A "Fun Family Adventure" Christmas Time 2009

This year the snows came early and we were snowed in in October! The snow did melt away and we were able to drive in to the cabin again until December 9. After that we had to use the Argo. We have used it for 3 winters now. I love it but it really needs a cab on it to make it more comfortable when the snow is powdery. It fluffs up and freezes your face and the people in the back--or the stuff you have in the back gets covered with snow.

Last year I had one uncomfortable feeling that we might get stuck coming out of the draw when Bob went off the trail, but we were leaving for the south and weren't coming back until May so I kind of forgot about it. Then this year we had been coming and going just fine but Bob had a bad feeling about getting stuck. We had a lot of problems with water running under about a foot of snow down by the barn so we kept trying new routes and finally we sank down into the water, got high centered, and were royally stuck. Sharon happened to see us and came down to see what we needed to do. She got her tractor that was chained up and pulled us out but not without a lot of spinning wheels on her tractor.

We were going to Nebraska to stay with the boys and then in about 5 days come back up with them for Christmas. The weather turned bad in Nebraska so we decided about noon a day early to come back to Colorado. We got up to the Argo just about dark.

We had groceries, luggage and 5 people to get into the cabin. Bob only wanted to take one trip in the dark so we got the groceries that would freeze, computers, and a gallon of floor wax and loaded up--no suitcases or duffel bags. We would rough it for one night.

We got down to the meadow to the east of the one we had been stuck in and made it as far as the far gate and sunk in more water but got out of it and made it to the dry meadow. We were going along fine up Beck's big hill and were about 2/3 of the way up when Bob went off the trail and we were high centered. Chris, Colton and I went over to the grove of trees and got sticks to see if we could dig it out but it was way too dark to see what we were doing and sticks just didn't get the job done.

Sooo we gathered up the 20-25 lbs. of groceries--in our trusty freezer bag--that Chris and Colton took turns carrying, the computers and Skyler got the floor wax. I had my purse and my computer and Bob had a walking stick. We set out under an almost full moon that had a light cloud cover but it still showed the trail at times. It probably was 1 1/4 miles to the cabin. Chris and Colton were in the lead and would stop every so often to let me catch up and change carriers. Bob and Skyler (who had hurt his knee in wrestling) brought up the rear.

Finally when we got to the draw I told Chris and Colton to go ahead and see if they could get a snow machine started and come back for Grampa. I waited for the other two to catch up with me. It was not that easy to stay on the trail and we kept slipping off into the deep snow. I kept getting ahead and finally just kept going too.

When I was on top of the hill above the cabin I could hear 2 coyotes howling pretty close and I was visualizing myself fighting them off with my computer and purse! I kinda laughed at myself seeing this 70 year old lady swinging wildly with purse in one had and computer in the other, dressed in all my winter garb! The coyotes would probably laugh too. It was really a beautiful night. Not too cold and no wind so for me it was kind of a nice walk!

About the time I heard the coyotes, I could hear the snow machine coming up the hill and Chris came by on the Bravo with no headlight so he had found the famous flashlight that was lost many Christmas's ago (but that is another story), and was holding it while driving the machine. I continued on down the hill and Bob came along on the snowmobile. Chris rewalked the rest of the way with Skyler and we all finally made it to the cabin.

It was an adventure Bob did not want to repeat so he called Hughie that same night and got him to plow open the road all the way to the cabin. Paul and Thomas and Carla got to drive all the way in and the weather cooperated so they could leave their vehicles in until they left. Now I have been driving the Argo out on the road and it is much better than going cross country. I hope it stays that way for a while!