Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

[KruJoe]

This evening's flurry makes Christmas day the ninth straight day with significant dumpings of the "Silly Soft Stuff" (as Thomas the Tank once called it )

 

Last Friday morning... woke up to this. Still on summer wheels - should have done the swop the night before.

 

 

 

I thought it would be fun to try the way up onto the top field to retrieve my snow tyres from in the spare car. It wasn't happening.

 

 

 

Snow tyres on the other side and in the back.

 

 

 

Nose in the shed to do the swop.

 

 

Job done, up 'round the back again just to prove I could. Malham Cove in the distance.

 

 

 

This motor surprises many in the snow. Just ace.

 

Monday afternoon, after more dumpings...

 

 

Number plate removed for it's own protection.

I didn't rate it's chances with drifts coming over the bonnet!

 

 

 

The road has been cleared every day by the farmer, and we've out working every day...

 

 

...but each morning, we've had a fresh inch or two.

 

 

The A4 is 4WD, but not nearly so useful in these conditions.

 

 

 

The Forester S-T is used less these days due to its slipping clutch, bald tyres and considerable thirst.The snow gives it an extra (almost Kia Karens-like) frumpiness!

 

 

 

Wednesday morning: up in good time to attempt the climb to Malham Moor.

 

 

 

No-one had been up in the last 24 hours, and it was becoming serious.

 

 

 

We made it! Well, up to the moor on the walled lane, and into the National Trust Malham Tarn estate.

 

 

 

The road was then on open moor and had suffered from drifting.

 

 

 

F*** SH** BO11OX!

Well stuck. Normal drifts are no sweat, we can just push through them.

But here, it was knee-deep all the way from the cattle grid. We were carrying some speed, so the car pushed along a wedge of the snow, and properly grounded itself with all four spinning. Cobblers.

The first time stuck OF EVAR.

We jacked up each of the front wheels, dug out under its belly, and put the chains on. We moved a few feet back, but then there was a clatter and we were back to square one. A snow chain had broken a link and come off. Oh dear. Thoughts of trudging six miles home to fetch the tractor...

 

We were sweaty from digging, and not in the mood for photography!

But then slowly, through a flurry, from in front of us, very slowly across the moor, appeared a farmer and his son, digging their way out with a tractor, whilst towing a 4WD BT50 Mazda pickup behind.

They eventually approached and dug/towed their way around us, then pulled us from our predicament back onto where they were clearing.

Free at last, after two hours.

 

 

 

Defeat admitted, we carefully turned around.

We had been carrying all the Christmas meat for three households on Malham Moor, so we dumped that by the cattle grid to collect themselves on foot with plastic sledges!

 

 

 

Impressive views on the way back down, we could see from the top of Malhamdale all the way to Pendle Hill.

 

 

 

Signs of a thaw later on Thursday...

 

 

KITTEH SEZ 'HURREE UP LET I IN'

 

 

Crimbo! No fresh snow this am, but so pretty.

 

 

Mist down below, Clear above.

 

 

First day off for ages, so it would be rude not to go out for some piccies!

 

 

 

 

 

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff159/KruJoe/P1180235.jpg

 

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff159/KruJoe/P1180247.jpg

 

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff159/KruJoe/P1180224.jpg

 

That's all folks.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

[Station]

Wow, the Impreza made it through all that snow? That's imprez-ive ( ). I wouldn't have thought it would've been up to the job.

 

 

 

"And for the journey down, we put Nissan Figaro wheels on for a laugh."

[Milford Cubicle]

AWD FTW. How deep is the snow there?I've encountered depth of snow which has certainly pushed the limits of my 2WD car with snow tyres, but not got stuck yet...I'm glad I didn't try to drive up the road to granny MC's house yesterday though, the snow must have been 18 inches to 2 feet level fall (it was well over our ankles when we walked up), we'd have got quite stuck.

[ashmicro]

You're brave! And none to shabby as a photographer either.Terrific stuff.

[VWPowered]

great story and pics, ta fer sharing

[KruJoe]

Thanks guys.

We had a good dumping with the wind last Thursday night, then 1-2 inches every day since!

It has been hard to tell just how much has fallen because it has often drifted, but probably averages about 12 inches.

The car will happily punch through powdery drifts up to 3 feet high (though I have had to knock some snow out of the engine bay after to stop the belts squealing!)

 

 

The limit where the snow is level seems to be about the middle of the wheels... any deeper and there's just too much snow going underneath and it lifts the car off it's wheels.

 

 

The limitation of Subarus when the going gets tough is always ground clearance. That said, this tatty £600 POS has laughed in the face of snowy hills that have beaten the local farmers' Defender TD5s.

VALUE.

[michiel]

What a great collection of potentail christmas cards, ace pics (and the Impreza does impress indeed)!

[HillmanImp]

 

Is that a 2 headed cow?

 

There is a hell of a lot of snow there. Crazy. And heres me whinging about my driveway.

[55bloke]

Stunning pics! I love the Yorkshire moors and dales.

[KruJoe]

Since Boxing Day, we've had a slow thaw. Just a few dirty inches left.

More adventures today, however. It was a different world up on Malham Moor. We had a few light flurries this morning, but the wind up there was HOWLING.

 

 

The snow was whipping across like I've never seen before. I had stop and walk from here to see where the road went, and whether we'd get through.

The view from the car. Look at the trees bent over:

 

 

Once outside, I couldn't even see the ground I was standing on. Like being locked in a giant Tupperware tub! I had to crouch down behind the car, but still filled the lens with powder. Apologies for what look like dodgy photos... the camera just can't capture today's conditions!

 

 

I jumped back in the car after less than a minute, and I was covered, like I had been rolling in a drift. I gave the camera to MrsKJ to dry in front of a warm vent.

 

 

The wind scours some parts bare, and dumps it, often feet deep where you least expect. We had to dig out twice today, about where the tractor is:

 

 

My brother (in the tractor) dragged the joker in the van up, then went back to help the Land Rover.

Once they were up, enough snow had been scraped from the middle of the track for the Impreza to drag its belly over.

 

 

Five minutes of sphincter-twitching later and we were through!

 

[Albert Ross]

Was it a late "coiler" Land Rover that got stuck, or a weekend wannabe in a Leafer? (Not a daily masochist in a leafer like me)

[KruJoe]

Twas this very one:

 

 

A TD5, piloted by a veteran Dales farmer. Almost all the farmers have them around here.

So on coils then.

To be fair, he was dragging his cattle trailer up to rescue some hogs when he got stuck.

 

 

Also this morning, we came across two new-ish National Trust LWB TD5s that were really struggling. They were probably on the wrong tyres to be honest.

Last year we wiped the floor with this one in the snow:

[M'coli]

Brilliant photos of one of my favorite places - cooked the diesel Metro's headgasket on the 1-in-5 climb up to the tarn back in August 2003! - fantasic stuff.

[Vin]

Wow. That's a Santana. Well Shite

[Mr Lobster]

Does it actually say "Work 4 Once" on the bottom of the door?

 

 

Wishful thinking on the part of the driver maybe?

 

"I wish this heap of shit would actually work for once..."

[M'coli]

By hogs I assume you mean under year old sheep rather than pigs?

[KruJoe]

Yes, E'coli, young sheep. Not exactly pig farming terrain here!

 

Does it actually say "Work 4 Once" on the bottom of the door?

 

Sorry to disappoint! "Work Force"?

[Milford Cubicle]

Obviously Santana's take on Mitsubishi's "4Life" and "4Work" bollocks.Nice work KruJoe, your Impreza's skills makes me want a 4WD car!