I May Have to Turn in My L.O.S.T. Lifetime Membership!

QuestMan · **Posted:** Fri Mar 12, 2010 11:54 pm

Just Kidding! :lol:

I actually got stuck today, out on the firetower trail, near Hastings, MI. I was almost back out to the main road, (about 3/4 mile), and had gotten to the bottom of a hill. At the bottom, there was some standing water, and it didn't seem too deep. :banghead:

I any case, after an hour and a half of digging, muttering, and getting nowhere at all, I had to do the unthinkable: I gave up and called a towtruck in. I had slid down into two ruts, and they were deep enough that the front skid bottomed out. I tried getting sandbags under the front tires, but the water was deep enough it didn't matter. I tried to jack up the right side, so I could put something under the tires, but the rut was so narrow, I couldn't get the jack in anywhere that would allow me to jack the Jeep up. I tried to lift the front end with the jack, but the front end was sitting on the mud, so I couldn't get a jack in there. When the tow truck operator got there, he went in almost to his knees in water, trying to connect the winch line to one of my tow hooks. (I guess I forgot to warn him about the depth) :roll:

When I paid him, he asked me, "How in the world, out here, did you get MY phone #?" I looked at him, laughed, and replied, "Garmin"! Anyway, he told me of some more trails I can hit in the area, so it wasn't a total loss.

I almost forgot: The Goodyear Silent Armors worked beautifully, otherwise. I can't blame the tires for going in too deep. That blame is completely mine. :roll:

Donkeykong · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:06 pm

You had a cell phone and didn't take any pics? :-)r

KJ 119 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:40 pm

Just for argument sake....if you had a winch,would you have made it out?

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:15 am

Never wheel alone.

wecwbe · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:21 am

JL Rockies wrote:

Never wheel alone.

That is good advice although I have to admit I don't always follow it. But I certainly scale back what I will attempt when I'm alone. Getting stuck when you are alone is a major PITA! :banghead:

stumpjumper_09 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:25 am

I think I know which trail you are talking about. Should have called me...........

QuestMan · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:21 am

Quote:

You had a cell phone and didn't take any pics?

Of all my screw ups, that was the BIGGEST mistake. :mrgreen:

Quote:

Just for argument sake....if you had a winch,would you have made it out?

Yes. By the way, the tow truck started to slide, and the owner had to anchor it. I kept having a vision of this big, honking tow truck getting stuck right next to me...

Quote:

Never wheel alone.

Yes. That's always good advice, although I was wheeling less than 6 miles from the nearest tow, and probably less than 2 miles from public roads or housing, so it wasn't like I would have had to hike 30 miles out to the nearest house for help. I use the 'How far is help?' yardstick very religiously.

Finally,

Quote:

I certainly scale back what I will attempt when I'm alone.

The area I was wheeling in was no more 'severe' than any roads I take when I go ice fishing. In the midwest at this time of year, as mud starts getting soft, "stuck" happens. :-)r

In the six years I've had my Libby, I've only gotten stuck to the point of needing a tow twice. Once was at Camp Jeep, and that was one of the big reasons I got a Frankenlift. The other time was Friday.... :roll:

LibertyFever · **Posted:** Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:35 pm

I think we've all been there once (maybe twice) :oops:

and I don't blame you for not taking pics.

Have you thought about carrying a come-along and a tow strap in the back of your Libby? I carry one but haven't yet needed it (yet :roll:

).

I May Have to Turn in My L.O.S.T. Lifetime Membership!

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