OLLIE wrote:WA4DQS wrote:
Despite growing up in the hamshack in late sixties/early seventies, I did not get my license until 1999. Partial inspiration was being "rescued" in the mountains by a couple ham radio equipped jeeps. (I had gotten terribly stuck)
Now you really have my interest peaked. Would you share this story with us?
Ok, here's the short version...
I had a 1984 2wd Toyota long bed, street tires.
I was headed back down from a mountain trail (about 7,000 feet up) with my girlfriend. I backed up to maneuver around a boulder in my path. Forgot to look behind me. I went backwards right off the edge of the road, and down a very, very steep, forested slope -- one of those that looks like it drops away at 60 degrees all the way to China. My real wheel was spinning forward, and yet the truck kept sliding backwards for a few terrifying moments.
I kept the truck straight, let the wheel dig in, and the truck stopped. I told my girlfriend "We're finished, this truck ain't getting back up there." She then made the first of her two er, ah, funny comments: "Well just give it more gas!" Yes, she said that.
Knowing an explanation would not convince her, I demonstrated why "more gas" would not work. The wheel spun some more, and we slipped a few more feet closer to China. I set the parking brake, left it in gear, chocked the wheels with some firewood. We climbed -- almost crawled in a few spots-- back up to the road. It was dusk, and rain clouds really were forming. No cell phone reception, of course.
I had my airband HT on me (kept stowed full time back then-- I was very active with flying/skydiving) and my girlfriend said I should call somebody on it. I said "Ahm, It's an airband, at best I might get an airliner overhead if I interfere with ATC communications. Ain't gonna do that, honey." Her reply? "Why not? Call them and get them to call somebody else for us!" I explained the dire emergency rule. She gave me this look like "Well, what are you waiting for, an earthquake?" I talked her off the idea, and we started walking down the mountain as the sun was setting and the rain clouds forming. We had plenty of food and water, and camping gear. The nearest town was probably a dozen or so miles away. It was bad, just not dire.
About an hour later two jeeps found us on the trail, gave us a ride back up to my truck. That's when I noticed their ham radios. The driver told me about the repeater systems in the area. When they saw my truck they kind of laughed; they said they usually have to rescue 4x4s up here, not 4x2s. They seemed surprised I had made it that far. (I think their astonishment was overstated; it was an easy trail - I'd have made it out had I not back up blindly).
But the incline was so steep, it took the V6 jeep two attempts and one broken tow strap to get my truck back onto the road.
By the end of the year I had a new 4x4 (same one I still have), a tech license (now general), and a dual bander (now many radios!). Weeks after buying the new truck I got stuck backing it out on dry, flat dirt at a car-camp site. The last time this happened, same campsite, in my old 4x2, we had to dig our way out. This time in the comfort of my air conditioned cab, I turned and said to my girlfriend "This is why I got 4x4." I engaged 4wd and the truck just backed out like I was on pavement, "See, NOW i can give it more gas!" We both got a big laugh out of it.
