Post by geoff on Sept 2, 2012 22:46:00 GMT -5
Made my third attempt at getting to the headwaters of Caribou creek, as well as Glass creek and Mazuma creek. This area is my white whale. The area is full of obsidian, agates, bloodstone, amethyst, thunder eggs, jasper, spenel, zeolites, smokey quartz and ammonites.
My first attempt was on foot two years ago. I gave up on the 27 mile hike after the first 6. I guess I was feeling a bit ambitious.
Last year I borrowed a four wheeler from a friend and took a different route. I only made it two miles this time. The used four wheeler was a bit beat up and apparently cobbled together. The front right lower ball joint came apart in the first little mud pit. I managed to limp it back to my truck. Once I got back to the house, I found that someone had try to reassemble it before by drilling a hole straight through the shaft I guess so they could bolt it together. Well, the drill bit broke off and they decided to just leave it like that. A small piece of drill bit all that was holding it together.
Last weekend I borrowed a four wheeler from a different friend. Right away I noticed it didn't want to stay in low gear. I tried yet another route, made it 3.5 miles before I found a bottomless mud pit.
The thing about wheeling in the mountains is the distinct lack of trees big enough to use as a winch anchor. I had 25 feet of wire rope on the winch, and the nearest tree was 70 feet away. I was very sure that I wouldn't be able to winch out the way I was going, and I didn't have a way to pull from the back. I used the winch to uproot a bunch of alders, tried to use them to fill in under the front tires to no avail. After slopping around in waist deep mud for 45 minutes, i ditched my pants, they weren't staying up anyway. another half hour later I gave up on getting out and started the walk back to where my wife dropped me off.
I was in boots, boxers and a jacket and all I had was my phone, and gps. Within minutes the low battery warning came on the gps, and of course I was miles from cell service. I made the walk out in about an hour and 15. The wife was freaking out, seeing me covered in mud, no pants and no wheeler. We made the 90 mile drive back to civilization, picked up a 100 foot 3/16" wire rope and a come along, then drove right back out to Gunsight mountain. By the time I made it to the trail head it was getting to be dusk. I started to walk out, then thought better of going alone and head my dog come with. If nothing else, she would make good bear bait. About a mile in my dog bolted into the woods. Immediately the lynx that was stalking us jumped at me then made a break fro the other side of the trail. The rest of the walk was uneventful.
It took about 45 minute to unstuck the wheeler. By then it was getting very dark, the thick cloud cover not helping one bit. I got stuck a few more times on the way out, the last time I was about 1500 feet from the truck. Knowing that it was near 11pm I figured I would walk up to her and check in. Turns out, she called 911 at our agreed upon time at 10pm. The one time she does what I ask . She called the operator back and had them call off the rescue. Apparently they sent a crew from Glenallen and Palmer, 70 miles East and West, plus a Trooper from about 50 miles away. They still insisted on having the medics take a look at me, it was 37 degrees and I was soaked and only wearing pants and a tshirt. They came and asked me how I was feeling, I told them I was fine. They recommended I call it a night and I agreed.
The next day I was back at it around 8am. Took a half hour to pull it free. Now I couldn't get the damn thing to start! The spark plug was fouled and I couldn't get it to start. I ended up pushing it the last 1/8 mile with the help of my wife. we got it through a few big puddles before getting to a point where we could get to it with the truck. I pulled it out a mile or so and used the winch to get it onto the truck.
Finally all that was over, and another year had come and gone with no luck.
My first attempt was on foot two years ago. I gave up on the 27 mile hike after the first 6. I guess I was feeling a bit ambitious.
Last year I borrowed a four wheeler from a friend and took a different route. I only made it two miles this time. The used four wheeler was a bit beat up and apparently cobbled together. The front right lower ball joint came apart in the first little mud pit. I managed to limp it back to my truck. Once I got back to the house, I found that someone had try to reassemble it before by drilling a hole straight through the shaft I guess so they could bolt it together. Well, the drill bit broke off and they decided to just leave it like that. A small piece of drill bit all that was holding it together.
Last weekend I borrowed a four wheeler from a different friend. Right away I noticed it didn't want to stay in low gear. I tried yet another route, made it 3.5 miles before I found a bottomless mud pit.
The thing about wheeling in the mountains is the distinct lack of trees big enough to use as a winch anchor. I had 25 feet of wire rope on the winch, and the nearest tree was 70 feet away. I was very sure that I wouldn't be able to winch out the way I was going, and I didn't have a way to pull from the back. I used the winch to uproot a bunch of alders, tried to use them to fill in under the front tires to no avail. After slopping around in waist deep mud for 45 minutes, i ditched my pants, they weren't staying up anyway. another half hour later I gave up on getting out and started the walk back to where my wife dropped me off.
I was in boots, boxers and a jacket and all I had was my phone, and gps. Within minutes the low battery warning came on the gps, and of course I was miles from cell service. I made the walk out in about an hour and 15. The wife was freaking out, seeing me covered in mud, no pants and no wheeler. We made the 90 mile drive back to civilization, picked up a 100 foot 3/16" wire rope and a come along, then drove right back out to Gunsight mountain. By the time I made it to the trail head it was getting to be dusk. I started to walk out, then thought better of going alone and head my dog come with. If nothing else, she would make good bear bait. About a mile in my dog bolted into the woods. Immediately the lynx that was stalking us jumped at me then made a break fro the other side of the trail. The rest of the walk was uneventful.
It took about 45 minute to unstuck the wheeler. By then it was getting very dark, the thick cloud cover not helping one bit. I got stuck a few more times on the way out, the last time I was about 1500 feet from the truck. Knowing that it was near 11pm I figured I would walk up to her and check in. Turns out, she called 911 at our agreed upon time at 10pm. The one time she does what I ask . She called the operator back and had them call off the rescue. Apparently they sent a crew from Glenallen and Palmer, 70 miles East and West, plus a Trooper from about 50 miles away. They still insisted on having the medics take a look at me, it was 37 degrees and I was soaked and only wearing pants and a tshirt. They came and asked me how I was feeling, I told them I was fine. They recommended I call it a night and I agreed.
The next day I was back at it around 8am. Took a half hour to pull it free. Now I couldn't get the damn thing to start! The spark plug was fouled and I couldn't get it to start. I ended up pushing it the last 1/8 mile with the help of my wife. we got it through a few big puddles before getting to a point where we could get to it with the truck. I pulled it out a mile or so and used the winch to get it onto the truck.
Finally all that was over, and another year had come and gone with no luck.