On Wednesday, my wife went out, picked up the mail, did the grocery shopping, and ran some other errands. She drove back up the mountain with just a little fishtailing.
On Thursday, I went to a dentist appointment. My wife suggested I take her car because it is garaged and has heated seats. My truck was sitting outside in 6°F weather and does not have heated seats, so I took her up on the offer. Plus, she drives a Subaru, and their X-mode is excellent for driving in snow and mud. It had snowed yet again, so I figured it would help.
I engaged X-Mode on the way down the mountain. At one point, it was so slippery I was literally crawling down at three mph. I could feel the car slip. When this happened, X-mode would allow the car to roll forward and then try to slow it. It didn’t always work, and we were gaining speed as it tried to stay in control. As our speed increased (we may have hit all of seven mph) I hit the brakes, but the car not only slid, it started to spin, so I took my foot off the brake and let X-mode do what it could.
Happily, we made it to the ford, where things leveled out, and I could get back into control. I steered us into the ford and hit the gas to ensure we didn’t get stuck in the water. We powered through. The lower portion of the road was slick, but since it was not as steep, it was not too bad. I kept it in X-mode and under 10 mph until the road widened and we hit asphalt. That part had been plowed.
So X-mode got me safely down the hill.
The Return Trip
Thursday was my turn to run errands, although the holiday for President Carter’s funeral meant the post office was closed. The Library was open, so because we are expecting more snow, I got two books from their new book section.
When I got back home, I put the car back into X-mode to climb the mountain.
The lower part of the dirt road wasn’t bad, with some places where the gravel showed through. I crossed the ford and was heading up the private road at six to eight mph. Suddenly, the car slowed, and before I knew it, I was rolling backwards. I could not stop, so I let up on the accelerator and put it in reverse to activate the rear-view camera. Then I steered myself to safety.
To be honest, I think the ruts in the road had as much to do with steering me safely as my steering did. It was almost like being a slot car with my wheels unable to pop out of the ruts in the snow and mud below. It worked in my favor, so I am not about to complain.
I considered trying to go up again, maybe not in X-mode, but I decided it wasn’t worth it. I wasn’t scared during the backward roll as much as frustrated that I felt helpless. Thinking about risking it again, however, with the deep ditch looming on the side of the road, was scary enough that I pulled over in one of our turn arounds and left the car there.
Walking Home
My EDC backpack was in the car with me, so I opened it up, took out the fleece hat and tucked the two library books inside. I donned the hat, threw the pack on, and adjusted the straps. Then I locked the car and trudged up the road.
It was tough going. I was sliding, even wearing my insulated hunting boots with plenty of tread. I could see where the car slipped and slid, and it must have been about 70 feet.
Finally, I broke into the sunshine. The snow there was thinning, and the path became easier.
My wife, who saw me walking, met me in the driveway to find out what had happened. I was happy to tell her that her car was not in the ditch, but was safely parked. She agreed to leave it there. I expect it will be there until Monday or Tuesday.
If we want to go out, it will be easier to do so from where it is parked, but I expect we are in for the next few days and another snow storm is expected to road through here.
Meanwhile, I loaded the back of my pickup with firewood and parked it in the garage. It’s about 45° F in there, but it beats a subzero windchill.
My Neighbor
I called my neighbor to warn him that the road was in bad shape. He told me he had found that out the hard way. He had driven down the mountain to pick up some groceries before the storm and said he was almost out of control at a few points. I told him I got down OK but wasn’t able to make it up the hill and had to walk. He decided he would stay with a friend in town. I asked if he needed me to do anything to his house, but he said it would be fine.
Now we are trapped up on the mountain and he is trapped down the mountain.
I hope he has a spare pair of drawers with him.
