Memories from Manville’s Christmas Past

Snow at the cabin!  This was Bob maybe 10 years ago

It’s the end of the year 2017!  It has left me with a lot of memories both good and bad. I’m sorry I haven’t blogged more often to document some of them. I’m getting old and the short-term memories slip away more quickly!  I do love to go back and read the “so many years ago” memories on Facebook. This past week Kathi posted a blog from many years ago about one of our very memorable family Christmases on her Country Chicken Girl blog.

( https://countrychickengirl.blogspot.com/2010/12/manville-family-christmas-part-one.html?m=1 )

We were laughing about it and remembering some more recent Christmas adventures that should be documented! So I have decided to take a stab at it. Kathi wrote her story about her first Christmas with the Manvilles--kind of from a newcomers point of view. My story is about a more recent Christmas adventure. I believe it took place 2 years ago. We (at least me, Bob when he was alive, and whoever of our family that was coming for Christmas that year) always planned to spend it at “the cabin”. It was not a simple “over the river and through the woods” type of trip to get there. It is at least a 2.5 mile ride in on snowmobiles or other tracked vehicles through snow covered meadows, draws, several kinda steep hills, up in the trees, and across a creek that is usually frozen and covered with snow. We have to haul all our presents, food, clothing and sometimes gasoline in on sleds pulled by the snowmobiles. Oh, and don’t forget computers, and other electronic devices.

On this particular year, only 2 of Danny’s boys, Danny, Kathi and I were in Walden for Christmas. Danny insisted we spend it at their house since he had to plow snow at the bowling alley and do some other chores before he could get away. He figured he could only leave no earlier than 4:00 and it would be getting dark by 4:30. He did not want to try going in that late in big snow!  The rest of us insisted we could go up earlier with Chris’s new snowmobile and get everything in to the cabin before then and Danny could get whatever we couldn’t fit when he got there. He still insisted it was not a good plan but was out voted.

Chris, Colton and I headed out from Walden to the end of the plowed road about 2:30. We had 1 snow machine, some of the food and our belongings plus Chris’s Labrador puppy. It was cold with blowing snow but the sun was out when we got there. We unloaded Chris’s machine and he headed out to get the sled we needed to haul in our supplies. He took the puppy with him.  We kept a sled at the neighbor’s ranch which was probably 1/2 mile away. Meanwhile Colton and I organized all the things to get loaded. Oh, and of course there is very poor to no cell service up there. We could not see where Chris was and could not call town to see if Danny and Kathi had left either.

 So after about an hour and no Chris we were pretty worried but had no way of looking for him. Finally Danny and Kathi showed up with 2 more snowmobiles and all the rest of the stuff. We got them unloaded and Danny went off to look for Chris. He had been stuck with the sled. Anyway they came back with 1 sled and the dog and as predicted by Danny it was getting dark. We loaded the sled with the necessities for the night and sent Danny, Kathi, Chris and the dog into the cabin. Kathi had the sled and dog, I think there was another sled involved that they had to abandon so that Danny and Chris could break trail as nobody had been that way yet and the snow was deep and powder. They also left Kathi and the puppy stuck in the middle of a meadow about halfway there. They could break trail and come back for her.

Colton and I had no idea what was going on. At least we had a heated pickup to wait in. Meanwhile Kathi was out in the cold blowing snow in the dark wrestling a puppy that wanted to run in the snow but it was too deep!  None of us knew what was happening with each other!  There was nothing Colton and I could do as time marched on. Should we go back to town and get help from my nephews?  Should we stay put?  We couldn’t call anyone so we gave them until 8:00 PM  and then we would go back to town!  Yes, it was several hours ticking by!  Colton took a nap, I was reading my book, and Kathi was still sitting out in the meadow after 1 1/2 hours not knowing where they were! 

 Finally about 7:30pm  Colton got a message from Chris that they had just made it to the cabin!  They had to go back to get Kathi, the sled and the puppy. Then they unloaded the 1 sled and came back for us and the rest of the stuff. As I recall they had to leave the other sled where it was until the next day but had to go out and get everything off it. It was close to midnight by the time we got everything there and got some dinner!  Needless to say, we will probably listen to Danny before we ever attempt a late afternoon expedition to the cabin again. Bob also always tried to get us to be smarter but some of us never learn, I guess. I say this because there are several more Cabin Christmas adventures that need documenting but they will have to wait.

*Note:  This year Skyler and his wife, Kara, Danny, Kathi and I were the only ones here in Walden for Christmas.  Skyler and I talked about going up to the cabin but decided not to even mention it to Danny!  We had a nice quiet fun time at Danny and Kathi's house. 

Digging out the snow machines and sleds!

Why We are in Casper instead of the Cabin

An unusual sight at the cabin!  The snow didn't blow!

 I took a lot of pictures in December of moose and of snow!  My snow pictures are because I never had seen it pile up like it did without blowing into huge drifts and then bare spots.  It just stayed on the level.  We had several adventures during this time that caused our kids to worry about us and finally to insist that we leave the cabin when they did after Christmas.  Here's what happened.

The snow just kept piling up!

Event #1:  Bob had a Dr. appointment in Denver.  We had to drive down over Cameron Pass due to big snow and ice and closed highways going over Berthoud Pass.  It was a bad drive but we made it.  We planned to see his Drs. and go up to Ft. Collins to stay and do Christmas shopping.  We did and added 1 more day to our stay since we didn't get finished .

When we got home we noticed that a big piece of the roof cap had blown off.  I guess there were some pretty big winds while we were gone.  That night we got some more big winds and we could hear a big rattling and banging going on over our heads.  Bob had to plow with the Cat the next day to keep the road open (since we had decided to drive all the way into the cabin in the pickup to unload all our stuff for Christmas).  He could see our roof from the top of the hill and it was not a pretty sight!  A big piece of the metal was ripping off and would need replacing or fixing.

Hughie watches the "boys" working on the roof.  The lift was a "roof saver!"

Discussing how to proceed with roof repairs.

Our "roof heroes" ascend to the top!

Bob decided he needed to have me help him get the ladder and go up (2 stories) and help him fix it.  There was no way either of us was going up there but he insisted, so I had to call Hughie and ask for help!  Harry had a big lift and so Hughie and 2 of Harry's employees (Jamie and Pete?) came out and fixed it for us.  It was a good thing they did it immediately because the next day the snows started and didn't quit for 2 weeks!  At least there was no wind.

Bob plows snow before the big snows hit.  See the bare ground by the house?  That disappeared a few days later.

Event 2:  As I mentioned we drove the pickup into the cabin and did not immediately drive back out when Hughie and the boys left (a big mistake).  Bob continued to plow snow everyday as it continued to pile up but it finally became obvious that there was getting to be too much and nowhere to go with it even though he had plowed a fairly wide trail.

Pickup at the cabin.  A big mistake.

So we finally tried to drive it out.  I followed him in the Argo in case he didn't make it.  It was so beautiful that I took tons of pictures as I was following.  He made it up the first big hill coming out of the draw so I thought we would have it made.  He had to back down and try 3 or 4 times on the next hill up around where the big pine tree used to be (pre-pinebeetle) but he made it!  We were going to make it!  Oooops a little curve right after the big long barbed wire gate got him!  The pickup was sideways in the road with snowbanks blocking him front and back!  We would have to go get the Cat.

Snow on the gate posts.  This is the sight of the stuck truck. 

Stuck truck.  The whole back is filled with snow!

After several tries of pulling him out and then Bob trying to spin on the ice underneath the snow, he decided to do a lot more plowing ahead and then give it another shot.  That resulted in making it about 10 feet further and stuck again!  By now it was dark so we gave up for the night.  Mind you, it was snowing this whole time!

Bob is trying to get the road opened better so the pickup will get some traction on the dirt.  Not successful since there was a layer of ice under all that snow!

The next morning we were back trying again and it seemed strange that the pickup just kept sliding and spinning and not getting anywhere. Finally after 3 or 4 hours I  said just hook on the front and tow it out with the Cat!  Bob was stubborn and said he wanted to try one more time.  I stood there and watched as he spun and went sidewards yet again!  I did notice that the front tires were not spinning and I mentioned that to him.  I got in the pickup ( major task since it was wedged up against the snow banks) and discovered it was not in 4 wheel drive!  I knew it was in the night before because I saw it and even asked questions about it.  What must have happened was that Bob had to climb over to the passenger side to get out in the dark the night before and must have kicked the gear shift as he was crawling out on accident!  Our next attempt was perfect and we got out .

Stuck truck.......Again!

Pick up is ready to give it one last try!  It didn't work!  But I did discover the problem.

Clint had come out and was snow blowing from the metal gate out to the county road.  He also had had some adventures while we were still trying to get to the gate so he was not finished blowing.  We waited and finally by late afternoon we made it out and were back home!

Final events:  Ozzie, JJ and Erin were coming in from Nevada and the road reports warned of feet of snow on the way.  They were on bare roads so they just kept coming hoping to beat the snow.  I had to go out in the Argo at 2 AM to pick them up.  Each day Ozzie had to make numerous trips in the Argo to bring in all the rest of our family.  Some trips--especially Carla's outfit--looked very Grinch-like with Argo and sled piled high.

Danny's family comes in on the Argo with Ozzie.  Seven people with all their stuff!

Getting unloaded.

Paul, Thomas, JJ and Ozzie with whoever is on the sled behind are headed up to the sledding hill.

Bob had parked the pickup across the cattle guard so no one would try to go further, since there was nowhere to turn around and snow had slid off the barn roof and buried where Clint had snow blown.  Someone going up to the lodge tried to go around the pickup and made a "$300 hole".  They had to call a wrecker from Walden to come pull them out!

Bringing in the Christmas tree on the Argo

 That was it, our fate was sealed!  We had to get packed up and on the road when Carla and the boys did.  It took us 3 trips with the Argo in blinding snow to get out but we did it!  Now if it would just warm up  here in Casper......

Casper in the snow.  4 days and a lot of wind and cold later!

Looking up the street.  Just beyond where we can see is a plowed up drift higher than the pickup!