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Outback adventure planned for January 2007

Snowcat Operations

Snowcat Operations

Active member
I am starting this thread to inform anyone who wants to join me for a 4 to 5 day Outback adventure in the Nevada mountains and plains. I want a minimum of three vehicles for this little expedition. The route will be approximatley 100 miles in length and will be completely in the middle of no where. We will see no other vehicles (running at least) and will not see any other living souls. We will be completely on our own and left to our on devices.:D Just the way I like it. We will pack out all that we pack in and will leave nothing but tracks in our wake. We will also be following pretty closely the old Pony Express route. If you want we can take a few detours to visit what is left on an old stage coach stop. A few ghost towns will be on our list as well. If you are interested and are serious please contact me via PM and also post here. WE will most likely see a few herds of wild horses so make sure to bring plenty film and vidoe tape.
 
Just curious is this 100 one way? Will it be in snowcats the entire way?

Can you post a map of the proposed route?

Any idea how long of a drive it is from Chicago to Nevada (while towing a Snow Trac)?
 
The trip is 100 miles and can end up back where we departed or another point which is 35 miles from the departure point. The route is fairly open depending on what people want to see. The 100 miles is a rough guess from a previous trip I took last summer in my truck. It may be more but not less. After I get a feel for what people want to see (more of that to come later) then I will actually drive the route in my truck and get the exact mileage. I will provide Topo graphic maps along with a set of satelite photos (Thanks Russia) before we begin the trip. I will also post a list of required gear as well as suggested gear. The route plan will also be given to the local Search and Rescue unit just in case we do not check in. I do not anticipate any problems as far as the route is concerned. All Snowcats with decent powder capabilities should have no problems. The nights will be very cold. As cold as -30 but with a little prepreation this will not be a huge problem to overcome. This is not a trip for the light hearted for sure. But will be very enjoyable regardless of the weather.
 
As far as how far from Chicago? Well lets say its pretty damn far. If I have a second cat here you are more than welcome to use it. I will know more on that later on this year. I should have at least one more Snow Master by then as well. So I feel you will be ok to leave yours there. Also I am SURE BIGAL will have plenty of room for you in his cat. LOL. I can hear you two now!
 
You can add my wife and I to the list but make sure we have a "five star hotel suite" each night with all amenities. Looking forward to having to use the LMC to break and make a trail for all of you. :yum: And if you are going back to Brokeback Mountain, count us out.:yum:
 
Oh come on Mntntppr. Thats the main reason the boys and I invited you!:whistle: As far as you breaking trail well be my guest. Its far easier to pull you out from behind. LOL :yum:
 
Seriously if you want to join us please feel free to do so. This is open to all Snowcat owners. It will be nice to have a rig like yours on the trail.
 
I will be doing a mileage reading some time this summer. Of course everyone knows there own vehicles. So we can determine what our fuel needs will be for each vehicle. We will need to have a good size in reserve per vehicle just to make sure we can all make it out.
 
Mike ,
Is the plan to snow camp each night ? Who would bring me my hot coffee each morning :1062: ?
Actually I will be in Panama at that time,next year,:coolshade if all goes according to plan . I plan on staying 3 months :wave: . Now if everyone wants to come to Panama in there snowcats I have room .
If that plan falls through because of my fathers illness than I might just be here to help tow out stuck Snow Tracs :17875: , find Lost Imps, rescue stranded Tuckers,locate parts for broken LMC's and fix my own damn coffee :drink: .
 
I belive Al will be in Panama for the ENTIRE winter season. Hmmmm.
 
Well... It has been exactly 1 year since I have been to my home in Panama . I had planned to spend 2 months there this winter starting with Christmas but my father falling ill , changed everything .

I talked with my nieghbor down there and he told me the caretakers have been busy landscaping and planting new plants . From what I have been told ,the place looks like a tropical park .I miss it a lot . It is one of the true places I can entirely relax . There is nothing like sitting on the upper deck of the house with a Cuban "Monte Cristo" and a good rum fruit drink watching the world go by .

This summer should find me in Idaho finishing the Ranch House exterior that should have been done and finished last year . See the above first paragraph for the reason why . I also have a 40 x 60 barn /shop to get built before the snows fly again .

Dad seems to be doing better and the doctor wants him "out and about " ,so I am going to head up to Idaho soon to get some projects completed.

I like the idea of a snow cat run but with starting the Panama Indian Childrens School program, I really need to see how everything is going .
 
Maybe Villi & Bjorn can fly to New York and meet up with Gordon Robertson. The three of them can fly to Chicago and I can pick them up. The 4 of us could then tow my ST4 out there and share the drive!?!:17875:
 
B_Skurka said:
Maybe Villi & Bjorn can fly to New York and meet up with Gordon Robertson. The three of them can fly to Chicago and I can pick them up. The 4 of us could then tow my ST4 out there and share the drive!?!:17875:
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:a1: :thumb: :coolshade
 
Well after talking to few interested parties I may be changing it to a three day Expedition instead of 4 or 5 days. I will be taking the family out for a quick trip in about a month and will start to get a feel for the route I plan on taking us. There is one canyon "Cathedral Canyon" that I need to get some measurements in at the approximate snow level. This will be a must see anyway. If we can we will drive through it to one of the only winter watering holes that the wild Mustangs use

 
Mike ,
On this outing ,would we be snow camping or staying in cabins ???? I think a lot of us old guy's may have a problem with freezing our woo hoo's off . I know I don't have much woo hoo left :smileywac .

I do have a 16' x 20' outfitters canvas tent with a big 55 gal barrel stove and 2'x3' cooking grill that I will loan out .It sleeps 8 in "break down" bunk beds . It keeps things tasty warm . It takes about 3 hours to set up though ,but it is as good as it gets in camping .Might need to set it up the day before ,but it could be the main bunk house or chuck wagon .
 
BigAl said:
Mike ,
On this outing ,would we be snow camping or staying in cabins ???? I think a lot of us old guy's may have a problem with freezing our woo hoo's off . I know I don't have much woo hoo left :smileywac .

I do have a 16' x 20' outfitters canvas tent with a big 55 gal barrel stove and 2'x3' cooking grill that I will loan out .It sleeps 8 in "break down" bunk beds . It keeps things tasty warm . It takes about 3 hours to set up though ,but it is as good as it gets in camping .Might need to set it up the day before ,but it could be the main bunk house or chuck wagon .
Click to expand...
Al, I made a similar observation to Mike about the sleeping in tents thing. While I took winter survival training in my college days, slept in unheated tents that were covered in snow, and hiked a chunk of the Aplalchian (sp?) trail . . . I am no longer in my college days and would prefer a room with a bed, a hot shower, and a coffee maker too.
 
B_Skurka said:
Al, I made a similar observation to Mike about the sleeping in tents thing. While I took winter survival training in my college days, slept in unheated tents that were covered in snow, and hiked a chunk of the Aplalchian (sp?) trail . . . I am no longer in my college days and would prefer a room with a bed, a hot shower, and a coffee maker too.
Click to expand...

I thought you were my coffee maker ......:pat: :moon: :tiphat:
 
OK here is the deal then. Since you guys are so set on a heated room lets do this. Allen we use your Walled tent. I will bring the Whiskey. Bob brings his groupies. The we will all be warm,cozy happy then divorced. NO, I know what we need. We all hook up those fancy gypsy trailers to the back of the Snowcats! We can put skis on them instead of tires!
 
My plan was to actually sleep in my snow master. I was going to add a piece of ply wood to span between the rear seats and the front drivers seat. Remove one of the handles on the passenger side and have a pretty big bed to sleep on. My wife and I would stay pretty warm all bundled up in our extreme cold sleeping bag. Or we could use BigAl's walled tent and I could set it up a few days in advance. We could snowcat to it the first day then pack it up and snowcat back out the next. Have a two day trip. No need to worry about anything getting stolen. There is NOBODY around for miles and miles and miles!
 
I think you should rent a couple of the storage containers that are pre-fabbed into a mini house. :thumb:

Just have a helicopter bring them in :whistle:
 
THIOKOL1200ACAMPER.jpg

This is the only way the wife will agree to spend the night camped out in the winter. She says we have spent too many nights in hunting camps freezing our butts off in the past. Now I will have to add a camper to one of the 1200 to be able to attend your outback adventure or just buy this one.:confused: :mad: :( :nono2: :rollingla :Raised_Ey :finger1:
 
Last I heard is that Mike (Snowcat Operations) was busy starting up a new business and possibly moving to the Las Vegas area. I think he is wrapped up with life right now and probably doesn't have the free time to organize this.
 
SORRY guys. But Bob sure was correct about me being to busy back then! OK so it didnt happen this year. I still would like to plan a trip. If all goes well BigAls Cat will be up and running in a few months. As far as the other huys complaining about a none heated tent I have a solution. The Solution is called Arctic Oven tent. They are designed for Arctic conditions and have wood burning stoves. Here is the link to there site. http://www.alaskatent.com/products/tents/arctic_oven.htm

Anyway I am still in my rebuild process after several months away and BigAl is 99% done with his cat.
 
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