With Glen Pardey

WITH GLEN PARDEY
2/26/2011

This started out when Keith came back from his winter migration to the lower 48. All we wanted to do was to limber up the machines, and see how Keith's would work after spending all the winter so far buried in the snow.

Extra Dry Creek is also known (among us) as Autumn's Ravine. One evil night in December 2005, Autumn went in there solo, got stuck, and had to walk 7 miles home.

The 2005 night of the stuck, 11 PM, I was watching TV with my dog, and there is this knock on the door, and when I opened, there was this apparition: Autumn, wet, hair sticking straight out, clothes hanging on her like limp rags, face all messed up, icicles dangling from her nose, and she says "I got stuck!"

Next day, sure enough, the sun shines brightly on the stuck machine. Keith walked down, started it, and just drove it right out. No problem. Love it!

And now you know how come its called Autumn's Ravine

Down Autumn's Ravine

Going down "Autumn's Ravine" (Extra Dry Creek), just 8 miles north of Nome. The going looks a bit challenging.

Keith Stuck

Ramon carefully approaches a stuck Keith. What Ramon is on is a ball of snow about 10 foot tall, with willows underneath. Ramon thought it was a gravel pile, but when he got off the machine he sank to his jing jang so that's how he found out.

It is really stuck!

How are we going to get
this frikkin' machine out?

It is now out

But with work and perseverance ... and a bit of Brute strength the desired result is acchieved.

We don't call him Keith the Brute for nothing!

Glen Pardey's Cabin - Snake River

Started out as an 8 x 10 wall tent, which got upgraded with plywood instead of canvas. Not a bad place at all. Not bad!

Left to right: Keith's Polaris, Glen's 600 ACE LT, Ramon's 600 ACE LT, and finally Ramon's 2007 Tundra 300F ... but with Autumn behind the wheel.

Riverside Chit Chat

Autumn in the orange jacket, and Ramon in the black and yellow, chit chat at Glen's cabin.

Below the Wind Farm

The indomitable four stop below the Banner Peak wind farm. There we tried to call Hugh to join us; alas, he was not home. Eat your heart out, Hugh.

A view of Anvil creek. If you look hard you can see two of the machines approaching.

Anvil Creek Cranes

There are two cranes on Anvil Creek. We call this one "the first crane", and is the southernmost of the two. That little cabin, alas, it has fallen on hard times.

We Ride Home

Glen and Ramon approach the first crane on their LT's.

All good things come to an end, and after this picture was taken we headed home to warm up.

Don't Kill my Tire!

Rembrandt - or Membrane ... That damn dog of Autumn's is killing my frikking tire!

Ramon's Mansion

The abode is just 398 sq ft. A radio ham; some antennas are ham; some are for satellite internet, some for satellite TV.

Rental Manor and Shop

Ramon's shop next to his cabin. The second floor is the one-room rental that Autumn lives in. 320 sq ft.

WITH GLEN PARDEY2/26/2011