Had a pretty good adventure this wekend

[Hawkman]

Good friends invite us over for a weekend of ice-fishing every winter, and for 2014, we had planned it for January 25.

Started out Friday morning with trailer and ATV in tow. Picked up my buddy from Richmond Hill and headed east on the 401.
Around 12:30 we reached Brighton where the 50 car pile-up had just happened. We could have become a part of it, since my new car has tires that are no better than skates when it comes to having traction!
http://www.torontosun.com/2014/01/26/op ... across-ont

Ice and snow, combined with brutal wind, made the road very nasty and after weaving through a few crash sites, the O.P.P. closed the 401 right in front of us, making everyone exit, to fight the conditions on secondary roads instead.

After about five hours of driving, we finally made it to the friend's cottage, but now my car wouldn't make it up the last hill. ... So I unloaded everything and buddy was able to drive my car up the hill and park it. I hooked the trailer back onto the ATV and went up as well.
It snowed all night and I had very little sleep, since I kept the fire going in the wood stove. Yeah, they forgot to tell me that they baseboard heaters anyway!!!

Saturday morning, we took two ATVs, one snowmobile, and one pick-up truck and headed out to a nearby lodge where my friend had made arrangements to park the pick-up. We were a group of ten people and had shelters for only 5.

The trail from the lodge to the lake was very narrow and the guy there told me that I "wouldn't make it" with the trailer behind my ATV. Others had tried that morning and failed... Well, I had to try anyway!

So it took about an hour more to transport all the gear and the people onto the lake and we drilled a bunch of holes and got set up. The wind was quite STRONG and it snowed a LOT. But guys were catching splake and by mid afternoon we had about fifteen fish on the ice. One good sized pike, a single herring, and a single jumbo perch were the only "odd-balls" caught.

There was a LOT of deep, fresh snow on the lake by the time we packed up and started getting people out back to the truck, but our only snowmobile broke down and we couldn't pull it with the larger ATV.
After a long struggle, we finally loaded it onto my trailer and pulled it out with my ATV. Back on the narrow trail however, it partially fell out and we had to huff & puff and put it back on - just enough to make it out to the lodge parking.

A few guys went back to the cottage with the pick-up truck and brought back a bigger trailer to haul the ski-doo home. I drove my ATV & trailer back on a very cold 40 minute ride. Now it was time to get my car out again to load up and drive home - but who are we kidding here? The car wouldn't even make it out of the parking spot.

So the 4X4 pick-up truck now had to pull my SUV out to the back road where I thought I could drive out on. We said good-byes, hooked up the trailer and loaded the ATV ... and... got STUCK a few yards up the road.

Once again, asked the friend with the 4X4 to come and pull our whole rig further out to the bigger road. This time we made it out and the rest of the drive - although still icy - wasn't too bad, given my years of driving experience. We had an adventure, and experienced good fishing, but we took no fish for our own homes. Pictures are not anything special so I am not going to bother posting them. Use your own imagination.

All in all, I am disgusted by the amount of ice and snow we've gotten this year. It's a challenge just to survive, never mind to PLAY!!! Going outdoors, requires safe and strong equipment, plus presence of mind to avoid doing stupid or risky things. This time we fought the element and we WON. Snow tires would have helped.

[Pat32rf]

I assume there is a logical reason for not having snow tires on your car?
At least you didn't have to call 911

[baby123]

WE do live in CANADA...LOL...EXPECT THE WEATHER OF ANY KIND...WE GOT SPOILED THE LAST FEW YEARS....I remember weather like this when I was younger...lol....snow and cold..and lots of it..

[chris1395]

I drove through it Friday afternoon as well, I ended up taking the 115 up to 7 and across and back down 41 at Kaladar to get home just to avoid the three closures on the 401. Hwy 7 was fine it was far enough away from the lake and we made good time that way. My Tiguan is awesome in the snow though, oh and good tires help too

[outback]

Ya had some fun and a good time anyhow Hawkman? Right? Nice to just ice a few. I'm just anxious to get out but my truck is down and can't tow the snowmobile trailer. The likes I fish are well off the beaten path and to far to walk. Thinking the Nissan Altima just won't do the job for now. Hopefully the truck will be back in action next week. All in all sounds like an adventurous weekend with good friends.

outback

[bugsy563]

Great weekend fishing,not so great weather but oh well. A big thank you to you Hawkman for all the transporting of all the people and skl doo.. Hope to do it again in more favourable conditions soon .

[Hawkman]

Great weekend fishing,not so great weather but oh well. A big thank you to you Hawkman for all the transporting of all the people and skl doo.. Hope to do it again in more favourable conditions soon .

Just to MAKE YOU come out and make a comment here makes it worthwhile Bugsy!!!
I hope you fix that awesome snowmobile soon and I get to drive it again on the next adventure.
Thanks again for a fantastic weekend as usual.

Chris, I almost always do the 115/35 route as well. We were east of Kaladar and that's how I got back late Saturday night. Highway 7 was fairly clear, but 115 was not too good. Once we got down to the 401 it was smooth sailing to Toronto.

Pat, I haven't found that "extra" thousand bucks in my back pocket yet to get the snow tires. My 2012 Santa Fe is six speed manual which gives me a little more control. In the past 37 years of driving various vehicles of all sizes, the factory tires on this Santa Fe take the prize for having the poorest traction in the snow. I do have snows on the family minivan, so during winter months I am not stuck for transportation.

Tight lines everyone!