Stupid People or How To Ruin The Snow Trail?

[mtntopper]

Late yesterday, 3 young men decided it would be fun to drive their F150 4X4 up the snowmobile/snow cat trail we have to use for home access. They got over close to the fence and stayed on top for about an 1/8th mile and then dropped through the crust and this is where I found the truck this morning. We are under a major blizzard type storm watch for tonight and tomorrow with 1 to 2 feet or more of new snow with strong winds. By late tomorrow we will be able to use this pretty truck for traction if it is not out of the trail. I am really pi$$ed with the stupidity of people and their children.

We do not use the main road to the right of the truck and run in the ditch beside the road right where the truck sits. We are not suppose to pack the road tight so when the county starts plowing it is easier for the plows to open the road if we stay to the right side. The other side of the road is a boulder field and full of land mines that are hard on cats and snowmobiles.

So what do you think, if there is a bump in the snow in that location should we just put cleat tracks up and over??????

 

[swamper]

I think if you get lost in the snowstorm and find refuge in the truck. and then have start a fire in the truck to stay warm.

 

[garygaboury]

We usually get 1 or 2 trucks a year that think our snowmobile trails are for trucks.... Here we are in the mountains and no tow truck would consider driving on a sled trail. We bill them $350 an hour to drag them out with the cat. If they are in a bad mood I also include the time it takes to fix the trail...

Once the kids know there is no other option they seem to find the money..

Gary

 

[Snowcat Operations]

I charge $100 an hour. That time starts from the time I get the call to the time I get home. Cash up front. No credit cards. I will take them into town before I recover there vehicle so they can go to the ATM. Usually it costs about $500 to get there vehicle out.

 

[Lyndon]

How about re-directing them to a National Park, or National Monument where their vehicle can be PERMANENTLY CONFISCATED! At the Quabin Reservoir, in Western Mass, for an offense of this nature: 1)Arrested, 2)Vehicle and Contents permanently Confiscated, 3)Further Fines.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

I get a few of those each season too. Nothing pisses me off more than volunteering 8-10 hours of my time making a nice smooth trail only to find a vehicle spun out in the middle of my trail on my return trip. One of the guys was quite vocal with me one time like it was my fault that he got stuck on a snowmobile trail that is normally muskeg swamp in the summer time. He didn't let up and I had just returned from a 16 hour run and wasn't in the mood to deal with a-holes so he left only to return and find a five foot bank pushed up all around his beloved truck. I don't know how that bank got there. It's not like I've got access to a machine capable of pushing that much snow.

 

[mtncrawler]

Looks like you have plenty of room to get around them. Be alot worse if the truck was blocking the trail completely. Maybe they will get up early and drive the truck out while the trail is still frozen and you can use that new SV252 with the blade to fill the hole back in. (Kids will be Kids, you were one too)

 

[pixie]

Some jerks like that came into the state snowmachine trail on my land the first year I owned it and got stuck in some mud. The next day it rained hard and thier actions at the top of a hill caused serious erosion. It took me more than a hundred square bales of hay to fill the hole that was left so the trail could open the next year.
The area was not accessible by heavy equipment that year even if the snowmobile club/state had chosen to respond.

 

[Snowcat Pat]

Glad we are not the only ones, guess there are "challenged" people everywhere. So far the season I've pulled 5 rigs out from our one mile snowy driveway, some of them US Govt employees. I don't charge anyone, I'm just glad to get them gone. Our laughing at them seem to be punishment enough.
Once while I was in town a little car got stuck and then abandoned blocking the road so I pulled it backwards the mile out to the pavement and left it with its back end stuffed with ice. On another day, this season, a jeep got stuck and using their winch managed to break 5 or six trees and then decided to dig themselves out. We only saw the aftermath, including the usual fire ring. They always have to try to start a campfire out of wet sticks
You would think when someone sees our truck parked out at the pavement with a tarp on it, day after day, they might consider why its there.......no that would require...common sense.

Great thread mtntopper!

-Pat

 

[garygaboury]

These photos were taken by someone else on a local trail.. Long story short the Chevy was stolen and the guy who stole it was trying to dig it out a couple kms from the highway on one of the trails.... So, Since that truck didn't make it the cops decided they might.. One did one didn't.

Keep in mind, at the trail head was a PB300 groomer that could have helped...

Gary

 

[NorthernRedneck]

A few years ago, I had this dumb blond out there on one of my trails in a mini van. She actually made it about a mile in off the highway before sliding off the trail on a corner. I gave her a hand and pulled her back to the highway behind the groomer. Some people just don't get it.

 

[mattfidaho]

Even though I am not grooming, last year I had an elk hunter try and follow my tracks up the hill, pulling a camp trailer no less

 

[MNoutdoors RIP]

there are stupid animals too..............

 

[pixie]

Looks like someone sprinkled corn on the ground .....

There are moose all over the trails, here, but they don't do the damage one truck can.

 

[REDDOGTWO]

A few years ago, I had this dumb blond out there on one of my trails in a mini van. She actually made it about a mile in off the highway before sliding off the trail on a corner. I gave her a hand and pulled her back to the highway behind the groomer. Some people just don't get it.

Are there any other kind?

 

[mtntopper]

Looks like you have plenty of room to get around them. Be alot worse if the truck was blocking the trail completely. Maybe they will get up early and drive the truck out while the trail is still frozen and you can use that new SV252 with the blade to fill the hole back in. (Kids will be Kids, you were one too)

The big problem is that my insurance and most others will not cover to tow or even pull any other vehicle. I was notified by my insurance that unless you have special business coverage to cover any damages like a towing business has, a normal policy will not cover you. As an individual you are liable for any damages or injury to yourself or others if you tow any vehicle. I quit being Mr. Nice Guy for this very reason. I do not want to be sued for someone else's stupidity.

In the stuck truck incident above, they will continue to tear up the trail trying to get heavy equipment or other vehicles to this one so the damage you see so far will be minor in the end. There will be many holes before they get the truck out unless they wait for it to freeze hard enough to drive across the top with rescue vehicles which is doubtful.

 

[XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq]

Drag the truck off the road and bury it where they won't find it until spring!

 

[Snowcat Operations]

In my case the local Forest Service and Ranger Station have psoted "MANY" signs saying road is not accesable with wheeled vehicles. No wheeled vehicles allowed on trails. Road "CLOSED" to ALL wheeled vehicles. They have to pass at least 10 of these signs. About 500 feet from the last sign is where I get a call from the resident Ranger at 2 am to come and rescue thes stuck vehicle(s). I dont feel sorry for them anymore. I use to but what more can they do to try and keep them off these snowmobile / snowcat trails? The next step is for the Forest Service to just close the road to all traffic during the winter time. In Bills case they cant do that since its access to many properties but for the non public access if people keep doing stupid stuff like this then thats the excuse they will use to close down the trails.

OH and I would say about 3/4 of the people who do stupid stuff like this are adults. Its not just the kids. For kids I do give a one time break for there youth. After that its cash up front. I have never so far had a repeat youth offender.....lol

 

[Snowcat Operations]

Bill if I might suggest. Angle your new fancy blade behind the truck from the side. push out a nice smooth ramp for them to drive back out on. Write a note telling them to only come early in the morning when the snow is at its coldest to slowly drive out on. Tell them to lower there tire pressure to 25 psi and do not spin the tires. If they have chains then for them to just chain up and again slowly drive out and never come back or you will charge them for th repairs to the road. Make sure you start it out saying: To the dumb Assholes who destroyed are road.... Then make sure and sign it Brad at M.O.S.. LOL

 

[Snowcat Operations]

Bill,
Isnt that the same place that last year sucked down a snowcat in the mud?

 

[Snowcat Operations]

Found the thhread and the pic. I cant down load it. Invalid file....

 

[MNoutdoors RIP]

Bill if I might suggest. Angle your new fancy blade behind the truck from the side. push out a nice smooth ramp for them to drive back out on. Write a note telling them to only come early in the morning when the snow is at its coldest to slowly drive out on. Tell them to lower there tire pressure to 25 psi and do not spin the tires. If they have chains then for them to just chain up and again slowly drive out and never come back or you will charge them for th repairs to the road. Make sure you start it out saying: To the dumb Assholes who destroyed are road.... Then make sure and sign it Brad at M.O.S.. LOL

I caught that you S.O.L. ( snowcat operation ? )

 

[mtntopper]

Bill,
Isnt that the same place that last year sucked down a snowcat in the mud?

Another 1/8th mile beyond this was a thriller for the neighbor in his LMC 1200 last year. Left a note on the truck window yesterday as you suggested and told them to move it or lose it and signed it Brad at
M O S ......with his cell number.

The FS LEO is not a happy trooper either with the idiots trying to drive wheeled vehicles where the warning signs are in place and creating resource damage as they do on FS land.

 

[mtntopper]

Bill,
Isnt that the same place that last year sucked down a snowcat in the mud?

Here is a lesson in bad snow and what can happen when water running under the snow backs up against large banks of snow left on he side of the road from plowing the road part of the winter.

Never ever drive into something that looks like this or be sure your cat is amphibous..............


Here is the result if you stil think you can make it over the snow.


Rescue vehicle (D6 cat) working the road to lower the water level prior to pulling out the snow cat.


Here is what my road looks like when opening it in spring. The snow is much deeper than it appears especially if they have plowed it for log trucks to haul logs out part of the winter.

 

[RNE228]

Another 1/8th mile beyond this was a thriller for the neighbor in his LMC 1200 last year. Left a note on the truck window yesterday as you suggested and told them to move it or lose it and signed it Brad at
M O S ......with his cell number.

The FS LEO is not a happy trooper either with the idiots trying to drive wheeled vehicles where the warning signs are in place and creating resource damage as they do on FS land.

Did they get the truck out? How bad was the trail in the end?

 

[mtntopper]

Did they get the truck out? How bad was the trail in the end?

The pickup is out and now with a few inches of fresh soft snow along with some light wind we have several trap holes/ruts to catch you and throw you around on a sled or snow cat. Our temps dropped backed to single digits this week and the snow/slush froze rock hard. They winched from a winch truck and got the truck up and out of the hole and then it looks like they drove it out on top of the rock hard snow and slush. I hope they learned a lesson on how not to drive the snow trails..............