Had to pick between a stuck snowmobile and a very cold walk home

Last weekend up near Traverse City, my old Polaris got itself buried in a snowdrift so deep I couldn't even see the skis. I had two choices: spend the next hour digging it out with my hands and a piece of a broken branch, or leave it and hike the three miles back to the cabin in my boots. I chose the dig, figuring it would be faster. Wrong. That snow was like concrete, and my gloves got soaked through in about five minutes. I finally got it free after what felt like forever, but my hands were so numb I could barely pull the starter cord. Made it back just as the sun was going down, totally beat. Anyone ever had a recovery job go that sideways in deep powder?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy_cooper462mo ago

Read an article once about wet snow setting up like that.

wadebailey1mo ago

Yeah, that "setting up" part is the worst. Makes it feel like you're shoveling concrete, @amy_cooper46. My back hurts just thinking about it.

diana6412mo ago

But is it actually dangerous or just a mess to shovel?