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[tsm1@domain.elided (Tom Mandera)]

Sure, I head out to Billings on Thursday for the Shania Twain concert...
then wheelin' and tree huntin' on Saturday... tree settin' up and such on
Sunday... and I find about 250 messages just from the IHC list I have to
wade through... sheesh....

Found that a '99 Outback AWD handles nicely at 90mph on your typical
partially snow covered road... at least, the wide open Interstate 90 in
eastern Montana... not much traffic, and PLENTY of reaction time.. AWD with
computerized traction control is kinda nifty... though when my friend Dan
was driving (his car, afterall) he passed on the outside of a turn at 80mph
in some slush... that wasn't so much fun... particularly when the computer
found traction and the car lurched pretty badly... kinda like a LS "binding
up" and slingshotting ya... dunno that I like it much.

Anyways... I admit it, the Subaru did better on the highway in that stuff
than I'd ever feel comfortable taking my Scout... 90mph on somewhat bad
roads is not an option in the Scout I'd like to exercise.. OTOH, had the
roads been *really* bad, I'll take the Scout!

And of course, we got 25+mpg vs. 13mpg... though 5 adults in a Suby isn't my
idea of comfort.. thinking maybe a Travelall wouldn't be a bad tow rig/
cruiser... still get 13-15mpg, but at least we'd all be comfy (I think I'll
hold out for the Travelette though)

Saturday I went tree hunting... and, unlike Deer season, I filled my tags!

Naturally, when presented with the "easy" way to get to "camp" and hunt
trees or the "fun" way... I opted for the fun way.  Two other rigs went
along on the fun route.. my friend Mke's '74 Bronco (he lead the way) and a
stock-ish Chevy FS (3" lift and 32s open/open)... I didn't do quite as well
as the Bronco (4.09s, 33x10 Buckshots, Detroit/ARB, 351W, NP435) but I held
my own... the Chevy didn't fare so well and blew a hub apart and went back
to the easy part... but my other friend's '79 Bronco FS had a hard time
following the lil' Bronco and my Scout.. (460/C6/36" Buckshots, Detroit/ARB)

I got the winch about 4 times... each time because I started walking
sideways off the deep snow covered trail towards the fast way down.  I was
pretty happy, finally being able to play in the snow with the Big Dogs..
even happier when I was informed that not only could I play with the big
dogs, but that I now *am* one of the Big Dogs. :-)

Had a lot of fun on top of the mountain in a big wide snow field... Mike was
busting trail in his Bronco, so I went around him (we did this a few times)
and started passing him... breaking trail right alongside... then he blew
the heater bypass hose... 3 gallons of the green stuff and a new hose, the
Bronco was ready to play again... meanwhile, I was busting trail. :-)

After we muscled our way to the top and down the otherside, we ended up gong
back up the steeper side to check on the '79 BBronco (they'd stopped to help
the wounded Chevy with a new hub)... at one point, Mike and I were neck and
neck racing to get on the track... we would both gun it and make progress,
making a "V" towards the line we both wanted... we'd get the front fenders
within inches of each other before we would have to back up and run again...
more progress, and closer again... it was kinda fun.. neither one of us
wanted to let the other in front, and we were neck and neck!

Finally Mike did his usual... just nail it and let the lockers and Buckshots
make his progress.. and edged me out.  What fun though!

I can now churn those 33s even when I'm frame deep in snow... the 4cyl had a
hard time just MOVING with the 31s... now I can easily redline the 304 in
1st... and I even have enough grunt to get moving on 4-lo 2nd gear... though
I definitely notice the 304 not "breathing" enough... I don't have a tach,
but I'm definitly still low in the RPM band and I don't seem to break out of
it (at least, when I need to get the tires spinning fast)... hmm.. must need
more power.... I think this is where the 351 in the Bronco kept whupping
me...  on the corners Mike would fly around in 3rd gear 5k, I was struggling
to get the 304 to wind up fast enough in 2nd.

Around 3:30 (gets dark at 4:30) we were chowing on stew n' such.. when I
remember, "Oh yeah... I have 3 trees to cut still!"... left town at 9:30,
got to the trailhead by 10:30 tops... and played all day....

Hey, and I even burned less gas than the Bronco... Mike went through 20
gallons of gas and coasted into town on fumes... I went through 17gal, but I
still thought I was in danger of running out thanks to the rock-dent in the
gas tank where the sender is.... which is why I now fill the 5gal Jerry can
before I leave. :-)

*big grins*.. I'm a Big Dog now... woo-hoo.

heh heh heh

-Tom Mandera, Helena MT
http://www.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout
Still havin' that wheelin' rush... yee-haw!
'77 Scout II - 304/4spd/4.09s, LS & Locker, 33s...