Good day in paradise, sorta.

[starmac]

It has been raining for most of a week and the rivers here are above flood stage. That old woman I married 30 some odd years ago, wanted to go look at the rivers. I have been wanting to find the end of an old logging road, where some kids told me of a fourwheeler trail that will take me to Minto lakes (haven't been able to confirm this with any of the old timers yet). I load the new to me artic cat for insurance in case I get stuck, and we headed out for a day of exploring. After going by the two rivers, we head out just monkeying around. We get about 15 miles in on the logging road, and the fork I took torned into a muddy two track. We follow this for another 8 or so miles and it is raining pretty good, all of a sudden we haer a crash. Apparently the artic cat decided iit was tired of riding. lol So I get the ramps out and crank it up to reload it. The ramps are pretty steep on this pickup, so I was sitting there in a black clowd of our famous Alaska mosquitos letting it warm up a little before hitting the ramps, and it flooded out and died, gas was running out of one of the carbs, like someone was pouring a 5 gallon bucket over it. There was no restarting it, and no way I can push it up the ramps, so I winched it back into the pickup and decided we better turn around as soon as we found a wide enough spot.

This was the cats first outing, and with no plans to even use it, it failed miserably. This was the second time I have headed down that road looking for the end of it, and had to turn back. The first time because snow got too deep, and 10 miles in there is a narrow wooden bridge, I didn't want to risk sliding off of in the snow. I got home about 10 pm, and the cat cranked right up and run like it was supposed to. I unloaded it and rode it a couple miles like I had stole it, and it ran perfect. I was pretty disapointed, but then a neighbor kid came over looking to borrow a die grinder. He went to work at a tire store a couple weeks back, and said he would bring me a couple 5 gallon buckets full of cowws and a bucket of stick ons tomorrow IF I wanted them. So the day turned out great after all. lol

The funny thing is, one of the old hands at the store casts, but he said he would only use the big truck weights, because he doesn't want to sort the weights and the stick ons are too messy to smelt. lol

[alrighty]

Some days are better than other but any that ends on a positive note is a good day IMO.

[fivegunner]

It sounds like you had fun , it would scare me to drive my truck way back in the bush without a plan and a cell phone or ham radio and a bug out bag. and a good running motorcycle/ quad. I was thinking that maybe your float on your quad got stuck when it fell off your truck, and let the gas out. and have fun smelting your ww`s

[starmac]

A guy wouldn't see much of Alaska if he tried to stay in cell phone range, in fact he might as well stay in houston or some other city. lol Fourwheelers take bigger bumps than that with normal riding pretty regular, hopefully that wasn't the case. lol
I know this model had a rep for carb trouble, but it is mainly because it has 2 carbs and geting them and the choke set right. I will rebuild them and give it ONE more chance, then it is down the road. lol

And yes we had fun, any day in the backwoods is a good day, even when I have had to spend the night. lol

[TXGunNut]

Sure beats sitting around the house. Does sound like a float/needle & seat issue from the rough landing, somehow the needle made it back into the seat before you got home. At least the Cat didn't leave you stranded and it sounds like you may have a steady source of lead. Good day indeed.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

...snip
all of a sudden we haer a crash. Apparently the artic cat decided iit was tired of riding. lol So I get the ramps out and crank it up to reload it. The ramps are pretty steep on this pickup, so I was sitting there in a black clowd of our famous Alaska mosquitos letting it warm up a little before hitting the ramps, and it flooded out and died, gas was running out of one of the carbs, like someone was pouring a 5 gallon bucket over it. There was no restarting it, and no way I can push it up the ramps
snip...

Boy oh boy, from my younger days, I have a hundred stories that end something like that I don't venture out like I use to anymore

[L Ross]

Whenever I haul an ATV in the truck or trailer I shut off the gas. This based on the recommendation of an ATV mechanic when I bought my first one in 1985. He stated a person could have problems just as starmac described.

Duke

[starmac]

This model atv has the tank lower than the carbs, it takes an electric pump to get gas to it, so there is no need to shut the gas off. This was the first year of this model, the next year and after they even eliminated the gas valve on them.
I'm sure shutting the gas off is not a bad idea on a gravity system, that said my old honda is a 99 model and I have never shut it off to haul it and she has never failed me. I did have it start flooding similar once, when I was several miles out with it, but it fired up and I shut the gas off till it started, then kept it wide open for a couple miles before it stopped. My main concern then was running out of gas miles before I got back to the pickup. lol

JonB, I have many, many stories like this. I have always had to find the end of the trails. lol
How do you think I wound up in Alaska. lol
My wife reminded me that life is always an adventure, but I hope I never get too old to quit having them. lol

[MaryB]

Sounds like a road I went down with a friend along the Minnesota River. It was spring and 4 of us had hopped in his truck to go check the flood waters. He went down a gravel farm track until we hit water. I said back it out and he said nahhh the 40 inch mudders will be fine if I turn in the field(that had just been under water).

That mud was more water than dirt, truck started floating on the tires. 3 of us hopped out to try to push him towards the road, we promptly sank to our knees plus a bit.Managed to walk back up onto the gravel. Looked back and the water was rising again. Managed to find a friend and 400 feet of 1/2 inch steel cable to pull us from solid ground. We were totally mud covered by the time we were done.

[smokeywolf]

Thanks for sharing that adventure with us.
I don't get the opportunity for the adventures I used to have, due to being busy with logistical and financial preparations for our move out of Kali, plus shopping and shuttling boys to school related activities.

smokeywolf

[.45Cole]

You have to get to the end of that road! I did that up (or rather down) here in Co. A road went through a pond, then around a mountain. I got stuck on an old corduroy road in the rain and turned around in my lifted 4x4 wearing 33" BFG mudders . Last year my cousin and I tore it up on the dirtbikes and we were rewarded with a cabin, old truck, large mine workings, and...a very old trail that went further around the mountain. We were out of time to follow it, but we did find old cans in the cabin that were still full. The one we opened was milk.

[mikeym1a]

You have to get to the end of that road! I did that up (or rather down) here in Co. A road went through a pond, then around a mountain. I got stuck on an old corduroy road in the rain and turned around in my lifted 4x4 wearing 33" BFG mudders . Last year my cousin and I tore it up on the dirtbikes and we were rewarded with a cabin, old truck, large mine workings, and...a very old trail that went further around the mountain. We were out of time to follow it, but we did find old cans in the cabin that were still full. The one we opened was milk.

What a neat adventure! Now you have to see where the rest of that trail goes......................