Gonna start by saying hello to all fella snowcatters... 
Miss hanging out w/you all and talking about "cat" things as we did at the Jamborees... Felt like we were on another planet, didnt it?
Anyways, I figured it was time to refresh our memory of what that white powdery cool stuff really feels like and write up a little report on my last trip out into Sierra Nevadas, while being a new guy on the block in California.
Locals (Californians) been telling me it must be my Oregon love for the snow that got them all this white stuff this year
, in any case, I'm sure glad California is seeing all that extra precipitation, since drought has been hard on it.
For the first time this season, I've got enough belief that it was enough snow on the ground up in the Sierras to take the cat out, let it "stretch" its track rubber, and get those bearings a workout.
Loaded the cat on the trailer and headed out East on I-80
when we came to a "dead end" (basically a 7ft pile of snow that was blocking the road from the guy below plowing the road) - we figured it was time to get the cat off the trailer, and start our "snowcat adventure"
Tom (guy on the blue truck, Tom Peterson if I remember his last name correct), has a house on this road (or is it just a LARGE cabin), thus he takes the pleasure (and the bill) for clearing the road in order to access the property, and let his neighbors have the same pleasure.
It was fun to chat with him about whatever, and get a card from him with his number in case we need help getting out of "trouble" as he said, since he is tired of "uneducated folk" going out into these conditions and get lost, or end up dead... (those werent his exact words, but I've translated it all into more PG13 version of his speech)...
We laughed about it all, and told him not to worry much, cat was pretty reliable to best of my knowledge, and I believe I was knowledgeable enough to get it working if something was to go wrong being that I've "put it together".
Up the trail we went...
Plenty of powder we found... cat performed great
Coming around the turn...
Once we got to Bowman Lake, or rather Dam... we hooked to the right, and parked to settle in for our day camp...
Sat around fire, talked "trucking business" and had some drinks with kebab (those who tried it at last years Jamboree know what I'm talking about)
its pretty empty in California...
as it was getting a bit darker, we heard a "diesel roar" up in the woods, and that this thing showed up, sorta scaring us with its size...
I guess Tom wasnt kidding when he said he was most likely gonna drop by and visit...
His crowd and us exchanged some good chat by the fire, toasted to the great winter season, talked about our "presidents" and machinery.
For the most part, I think all CAT owners will find something in common to talk about, as well as find that they have a LOT in common overall
Somehow our chat came about him wanting to check the cat out and offering me some $$$ that same night if we were to drop by his cabin on the way out... I told him that I'm not ready to make any deals considering we were both a bit "happy" on the Grey Goose and mountain air...
In any case, trip was great, we enjoyed our time out...
Next morning (Sunday) got a text from Tom's neighbor asking to see if I was still wanting to sell it, as he is interested as well. So after New Years, there is a chance it might be sold if we find a good solid ground of the right amount of Benjamins
I'll do my best to get the video working in the next "reply"
Merry Christmas everyone & Happy New 2016 Year!!!
I wish upon you all many blessings from above, richness in health, wisdom in finances and fullness of love in your families and your personal lives!!!
God Bless!!!
Nikson
Miss hanging out w/you all and talking about "cat" things as we did at the Jamborees... Felt like we were on another planet, didnt it?
Anyways, I figured it was time to refresh our memory of what that white powdery cool stuff really feels like and write up a little report on my last trip out into Sierra Nevadas, while being a new guy on the block in California.
Locals (Californians) been telling me it must be my Oregon love for the snow that got them all this white stuff this year
, in any case, I'm sure glad California is seeing all that extra precipitation, since drought has been hard on it.For the first time this season, I've got enough belief that it was enough snow on the ground up in the Sierras to take the cat out, let it "stretch" its track rubber, and get those bearings a workout.
Loaded the cat on the trailer and headed out East on I-80
when we came to a "dead end" (basically a 7ft pile of snow that was blocking the road from the guy below plowing the road) - we figured it was time to get the cat off the trailer, and start our "snowcat adventure"
Tom (guy on the blue truck, Tom Peterson if I remember his last name correct), has a house on this road (or is it just a LARGE cabin), thus he takes the pleasure (and the bill) for clearing the road in order to access the property, and let his neighbors have the same pleasure.
It was fun to chat with him about whatever, and get a card from him with his number in case we need help getting out of "trouble" as he said, since he is tired of "uneducated folk" going out into these conditions and get lost, or end up dead... (those werent his exact words, but I've translated it all into more PG13 version of his speech)...
We laughed about it all, and told him not to worry much, cat was pretty reliable to best of my knowledge, and I believe I was knowledgeable enough to get it working if something was to go wrong being that I've "put it together".
Up the trail we went...
Plenty of powder we found... cat performed great
Coming around the turn...
Once we got to Bowman Lake, or rather Dam... we hooked to the right, and parked to settle in for our day camp...
Sat around fire, talked "trucking business" and had some drinks with kebab (those who tried it at last years Jamboree know what I'm talking about)
its pretty empty in California...
as it was getting a bit darker, we heard a "diesel roar" up in the woods, and that this thing showed up, sorta scaring us with its size...
I guess Tom wasnt kidding when he said he was most likely gonna drop by and visit...
His crowd and us exchanged some good chat by the fire, toasted to the great winter season, talked about our "presidents" and machinery.
For the most part, I think all CAT owners will find something in common to talk about, as well as find that they have a LOT in common overall
Somehow our chat came about him wanting to check the cat out and offering me some $$$ that same night if we were to drop by his cabin on the way out... I told him that I'm not ready to make any deals considering we were both a bit "happy" on the Grey Goose and mountain air...
In any case, trip was great, we enjoyed our time out...
Next morning (Sunday) got a text from Tom's neighbor asking to see if I was still wanting to sell it, as he is interested as well. So after New Years, there is a chance it might be sold if we find a good solid ground of the right amount of Benjamins
I'll do my best to get the video working in the next "reply"
Merry Christmas everyone & Happy New 2016 Year!!!
I wish upon you all many blessings from above, richness in health, wisdom in finances and fullness of love in your families and your personal lives!!!
God Bless!!!
Nikson
