(Insert lecture about the benefits of a locking differential and offroad tires)
Friday, October 4, 2019
Nature had other plans
An hours-long thunderstorm payed a visit last night. Water rushed out of the mountains and canyons and across Rancho Lou. Shoes, a rug, some lumber and assorted items were washed across the yard. You can see the high water mark on my tire, plus the way the van sank about an inch into the softened ground.
I wanted to go to Las Cruces today, but when I tried to back out I just dug ruts. Lou attempted to pull me out, but he just dug in. Oh well. I guess I’ll be waiting until things dry out. It’s not like I needed to go to Las Cruces.
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inserted: there are benefits to having a driveway with a substantial rock/gravel base for visitors who don't drive monster trucks.
ReplyDeleteNo lectures here...Car and Driver said Ford Transit to offer optional AWD.
ReplyDeleteAfter driving in snow without and with I'm sold! Just need to be patient for the next 7 to 10 years.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001FXIOCC/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_t1_mY8LDbCBE39DP
ReplyDeleteWe've it a set of the above linked item. They're cheap and easy to store in a limited space.
Edit: we've got a set...
DeleteYeah, the instant tow trucks are the best. I carry a tow strap, jack, and a come along also. Never been stuck for long. Don't go where you don't know, walk it first, pick a line, and DONT STOP.
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! Any thought being given to indigenous grasses or other plants that might slow the flow?
ReplyDeleteHow's that catchment system coming?
The Walatowa folks have developed specialized (so I've read) techniques for farming with torrentials. I'd encourage Lou to stop in some time and see if he can glean any info....they're pretty friendly.
About 90% of his property is in a natural state. Grasses, yucca, cholla, junipers.
DeleteThe grass next to your tire looks close-cropped and altho I don't know a fescue from a euforbia, I'm skeptical of its heritage. Has Lou checked with any of the locals interested in restoring native species?
DeleteI was ASTOUNDED at the height and density (you can't see the ground!) on the Animas hilltops when Jozien and I crossed over (westbound) in 2010 somewhere near Cloverdale. The area was purchased by the Turners in the early 1990s and is now -- according to signs posted here and there -- jointly administered by The Animas Foundation and the Natl Forest. I've never been able to find out who The Animas Foundation is...they keep a VERY low profile, but Ted has continued to amass huge swaths of land including the Armendaris Ranch and Ladder Ranch in his efforts to create a migration corridor. Mimbres is a bit east of the "corridor" but that area has seen recent resurgence of lions...a hopeful sign of a healthier ecosystem.
Every little bit helps...or so I like to think.
Yes, the "parking lot" (about a half acre) is mowed. Beyond that the grasses are a couple of feet tall or more.
DeleteThe ground dried and hardened enough to drive out this afternoon. No towing or gizmos necessary. This time.
ReplyDeleteGlad I went west and avoided the rain. I had a feeling, and I've already paid my Stupid Tax for a few months getting stuck in mud...
ReplyDelete