Ice Road Truckers, eh???

[Muratic]

I've been a bit buggered up the last couple days and it has been hot and dry outside so I've been kicking it up with my "spring water" pain killer in front of a fan watching re-runs.

I like the Discovery channel. Mike Rowe is a hoot on Dirty Jobs but my latest favorite is the Ice Road Truckers. Maybe I just have a soft spot for the canuk draw.

I know lots of truckers...none of them have the nerve to do that job.
I know I sure wouldn't, no matter how rough around the edges folks think I am.

Anyone have some rain to send my way?

 

[Bez>]

I have driven across the Great Slave Lake hauling diesel. I have also driven the ice road from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk - hauling frozen fish, booze, chips and chocolate bars. Rolled a truck on the frozen ocean there in 1989. Quite an experience.

Especially since I was a military pilot out having some fun on my time off - so what did I do - took another job for a little while! Can't stand doing nothing.

Did the trip up the winter "highway" to Fort Chip in Alberta many times - that one was always interesting. Muskeg moves when you drive over it - almost like a rocking chair - just pray it does not open up - it swallows you whole.

It is all adventure - seek it out before you die.

Laying on my death bed I am determined to NOT say - "Man I wish I had written that memo to the CEO"

I am determined to say - "Life has been a blast - too bad it is so short!"

And yes, I was rained on today - wrong tractor - miles from home and no cab - it poured - I crawled under the old 8312 discbine and laid there for about an hour - fell asleep to the sound of rain banging on the tin.

Woke up pretty wet with a deer fly chewing on my ear.

If I could send it I would - get well you and stop being a stranger - I for one - miss you.

Bez>

 

[msscamp]

I haven't had the chance to see the programs you're talking about, Muratic, but I miss you, too. Don't be a stranger, ok?

 

[sidney411]

I watched the one where there were 3 trucks convoying together. One pulling and 2 pushing. That sure looks scary, I've thought about driving a truck or hot shotting but that would scare the pants off me. I'm sure they make big bucks though. Alaska is a real neat place, but I didn't go that far north though.

 

[Lammie]

I haven't seen it yet. I was watching Deadliest Catch and I made the mistake of pointing out to my husband that the producers have made the perfect show. It has manly-men things, it has danger, it has action, competition, and now it has sex appeal, so ladies watch it, too. There has always been a certain "bad boy" thing there that some women go for, but they have added that new young captain of the Maverick, and Sig's cute, too.

Anyway, every time I watch now, Steve's making fun of me.

William does like the trucker show and he's been telling me about it. He's 12, so he really likes the danger thing.

 

[Dave]

Lammie,

I don't know about "sex appeal" on the Deadliest Catch. All I remember is working until I was too tired to stand. That and being cold, and hungry, and wet. There sure wasn't anything sexy about it in real life. The TV show doesn't give you the real story but what TV show does?

Didn't mean to hijack this. Back to Ice Road Truckers.

 

[Earl Thigpen]

I'm kinda glad the Ice Truckers came on. I've been on the Great Slave Lake. Caught a boat out of Hay River (across the lake from Yellow Knife) and went up the McKenzie on a seismic job. It was a 45' wooden boat with 20,000 lbs of dynamite, 3000 gallons of gasoline and 2000 gallons of diesel fuel on board. We floated the dynamite off the back of the boat and set it off. The back of the boat would come out of the water when the dynamite exploded.

When they put me off the boat at the Fort Providence crossing the fellows told me to watch out for the bear and I thought they were joking. Sure enough when I got up to the top of the bank there was a bear on the road between me and the trading post.

Now when I tell the story people believe me because of the Yellow Knife/Great Slave Lake link in the TV program.

 

[john250]

Hey, last Sunday I watched 3 hrs of the ice road boys. Interesting show.
They talk about big money but only post a few figures and I don't think I would do it for the $ I saw.
I was struck by how few are wearing hats at 35 below. How tough are those guys?
Why wouldn't all those trucks run on tracks? There are tracked grain carts that hold 1000 bushels weighing more than any of those loads and they "float" right over mud in the midwest.

 

[Gate Opener]

I would like to see that truckers show. What channel does it come on? I really like Deadliest Catch and I like Dirty Jobs. I also like the Little People show about the Roloff family.

 

[Bez>]

Hey, last Sunday I watched 3 hrs of the ice road boys. Interesting show.
They talk about big money but only post a few figures and I don't think I would do it for the $ I saw.
I was struck by how few are wearing hats at 35 below. How tough are those guys?
Why wouldn't all those trucks run on tracks? There are tracked grain carts that hold 1000 bushels weighing more than any of those loads and they "float" right over mud in the midwest.

35 below is warm - no hat required for short trips outside - yes you do get acclimatized.

Trucks not on tracks because they also are highway rigs. - That is what chains are for.

Bez>

 

[dun]

I would like to see that truckers show. What channel does it come on? I really like Deadliest Catch and I like Dirty Jobs. I also like the Little People show about the Roloff family.

History channel, 269 on DirectTV

 

[Bez>]

I would like to see that truckers show. What channel does it come on? I really like Deadliest Catch and I like Dirty Jobs. I also like the Little People show about the Roloff family.

History channel, 269 on DirectTV

Good heavens!

There are TV channels above 13?

Wow - how times have marched on.

Bez>

 

[john250]

Hey, last Sunday I watched 3 hrs of the ice road boys. Interesting show.
They talk about big money but only post a few figures and I don't think I would do it for the $ I saw.
I was struck by how few are wearing hats at 35 below. How tough are those guys?
Why wouldn't all those trucks run on tracks? There are tracked grain carts that hold 1000 bushels weighing more than any of those loads and they "float" right over mud in the midwest.

35 below is warm - no hat required for short trips outside - yes you do get acclimatized.Bez>

This morning at dawn it was 68 F here. I wore a sweatshirt for an hour till the sun started cooking.
I think I saw -40 once, but that was a wind chill. I nearly froze to death in the house!

One guy on the show worked on his air lines with bare hands, watching his hands to see when they began to turn brown. Then he stopped and put his gloves on.

John Phillips of Car and Driver mag wrote a column and a feature article on this "Ice Road". I wanted to post a link, but the C&D website doesn't contain those articles. And it's not in the current issue. But, he mostly has the same approach as the TV show.

Do you mind talking about the money? You can say no,but I imagine everyone would be interested. Personally, I'm not competing for that job. Have they really lost 39 lives since they've been doing this?

 

[Txwalt]

The coldest I've ever been is in S Korea and I know it didn't get that cold. Being from Texas it was the first time I realized that snot would freeze every time I inhaled and thaw everytime I exhaled.

Walt

 

[Gate Opener]

I would like to see that truckers show. What channel does it come on? I really like Deadliest Catch and I like Dirty Jobs. I also like the Little People show about the Roloff family.

History channel, 269 on DirectTV

Thanks Dun :tiphat:, you are awesome-even gave me the channel #!

 

[Lammie]

Lammie,

I don't know about "sex appeal" on the Deadliest Catch. All I remember is working until I was too tired to stand. That and being cold, and hungry, and wet. There sure wasn't anything sexy about it in real life. The TV show doesn't give you the real story but what TV show does?

Didn't mean to hijack this. Back to Ice Road Truckers.

That's just the buzz. It looks like a really hard job. If you watch the intro, it is like the competition where they want you to pick you boat and they keep score during the show. I think that when the show first came on it wasn't like that, but it has evolved over time.