NS Gearhead
Veteran Member
She's standing up
Wife's car
Cul-de-sac looking one way
the other way
Neighbor's driveway
Looking out another neighbor's garage. He's away and I told him I'd keep the driveway clear.
Used his blower. I couldn't even got to the garage with my fourwheeler on tracks.
So I had an interesting two days. Wed I was scheduled for a twelve hour day shift. I left at 5am, and there was about 4" down. No big deal. We were supposed to get 12". The drive in wasn't bad, but extremely hard to see. It was coming down fast and blowing around. When I got to town the snow had really started to build up. I got stuck at one intersection trying to make the turn. Got out and kicked some snow away from the tire and got going again. When I got to the parking lot there was probably a foot of snow. (mind you, I'm driving a Cobalt) At this point I'm a little concerned. Had to take a huge run at it and go back and forth a half dozen times just to get myself situated in a spot. Then like a dummy focused on the snow, and getting my wipers up, I took the key out of the ignition and placed it in my coat pocket wearing my gloves. Bad idea. Got inside and noticed I didn't have my key. Went back three times kicking snow around, searched the car... nothing. As luck would have it, I never did have a spare until last week when I got the ignition recall done. They gave me two keys, and I just happened to take the 2nd off the ring and place it on the kitchen counter. So, my night shift buddy takes off and wishes me a good shift. Probably 30 min later he comes back and says he can't leave. We spent about 30 min shoveling and pushing him out. We pretty well have to shovel 300' of street to get him to the one that was plowed. Spent my shift talking to the wife, txting everyone I knew, and on facebook trying to find someone that could bring me my spare. As I kept hearing how bad it was I pretty much conceded that I'd be there for 24hrs. It's happened before where an operator was there for 36 hours. I kept a little stockpile of food in my locker, so I wasn't too worried. Meanwhile my cell was all but dead, but on the flip side my neighbor was snowblowing our driveway... it pays to plow neighbors for free sometimes! After a couple phone calls with my relief, he offered to go out to my place and get the spare! Awesome, but my subdivision hadn't been touched... so my wife took the fourwheeler (with tracks) and brought him down the key! He made it in with not too much trouble as the main streets were done by then (he lives much closer to the city then me). He gets in and tells me there's a skidsteer working nearby and I should try to catch him to help get my car out.... so I do. I couldn't see the back half of my car. It was in one big drift. Buddy made a couple passes and with the shovel I took from work, I got on my way. I'd made plans with a buddy who drives a truck to meet me at the local mini mall 10min drive from my place. I think my phone JUST made it long enough to txt him I was there. I hadn't seen him in a while, so he rolled up in a F350, crew, diesel, SRW with a plow on... I'm thinking if this can't make it nothing will! Well it didn't. Someone had punched through the plow's drift on the main rd so we could get in the street, but it's quite a slope... he made about a dozen attempts, but we only got a little ways in. When I got out the snow was up to the door. About waste deep. I had two options; walk, or call the wife to come get me with the ATV... mind you this is about 8pm with a 4 year old in bed. She'd have to get someone to come over. As luck would have it, a buddy stopped by on his sled! He gave me a lift... but not without us getting stuck a couple of times. I walked in the door and said; "I know I should plow, but I need a drink" Pretty stressful day.
So, then next day (thursday) the Mrs is all eager to go to work... she had to borrow a vacation day from next year to cover wed. I got up nice and early (I was scheduled for night shift) took the bike down to the end of the driveway... and nothing. No plow's have passed. Now, her boss says she's essential... but I strongly disagree. She doesn't have to be replaced if she's not there. I do. My job, someone needs to be there 24/7. It's the law. Anyway, I convinced her not to even try, and I think her boss will let her make up the time over the next couple of weeks. I'm responsible for 7 driveways at the moment. Two are temporary as they're gone away.... so off I go. Two I used their snowblowers, mine and my neighbor beside me he did the day before (mostly), and the other three I plowed. One of my customers got his FJ stuck on our street. Apparently the city plow way trying to come down but couldn't get around him... so we went and got that out. Great, the plow will come. Meanwhile my other customer is freaking out. Her mother's health took a turn for the worse and she can't get out. We get word that the plow's in the subdivision! Great! Myself and two other neighbors are standing by waiting for the plow to pass so we can clear her out and send her on her way. So her daughter's waiting for her at the other end of the un-plowed section. She says the plow turned around... couldn't make it any farther. Said someone plowed onto the street and he couldn't make it passed. He'll send the grader later and that the police would get involved. So, I said load up your stuff I'm taking you on the bike. Off we go with the two of us on holding all her luggage. When we go to where the plow stopped it must have been at least a 6' pile in the middle of the rd. You should have heard her scream when we went over!
She made it and took off. That's the good part... the bad part is that the driveway he stopped at and blamed was one of mine. In my defence, I pushed snow beside the driveway, back and forth, back and forth the entire length of it. It's just the run off that I plowed ACROSS the rd. Now, yes, I left some on the rd... about as much as was already there. Packed I suppose, but I tell ya everyone that wasn't snowblowing did the same... Anyway, about 8pm they showed back up with a loader and the same 10 wheeler plow truck... and I gotta say, the loader operator did an awesome job not putting any in the driveways! I could have kissed him! At this point I was spent... the thought of having to clear 6' drifts from 5 driveways (my neighbor and I share the start of a driveway) was too much. Man I was excited to see what he was doing! Meanwhile I was chatting with the truck driver. He was the same that turned around earlier... he said the cops will be going around giving warnings... good enough. Normally we get up to a foot of snow, and do well to keep things clean. This time we got at least 2.5'. I think it's a record for a single day's snowfall. He did tell me that the grader had broken down and that its operator was the guy that usually does our subdivision. I was wondering why it didn't come to begin with... he could have made it with little trouble. Before calling it a day I widened my driveway, and shoveled out my heat pump and generator. Snow on the lawn was chest deep. I had to use the shovel to keep from sinking, and at times used it as a paddle to help push me ahead.
So, as crappy of a time it was, I have alot to be thankfull for. Helpfull friends, having a spare key, tracks on the bike, a wife willing to use said bike, and a loader operator that took a little extra time not to block everyone in.
I was considering a 3/4T with a plow for next fall... I may still get the truck but considering a tractor with a blower instead of the blade. I mean, a blade's gonna be between 7 and $9K... I must be able to find a resonable 2wd tractor that I can throw chains on and put a blower behind for that. Sure would be nice to have more overkill. The only thing I worry about is... for the price will it be reliable?... and will it just sit most of the year giving me a hard time when I do want to use it?
Wife's car
Cul-de-sac looking one way
the other way
Neighbor's driveway
Looking out another neighbor's garage. He's away and I told him I'd keep the driveway clear.
Used his blower. I couldn't even got to the garage with my fourwheeler on tracks.
So I had an interesting two days. Wed I was scheduled for a twelve hour day shift. I left at 5am, and there was about 4" down. No big deal. We were supposed to get 12". The drive in wasn't bad, but extremely hard to see. It was coming down fast and blowing around. When I got to town the snow had really started to build up. I got stuck at one intersection trying to make the turn. Got out and kicked some snow away from the tire and got going again. When I got to the parking lot there was probably a foot of snow. (mind you, I'm driving a Cobalt) At this point I'm a little concerned. Had to take a huge run at it and go back and forth a half dozen times just to get myself situated in a spot. Then like a dummy focused on the snow, and getting my wipers up, I took the key out of the ignition and placed it in my coat pocket wearing my gloves. Bad idea. Got inside and noticed I didn't have my key. Went back three times kicking snow around, searched the car... nothing. As luck would have it, I never did have a spare until last week when I got the ignition recall done. They gave me two keys, and I just happened to take the 2nd off the ring and place it on the kitchen counter. So, my night shift buddy takes off and wishes me a good shift. Probably 30 min later he comes back and says he can't leave. We spent about 30 min shoveling and pushing him out. We pretty well have to shovel 300' of street to get him to the one that was plowed. Spent my shift talking to the wife, txting everyone I knew, and on facebook trying to find someone that could bring me my spare. As I kept hearing how bad it was I pretty much conceded that I'd be there for 24hrs. It's happened before where an operator was there for 36 hours. I kept a little stockpile of food in my locker, so I wasn't too worried. Meanwhile my cell was all but dead, but on the flip side my neighbor was snowblowing our driveway... it pays to plow neighbors for free sometimes! After a couple phone calls with my relief, he offered to go out to my place and get the spare! Awesome, but my subdivision hadn't been touched... so my wife took the fourwheeler (with tracks) and brought him down the key! He made it in with not too much trouble as the main streets were done by then (he lives much closer to the city then me). He gets in and tells me there's a skidsteer working nearby and I should try to catch him to help get my car out.... so I do. I couldn't see the back half of my car. It was in one big drift. Buddy made a couple passes and with the shovel I took from work, I got on my way. I'd made plans with a buddy who drives a truck to meet me at the local mini mall 10min drive from my place. I think my phone JUST made it long enough to txt him I was there. I hadn't seen him in a while, so he rolled up in a F350, crew, diesel, SRW with a plow on... I'm thinking if this can't make it nothing will! Well it didn't. Someone had punched through the plow's drift on the main rd so we could get in the street, but it's quite a slope... he made about a dozen attempts, but we only got a little ways in. When I got out the snow was up to the door. About waste deep. I had two options; walk, or call the wife to come get me with the ATV... mind you this is about 8pm with a 4 year old in bed. She'd have to get someone to come over. As luck would have it, a buddy stopped by on his sled! He gave me a lift... but not without us getting stuck a couple of times. I walked in the door and said; "I know I should plow, but I need a drink" Pretty stressful day.
So, then next day (thursday) the Mrs is all eager to go to work... she had to borrow a vacation day from next year to cover wed. I got up nice and early (I was scheduled for night shift) took the bike down to the end of the driveway... and nothing. No plow's have passed. Now, her boss says she's essential... but I strongly disagree. She doesn't have to be replaced if she's not there. I do. My job, someone needs to be there 24/7. It's the law. Anyway, I convinced her not to even try, and I think her boss will let her make up the time over the next couple of weeks. I'm responsible for 7 driveways at the moment. Two are temporary as they're gone away.... so off I go. Two I used their snowblowers, mine and my neighbor beside me he did the day before (mostly), and the other three I plowed. One of my customers got his FJ stuck on our street. Apparently the city plow way trying to come down but couldn't get around him... so we went and got that out. Great, the plow will come. Meanwhile my other customer is freaking out. Her mother's health took a turn for the worse and she can't get out. We get word that the plow's in the subdivision! Great! Myself and two other neighbors are standing by waiting for the plow to pass so we can clear her out and send her on her way. So her daughter's waiting for her at the other end of the un-plowed section. She says the plow turned around... couldn't make it any farther. Said someone plowed onto the street and he couldn't make it passed. He'll send the grader later and that the police would get involved. So, I said load up your stuff I'm taking you on the bike. Off we go with the two of us on holding all her luggage. When we go to where the plow stopped it must have been at least a 6' pile in the middle of the rd. You should have heard her scream when we went over!
She made it and took off. That's the good part... the bad part is that the driveway he stopped at and blamed was one of mine. In my defence, I pushed snow beside the driveway, back and forth, back and forth the entire length of it. It's just the run off that I plowed ACROSS the rd. Now, yes, I left some on the rd... about as much as was already there. Packed I suppose, but I tell ya everyone that wasn't snowblowing did the same... Anyway, about 8pm they showed back up with a loader and the same 10 wheeler plow truck... and I gotta say, the loader operator did an awesome job not putting any in the driveways! I could have kissed him! At this point I was spent... the thought of having to clear 6' drifts from 5 driveways (my neighbor and I share the start of a driveway) was too much. Man I was excited to see what he was doing! Meanwhile I was chatting with the truck driver. He was the same that turned around earlier... he said the cops will be going around giving warnings... good enough. Normally we get up to a foot of snow, and do well to keep things clean. This time we got at least 2.5'. I think it's a record for a single day's snowfall. He did tell me that the grader had broken down and that its operator was the guy that usually does our subdivision. I was wondering why it didn't come to begin with... he could have made it with little trouble. Before calling it a day I widened my driveway, and shoveled out my heat pump and generator. Snow on the lawn was chest deep. I had to use the shovel to keep from sinking, and at times used it as a paddle to help push me ahead. So, as crappy of a time it was, I have alot to be thankfull for. Helpfull friends, having a spare key, tracks on the bike, a wife willing to use said bike, and a loader operator that took a little extra time not to block everyone in.
I was considering a 3/4T with a plow for next fall... I may still get the truck but considering a tractor with a blower instead of the blade. I mean, a blade's gonna be between 7 and $9K... I must be able to find a resonable 2wd tractor that I can throw chains on and put a blower behind for that. Sure would be nice to have more overkill. The only thing I worry about is... for the price will it be reliable?... and will it just sit most of the year giving me a hard time when I do want to use it?
