Snowmobiling through the years.
Everyone knows what made a great family
snowmobiling trip: snow, comfortable cold, and functioning machines. And
everyone knows what makes great stories: nasty roads, inept drivers, and
machines saved from the jaws of death by Jared's mechanical abilities.
Brittany primarily remembers the fuss
over preparing the food. She shadowed Mom in the kitchen while making cabbage
burgers and packing hot water, cocoa, cider, paper plates, and everything else
for lunch at the cabin. Then there was the fun of tucking everything into the
various snowmobiles and sleds or trailers. Somehow Mom oversaw that everything
she packed made it into the snowmobiles and up to the cabin.
Parker remembers vividly Jared working
on the snowmobile called, The Scorpion. Apparently this was the one
machine, that had the power to change the outcome of mankind and that merely
hearing the rumble of it's thunderous engine would have a rippling effect through multiple generations.
This is no slight matter as you all can well imagine, I mean Doc didn't build
the time machine in twenty years time, so maybe another twenty years and Jared
will have that sleek beast running like a herd of wild, fear induced, bunch of
deer.
Parker also remembers everything
following along and stopping at various points along the way to make sure
everyone had made it. Chances were that some machine had broken down and we'd
have to go back and help out. Then once we got clear up top to the cabin
pasture everyone would break formation and race across the open snow.
Once we got to the cabin and got that huge monster of a stove going in the
front room, we'd all strip off layers of clothes and start drying them out
around the fire. Then we'd place our feet on the sides of it and someone
would always seem to leave something a little to close for too long and it
would burn or melt a hole in it....This may or may not have happened to Parker.
Joshua remembers that these fun annual trips were largely part of the parents design to teach us patience and physical labor. It wasn't long after I was allowed to drive my own sled up the mountain!! that I learned my place was to stay behind whatever friends came along, or whichever sister and help dig them out or turn them upright when they decided to tip their sleds over. Of course on good years this meant ever corner where leaning would be appropriate we'd find a sled and passengers laying on their side and thuse the digging would begine. Its amazing we never caught out deaths from the number of times we'd be covered in sweat and then freeze ourselves as we raced to the next spot.
The cabin was always the destination I couldnt wait to get to. The trip up the mountain was always bumpy and usually uncomfortable, whether it was in the back of a truck or a horse. It was always fun to hang out on the beds in the main room while mom cooked. It always had its unique smell and fealing to it that cant be replaced. Riding out from it to fix fence, go explore then sinks or move the cattle was fun when you're on top of the world.
Best part of the canyon was the size, always thought it was a giant place. I remember trailing the cows down to trail up the montain and getting to cool off in the water after that long hot journey through the valley. Playing on the sand bars and finding the Indian writing on the canyon walls we neato. Hiding in the "gold mine" that Parker and I found was fun, but never found any gold. Unfortunatly the parents broke it to us that it was only an old root cellar. The giant wooden gate cannot be forgotten, having to open that thing as I was small sucked! Older siblings never helped me, boooooo
Ranee remembers the year with the giant
icicle waterfall that was so amazing. And who could forget Jared's epic attempt
to jump the giant rock-disguised-as-a-snowbank that rattled him (an arm injury
I believe) and mangled his machine. Grandma and grandpa Wood's sled was
perfect for pretending to "mush" in an Alaskan dog sled race, and it
was always fun to predict how many snowmobiles would not make it back down the
mountain on any given trip. Loved those days, the only days on the mountain
where there wasn't a fence to fix or salt to drop off, though those days were
good, too.
Reed's most vivid snowmobiling memory was when
Dad was first teaching Jared and him about snowmobiles. He had taken them
to the red shed under the hill in the corral and showed us the Cheetah.
He proceeded to remove the spark plugs and had Jared pull the cord while
Dad held a match in the engine. There was a loud explosion and flames
shot out of the spark plug hole! Scared the heck out of us both and Dad
just busted out laughing. Everyone remembers all the years of Jared and
Reed fixing the snowmobiles everywhere but this was where it all started....the
Cheetah.
Jared doesn't remember anything about
running into a rock.... But, he does remember christmas eve
hide-and-go-seek on snowmobiles. We would occasionally get someone hidden
so well that they would get left in the cold as everyone went inside to
warm up. Jared remembers particularly the trees by the bridge being a
favorite hiding spot.
Gabrielle remembers the hours the boys
put into actually getting the snowmobiles to work- back in the days when they
were all old and run-down. The mountain was so beautiful covered in
snow. It was fun to have cousins, friends, aunts, uncles, and
grandparents join us. Grandpa Wood had the biggest machine and like to
break trail, though we usually raced ahead of him when we could. Gabri
remembers getting the fires started in both stoves at the cowcamp, brushing off
the mouse scat and sitting down for a nice, warm lunch. It was always a
fun adventure, and just so nice to be outside on a snowy day.
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