# 1/26/2008 In Alaska Enjoy



## Jbowe (Mar 22, 2006)

Took these pics from Hatcher Pass in Alaska today. Nice windy day and hope you all enjoy.


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

Nice pics. That is a place I would like to travel to.


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## Jbowe (Mar 22, 2006)

*Weather*

It was a beautiful day today. Been plowing steady until about 6 last night. The snow started about 4 days ago and dropped about 15 inches in the lower elevations and 35" at Hatcher pass. Today I took two trucks up and we pushed the snow back from the parking lot to make room for more snow that is due in the next few days. Temp out today was about -5 degrees up at Hatcher and 5 above with heavy winds in the lower elevations. You can view the Mother Lode lodge on line if you want to see some more pics of where this lot is. Steve from Alaska


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## KGRlandscapeing (May 2, 2007)

i saw u had ur tow strap hookd up and layin over the gate makes life easy when u get stuck pushing back


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## Clapper&Company (Jan 4, 2005)

Sweet


Thanks for the pics


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## Jbowe (Mar 22, 2006)

*Getting stuck*

Thats why I took two trucks up today. At the beginning of the year a lot of melting and freezing was going on and I had to use the truck I was driving to break it up, and the pile had to be pushed up pretty high and back to make room for future snows. One of the problems with lots of snow. Much easier to have the strap easily accessable when it has more snow behind the plow then in from. lol Only had to use it twice all morning though so it went better then expected.


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## KGRlandscapeing (May 2, 2007)

my dad said when they were younger and were plowing for this guy he had a jeep and they would tie a long rope 100 feet or so of 1inch rope on the the jeep a truck then the guy would run the jeep up the piles stacking real high then they would pull it back. dont know if thats the truth but its what he said


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## FordFisherman (Dec 5, 2007)

Crazy piles. Thats the real deal. You should open a plowing college up there; teach the greenhorns what its all about.


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## Jbowe (Mar 22, 2006)

*Thanks Ford*

Yeah the piles when I was finished were about 12' high. The dumpster was completely buried in the snow and I had to drag it out. Luck for us it was empty. Spent about two hrs moving the snow back. It was actually a lot of fun seeing how high I could get it with the 3/4 ton and V plow. My other driver was in the 1500 and was there mainly to push after I had cut the piles back. A team effort.


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## Jbowe (Mar 22, 2006)

*Snow Plowing*

Just a bit more, when the snow really started pileing up earlier in the week I made a run up. There was about 18" on the high way. The state trucks don't push past the bottom of the pass until the snow is finished falling. Sometimes for two days. When I went up my V was blowing snow out both sides all the way up so it left only about 6" where I was going. While plowing the lodge in the pics I backed out and there was this chevy 2 wheel drive van that had followed my tracks and was stuck just below the lodge. He was the cook for the Independence Mine lodge 3 miles further up the mountain. Being the nice guy I am I got him up to where I had plowed and cleared the lot but he was desperate to go all the way. The lodge had clients and no one to feed them and there was about 30" on top. No way was he going to make it. So I said yahoo follow me, droped the 9'6 blade and told him to tag along and plowed the highway all the way to the top. The wind was blowing so hard by the time I headed back down it had already covered my tracks. So I just raised my blade and went back down. No sence doing the states work.


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## streetsurfin' (Jan 22, 2004)

Did the Mine Cook at least feed you for getting him up there? Good story!


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## Jbowe (Mar 22, 2006)

*Cook Pay*

Nope but he gave me a cup of coffee to drink on the way back and 20.00. Spent more then that on gas. lol


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## 91AK250 (Nov 28, 2007)

NICE!

i've been meaning to get up to hatchers this winter..but havent yet..i love it up there just for the view and the drive haha

awsome pics!


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## Jbowe (Mar 22, 2006)

*Hatcher pass*

They have a total of about 60 inches right now. Maybe a little more. Up at the top is even more. I am just talking about the Mother Lode Lodge


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## Quality SR (Oct 25, 2006)

Wow 60" thats alot of snow. Nice pictures, keep them coming


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## ctd992500 (Oct 17, 2007)

Those are some nice pics you got their. I like your dodge too thats a nice lookin truck you got their.


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## tls22 (Sep 30, 2007)

those are some nice pictures and alot of snow, i forgot how to push snow it must be fun!:crying:


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## Supper Grassy (May 31, 2007)

Nice pics and truck


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## nicksplowing (Oct 5, 2005)

*GREAT PICTURES THANKS A TON FROM US PLOWERS WHO HAVENT SEEN ANY REAL SNOW THIS SEASON YET:salute:*


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## MileHigh (Nov 6, 2007)

Those are some cool pics!!!


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## royallawn (Dec 1, 2005)

been awhile since i lived there. where is hatchers pass?


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## Jbowe (Mar 22, 2006)

*Where is Hatcher Pass*

Its on the North side of Wasilla. About a 20 minute drive from downtown Palmer.


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## royallawn (Dec 1, 2005)

found it on google earth. looks very nice. don't think i ever made it there. used to go to big lake alot snowmobiling when i was in town. spent time in palmer and wasilla. homer mainly in the summer when i was on break. had alot of friends there. man, i miss AK.


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## Jbowe (Mar 22, 2006)

*Love Alaska*

I'd be happy to sell you my business, trucks, house, and other equipment with in place contracts so I could move to Fla. lol I've been here my entire life and would love to bask in the sun in Jan. for a change. lol


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## royallawn (Dec 1, 2005)

i have actually been thinking about florida myself.


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## KGRlandscapeing (May 2, 2007)

royallawn;502771 said:


> i have actually been thinking about florida myself.


learn to speak spanish if ur going there because english is like a second lang there.


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## royallawn (Dec 1, 2005)

KGRlandscapeing;502790 said:


> learn to speak spanish if ur going there because english is like a second lang there.


isn't it about everywhere now?


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## KGRlandscapeing (May 2, 2007)

royallawn;503292 said:


> isn't it about everywhere now?


haha i guess so i know enought to tell the mexicans i used to work with get back to work o and to know when they were laughin at me or *****in about stuff. so when i goaway on vaction i can ease drop alittle and there broken english gets real old out on a crew all day when there trying to talk to u. and alot of them cant write in english so at the end of the day a few of the guys would have to convert there log sheets. ill find other guys befor i get mexicans thats all i can say.


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## royallawn (Dec 1, 2005)

if there was other guys to find the mexicans wouldn't be here.


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## mnormington (Dec 18, 2007)

cool pics, thanks. brought back a lot of memories. for those of you that haven't been there, go. it's like going to another planet.


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## mnormington (Dec 18, 2007)

KGRlandscapeing;503299 said:


> haha i guess so i know enought to tell the mexicans i used to work with get back to work o and to know when they were laughin at me or *****in about stuff. so when i goaway on vaction i can ease drop alittle and there broken english gets real old out on a crew all day when there trying to talk to u. and alot of them cant write in english so at the end of the day a few of the guys would have to convert there log sheets. ill find other guys befor i get mexicans thats all i can say.


sounds like you need to learn spanish. also if you own a legitimate business and you're passing over guys just cuz they're mexicans you have a problem. especially posting it here to be read by anyone.

imagine this:
hey guys! I robbed a bank!

duh.


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## 91AK250 (Nov 28, 2007)

i went up to hatchers today, thought i'd share my pics from up there also in here since its the same place..no plowing though lol


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## 91AK250 (Nov 28, 2007)




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## dmontgomery (Oct 3, 2003)

I would guess that a V plow would be the only way to go up there.....yes or no??


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## Jbowe (Mar 22, 2006)

*V Plow*

Yes thats what I use up there. At the beginning of the season I was going up with the 1500 and straight blade which was fine until it really stared to snow. This has really turned out to be a good contract though. They are only open on Fri thru Sun so we just let the snow fall all week then go up Friday morning if they had snow. During the big snow we had a couple of weeks ago I was going up every day thru the week end though. Its a really fun place to plow. I also landed the Independence mine for next season a couple weeks ago. Thats at the top of the pass. With it added to the mother lode this makes it a really good plow place for me.


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