Mt Skene Sunday

gday luke .
cant you make it this weekendRaphus cucullatus

I really wish I could, but I've promised I'd put in an appearance at a friend's Bathurst BBQ :-(

...oh well....

Chuck a sicky at the party and come along.

I'd love to - but .... oh well, a promise is a promise no matter how boring Bathurst is ;-)

I promise you Bathurst races will SUCK....

Im sure watching dog bleep dry in the sun would be more exciting than a presession of cars going in circles ;)~

Yep, it's a day trip from Melbourne.

Head a couple of hours Northeast to Mansfield from Melbourne, then an easy drive from there to where the fun begins :-)

are we talking winching and recovering or just a hard slug this time of the year?_____________________________________________

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Not really sure what it will be like this Sunday - but when we saw a bit of snow up there the first time we went this year, nothing more serious than a couple of snatch recoveries. Most of those were avoidable though - just got stuck having fun :-)

I don't think winching would be necessary unless you wanted it to be ;-)

Voxon, always take ya recovery kit.

Meet in Either Mansfield, or in Lilydale I think it is, I'll check tonight

Im down Frankston way, your welcome to meet here and travel up...
could add an hour to ya trip though...

Winching, depends how adventurous you want to get!!
Bring drinks, food, camera, warm shiat, spare shoes and socks, single women if you knwo any, and film for camera.

CLICK HERE FOR HOW TO GET THERE

220.70 kms 2:30 Hours

yep... post the location and time as soon as you know because once i leave here saturday early hours i wont be able to get any more info from you...
I am coming over to help a friend tow back a drag car if he buys it... (sight unseen at this stage)... if it is crap we will be ready for an adventure, if it is good we leave melb for home sunday am....
Plenty of recovery gear on board but no wenches....Might have to order takeout...*lol*...

Regards......_____________________________________________

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wats ya email addy, I'll send you my mobile #

R1voxson@bigpond.net.au

remove the yamaha from the beginning_____________________________________________

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u have mail

Bathurst? Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Watch the 10 mins of highlight on Sports Tonight... watching cars follow each other for 8 hours round a circle sucks.. more fun watching the car in front of you...

10-10-30am in Mansfield? Servo on way out of town there?(last one on left before Jamieson turnoff....)

UHF Ch:25,
27meg Ch:25

That would be the BP Bruce ;)

If someone Gives me a lift, i would love to come along.

No Licence :(

Steve

your tyres shouldnt be a problem im running cooper h/t.Raphus cucullatus

Just let them down nice and low and you will crawl on top of the snow

we ran 8psi 2 weeks ago and were making great progress

Steve

Well that being the case, I'm in!

Look for a red lifted Kia Sportage presently running 205/70R15's (and looking pretty silly doing it!!)

Steve, where do you live? I'm in Chadstone area (2 min from the freeway) and I could do with a snatch strap lackey....

I live in Lara (near Geelong ) :(

Steve

Floyd, I can assure you Mt Skene was blocked with snow on Monday.
From the Licola end approx 2km from the top near a track off to the right. Too deep for chains to bite in.
Cheers Bob

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Chains don't help in deep snow.

They are good in mud, or hard compacted snow ./ ice

When driving on 1-2 ft of fresh powder you need LOW pressures (3-10 psi)

drive REAL slow (1st low, at idle) and you will make progress.

When you feel the slightest loss of traction (this is where the skill comes in, feeling for this and knowing when to stop) you stop, backup try again.

The extra bit of momentum will get you back on top.

Passengers are handy to have as they can shovel snow to help get back on top.

driving over your tracks a few times can compact and ice up your tracks to help get some momentum on to push forward.

The only other way i know to get through REAL deep fresh powder snow, involves a lot of Cubic inches, BIG aggressive tyres at 8psi, lots of noise and a fair bit of the right boot ;)

Steve

I agree Member Gob that Mt Skene probably was packed weith snow on Monday but so was Mt Buller and Mt Stirling on monday too. I live here and drive to work on Buller every day and I am telling you that since monday we have lost over 2 foot of snow from Buller and Stirling. I am looking at stirling now and there is only about 1/8th cover on the southern side. The northern side I have been told has less (this is where the sun shines directly). I can see Skene from the front entry to my office and I am telling you that there is only a hint of white on the very top. The whole north side is green.

Mr Srowlandson, chains do help in deep snow believe me. I have had 19 years experience driving and living in Canadian Rockies, European Alps USA rockies and the Australian and NZ alps. I have never had to lower tyre pressures at all and have gone through 3 foot falls on the Alpine way and the Hotham rd on many occasions. A lot of it in a 72 model HQ with a 202 and a 3 on the tree. The snow was up to the grill and with a bit of clever driving and chains we did almost 40 kms in these conditions.

You mention that you need a lot of cubic inches to get through real deep fresh powder which blows your comment about "drive REAL slow (1st low, at idle) and you will make progress" out of th water. Low gearing and care will work better than a lot of cubic inches if it is deep.

Big agressive tyres is a crock of bleep e. Anyone who lives and works in the snow knows that the skinny tyres are the best on all types of snow (except maybee for glaciers and the polar ice caps). All business operators, taxi companies, buslines, garbage collecters, snow plows etc etc all around the world in resorts and towns that get snow use the skinny tyres as they cut in and get traction. I have fat tyres and occasionally struggle in some conditions where skinny tyres make it up without trouble. Fat tyres also skid a bit more when going downhill and cornering.

Whatever works for you is fine snowlandson. I am just letting you know from my experience.

The Cubic Inches and Big aggressive tyres was an alternative... both work well , I have had a lot of fun doing both methods

As for chains Vs no Chains.... I prefer to drop the pressures and drive on through... Never needed to fit chains, its easier to sit on top of the snow and crawl along.

Tall and skinny work well, and airing down lengthens the contact patch of Tyre Vs Ground... and wide tyres don't necessarily give a bigger contact patch...

Chains work for some, but in my experience, it's amazing how much difference in traction when you drop to 5-8psi, in any offroad situation.

Steve

Also, How do you explain the Big 44 x 21 x 15 Tyres fitted to the Trucks supplied by Artic Trucks for Snow use :o

Big and Wide, Low PSI (3-8) in snow will get you anywhere, with low gearing. ;)

:D

I asked.
Ive been told theres nothing left. So whats the story?

He said
Nothing left where?

Its snowing today and looks like snowing tonight, its bleep ing freezing up here.

Floyd
Point taken.Would love to have tried harder but it was not my trip and we only had 2 hours daylight left so the decision to return the way we came was probably the best. We only gained about 50 mtrs in the snow and had no idea how far it would last or how long it would take.
PS there where existing wheel tracks but they did not look fresh?
Maybe next year?
Cheers
Bob

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yea its kewl, should be ok, we had a newb last trip, and just drove accordingly...

Just have your own recovery gear, 2x rated shackles, snatch strap, shovel, and THERMOS!!

gday dcp.
we went up 2 weeks ago with toonfish and his little one is 2 months old.
am i right toonie lolRaphus cucullatus