October Sweeps - Day 623

It has been unseasonably cold this week, and with all the rain in town, there was no doubt that it would have snowed way up the canyon where the cabin is.  But I really, really wanted to go to the cabin.  So I got up as early as I could manage, packed up my things, and loaded them into my dad's truck, knowing there was little chance my car would've made it up here.

The drive was uneventful, but once I got to the turn off to the lake, there was indeed snow and unpaved road, and that combination proved to be almost deadly.  I had a super hard time getting the truck up the hill toward the cabin, having to go almost all the way up in first gear, sliding in frozen snow, and barely making it to where the ground leveled off.  No way would my car have managed that.

It took way, way longer than it usually does to get up, past the lake, through the gate, and down the snowy mud road to our property.  And when I got to the driveway, I simply could not get the truck up the path to the cabin.  I made it about ten feet up one way, with the truck sliding down every time I took my foot off the brake, then got the idea to reverse all the way to the other side of the driveway, which is less steep.  On that side, I made it about fifteen feet before the truck started to slide and the tires scream.  So I just put the emergency brake on, turned off the engine, and left the truck there (at least it wasn't blocking the road, like it was on the other side), hiking up the hill with my stuff (it took three trips).

The snow wasn't even a foot deep on the ground, but it was enough to make me stop trying to get up the hill, and I was surprised that it wasn't all that cold, not with the sun shining brightly.

Inside the cabin, however, it was pretty darn cold.

To my surprise, it was more than ten degrees warmer outside, on the deck, than it was inside the cabin.  After I finally got a fire burning well and good, it was probably five degrees difference, still warmer outside.  And then the fire went out.  Once I got it started again, the tables had turned (as had the shadows) and it was now warmer in here than outside.  And soon it will be dark, then we'll find out how dedicated I am to all this.

Sit-ups Today: 100
Sit-ups In October: 1695

For hours, the sound of big chunks (or sheets) of frozen snow breaking off and sliding down the roof could be heard, some small and annoying, some huge and sounding as though a giant were raining down stones upon this place.

Once the fire was burning and I could no longer see my breath in the cabin, I started editing audio again.  I should be finished with "Underdecorated" by this time tomorrow . . . except that the other night, when I was super-sleepy, I forgot that the family used to be known as the Keiths and had been switched to the Smiths (I wish I had switched it back, since I think of Morrissey and Johnny Mar whenever I hear "The Smiths"), and had said "Mrs. Keith" a time or two, and will have to re-record that bit.

Push-ups Today: 111
Push-ups In Octobre: 1911

It has been my tradition, at least for this year, to head on over to the dam and check my messages, maybe watch a YouTube video, and run the length of the dam and back, and today, I was just going to leave the truck where it was, and not bother with it.  But it's a tradition, and I figured my mom would worry if I didn't tell her I had made it alright, so I put my shoes back on, and went down the driveway, which was now a little more melted, and seemed more climbable.

For some reason, I decided to test that theory, rather than just reverse down the way.  And yes, I was able to get another ten feet or so before getting stuck, then I reversed, got a bit of momentum, and got fourteen feet this time.  I repeated it, getting a tiny bit higher each time, until I very nearly reached the top of the driveway.  But I couldn't seem to get going any higher.

I tried again, and felt the back tires chew through the snow and into the gravel below.  Now I was getting somewhere, I thought . . . except I wasn't.  I gave it a ton more gas, and saw rocks being thrown up behind me, but I wasn't moving.  I shifted into Reverse, and tried to back down again, and I didn't move at all.  That seemed strange.

When I got out to check, I discovered this:

The back tire had somehow dug itself a foot-deep hole, and I was absolutely, thoroughly stuck in it.  The sun was almost down, and all I could think of to do was grab a shovel, dig a little bit around the hole, and leave it for tomorrow.  My mom would have to worry, I suppose.

If tomorrow is as sunny a day as today was, half of the snow should be melted, and with a little effort, I should be able to dig myself out of the hole I made, and get on home.  It's possible, though, that I am totally screwed, and will have to experiment (filling the hole in with gravel, maybe digging a trench or something, I don't know) to get out of the hole.  I don't envy me if none of those options work.

Words Today: 283
Words In Octubre: 9745