My worst trip to date

[bikeoutback]

I tried to search for the forum topic on worst trips and I just couldn't find it... the search on this forum just seems to be beyond me for some reason.

In any case had the worst trip ice fishing to date. I don't go do overnights or cabin rentals or any of that very often so it usually goes smooth. This trip had a series of bad decisions and mistakes. Friday we got up to Mille Lacs, checked in and hit the night life a bit. On the way from one resort to the other where we were staying we cruised around on the lake. We had marked the resort on the handheld GPS so we could get back relatively easily. However this is where it started going bad. I was succumbed to peer pressure of going off roading. This worked about 6 times off the road drive around and back on the road. Nothing too fast or crazy just 4x4ing in the snow. Till I did it one too many times and as I headed to get back onto the road got stuck. I didn't realize the depth of this plow drift and hung it up solid on snow. After a half hour of assessing the situation here is what we've got:

1. I've got one passenger an avid ice fisherman in tennis shoes and a sweatshirt. No coat, no, boots, no hat and no gloves.

2. I've got a rookie who at least has a coat but is in "I told you it was a bad idea" and "we should call 911" mentality.

3. I've got a WI buddy who's outside with my telescoping shovel digging and assessing the situation. Very much a "that happens, now lets get to work fixing it"

4. I'm as prepared as can be, warm clothes, tow strap, come along.... everything except a 4x6 to put down the hole to pull us with come along

Myself and the WI guy tried digging, tried the come along with the 2 2x6 boards both shoved down an ice hole which broke on us, and basically tried rocking. It was hung up bad. Ended up sleeping in the truck as we had plenty of gas to keep it warm as necessary and it was around 5am by this time. I was literally 7 feet from a 30 foot wide road so I knew I'd probably see a resort/plow truck around 7 or 8am. So 2 slept while the 4th spent an hour trying to convince me to call 911, luckily his cell phone was dead. I finally stopped listening, tucked my phone in my pocket, told him to shut up and went to sleep.

7am, plow truck plowed snow in front of me as I already had my tow strap on the front of my truck (glad I bought 30 foot). He tugged me out but took 5 tugs to get it free moving it about a foot to foot and half each time. He said I didn't owe him anything but I gave him the $20 I had on me which probably wasn't enough.

Next time: no off-roading, period!!! I also saw a flipped Tahoe this weekend, driver supposedly dead sober but they were off=roading also. I have a 4x4 Silverado and from now on and the rest of last weekend it stays on the ice roads on lakes like Mille Lacs, just too much risk. Also I have the card of a 24 hour tow service for up there now, probably need to carry more emergency cash in the truck, and need to make a very adamant point in my truck that if your going to ride with me put your warmest clothes, boots, gloves, hat and all that in the truck. If your less prepared than I am then drive yourself.

Ultimately it was on me for driving off the road and I accept that responsibility and learned my lesson. Could have been a lot worse so we'll chalk it up to life lessons learned.

p.s. I don't know which resort pulled us out but big thanks to the guy with the large Blue Ford truck with a blue flashing top light and a purple V plow. According to GPS I was north of Bayview dead middle lake east/west but on the south side about 6 miles from the resorts on sunset bay.

[leech~~]

God am I glad those good old "fun" young days are behind me. Now it's just hit the resort, do some fishing, maybe a little toty and [PoorWordUsage]'ing with the buds and go to sleep to be ready for the morning bite!

[DTro]

Bad trips make for good stories.

Horrible trips are legendary.

Like you said, lesson learned. I imagine partaking in some of the “night life” contributed to the bad decision.

The question everyone wants to know though, is did you cuddle?

[Jim Uran]

LMAO!!!!!!! Did you cuddle!!!

Good story, thanks for letting me laugh at your misfortune!!

[hanronson]

You can thank Jerry Brandts for pulling you out. That was his plow truck. Glad everything worked out. How was the fishin?

[CALVINIST]

I got stuck a couple times within the last 3 years. All I can say is use your head and constantly assess the snow cover situation when on an unfamiliar lake. Carry a tow strap and snow shovel. Your 4-wheeler is not invincable...they get stuck just lioke any other vehicle. Nothing worse than getting stuck with no help in sight!

[GatorBait]

Geez, I wondering how the fishing was. Instead, I'll be waiting for the cuddle reply. Way to spice up the story Dtro.

[mrklean]

haha well at least it wasnt one of those -5 nights or anythning like that

[Jmnhunter]

you booze you loose

[deadeye]

see my signature

Well at least no body was hurt and you made it back ok. I gotta say the "cuddle" question needs answering though.

[lovebigbluegills]

Well at least no body was hurt and you made it back ok. I gotta say the "cuddle" question needs answering though.

+1

There's alot of people waiting to hear an answer to the cuddle question.

[hoggs222]

The Tahoe that you saw was a couple of my buddy's. The driver was sober (breathalizer confirmed this). They were heading back to their rental house after the perch contest. They were driving 35-40 on the ice and some guy passed them on the left of the road, they lost control (hit a slick patch or something) and jumped the snowbank. They rolled 2x. Worst of the injuries was a broken collarbone.

[mrklean]

thats pretty crazy never wanna hear of accidents like that on the ice

[HNTNBUX]

No answer on the cuddling yet, might be a good indication of the answer.

[bikeoutback]

The question everyone wants to know though, is did you cuddle?

I can't speak for the two guys in the back seat but myself was plenty warm in my SM bibs with the truck running so the center console stayed in the DOWN position. Sorry no cuddling here.

Fishing, well we were stuck when we were going to sleep, so we slept when we were going to fish but we still made the Perch Extravaganza raffle and started and well it was pretty much a party from then on, just no offroading and took it really easy on the ice.

I was shocked I was driving back to our cabin after the raffle running down a 20 foot wide road kinda towards the middle of it since nobody coming towards me and edges were a little rough. I'm going about 25-30mph which I think if pretty fast on a lake. Guy comes up behind me in a focus and at the first chance there is enough room on the side of me the guy passes me on the right of my truck and blows away at what had to be 50+ mph. About 5-10 minutes later is when I came across the Tahoe. The guys in the other vehicles of my party knew the guys in the Tahoe, we stopped and made sure everyone was alright. At least broken collar bone was the worst of it, glad everyone will be ok.

[hoggs222]

You weren't with someone with the initails JJ & LA were you?

[Jarrod32]

No answer on the cuddling yet, might be a good indication of the answer.

What happens when you are stuck out on the ice STAYS out on the ice...

[thehawk]

Glad no one was hurt and yes, this cuddling question needs an answer already. The OP never did mention the fishin, must have been like my trips up there this year...bad.

[icehousebob]

Hawk, asking about the fishing after all that reminds me of the line,"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?"

[bikeoutback]

I fixed my previous post that had all the cuddling and fishing information you wanted I think it cut the first half of my post due to my poor word usage so I removed the bad words and it posted fine now.

[Jmnhunter]

i'm concerned most of the guys are worried about you snuggling with a couple other guys