That night on the mountain...

It could only happen to me. Me, the guy who is always prepared for anything. Always planning ahead for any contingency. Do I have enough gas..is the oil level correct? Do I have a first aid kit? The list goes on and on. My rationale is...nothing can go wrong, if I plan ahead..right? Well...here I am..It's night time, I'm on the top of a mountain in the middle of the wilderness. It's so dark I can't see more than a few feet in any direction. The snow is 3 feet deep, and I'm getting cold. 

It just stopped running. One minute I'm speeding down this winding trail, the next, I'm sitting here in the dark, stuck. The red taillight from my wife's snowmobile fading into the darkness. I'm the last rider in a group of riders out for an evening cruise over the mountain. it's dead quiet and and the sky inky black. I have no idea where I am. 

It's the town of Old Forge located in the Adirondack mountains of New York state. And we arrived a day earlier. During the long winter months this small town changes into a snowmobiler's paradise. Car traffic virtually ceases and all roads are open to snowmobile traffic. The population increases from a few hundred to more than three thousand, on any given weekend. Everyone rides a snowmobile even the police. If you go to the movies, a restaurant or to work, it's all on snowmobiles. Venture out of town,
there are countless trails leading into the mountains. A massive frozen lake where you can pin the speedometer needle to full travel. It's a fun place for all.

We arrived here from Massachusetts, a group of us. A caravan of trucks with trailers. I was carrying two machines in my pickup truck and two more on a trailer I was hauling.The other vehicles doing the same. It's was during the gas crunch back in the 70's. Gas was scarce and fearing we wouldn't have enough to supply our machines, we hauled gasoline in Fifty-five gallon drums. Looking back..not the best decision we ever made but, when you're young you're invincible. We registered at the motel then rode our machines up to the front door of our room and parked. We would dine out then go for our first ride. Tonight would be an adventure.

I waited in the dark for what seemed like an eternity. It was probably wasn't more than five minutes. It's amazing how your mind starts playing tricks on you. What was that cracking noise..did something just growl nearby? Don't get me wrong..I'm not afraid of the dark but, I didn't relish the possibility of being a hungry bear's evening meal. After all, I'm a city guy at heart. Who knows what the hell is out here! Thinking quickly, I rummaged around in my tool kit and found a flashlight. With one eye watching for 'that' bear lurking in the darkness and the other on engine problem, I finally found it. Continuous vibration had loosen the engine mount bolts. The engine had moved so much from the constant jarring, that it had damaged an electrical wire, causing the engine to quit. All the while I was making the repair I kept thinking..maybe someone would realize I wasn't with the group any longer and come back for me. Well....that never happened. Thirty minutes later, repairs done, I fired up my machine and hurried off the mountain. Didn't look back once..well, maybe once.. When I arrived, everyone was talking and having a fun time...now they could have a laugh at my expense. I didn't mind...I wouldn't be any critter's snack this evening...I felt good about that!!

Jake T