Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Hey...


An idea for the kids...

When there was a deep snow...

I'd snowblow all I could onto one spot... making a snow mountain for the kids...
I'd even clear the yard to get more snow,,,

The could climb it... slide down it... run ariound it...
...and even tunnel into it for an igloo if it seemed safe and I stayed there watchin 'em...


Anyone else do this ?


Dave...

Hey Tom

Are you anywhere near Beckley or Elkins??

             Elkins would be the closer. about 45 min over the mountain. The wife shops at a sewing  store there once in awhile and sometimes my job takes me there.

                                   Tom

I'll be down to Ski at Snowshoe next week!

Think snow!

           Emmo

                Snowshoe should be in great shape. It has been very cold but no snow . But who cares when you make your own

           They made some really nice improvements there hope you have a great time..    

                                    Tom 

I have a long (300') driveway.  About 70' of it is downhill. The driveway ends on the side of my house. The sloping continues to my backyard. My backyard is down hill.

Do you see where I am going here?

 I start with the snowblower on the top of the hill in my driveway (always leaving a nicelayer of snow). then continue with the snowblower on the path that meets my driveway as it slightly curves to the back yard. I try to put a light bank on this curve . From the end of the path we are now directly in the backyard. I put a nice elbow in the snow "chute" I am cutting with the blower, with a nice bank in it, then abrubtly elbow it back again for the final ride straight down the hill. The ride is stopped by the mound made by all the leaves and grass clipping from the year that are now nicely covered with snow! First year we moved in, the neigboring kids all lined up to watch as me and the kids flew down our very own bobsled trail! They were all hoping for an invite. I would even pour water on it at night to make it faster the next day.

 This really worked best with nice DEEP snow.  I would cut the groove deep enough so there was plenty of snow underneath, and walls holding you in on the sides.

  
                      jogo

                          man my kids are jealous. I'm in trouble LOL

                                                                 Tom

Yup, did it myself as a kid and it is done all the time and I have many fond memories....

As Dave mentioned be there when they tunnel.  There have been some unfortunate tragedies with kids suffocating when the tunnels colapse....

This has been in extreme cases but the younger the child the less snow it takes to pin them down so just be aware of that plus if an adult or older child had been present they would have been aware and dug them out quickly....

Ideally the parent or an older child (teens) should dig out the tunnel and then be there when the younger kids go through.  As the tunnels age they freeze and become more sturdy until they melt of course.

If you are worried of collapse build a fort on top of the pile with a cool path up to it say through a hole.

I am sorry if I seem like a downer here but I have to pass this info on....

C

Chris, very good info. 

jojo, you sure do know how to have fun.

Jogo .. "A bobsled track made with a snowblower'  "You DA Man" ... So are you other guys with the mounds. 

Question Jogo.  Have you been able to try an ol "Flexable Flyer" on that track of yours?  (you know I am sure ,  wooden steerable sled with metal runners).  

Also anyone reading about the snow pile igloo's.  Keep that big note of caution on the cave-in's.  Quick story. Did one on a hughe drift when we were kids.  Naturally one of the troublesome lil brothers was making windows by scrolling a circle in the thing, then punching it through with his fist.  He did a couple successfully then he caved it.  Roof was probably three to five foot thick.  There were 4 of us, about 12 yrs old. (able bodied strong young teens).  We had to frantically dig to find the other boy.  It took way longer than I would have ever imagined.  Probably took close to a minute just to locate part of him, and we knew what spot he was in when it caved.   There was no sign of him, no movement, sounds, nothing.  If we would not have know his proximity in that say 12 foot  inside diameter circle, it would have taken longer.  He ended up unharmed, but was he freaked, semi unconscious from no air etc.,  you can just imagine.  So keep an eye on them and either seal it up at night or cave it in yourself.   

Quick thinking on your and your friends part Ben, you saved his life.

A few years ago I can't remember the exact time we lost a child to a tunnel cave in in the area, man I think he was 8 but my memory is shot for details anymore.  Now that we are on the subject piles of leaves left on the street for DPW pick up are equally dangerous if they are big enough, kids hide in them while they are playing and well, you can figure out the rest.....

C