The big ugly swamp.
I headed out about 4:30 AM one morning to run some fox sets. My closest sets were nearly 40 miles away so being in a hurry to get there I turned onto the highway and stepped on the gas.
Accelerator stuck (was the first real cold we've had that yr). Well I was glad the thing was a stick shift so I figured by shifting into higher gears it would come unstuck.
My problem was my next turn was only an 1/8 mile down the road. So now that I'm going at a fair clip what do I do keep going down the highway or try and make the corner? Well figuring my turn just angled off a bit I decided to make the corner. Well as soon I hit the gravel I knew that was a mistake as I was about to head sideways into the steep ditch. Not something you really want to do in a shortbox 4 wheeldrive PU.
I turned the rig right into the swamp with nothing else to do. By the time the water and cattails slowed me down some I was far enough in that I knew I was stuck big time. Seeing a little ridge a ways in front of me I decided to stick it in 4 wheel drive and go for it(my hubs were always locked in when trappin). I wouldn't have done that except I seemed to actually going through this stuff in 2 wheel drive.(the cattails had about a foot of water) Lo and behold I kept going.
Just as I was getting to the little ridge the front end dropped. I floored it as water came up over the hood and windshield trying to get up on dry ground only about 10-15 feet away. Not to be so lucky. I had found the ditch that made that little ridge. I was figuring if I got on the ridge I could follow it back to the road. DA what was I thinkin I'd trapped that ditch b4 an should've remembered the ridge was on the far side. Anyhow there I sat kittywampus halfway up the ditch.
The water was about 6" deep on the passenger side and with the back end being further down, the back corner of the box was under water a good ways. Not taking the time to think, figuring the highway was fairly close I made the mistake of going through the ditch to the highway.
What seemed like a mile long walk I finally reached the highway. From the ditch to the highway was all cattails and water nearly knee deep. I was already getting cold too by the time I got there being wet from the bottom of my ribs down.
I tried to walk as fast as I could but that mile and a half walk and the cold were getting to me. I was hoping someone would come along as I just shook and teeth chattered. I tried to run a couple of times but my legs were so cold they started to burn to the point where I had a hard time keeping balance. Finally I reached town, good as my uncles place was only 6 long blocks away.
When I got to his place I just wanted someplace warm. I just walked into his back door not even realizing it was locked and went straight for the oil stove. (The back door went straight into his bedroom then down the hallway. His girl friend was over and I'm not sure they were sleeping. We have never even talked about it so who knows.)
He came to the living room where I sat by the stove and asked what happened. After telling him he brought me some dry clothes to put on. I sat for a few hrs just trying to warm up b4 we went out to access the next project, getting it out. He took one look and said there ain't enough chain in town to reach that rig. Better call the wrecker.
That is when I found out that 24hr towing meant after church was done. After church was done we went out there with the wrecker and he wasn't sure his cable would reach and said I would have to walk out there and hook it up. Back to town my uncle and I go to grab waders and all the chain I can get my hands on.
Pulling all the cable out and more than a few trips with chain I still came up about 10' short. At this point I was so tired from carrying all that chain through the swamp in chest waders I didn't want to make another one. I just remembered then I had a chain in the back of my truck and it was long enough to reach. After hooking it up he hollared he wanted me to help by letting it idle in low range.
He pulled me back through the ditch but not at the angle I went in, this was straight out. After getting through the ditch I idle through it faster than his winch could pull. He was hollaring something but I couldn't hear what. Turned out he now wanted to just pull me out so the cable would wind tight on the spool.
The next day at work a bunch of guys were talking about it b4 we started.(half a dozen of em seen the tracks) I never said a word as they discussed how that could happen. They gathered someone must have fell asleep with the foot to the floor. Then the last guy coming into work asked "Did you go in the ditch?" "Yea why?" I asked. "Noticed some cattails under ur truck" he said. Then they knew it was me. I could tell when he said"How the h*** did ya do that."
I still blame that big ugly swamp for being in my way.
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Topic: Trapline tales (Read 20087 times)
