BUILDING MY WINTER ROAD
PAGE TWO
DECEMBER 30 2015
IT HAS BEEN 3 DAYS NOW OF COLD TEMPERATURES SINCE I HAVE CHECKED THE MUSKEG - SWAMP BEHIND THE "KINGDOM". I FIRE UP THE TD-6 KNOWN AS "KOMMUNIST KAT" AND HEAD DOWN TO THE SWAMP TO DO A LITTLE PLOWING.
ONCE I CHECKED THE SWAMP TO SEE HOW IT HAD FROZE AND WAS ALMOST SAFE ENOUGH TO CROSS. I QUICKLY PLOWED THE SNOW OFF USING THE CAT IN HIGH GEAR. THE VEE PLOW ON THE FRONT HAS SHOES ON THE BOTTOM SO IT DOES NOT DIG IN. ALL MY CATS ARE MADE TO PLOW SNOW NOT DIRT.
WHEN I PLOWED NEAR THE EDGE OF THE WIND ROW OF SNOW THE CAT WAS BREAKING THROUGH THE NON FROZEN SWAMP. BUT I HAD THE SPEED TO KEEP THE CAT GOING AND RECOVER FROM SINKING IT. THE FRESHLY PLOWED SNOW BANK ROLLS BACK DOWN AND COVER THE WET SPOTS. IT TAKES ABOUT AN HOUR FOR THE WATER TO FLOW OUT FROM UNDER THE SNOW BANK. ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS TO TELL IF YOU BROKE THE CRUST ON THE SWAMP IS BY SMELL. YES THE SMELL OF A SWAMP IS COMPARED TO A PIG FARM WHICH WILL OUT SMELL A STINKY OLD DIESEL CAT ANY TIME.
JUST A QUICK PHOTO OF A WET SPOT COMING THROUGH. USING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT FOR THE JOB IS WHY I HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT CATS.
AFTER LUNCH I DECIDED TO TAKE THE "LINN TRACTOR" OUT FOR A SPIN.
THE CAT TRAIN TRAIL -- WINTER ROAD IS STILL VERY FROSTY 7 DAYS LATER AFTER I STARTED THIS PROJECT.
NOW THE REAL TEST OF THE SWAMP IS THE HEAVY LINN TRACTOR.
AS LONG AS I DROVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAIL I HAD NO PROBLEM IN CROSSING THE SWAMP - MUSKEG. I WOULD NOT WANT TO TRY THIS WITH A BIG MACHINE UNTIL IT FREEZES UP A LITTLE BETTER.
ON DECEMBER 31 2015 WHICH IS THE LAST DAY OF THE YEAR AND MOST PEOPLE ARE HAVING FUN LEAVING WORK EARLY TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR. NOT ME I WAS TAKING MY 1939 CHEVY TRUCK OUT FOR A SPIN ON MY WINTER ROAD TO HAVE FUN.
IT WAS A NICE WARM DAY OF -10C WHEN I WAS DRIVING ACROSS THIS SWAMP - MUSKEG THAT I COULD NOT EVEN WALK ACROSS 8 DAYS EARLIER.
THE 39 CHEVY HAD NOT PROBLEM ON THE CAT TRAIN TRAIL - WINTER ROAD WITH ARRIVING AT THE END.
I DECIDED TO PARK THE TRUCK OUT OF THE WAY IN THE SUGAR SNOW SO I COULD IMPROVE THE TURN AROUND AREA.
THEN I USED THE "KOMMUNIST KAT" TO FIX UP THE TURN AROUND A LITTLE BETTER SO THE VEHICLES WOULD NOT HAVE PROBLEMS TURNING AROUND.
THE KOMMUNIST KAT AND THE 39 CHEVY LOOK GOOD HEADING BACK ON THE TRAIL. IF THE PICTURE WAS IN BLACK AND WHITE THEN YOU COULD SAY IT IS 1955.
ARRIVING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE SWAMP TO DO A LITTLE CLEAN UP WORK.
ALMOST BACK TO THE "KINGDOM" WITH A VERY FROSTY TRAIL FOR THE END OF THE YEAR.
THE TRAIL IS TOO NARROW SO I HAVE TO MAKE IT WIDER BY PUSHING THE SNOW BANK BACK FARTHER IN TO THE TREES.
THE SUGAR SNOW 8 DAYS AGO WOULD NOT MOVE ANY MORE IN TO THE TREES AND ONLY FLOW BACK ON TO THE TRAIL. NOW THE KOMMUNIST KAT AND THE DRAG IS GETTING IT WIDER.
THE SUGAR SNOW IS NOW BIG LUMPS OF SNOW WHICH ARE EASIER TO WORK WITH THEN SUGAR.
THE CHAIN DRAG IS CUTTING THE SNOW ON THE ROAD DOWN AND FILLING IN THE LOW SPOTS. THE BIGGER TIRE DRAG IS PUSHING THE SNOW BANKS BACK FARTHER AND SMOOTHING OUT THE LUMPS.
THE SWAMP THAT WAS SO UN-EVEN AND ROUGH IS NOW GETTING NICE AND LEVEL WITH A FEW PASSES OF THE DRAGS.
PULLING A DRAG MAKES THE KOMMUNIST KAT HEAVIER AND THE WATER COMES UP THROUGH THE SWAMP AS YOU DRIVE ACROSS. IT WILL BE A WHILE BEFORE THE SWAMP WILL BE READY FOR HEAVY TRAFFIC.
MORE COME AS I FINISH UP MY CAT TRAIN TRAIL - WINTER ROAD.
THANSK