How stuck would you have to be to walk out and Die? Been stuck lots of times and have slept, stuck in the mountains a lot of times. I always keep some food, blankets, shovels in any 4X4. I really don't see that being stuck with a girlfriend, blanket and tomato's is that bad of a thing? Now if it was a wife, that would be a different story!!

I flew over Burnside Lake this afternoon. Jeep was gone. Most recent tracks were from a tracked vehicle which was used to pull the jeep out. Were it was bogged down was the only spot devoid of snow. From the mess, it was dug in up to the axles.

Lots of trees, if they had a winch they could have self-rescued.



(I'm sure my FJ Cruiser could make it!)

bumper wrote:I flew over Burnside Lake this afternoon. Jeep was gone. Most recent tracks were from a tracked vehicle which was used to pull the jeep out. Were it was bogged down was the only spot devoid of snow. From the mess, it was dug in up to the axles.

Lots of trees, if they had a winch they could have self-rescued.



(I'm sure my FJ Cruiser could make it!)

WINCH? The didn't think to bring BOOTS!

Comments about California are amusing. I am California born and bred, and the politically correct term we use for this type of behavior is actually "STUPID." there are other useful terms, but stupid is most accurate. Some might use ignorant or careless, but if you are that ignorant and careless at that age, its because you are STUPID.

c170pete wrote:

bumper wrote:I flew over Burnside Lake this afternoon. Jeep was gone. Most recent tracks were from a tracked vehicle which was used to pull the jeep out. Were it was bogged down was the only spot devoid of snow. From the mess, it was dug in up to the axles.

Lots of trees, if they had a winch they could have self-rescued.



(I'm sure my FJ Cruiser could make it!)

WINCH? The didn't think to bring BOOTS!

Comments about California are amusing. I am California born and bred, and the politically correct term we use for this type of behavior is actually "STUPID." there are other useful terms, but stupid is most accurate. Some might use ignorant or careless, but if you are that ignorant and careless at that age, its because you are STUPID.

I'm an Ex-Californian, but stuck working a full time job down here What's worse is that I'm surrounded by too many STUPID people!!!!

SixTwoLeemer wrote:I didn't know there were any 1989 Jeep Cherokee's that still run??

My MIL has one, must be getting near 200k on the odometer and still running strong. I think they recently had to replace the front u-joints. Finally.

By coincidence she lives not far from where this incident occured. No relation

Makes one wonder if these types will ever quit doing this stuff. I read a couple of times a year where this stuff happens out west. People taking roads and don't have a clue if they can make it, the GPS says it's a go. Last year an 18 wheeler tried to drive his rig from Silverton, CO to Lake City over Engineer Pass, said it was on the GPS. And last year a guy from the Front Range here in Co. drove out to NV, picked up a buddy in I believe Winnemucca or there about and drove out NW of town to look at a mine or mining area and got stuck in the sand. His buddy died and he was found and made it. NO food, camping gear or what ever else they should have had. And then all the ones that go out to cut a Christmas tree here in our Rockies and run into trouble.
Wife and I were in northern CA in Aug( Cresent City) and took a lot of back roads thru the Redwood country and on thru the Gold mining areas around Sawyers Bar, on to Kalamath Falls and to Lakeview and highway 140 to Denio Jct and on to Winnemucca. Then the back road to Midas and on to Tusarora with some side trips off road and to Elko for the night, Then highway 226 to Jacks Creek and back road to Mountain City and then back roads to Jarbridge and on to Jackpot. Had our 09 Dodge 4 by 4 and lots of gear and food in case. Been flying over Nevada for the last 45 years and now are seeing a lot of the stuff from the ground. We've had our Wrangler over most of the rest of Nevada several times looking over the back country. Still got a few more areas I want to check out in the Silver State. Probably have to go with son's and grandson's as the wife says she has seen enough. She is probably right, I've been dragging her around the back country and mountains out west since 1955. Ron

Another case of not thinking to far ahead,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5aMT9MBfZI

skywagon guy wrote:Makes one wonder if these types will ever quit doing this stuff. I read a couple of times a year where this stuff happens out west. People taking roads and don't have a clue if they can make it, the GPS says it's a go. Last year an 18 wheeler tried to drive his rig from Silverton, CO to Lake City over Engineer Pass, said it was on the GPS. And last year a guy from the Front Range here in Co. drove out to NV, picked up a buddy in I believe Winnemucca or there about and drove out NW of town to look at a mine or mining area and got stuck in the sand. His buddy died and he was found and made it. NO food, camping gear or what ever else they should have had. And then all the ones that go out to cut a Christmas tree here in our Rockies and run into trouble.
Wife and I were in northern CA in Aug( Cresent City) and took a lot of back roads thru the Redwood country and on thru the Gold mining areas around Sawyers Bar, on to Kalamath Falls and to Lakeview and highway 140 to Denio Jct and on to Winnemucca. Then the back road to Midas and on to Tusarora with some side trips off road and to Elko for the night, Then highway 226 to Jacks Creek and back road to Mountain City and then back roads to Jarbridge and on to Jackpot. Had our 09 Dodge 4 by 4 and lots of gear and food in case. Been flying over Nevada for the last 45 years and now are seeing a lot of the stuff from the ground. We've had our Wrangler over most of the rest of Nevada several times looking over the back country. Still got a few more areas I want to check out in the Silver State. Probably have to go with son's and grandson's as the wife says she has seen enough. She is probably right, I've been dragging her around the back country and mountains out west since 1955. Ron

A few of us BCPers should get together sometime for trips like you talked about. I too have been all over NV back roads (mostly central to northern), some eastern OR and around SW Idaho. I loved every second of it and still have plenty more I want to see from the ground.

I too go well over prepared. Oh wait, I don't think there is such a thing as over prepared. I don't even go in the hills north of Boise without my SPOT, GPS, portable Nav/Com, food, water, shovel, tow rope, blankets, jackets, Leatherman, tools, extra fuel and my 12 gauge Marlin. Oh, and plenty of snacks!! I even carry a 5 gallon bucket and one of those plastic toilet seats you put on the bucket (I'm too old for squatting)

Someday I hope to invest in a good winch.

Someday I hope to invest in a good winch.

Me, I'd rather invest in a good wench.

Gump

GumpAir wrote:

Someday I hope to invest in a good winch.

Me, I'd rather invest in a good wench.

Gump

Ahhh yeah.........

Sadly, if they'd let the air out of their tires down to 12 pounds, they probably would have driven out. I'm sure the State will be in trouble since the family told them where they would be found and they didn't look. They should have told them they were republican homophoebs with guns, the swat team would have found them within hours.

Nosedragger wrote: They should have told them they were republican homophoebs with guns, the swat team would have found them within hours.

The drones would have been a quicker response

Even when i take the Yamaha Rhino out, I carry a fire extinguisher, extra gas, cooler with food, shovel, GPS, SPOT, port NAV/COM, and a few other things.

Out in the Owyhees at 3 Fingers


My 95 Bronco. Up in the hills northeast of Emmett. Gotta a rack for the cooler, extra gas, shovel and a box full of goodies.

GumpAir wrote:

Someday I hope to invest in a good winch.

Me, I'd rather invest in a good wench.

Gump

Hey Gump, . . . haven't you, ahh, tried that a few times already??

bumper

Lot of difference between a wench and a good wench. Especially in the price!

An explanation of Darwin effects on the brain.

One night at Cheers, Cliff Clavin said to his buddy, Norm Peterson:
"Well, ya see, Norm, it's like this.. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members! ; In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine! That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers.


Be sure to include some beer in your survival kit to make you smarter in those life and death situations.

Oh, and to help tell the difference between grabbing a wrench and a wench. Or to at least believe you have grabbed the sharpest wench in the box.

Nosedragger wrote:Sadly, if they'd let the air out of their tires down to 12 pounds, they probably would have driven out.

I agree. There are lots of ways to get yourself unstuck, and that one has worked for me on occasion. Half the pressure, twice the contact area, a third of the pressure, three times the contact area, etc. I usually save that one as a last resort, however, as I don't want to get stranded again by damaging a tire due to low pressure on the drive back to civilization.

Some others:

If your differential is letting one tire spin and the opposite isn't getting any power, apply just enough brake to significantly slow the spinning tire, and some power will go to the opposite wheel. The emergency brake is usually best, unless it's a front wheel drive.

If you're high centered on snow and don't have a shovel, break it up with the tire iron and scoop it out with a rolled up floor mat.

If you're high centered on rocks, jack up the front end as high as you can and then back it out. As the jack tips over and the car falls off the jack, it will give you a good push.

If your tires are spinning on ice, go to the edge of the road and kick up some loose gravel. Use the floor mat to carry it over to the car to put under the wheel. If unavailable, look for sticks, rocks, etc. to put under the tires. I once put a cowboy boot under the rear wheel of each side of a RWD, and it got me out but it ruined one boot.

If you're stuck in mud, try jacking up the car and putting big rocks under the tires, then hit the accelerator hard to get some speed while you're still on the rock.

One time I was stuck in mud and couldn't get out no matter what I tried. I finally used the lug nut wrench to dig a foot and a half deep trench from under the car to the downhill side. A few hours later, enough water had drained out of the mud that I was able to get out.

Another time I was stuck in snow and couldn't get out because the warm afternoon was making the snow slushy and I couldn't get any grip. I decided to wait until after dark, reasoning that the temperature would drop and then it wouldn't be so slick. About three hours after sundown the snow got crunchy enough that I was able to get out.

Once I was stuck in sand and took the floor mats and put them under the wheels to get out. Another time I was in a car with no floor mats and got stuck in sand. I used the tire iron to beat some sagebrush loose from their roots and put them under the wheels and managed to get out.

I've come across well over a dozen stuck vehicles out in the boonies over the years while I was snowshoeing, hiking, mtn biking, etc. I would usually have the driver sit on the tailgate or open the trunk and sit in it, then I would gently back their vehicle out. One time when I was in college I filled the trunk of my Datsun B-210 with rocks to get enough weight on the rear tires to get unstuck.

I've seen other techniques that I've never tried like using a fifteen foot long small log as a lever, or pouring a half jug of antifreeze under a tire that was spinning on ice. I'm sure there are other techniques I've used than I'm forgetting.

The lack of tools doesn't mean you're stupid. Use what's available, and there's always something available. You can choose to think and if you don't then you're choosing to be stupid.