Please don’t be fooled by the idea that the lack of snow means area backcountry roads are driveable. Six or more inches of snow has melted in the last couple of days, and that has left MUD – soggy, deep, boggy, forward-motion-destroying mud – in its wake.
The above pic was taken yesterday from the intersection of Disappointment Valley Road and the road to Spring Creek Basin. The driver and passenger of the pictured truck tried to drive in … and soon (but not soon enough?!) realized it wasn’t a good idea. Having nowhere to turn around, they tried to back out. That went well until they got to a particularly boggy area, which pulled their truck off the road, where they tried unsuccessfully to get out of the deep mud.
In the pic, my truck (foreground) is atop the cattle guard at the intersection. I’d pulled the stuck truck to the cattle guard with my chain, but because of the angle and narrowness of the road, I couldn’t get it out of the mud along the road and ONTO the road, and if I’d kept pulling, their left rear wheel would have hit the exposed abutment of the cattle guard. Fortunately, from that point, the driver was able to gun it forward up and out of the mud and onto the road. In the pic above, the truck is on more or less solid ground (it wasn’t all that solid), and the driver and passenger were looking for the tire chains the mud ripped off (at least two of three they put on).
PLEASE do not think that because the snow has melted and the road is brown that it is dry. It most certainly, absolutely, definitely is NOT.
Apparently, I need to add a sign to those seen at the right side of the pic: DO NOT DRIVE WHEN WET. *
Ground moisture = GOOD.
Wet road = VERY, VERY BAD!
We have several days of rain and rain/snow in the forecast – with warm temps – that means the moisture content in the soil will get even better. … And the mud will get even deeper. It’s not spring yet, folks. 🙂 If you’re jonesing to get out and about, please do so responsibly!
(* Note: The three miles from Disappointment Valley Road (starting at the above-mentioned cattle guard intersection) to the boundary of Spring Creek Basin is a county easement/road that crosses private property.)
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 