LAST EDITED ON May-10-17 AT 11:41PM (MST)[p]Thank you gentlemen, for the kind words. I seriously need to reevaluate some of my behavior. I hope I learned something for this mess.
264, I did have one of those 12 volt chargers, but it's been giving me trouble the last month or two, I should never had taken a chance and check it more closely before we left. It was dead on arrival.
I knew I left the come-along in the truck, when I drove off. I had the chain, the crowbar, the shovel, the water, the food, the long handled butane lighter ;-), the extra gas, the iphone, the charger (bit it failed) Why I drove off without the come-along was just plain stupid. I hope I re-learned that lesson.
Over the years I have almost alway invited others to go with me, but if not, I go alone. That needs to stop, when it comes to the more remote trips. When I was in my 30s or 40s I was stronger and in much better physical condition. At nearly 70, I simply need to accept the fact that digging 2 or 3 tons of mud out of sand hill, will kill me now. Even though I had a buddy with me, without a second outfit, to assist in pulling, pushing, or just plan getting you back to the truck, having two vehicles along is a must, when going this far off the beaten path.
Heartshot, I do need to invest in some kind of winch system, that always stays with the RZR. I'd prefer one that can be moved to the front or the rear, so I could pull in either direction, without running a cable under the unit to pull backwards. Secondly I need to find a "winch to" system that can be put down in the sand as a pull to device, whereas, this is the umpteenth time I've been stick in the sand with nothing to pull to. Some years ago, in my pick-up, down on the Pauns, I get stuck miles from the nearest yard light, and ended up taking a 50 foot pull strap, digging a trench in a half circle, I made it about four feet deep and then laid the pull strap in it, out in front of the truck, then using a cable and my come-along I pulled myself out, after 5 hours of shoveling and pulling. I don't ever want to do that again. There must be a commercial product that would work. If not, eel, invent one from me, and I'll market it at the SFW Expo next year. I am perfectly prepared to explain the benefits to the potential buyers.
If any of you folks have any suggestions on a winch, "pull to" that would work in the sand, I really like your input.
And...... I'll be donating to my Search and Rescue group, from here on out. Those guys were fantastic.
No BobCat, we were just taking pictures, like well behaved tourists. Beside, I may be old and stupid but I know where to look for sheds and it ain't on the Swell. Now you, on the other hand probably have a honey hole out there, where you pick up Desert Big Horn sheds.
I saw one sheep track and a couple of tons of wild horse turds, down in the washes.
From now on Beanman, I think we'll change our name from Utard, to Uturds, you sure you to want to be a honorary member of us Uturds? Not sure which is worse! I guy needs to be careful who he identifies with, stereotypes are earned, you know!!
We took Eva Conover Canyon (638) trail north from I-70, 32 miles north, then decided it was time to head back. I've been over the Devil's Race Track a number of times and figured, to hell with it, and looked to see if there was another trail back. I could see from the map that trail 636 went back to the Moore Exit of I-70, so we started back on that trail. Somewhere along that trail, we got off into a deep, nasty, rock chocked draw, that went on for early 20 miles, it eventually turned north and west but we couldn't out of it because the walls were 50 to 60 feet high and straight up, you know what it's like out there. Eventually the wash turned into a narrow sand draw six or 8 feet deep with willows as thick as the hair on a dogs back, a half mile in all both directions, so getting out of the wash meant plowing through acers of thick heavy willows, that were 6 to 8 feet tall as well, so we stayed in the draw. And I didn't want ole Elkassassin given me a high country tune-up for getting of the trail. Eventually a spring started to seep into the draw and over the years it had eroded the draw into and really narrow, deep funnel. I could see, about 50 or 60 feet out in front of me, that the wash widened out again and I thought I was going to be able to squeeze through. Big mistake, I powered the RZR as hard as it could go into that funnel and came up short of breaking out the other end. As the RZR leaned onto the right bank, it could no longer get fuel, so there we set. Stuck and the one tool I needed the most, I left in the pick-up. What was worse, I knew I didn't know where were where, but I had enough juice left in my phone to make one quick call, and why in the world we were able to get a cell signal out there is beyond me but we did. My battery stayed alive just long enough to make a call to the Sheriff's Dispatch in Emery and give them my coordinates, and the rest is history. We made if back to the pick-up, just as the sun went down, fat, dumb, and happy!
Twabbis, I called your bother back yesterday and thanked him, he is a consummate professional and saved our butts, no doubt about it. They do it so often, it becomes routine for them, but it was a Godsend for us.
eelgrass, I think I'll take my chances with the sand, the mustangs, and the big horns. I'll leave you to your fish, your selachimorpha, and your salt water!!! Can you mount a winch on that kayak?
DC