The Duck Wash Out

The Duck Wash Out
John and I were on our way to fish Duck. It was spring and melt water was running hard. As we headed up the 32-00-00 we came to a beaver run off just before Deer Lake. The road had a gaping hole across it. I mean like ten feet wide and at least four feet deep. There was no other way to get to Duck from where we were, but across the gap. Being young, dumb and stupid, I knew that K5 Blazer could go anywhere. John and I calculated the distance versus the length of the K5 and figured it would work. I eased into the gap, sliding down; as the wheels touched I gave the K5 power. Power alright enough to lift her up toward the top edge. But then she froze. The rear bumper and trailer hitch caught the bank, going under power it pushed the front up. Here we sat, high and dry, both bumpers on the edge and four wheels off the ground. Much like a garage repair pit! Any sane person would have chains; come a long and maybe a shovel or two. Nope not us fools we were going fishing.
Six hours later we had hauled enough rocks to build a fort. The rocks had been placed in the gap under the tires and we jacked the front up to clear the edge. We did have a jack at least. More rocks were placed under the tires as the bumper cleared and the jack was removed and packed away. John hoped back in and as Jackie Gleason said “away we go”. Yeah we did for about four feet. The front tires pulled over the edge and got traction, but suddenly the K5 stopped and angled back. What the heck. We were now a see saw, with the frame resting on the edge of the gap and all four wheels off the ground again. A few more hours of jacking and placing rocks under the rear wheels and we were off to Duck fishing. The only problem was the wind had blown all the ice into the cove and we could get the canoe into the open water of the lake. We decided to come home via Springfield and Lincoln, a few more hours this way would save building a rock bridge the other.