Did we want to go and if so they would wait for us to get ready. They could ride my trails thru the woods and by the time they got back we should be ready to go. We decided we would go with them and we would probably make a long night of it. We quickly dressed and I went and got the sleds out of the trailer where I store them. Just as I got Kare’s up to the front door here the group came. There are 10 snow mobiles and 12 people as a couple of the girls would rather ride with their other half than ride there own sled.
We get to the restaurant not seeing any one on the roads except other snowmobilers. Restaurant has specials on about everything this night since only people traveling is snowmobilers and one dog sled team we saw. We have a good time while eating and stayed shooting the bulls while having 5ths and 6th cups of coffee. Finally we all agree to go for a night ride to a place about 15 miles away where if they are open, we can have a few and dance with our other half. We make it there and see they are closed so we all decide to go home and go the next evening.
Next morning when we get up the radio report is for the snow to continue for several more hours and clearing by mid day. We have breakfast and I go out to walk the dogs, my tape measure shows 20 inches on the approach to the barn door. Decide to see how the dogs do in such deep snow although the group had packed our trails down the evening before. Isn’t really bad once we get going my tape showed 12 inches above what was packed. Still it doesn’t take much walking in deep snow to tire you out even with letting the 4 dogs bust the trail. So we get to the back of the place and return in our same tracks. Once back in the barn I feed and water the pups then go in the house for a hot cup of tea. Decided to go out and shovel away from the garage door so snow would not fall in when I opened it.
I get Kare’s snowmobile and run it in the garage, hook my chain fall to the rear hitch and lift it up and check the track tension, let it back down and lift the front and make sure the carbides are still ok. Finish that and fill it full of fuel and oil, I get mine and do the same thing. Just finish mine and the phone starts ringing, is George and wants to know when I am coming to plow his drive out. I tell him tomorrow when the storm is over. He said he needs it plowed today as he has to go get his wife from work. I ask how she got to work, he says her boss came with his big old suburban and picked her up. I tell George to tell the boss to bring her back home then. Say good bye and no sooner hang up and the phone is ringing again, this time it is Brent and says we are going to meet at the club house about 4:00pm, got 3 calls about that to make sure I got the message.
I take my sled and ride my trails and pack them and notice the snow isn’t falling as hard but the wind has picked up a bit. It is now time for lunch, Kare has been working on. Radio is again telling the people to stay home and off the roads. Road crews are having an awful time just keeping 30 miles of interstate running east and west open and some of the 3 lanes are down to just two. County road cominnsiner is telling people over the radio not to abandon their cars and trucks stuck in the road. They will have any towed they come across if in the road way, best to just stay home. I go out at 2:00pm and measure the snow again by the door and we have 27 inch’s now. I again take the dogs and the walk isn’t as bad since I had packed the trails but still there were drifts that were bad in the fields. Get back to the house and take a shower then dress for our ride. Kare and I make the 12 miles to the club house in just 30 minutes since I am going fast enough to blast thru some good sized drifts. Wonder of all wonders everyone who said they were coming arrived by 5:00pm.
It is 22 miles to the dance hall and we made it in just 20 minutes thanks to Ike and Will for opening up the trail so we didn’t have drifts to bust. Wow must be 100 snow mobiles in the parking lot, learn later only 63 however.We order dinner and drinks, finish it then start dancing a big dance floor that is nearly standing room only on Fridays and Saturdays when the weather is nicer. Along about 11:00 every one is tired of dancing and we are just shooting bull/s. Gus said he had just came back from doing a cigar and the storm had stopped, sky cleared and full moon was shining bright, gotten colder and the hoar frost was twinkling in the moon light.
Someone came up with the idea to ride the 71 mile river trail and make the return to the club house and finish off a couple 6 packs we had there. What a ride, the snow had the pine branches hanging low over the trail so it looked like you were riding in a green and white tunnel. When you would break out in an opening the hoar frost was twinkling and the smell of two stroke fumes tickled the nose. Once we left the river trail there was a 2 mile dash to the club house, lots of playing busting drifts and weaving back and forth in the snow.
We arrives at the club house about 2:00am those who wanted helped finish off the 6 packs and some just left for home. Kare and I arrived back home at 3:00 am. Next morning I go to do the dogs and my tape measure says 32 inches of snow. Back in the woods I measure again where the wind had not made drifts and again I got 32 inches. Get back to the barn and fire up the 5000 Ford to warm while I feed and water the dogs.
Back out of the barn and kick the pto in gear and watch a steady stream of snow exit the chute of the big 6 foot Bur Vac. I love to see that stream going out about 70 feet across the yard. Make the pass up my drive and cross the road to Stan’s place and make the two passes to clear him out, I know with the wind I will be doing it again in a day. Get to Georges and what a mess, a plow truck is stuck big time on the rocks that line the drive way George had not told them about. George’s truck it stuck also, I clear up to his front bumper then go back to the road and come in the other part of the horse shoe drive and clear up to the trucks back bumper. By then George had gotten dressed and came out to be read the riot act, by me. I get him in his truck to start it and I turn the my big ford around and put the front push bar against the truck to boot it out of the drift. Now most of the drive is clear so I finish what is left. George wanted to know if I would pull the plow truck off the rock, tell him no they can call a tow truck when the road is clear. I don’t want it on me if it damages there truck coming off that rock.
Al
