chains at all if you have good Tires .... several roads like the upper 300 have very little aggregate to keep them from becoming nothing but a bog as rain and sun melts the snow and ground and if you are using chains you speed up the process while at the same time digging in deeper not a good thing for you or the road ..... I am not a big fan of using chains on any wet thawing forest road especially ones that have little holding them together... Frozen vs thawed is why you got in that mess and depending on how much thawing and how deep with the new cuts from tires and chains it can take several freezing nights to freeze that soil deep enough to get it back to the way it was when you drove in .... Oh one other thing you need to think of is how heavy is your vehicle ..... those bigger trucks with all that weight dig in much easier than something like a jeep Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowsniper Report post Posted February 23, 2010 I guess I am confused .... how deep was the snow on the road it sounds like you were digging into the thawed soil of the road and not the snow and if that is the case I would question using chains at all if you have good Tires .... several roads like the upper 300 have very little aggregate to keep them from becoming nothing but a bog as rain and sun melts the snow and ground and if you are using chains you speed up the process while at the same time digging in deeper not a good thing for you or the road ..... I am not a big fan of using chains on any wet thawing forest road especially ones that have little holding them together... Frozen vs thawed is why you got in that mess and depending on how much thawing and how deep with the new cuts from tires and chains it can take several freezing nights to freeze that soil deep enough to get it back to the way it was when you drove in .... It's a well maintained FS road, utility trucks need to use it to maintain transmitters on the peak. Very little mud. Good tires, new BFG ATs. The snow was mostly 2 inches to 15 inches in shady spots. The tires and chains never really hit the dirt/mud, I just high centered on the snow, with the wheels spinning. I wondering if in the morning when he snow was dry and light, it just pushed out of the way, and in the afternoon when it was wetter, that it piled and damned up underneath? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Str8Shot Report post Posted February 23, 2010 thanks for clearing up my confusion .... probably a combination of that and losing any hard pack that was frozen beneath making you sink a little deeper .... never a fun situation to be in and hopefully you get it out soon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZLance Report post Posted February 24, 2010 Where is it at? I need some new tires... JK... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowhunter4life Report post Posted February 24, 2010 man mark, are you sure it was the same road Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZbowhntr Report post Posted February 24, 2010 I'm sure this morning was warmer than yesterday morning when you went in. It is warming up through the week. Looks like you will need it to also dry out some. That really sucks. I like to hunt in unit 23 and every time I go to Young something happens. I have made some good friends because of it though. So I know how you feel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted February 24, 2010 Wow at least you made it home and hopefully you get your vehicle out soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hunterdude Report post Posted February 24, 2010 Where is it at? I need some new tires... JK... dang your ruff! Thats a good one! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
