Green Lady Down

I know it's been a while since we wrote a Trail Journal; but then again, this winter has developed following geologic time.  There have been no big storms.  The snows we've had have come in little one, twos and three inch blankets.  We've been out each dusting, preserving what we've been given.  We've had decent tracks since the winter solstice.  They're actually getting pretty darn decent.  

Uller, on the other hand, has not received enough snow to really allow us to get out there without wrecking most, if not all, of our equipment.  

We went out today to spruce up Montreal.  Finally, there are some people up here skiing and such, not just us locals.  We were doing a great job ( not necessarily because of us; the snow was pretty darn nice) and we got about 75% of the trail done when the Gator dropped its starboard, rear, outboard idler.  The idler shaft sheared.  

Bummer.  

Now we'll get a big storm.  Watch us, we'll be back bucking Alpines again for a while.

Meanwhile, a 200lb track assembly will need to be thawed out, removed and hauled to St Maud's where we can hoist it up on a bench and work on like human beings. This happened a couple of years ago and all we remember is that the track has to come off and the producer has to send us a new shaft. Then it's the reverse of that; hoisting the machine, flopping around on the crusty cement floor of the Ranger's Garage and trying to time and align the four bolts that hold everything together out there.

Give us another layer of snow that will pack down to 3", we'll keep Montreal in Olympic condition and work Uller up to the point where we can machine some tracks on it.  

Untill then, if you get out there, you might see us on 35 year old snow machines, freezing our thumbs; but keeping the tracks down so we can all SKI FREELY!  Z