ARCTIC CHILL: YOU CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE

(02/01/2014)

By Forester Russ Richardson

The very cold weather the past few weeks has made living in the backwoods of Calhoun and surrounding counties a little more challenging especially for those who have to cross a creek ford to get to or from home and work.

There is nothing like driving through a creek on a -10 morning to remind you how stiff power steering can be and how quickly brakes can become a useless floor pedal.

Using vehicle as an ice breaker isn't always a good idea because water often dams up in the creek and deepens beneath the ice making it possible to get hung up in ways that only a tow truck driver can imagine.

You NEVER forget the first time a chunk of ice pokes through the steel floor of your pickup and you learn on your first icy stream crossing that there is no plastic truck part harder than the softest ice.

Here's hoping that with warmer weather coming this weekend that the thaw will be slow and ice jams will be small.