:: W4B photography's companion blog ::

:: Friday, December 16, 2005 ::

ditched
misc: So I went for a drive and ended up in a ditch. How you ask? Well, I went north on Adelaide out of the city looking for a spot where I could take pictures. I had a location in mind in the fall and wanted to see how it looked with snow. It was pretty windy out, and some of snow sculpted mounds on the side of the road and fields were having fine mists of snow coming off them horizontally. I thought it would be cool to take a couple of pics of one particular snow feature. With the intention of turning around to go back to one, I made a right off Adelaide St. North onto eight Mile Road. It was slippy going into the intersection and I took the turn wide on the empty country road.

I went down about 50m looking for a good spot to turn around and do a three point turn. Well, as I slowed to make the turn, I really didn't slow and went into wheel well deep snow. It looked solid but I was right over the edge of the drainage ditch on the south side of the road. I tried to rock back and forth out and only had the front left wheel with any purchase. I was bottomed out. I had a sip of my still hot Tim Horton's coffee, and went out to survey the scene.

The CRV had a good roll angle to it - too much to keep the driver's door open Rear right was in the deepest snow. I got my shovel out of the cargo area and dug out all around the deepest side and as much of what I could front and back, but I was pretty bottomed out.

I got back in and my maneuvering only buried myself deeper in the ditch - illustrated above. I was now at least two feet further off the road sideways and the front right was deepest in. I gave up. I went around and took a few pictures - of course. If I had gone much further it was mid thigh deep judging from my walkabout shooting pics. I sat inside for a few minutes drinking my coffee and mulled my options. CAA could show but it could also be hours. I thought I would call Leanne and hope Chris and his Jeep were still at home. They were.

Several SUVs and pick ups turned off Adelaide and came to see if I was OK. And - much to my chagrin when I told them I was fine ,they made perfect 3 point turns and left without incident!

Chris had already pulled one person out today and I was his second. He showed up in his Jeep about 20 mins after I called Leanne initially. He pulled me out with no problem what-so-ever. Much appreciative. This was the first time in the nearly 5 years I have driven CRVs that I managed to ditch myself. I don't think any damage was done. Lots of snow on the undercarriage and wheel wells. But that should be melted off tomorrow after I park in the underground at work all day.

Not how I intended to spend my afternoon. But what the hey. It's all good when you have friends with big ass jeeps. Thanks Chris!

Carpe Diem

:: Mike Wood 17:58 [+] :: 1 comments
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1 Comments:

Glad everything worked out OK, Mike. I know EXACTLY where this happened. When the weather's good (not now, of course) I like to head north on my bicycle - with a camera, of course - and cruise the concessions. I miss that in winter, and fear that bike season is pretty much done until March.

Darn.

By  carmilevy, at 10:12 PM  

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