Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire forgot the chains

The Clearwater area got hit hard by the beetle epidemic and some huge fires in the last 10-15 years. The mill recently shut down and what timber rights left sold to other operations to the south, you can get a house pretty cheap in Clearwater now. Lots of similar stories in small town BC, sad to watch.

Or the time I was going home and started down a deep dip, with about 200 yards of slope, just off the main highway. Probably around 7% grade, certainly over 5. Glare ice again, sanding truck had yet to hit it. Even with studs I was barely maintaining control as I committed. Downhill, no problem, right? Just stay off the brakes and gas, coast, do not turn the wheel, and heavier front end ought to keep it straight. ('90 Chev 2500 Diesel crew 4x4))

I'd just commited beyond recall when a year and half old bull moose came walking out from the side driveway halfway down the hill, very gingerly and slowly crossing the road, trying to keep his feet.

Not one damned thing I could do, but he made it out of my way before I got there, by less than 6 inches. I thought I was going to hit him, but he took that last leetle mincy step just as I got there.

And yes, I did once slide backwards down that thing after making it only halfway up, fortunately staying on the road. ('80 F150 2wd, studs, not enough run!)

Now, in those conditions, if I think it's chancy, I take an alternate route, which adds 5 miles o.w. to town. I still has a different dip to go through, but it is more gradual and the sanding truck hits that road first.

Winter conditions are always fun!

I'm running Michelin M&S of the Ram 3500 crew 4x4, with chains winter-carried in the back floor boards. It's been 3 years since I bought those tires and chains, getting rid of the worn out studs and summer tire sets. Have yet to need the chains, either vehicle, as I don't do much winter driving with the Ram except to town on occasion - and that I can usually put off until conditions improve. Chains are way cheaper than 4 studded tires, which studs only last about 3 years anyway,if much driving is done on them..

For most winter driving, we use my wife's ExpeditionEL. We do have rimmed studs for that, as well as rimmed summer tires.. My chains will fit her tires- they go in the back if we are going any distance in marginal conditions. We have it where the sets cycle out different years.

I've not put the Ram in the ditch in the 15 years I've had it. The '90 Chev 3500 practically lived there....slowing down helps.

We carry 300# of sandbags in the back of both rigs, positioned as far back as possible, also.

I don't mind pushing it a bit on the steeps with fresh snow, even its fairly wet. But when its settled and turned to ice above 10-12% I'm out. I've got some spots that had big black tail promise up in the hills close to home here earlier in the year. Self imposed no go zone now its iced up up there clinging to the side of a mountain. No friggn deer is worth the chance.

may be true but a windrow of snow is a catchment for drifting snow which can hard pack and bite you in the azz
norm

BTDTover in Midway ,I was coming home the back way earily spring and a wooded section with a 30 ft deep dip ,started the up hill got the front tires on the crest and no more go , put my foot on the brake and went downhill backwards, no time to look or react and over the bank i went ,a 10 inch tree stoped me with the front tires just below the road , I have to get a skidder with chains on to get me out.

norm

By the tailgate? That will help you swap ends. Better over the rear axle.

I used to repair snow equipment, rotaries, graders, OshKosh wing trucks etc on site for a little income in the winter when construction was slow. Had a 350 Dodge 4x4 service truck grossly overloaded with tools, welder, compressor etc and that thing was a tank in the snow. They called one morning, needed some welding on a grader, guy said, "the sun came out yesterday and melted the pack on the road and then it snowed a little last night and it is ugly up there this morning". Over confident, I headed up the hill without putting on the chains, got to the grader ok, parked on the road, unrolled my leads and commenced welding. Head down, welding away, I feel the welding lead tug out of my hand...I look up, there goes my service truck, down the hill. The hot tires had melted the skiff of snow on top of the ice and away she goes...slow motion disbelief...my entire livelihood at the mercy of gravity. Got damn lucky, as she started off the edge, the rough dirt on the shoulder stopped the slide. I was a lot more cautious after that, on ice.

Slang for studded tire chains, the spikes on the cross bar bite into ice. Regular chains just slide on the top of ice and won’t bite.