Terry Tales

Four Wheel Drive

Winter weather always brings up stories of extreme conditions. Remember the Hanukkah Eve storm of 2006 when all the trees came down in Seattle? The entire western side of Washington was without power for a week and crews came from half a dozen states and even Canada to help clean up the mess.

Our snow story for 2021 was more of an anti-climax. 6 inches of snow fell the day after Christmas and tangled traffic for a few days. But the power stayed on, and most people were on vacation anyway. We didn't have to go out, so we waited a couple of days before testing the four-wheel drive capability of our new SUV. It was the first new car we'd bought in more than ten years and the first one with all-wheel drive.

The street past our house starts with a steep one-block climb, and then turns into a cul-de-sac. The neighborhood kids usually gather in front of our driveway to sled down the snow-packed slope. In past years, we've had to park down below and slog up the hill in the snow because a two-wheel drive just can't make it up the steep, icy street.

This time, we cautiously made our way out to the plowed and sanded arterial roads to go for groceries. No problem, but the trip home would be the real test. I wasn't quite sure what to do as we turned onto the unplowed sledding course that led up to our house. I'd always tried to 'goose it' with our two-wheel drive cars, trying to get up a little speed in hope of getting all the way up the hill before spinning out. This time, I simply drove up at a sedate pace that offered no excitement whatever. I felt a mixture of satisfaction and . . . disappointment?

I had to laugh at myself. The 4-wheel drive works flawlessly, but there won't be any more heart-pounding stories of sliding off the pavement, or woeful tales of trudging home with snow in my shoes. Am I really going to miss that? People, me for example, sure are crazy!

The whole thing reminded me of my Uncle Roy and his 1971 Dodge Power-Wagon. It was his first four-wheel drive pickup, and he was eager to show it off. My parents weren't home when Roy showed up at our place, so he insisted on taking me for a ride in the hayfield. I opened the gate while Uncle Roy twisted the front axle hub-locks into 4-wheelin' mode. We climbed back into the cab and Roy hit the gas, aiming the pickup at the deepest snow in sight.

Montana winters often feature blowing snow and the field had some bare spots interspersed with three-foot drifts. Those drifts would melt just a little during the day and refreeze overnight. Sometimes the crust was hard enough for a small kid to walk on. It was solid enough that day to support a Dodge Power-Wagon. Uncle Roy's tough new truck had high centered on a snow drift in less than five minutes. He gunned the engine for a full minute, shifting between first and reverse in an effort to get loose. The wheels just spun uselessly in the air. Finally, we walked back to the house, found a couple of shovels, and spent half an hour digging out enough snow for the truck to get some traction.

It wasn't the way I'd hoped to spend the afternoon, but I had sense enough to keep my thoughts to myself!