A friend of mine said that they felt a little bad for me because the last few times I tried to get up to the Beta Site I had to bail due to road conditions. I replied that I wasn’t feeling bad about it at all. Each trip out there, even though it failed, gave me tons of information for later use. This weekend was more of the same…try and fail.
The amount of mud that was on the road was epic. I actually slid of the road and into a muddy borrow pit. Fortunately I was able to get back onto the fudge sundae that was the road without too much difficulty but it was a white-knuckler there for a while.
As the elevation increased, the mud decreased until we were back on snowy/slushy roads. Ok, so far so good. The big problem is this steep, sloping switchback. Last time it was a sheet of ice that very nearly punched my ticket to Sto’Vo’Kor. This time, I got out at the bottom of this treacherous stretch and walked it first to see what I was in for. The road surface was slushy ice, which was, in my opinion, traversible, with a set of chains. Fortunately, I had brought a set….the product of previous lessons learned. What I did not have, however, was time. By the time I would have chained up and gotten on my way it would have been too late in the afternoon to get anything done without risking having to come back in the half-light or dark. So…again…not this trip.
But, lessons are learned. I’m learning the conditions of the road, where the trouble spots are, what can and cannot be expected to work, etc, etc. Next trip will involve the side-by-side. I’ll bring along chains for it, as well as my unstuck gear, and we’ll see hwat happens.
Most people I relate this tale to tell me that clearly I need to expect to simply not be able to get to this property in the winter. I nod politely and agree, because I really don’t feel like explaining to them that I need to be able to access my property at any time of year under any circumstance. Heck, thats why I bought the side-by-side and thats probably why I’ll wind up with a snowmobile as well.
I’ve also mapped out the areas to start from if I want to walk in. For example, I know that it is exactly 1.75 miles in a straight line from that switchback to my property. And I know it’s exactly two miles from a different, easily accessed point. This summer one of my projects is walk those routes to I know what to expect.
Why haven’t I taken the side-by-side up there yet? Well, there’s a bottleneck. The side-by-side gets to the general region of the Beta Site on a trailer. That trailer needs a place to be safely stowed when Im not using it…and that would be my fenced yard. But I can’t put it in the yard until I get my fence guy to come in and put a gate into my fence so I can secure the trailer and side-by-side when Im not using them. So…I need the gate so I can get the trailer so I can get the side-by-side to the general region of the property.
The fence guy came today and says he’ll have some ideas and pricing for me by the end of the week. We’ll see. In the meantime, to err on the side of caution, I’m off looking for a good set of chains for the side-by-side as well as investigating the options and pricing for a replacement set of wheels with studded tires.
So, lessons learned and I’m better prepared for next time.
Going out when road conditions are not good is valuable information to have. Not always going to be sunny and great on the road. You become aware of not only Where it is bad, but what equipment is needed to drive on. Education on learning this to YOUR location is important.
A spare set of wheels with mounted tires and chains already installed, plus a large-enough cordless impact wrench and a jack, is handy. Faster/easier to swap wheels than install chains.
Agreed. I’m looking into another set of wheels.
Maybe track conversion for ATV or one of those tracked rec vehicles ?
I would look at what another set of rims and studded tires will run you compared to what a set of tracks would and just realize your tires won’t help if the snow is to.deep where a set of tracks will go through mud and snow and you can get studs for them if needed…This is just speaking from experience Brother because been there done that ten years ago…
maybe an older long/wide track snowmobile with a trailer hitch for winter, something like this:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/manstuff2/posts/2912168248963266/
I have an older one and it pulls whatever you want, like ice fishing houses
you could haul your gear up in a trailer when the snow is at its worst
they make carbide wear rods for the skis (they can turn on concrete and pavement) and you can get metal studs for the track
This is valuable information to have and you are taking the correct approach. Far too often we push ourselves into dangerous situations due simply to frustration of “not being there yet, not being finished yet, not being able to do the fun stuff yet” types of reasons. Stay prepared, stay smart, stay safe. Slow and steady wins the race. You’re also gaining another piece of valuable information. You get to see how hard it is for the casual passerby/the junkie looking for something to steal/the hordes of angry/desperate/hungry marauders to access your property during the short days part of the year. You can plan your defensive posture accordingly.
Try and fail, until you fail at failing.
The Space-X method of project accomplishment!
Hi Zero
Way back in 1973 we purchased a 1973 Chevrolet K-5 Blazer. It was a great truck for off road trips all over New Mexico
Big tires skid plates etc and found that chains in snow helped and worked better on the front due to the added weight of the engine and transfer case
Chains were more problematic in mud depending on how deep the mud consistency of the mud and so forth
You might get some ideas by watching some of the videos on mud bogging and endemic sport in the south!
Sounds like you need an M35 2½-ton cargo truck or Unimog. Both used to be extremely cheap from military and forest service auctions and are still reasonably priced for what you get.
I picked up an old Willys Jeep had a side by side but I didn’t like it. Easier for me to work on the 1947 jeep than anything else.
Following. I don’t know the scenario or circumstances there to be accurate here. If there is excessive mud that a capable 4×4 truck can not get through then is it by a poor drainage or engineering deficiency in the road or route? If the road is a .GOV route then maybe they can be coerced, cajoled etc to help with improvements to that poor drainage or road bed status. They may never work on that road or area simply because “no one complained” or no one actually lives there or a need for road work was not expressed. They are busy with busy work and have bureaucratic blinders on. Yeah it may get work done for you and make access for others easier but you are spending your precious money just to access your own lot. Make .GOV do some work for you, for a change, they may be accommodating and say yep we can help, it does need it, be out there in the summer. Or hiring a Bubba with heavy equipment to do an off the books Saturday scrape and drainage grade can be snuck into your macro engineering terrascape plans. Just a thought here.
That was my thoughts also. Bring in something to divert the water away to the sides. Add some fabric with #2 stone compacted on top. I know it’s a long way so start at the worst spots first and do a section at a time. We are all on a budget!
I’d go with tires and chains instead of studded tired on the spare wheels. Having them mounted means swapping them about as fast putting chains on in the field, and less messy.
My uncles place they had a parking lot by the highway with snowmobiles staged to get back to the cabins with. And you can pull thing behind snow machines. Side by sides and most 4×4 all suffer the same Robles. You get enough stuff under them to lift the body and you are stuck. You can also dig down to high side the machine.
I would be interested in one of those track systems for the 4×4. I think they are north of 10k but I could be off,
Is it cost prohibitive to have a few dump trucks of gravel laid down?