Re: Drowning accident last week.
[Re: bucksnbears]
#7181892
02/14/21 01:09 PM
02/14/21 01:09 PM
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,175 McGrath, AK
white17
"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,175
McGrath, AK
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Sad situation regardless. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy...........well...............wait.
There is a D8 in the river here just off the south end of the runway. Fortunately no one was hurt.
No matter how careful you are, there is always the possibility of a bad spot. or as Drasselt mentions, a methane bubble.
I was walking a cat to my homestead one year and had to cross a lake that's about a mile wide. I spent one whole day with an augur checking ice thickness every 50-60 yards, all the way across The least was about three feet. But this was a D7 with a sled behind, loaded with 8000 pounds of plywood and fuel.
Even though I was fairly confident about the ice, you just never know. I Got the rig moving and into 3rd gear with just enough throttle to maintain movement..............then I jumped off and rode the snowmachine across the lake.
When the cat reached the other side it just bumped into the bank and killed the engine. BUT...........as it passed those holes in the ice, water shot five feet into the air just from the weight of the machine. I was pleased with my decision to not ride that thing across.
Mean As Nails
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Re: Drowning accident last week.
[Re: bucksnbears]
#7182422
02/14/21 08:24 PM
02/14/21 08:24 PM
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686 Alaska
drasselt
trapper
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trapper
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686
Alaska
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Yeah that one seemed squared-off for a spider hole and with all the bird tracks figured there may be fish guts or bait or something to be had. Also looks like some kind of sled tracks on the right.
you can vote your way into socialism, but you will have to shoot your way out.
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Re: Drowning accident last week.
[Re: Boco]
#7182511
02/14/21 09:22 PM
02/14/21 09:22 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,198 Armpit, ak
Dirt
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,198
Armpit, ak
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No Worries,You could skip right across that with the bravo Dirt. I'm sure I've crossed hundreds of these frozen. Some wet. Even non- levitaters can do it. That's why everybody owns and operates snowmachines out here and not snow cats. Lots of travel on water. The Ice roads avoid the lakes and ponds.
Who is John Galt?
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Re: Drowning accident last week.
[Re: bucksnbears]
#7182677
02/14/21 10:48 PM
02/14/21 10:48 PM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,380 western mn
bucksnbears
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,380
western mn
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Wow White. I've spent 100's of hours on northern MN lakes in the winter. Can't say I've ever seen anything like that unless getting close to a creek/river inlet_outlet. Just spent all day with my friend that was close to the fella that died. He's surly bummed but after working in Alaska for 28 years, he knows how fast things can turn south (on anybody). Thanks for the input guys
swampgas chili and schmidt beer makes for a deadly combo
You have to remember that 1 out of 3 Democratic Voters is just as dumb as the other two.
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Re: Drowning accident last week.
[Re: white17]
#7182901
02/15/21 06:54 AM
02/15/21 06:54 AM
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Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,500 Kenai AK
KenaiKid
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,500
Kenai AK
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I Got the rig moving and into 3rd gear with just enough throttle to maintain movement..............then I jumped off and rode the snowmachine across the lake. Good thing it tracked straight! Although it is funny to picture you herding one in circle, looping across a lake...
Boco couldn't catch a cold. But if he did, it would be Top Lot.
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Re: Drowning accident last week.
[Re: bucksnbears]
#7183738
02/15/21 07:28 PM
02/15/21 07:28 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,827 Alaska, USA
Top Jimmy
"Assistant Speling Zcar"
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"Assistant Speling Zcar"
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,827
Alaska, USA
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That is my worst nightmare, going under the ice and not coming back up. Running rivers and creeks for the first ride of the year, or towards the end, you always pucker. I don't know how many times I have stopped on a creek with the machine half way on the bank and then stepped to the creek side and went up to my crotch through the ice. Not a way to go. Sorry for his family.
-TJ
Some people are like slinkies - not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.
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Re: Drowning accident last week.
[Re: bucksnbears]
#7191399
02/21/21 04:01 PM
02/21/21 04:01 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,198 Armpit, ak
Dirt
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,198
Armpit, ak
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Bucksnbears I was over past the hole last night having dinner at my sons. I have more information first/ second/ and third hand and speculation if you want it for your buddy who worked with Scott.
Who is John Galt?
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Re: Drowning accident last week.
[Re: bucksnbears]
#7192081
02/22/21 09:06 AM
02/22/21 09:06 AM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,380 western mn
bucksnbears
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,380
western mn
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Sure Dirt. What do you have?
swampgas chili and schmidt beer makes for a deadly combo
You have to remember that 1 out of 3 Democratic Voters is just as dumb as the other two.
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Re: Drowning accident last week.
[Re: bucksnbears]
#7192166
02/22/21 11:14 AM
02/22/21 11:14 AM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,198 Armpit, ak
Dirt
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,198
Armpit, ak
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Well you stated earlier that what he was driving was amphibious and he owned a hagglund until at least last winter because he buried that in our seven foot sugar snow last year as soon as he left the trail on my end of the big swamp. My fellow dinner guest witnessed this last year. That thing was not very good in the snow; tracks were not that wide and trenched a snomachine trail pretty good. Probably depended on load.
According to my son the tracks leading straight into the hole were too wide for the hagglund, unless he had changed to wider tracks. Still unknown if the hagglund went down or something new.
Apparently Scott was guiding a new property owner who had a cabin on Hewitt lake and just bought a snow cat with some decent track width. It is still unclear what the plan was. Both Scott's place on Whiskey lake and the new guys are accessible by avoiding driving snow cats on lakes. It appears the new guy has now broke an overland backdoor trail to his property with his snow cat. I saw a snow cat trail headed that way and no fresh ones on the lake.
So Hewitt lake is long and skinny probably 3 miles by 1/2 mile. The first part you get on is the worst for thin ice. This is the outlet side and you get on at the extreme left side and at times are only feet from open water on your right. Not deep though. He made it across this following the snow machine trail and for some reason got off the trail to the right and made it about 300 yards to the thin spot.
It is unclear what his plan was. He wasn't crossing the lake, he was traveling down the lake. Maybe he was going to lead this guy down and across to his place, or heading to his place on Whiskey. If he was heading to Whiskey he didn't make it too far. Still had about a mile and a half of Hewitt to travel then overland to another half mile of Whiskey to cross. Both backdoor routes to Scott's and other guy's, that avoid the lakes, are shorter and safer, but require time to make and break them the first time.
It wasn't dark when this went down. Apparently, it took awhile for the vehicle to sink. People were there before it sank. Don't know why nobody tried to pull Scott out. Probably a little spooky. It is unclear why Scott didn't bail. Speculation is he was knocked out. He got out sometime under water. They found his body outside the vehicle.
Scott was surely aware of the preponderance of spider holes on that lake. He traveled it far more times than I have, especially the couple of years he lived at Whiskey.
Who is John Galt?
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Re: Drowning accident last week.
[Re: bucksnbears]
#7193085
02/23/21 08:01 AM
02/23/21 08:01 AM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,380 western mn
bucksnbears
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,380
western mn
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Thanks Dirt. What i was told originally was he was driving a hagglund. I was wondering how it could have gone down.
swampgas chili and schmidt beer makes for a deadly combo
You have to remember that 1 out of 3 Democratic Voters is just as dumb as the other two.
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