Incident at Battle Creek!

[Lighthawk]

There don't appear to be any logs or the like to bury in the photos. Are you suggesting carrying a built ground anchor? I'd be interested in hearing about relatively lightweight designs for ground anchors.


A deadman anchor can be a lot of things, like the crowbar laying on the ground in Mark's photo. Depending upon how soft the soil it, you might need to dig a fairly deep trench to place it in. Then girth-hitch some heavy webbing or tow strap around the middle. You'll need a second trench that Tee's into the one the anchor is buried in to bring the strap up to daylight at a shallow pitch.

If this sounds confusing, go read a book on crevasse rescue
In snow, there's often two deadmen that are 'equalized' to share the load.

 

[CraggyMan]

Hi-lift is probably one of the simpler solutions IMHO. I always carry extra chunks of wood from my construction jobs for leveling the rig and figure they could be used for just such an occasion as MBC's to place in the muck under the tires. Alternative is to gather some local sagebrush or shrubbery for under the tires after lift and creating a temp tire path with traction.(always remember to thank the plants for their sacrifice
But, the easiest is always travel in teams of two rigs, good for many things to have a friend along: comic relief, helping hand when stuck, extra beer etc...

 

[MarkBC]

More about my Incident -- A few more details and thoughts:

• While driving us to my truck The Rancher mentioned, "When we're [Battle Creek Ranch] not using the water [for irrigating hay fields] the creek can get pretty bad [easy to get stuck in]".
  The interesting point about this is that it suggests that when they are drawing-on/diverting the creek for irrigation -- like spring to early fall (?) -- the creek should be lower and easier to cross. Of course, in spring it's gonna have naturally higher flow from snow-melt...although, spring -- early spring, anyway, is not a good time to go just about anywhere out here on iffy roads due to mud from snow-melt.

• While I said in my first post that "I gave up", I hadn't ultimately/completely given up. That is, if I couldn't get help from the ranch I would have spent the night in my truck where it stood -- I would have been too tired to work into the freezing dark. The next day I would have put more/larger boards under the jack (which broke through a layer of ice-mud) and maybe put on one of the set of chains (on the driver-rear tire) I had with me. The passenger-rear tire was in broken-ice/water/mud up to the axle so it would have been mighty hard to get the jack under the axle...but I would have tried, and if possible put chains on it, too. I could have put the jack under some part of the frame, but then the sag of the suspension would have required I jack it up farther before the tire was lifted.

• Yes, the driver-rear wasn't buried deep but it was on ice/frozen-mud so just spun when power was applied. I have "limited-slip" in the rear -- stock, as offered in the 2000 Ford F250 4X4 models.

• As I walked the 6 miles to the ranch I had plenty of time to imagine scenarios of how this would play out. I expected that my stucked-ness and need for ranch-help would not be the first time they'd been asked.
  I considered that maybe I'd find a sign posted, "If you're stuck in the creek -- too bad!" Or if they were nice, maybe "You can use our phone to call a tow from Winnemucca" (about 100 miles away). I considered how much that would cost, for a tow...
  I considered that if money would persuade them would the $105 that I had in my wallet be enough...and should I offer that total right off or try bargaining first? Would they take a check?
  I even considered: What if they wanted to evaluate my worthiness for help by asking "Who'd you vote for president last time?" I'd already decided that if asked that I'd say "Nobody -- didn't vote...and I'm a registered Independent", as I am 99%-sure that my true political leanings are different than a rancher in remote NV.
  
  Yeah, this sounds silly now...but I don't care -- just bein' honest...as is my way.
  
  
  (In fact, the rancher -- before he mellowed/softened, when he was still glaring at me (
  
  ) for the troublesome position I was putting him in -- asked me, "Where are you from?" I told him, "Bend, Oregon". Probably Winnemucca or Burns would have been a better answer...but Bend is surely a much better answer than LA or San Francisco.
  
  Maybe he wasn't evaluating me with that question, but considering his expression/mood at the time it didn't seem like he was just making small talk.)
• But on the positive side I remembered the time -- years ago -- when I was stranded next to the road at the Alvord Hot Springs with two simultaneous flat tires (ran over the same sharp rock, I believe) and only one spare. I'd already shredded one of the flats trying to drive on it. A son of the Alvord Ranch drove down the Alvord/Steens-East road and stopped. He took me and my tires up to the main ranch, fixed the fixable flat and sold me a used tire that he mounted on the rim to replace the shredded one. I was grateful, and it was cool to be inside the facilities of the historic Alvord Ranch.
  So I figured (hoped) that's probably the "code of the West" regarding helping out someone in a fix -- even a goddam fleece-wearin' tourist! (Hmmm....maybe I should get a Carhart jacket to wear if in a similar situation.
  
  )

• I was glad that all The Rancher had to do was hook up his tow strap to his hitch and mine (actually, I didn't have a ball, just the receiver, but he had a spare) and pull me out -- i.e., no big effort on his part was required other than a half-hour of his time.

• This experience -- the help I received, reminded me, or suggested to me, that I, too, should be willing to help strangers-in-a-fix. I'll try.
  

---------------------------------

Despite the discussion in this thread of "how to winch out when there's nothing to connect to", I'm not going to get a winch on my truck. I believe it wasn't random chance/luck that's allowed me to drive 250,000+ miles without getting seriously stuck -- it was mostly choices I've made...until I briefly lapsed into foolishness.
But it wasn't foolish to attempt to drive to Pinto Hot Springs, it was foolish to not get out of the truck and see the spot a few feet to the right where the wet/ice was narrower and somebody had already put down some timbers to drive on.
I have a Hi-Lift jack, but I haven't been bringing it with -- I think I'll start doing so. I need to find a place to carry it...or maybe mount it on the back of the camper. That -- along with the gas can mounted on the other side -- will make my rig look burly, if nothin' else!

(BTW: I'm currently camped on the hill above Alvord Hot Springs on the east side of Steens Mt. I had a nice, very-hot soak in the Springs this afternoon. My tired muscles needed some soaking after wrestling/wallowing with gear under the truck yesterday!)

 

[highz]

A deadman anchor can be a lot of things, like the crowbar laying on the ground in Mark's photo. Depending upon how soft the soil it, you might need to dig a fairly deep trench to place it in. Then girth-hitch some heavy webbing or tow strap around the middle. You'll need a second trench that Tee's into the one the anchor is buried in to bring the strap up to daylight at a shallow pitch.

If this sounds confusing, go read a book on crevasse rescue
In snow, there's often two deadmen that are 'equalized' to share the load.


Not confusing at all. Very clear. I'm just trying to think up some solutions that require less digging than burying a spare tire. The crowbar is good, but I might want it while pulling. I think burying the Max Ax with the pick ends set up to brace it might work in my case. Then wrap the tow strap around the fiberglass ax handle. Thinking out loud here.

 

[Smokecreek1]

Stuck happens. Happy you were able to get out okay. Even if you had a winch would you have been able to use it without another truck to hook to? Looks like only dirt and brush near the truck.


Join the rest of us-getting stuck is part of the adventure-lucky is still alive; while not wanting to get stuck is part of any trip out there, it happens and (one) if you learned something that's what counts- we all get to be stupid, and what counts is that we remember what we did and not be stupid again. Sort of like -I think I'll just walk over to that hill and take a look at what's there and five miles later you realize you are lost and thirsty and have no water, hat, food or gun!!! Lot's of good adventures this month! By the way, that's why you carry a handy man jack, some chain and a shovel to wench yourself out of places like that-bury the jack in hole you dug with your shovel and go from there-attach the wench, if you have one- it really works! if you don't you can attach the chain to the truck and handy man and slowly wench the jack handle and inch your self out and if you are real lucky that day maybe you can do it!!!! Have fun up north!!!

 

[MarkBC]

I don't know...but its hard to believe that a buried crowbar would be sufficient anchor against an 8000-lb truck buried axle-deep in mud.
And digging sounds like hard work!

 

[Smokecreek1]

x2

I'm thinking a hi-lift might have gotten you out using that wood (or your carpet), not terribly expensive.


Don't forget the kitty litter under the wheel-it really works some times!! Always carry a couple of bags with me!

 

[MarkBC]

Don't forget the kitty litter under the wheel-it really works some times!! Always carry a couple of bags with me!

Yeah, that's a good one! I'd forgotten about that...and it's an easy one.
It might have helped in this "incident" where my left rear was spinning on ice. I looked for gravel or sand, but the surface was nothing but super-fine alkali silt.
Maybe craggy's suggestion of brush (under that one un-buried tire) would have been with trying.

 

[Overland Hadley]

Yes, the driver-rear wasn't buried deep but it was on ice/frozen-mud so just spun when power was applied. I have "limited-slip" in the rear -- stock, as offered in the 2005 Ford F250 4X4 models.

Did the limited slip work? Do you think you could have driven out with a locked rear?

As I walked the 6 miles to the ranch I had plenty of time to imagine scenarios of how this would play out. I expected that my stucked-ness and need for ranch-help would not be the first time they'd been asked.
I considered that maybe I'd find a sign posted, "If you're stuck in the creek -- too bad!" Or if they were nice, maybe "You can use our phone to call a tow from Winnemucca" (about 100 miles away). I considered how much that would cost, for a tow...
I considered that if money would persuade them would the $105 that I had in my wallet be enough...and should I offer that total right off or try bargaining first? Would they take a check?

I love the thought process.

This experience -- the help I received, reminded me, or suggested to me, that I, too, should be willing to help strangers-in-a-fix. I'll try.

It is good karma to do so.

 

[DirtyDog]

There don't appear to be any logs or the like to bury in the photos. Are you suggesting carrying a built ground anchor? I'd be interested in hearing about relatively lightweight designs for ground anchors.


I seem to remember from somewhere (probably expo) that you can bury your spare tire and use that.

Glad you made it out OK Mark. That was quite the trap!

When Marc, Dick and Myself headed into Nevada on backroads from Bodie we ran across a very large boulder that looked like it had been winched just enough to allow a very close pass-through on the road. Its not always about being stuck sometimes its just about getting where you need to go and having the right tools for the job. I don't have a winch right now and I certainly can't afford one, but I do recognize it as one of those "tools of the job". These things are always expensive until you really need them.

 

[natjwest]

These things are always expensive until you really need them.


Yes, a hi-lift with the winching kit is cheaper than a power winch. I think I'll stop procrastinating and pick one up before too long. One thing I always think about when in the boonies is that if I do get stuck, at least I have a comfortable place to relax while I slowly starve to death.

 

[Smokecreek1]

Yes, a hi-lift with the winching kit is cheaper than a power winch. I think I'll stop procrastinating and pick one up before too long. One thing I always think about when in the boonies is that if I do get stuck, at least I have a comfortable place to relax while I slowly starve to death.


Yep-ice trays in the frig-have a nice vodka and cranberry or several while waiting for the end-thank god for my FWC and its frig!

 

[craig333]

Its also possible that if it froze good and hard you may have been able to just drive out in the morning.

I have a pull pal, never used it. The Jeep is really hard to get stuck, ( I mean need help stuck, not a couple hours with the shovel stuck) even if you're trying. The truck is so heavy some methods just don't work well on it. I am way more likely to just turn around in the truck than I am in the Jeep. Really pays to just get out and look an iffy spot over first too.

I always offer to help someone thats stuck. Pulled many a person out. Even if you don't want to carry a winch, hi lift or whatever, everyone should have a tow strap. Well lemme clarify that a little. If you flip me off on the highway while passing me while I'm doing 25 in the snow and you slide into a snowbank, I'm probably not gonna pull you out.

I've posted my tale about sticking my truck in the snow. Could have walked out. Such a nice feeling having that camper there. Makes it easy to not panic and take the time to think things over. Sometimes the best idea is just to sleep on it and take a new look at the situation in the morning.

 

[PHXtaco]

Hi MarkBC,

I want to apologize for loosening the ice for you… we were there on Sunday

In seriousness, I am surprised it was frozen over so think so fast by the time you were there. We were guessing that no one had been back there for a while based on how thick the ice was, but now not so sure!

If it makes you feel better, the bypass to the right was just as bad. I took it on the way in and then stayed on the main road on the way out. Both were wet and muddy, and about the same depth.

Here are a couple shots from Sunday(and I had turned on the rear diff lock to play it safe when I crossed):

Cheers,

Craig

 

[MarkBC]

Hi MarkBC,

I want to apologize for loosening the ice for you… we were there on Sunday

In seriousness, I am surprised it was frozen over so think so fast by the time you were there. We were guessing that no one had been back there for a while based on how thick the ice was, but now not so sure!

If it makes you feel better, the bypass to the right was just as bad. I took it on the way in and then stayed on the main road on the way out. Both were wet and muddy, and about the same depth.

Here are a couple shots from Sunday(and I had turned on the rear diff lock to play it safe when I crossed):
Cheers,

Craig


Wow -- very interesting! I'm frankly shocked that someone who just joined WTW today just happened to have been to this fairly-obscure hot springs less than a week ago! Or have you been lurking here a while and just came out of hiding to post?

What about the large boards on the bypass? Were they in place when you crossed there? It looked like if I'd driven on them it would have been easier -- I should have photo-documented those, too, and not just my stuck-spot.

Anyway, welcome to WTW!

 

[MarkBC]

One thing I always think about when in the boonies is that if I do get stuck, at least I have a comfortable place to relax while I slowly starve to death.

That's the spirit!

Personally, I have, ummm...a few pounds of "personal excess"

...so I could spend quite a long time drawing down those stored-away calories -- being comfortable, as you say, while stuck.
What am I saying?!

I've just missed a great opportunity!
Instead of going for help I should have just sat tight where I was...slowly puttering at trying to get my truck unstuck while getting in shape! Without food I'd be burning that stored fat while developing upper-body fitness working the various getting-unstuck tools a couple/few hours every day!
As the days and weeks would pass, occasionally someone like PHXtaco would come by on the way to the hot springs and offer to tow me out. I'd say, "No thanks -- I'm just where I want to be!

"

 

[PHXtaco]

Ironically I have only been to this forum a couple times before, but saw it mentioned again over on Expo and decided I should come over and do some reading… and what is the first thing I see, but a picture of your truck stuck where I just was a couple day ago!



I did not see the boards until after I drove through (think they were hidden by the ice), so they may or may not have helped, or I may not have even driven on then.

 

[pods8]

Mark, were both rears spinning or just one? If just one and your limited slip wasn't locking up I've read if you slightly apply your parking brake it will help get the limited slip to engage. Never had to try it out before.

So were you hung up on the frame (it doesn't quite look like it in the pictures) but with 4x4 just breaking through in the rear wouldn't seemingly have stuck ya.

Good tale!

 

[MarkBC]

Mark, were both rears spinning or just one? If just one and your limited slip wasn't locking up I've read if you slightly apply your parking brake it will help get the limited slip to engage.
I could only see the left side...so not sure.

So were you hung up on the frame (it doesn't quite look like it in the pictures)

I don't think so...

Honestly, as I've never been seriously stuck before (well, I've slid into a snowy ditch in my car, but that's different)...and because I'd rather turn back on a snowy road than find out the depth at which I get stuck, I've never had the need to understand exactly how power is apportioned between my truck's 4 wheels when slipping is happening (in snow, mud, etc.). It's just worked, adequately for me...until now.

I drive on snow many days every winter in Bend...but snow is slippery in a different way. For one thing, unlike mud, it compacts (usually)...so that's different than the bottomless mud of a silty creek.
I've driven through wet-muddy spots plenty of times over the years and gotten away with it -- usually by hitting the mud-puddle fast. I've forded streams plenty of times, but if they have rocky bottoms that's different than the deep goo of this little creek.

So, I'm mostly ignorant about getting stuck in mud...but really, I'd rather avoid it than become an expert in it!

 

[MarkBC]

A friend sent me a link...
Anybody know anything about these?:
MaxTrax