Publisher’s Letter: More Toys!

By Blaine Howerton, Publisher
North Forty News

Lately, I have been like a kid in a candy store.

This time of year is great for deals. And, boy, did one come my way for the used Polaris Xplorer I recently picked up. The coming of snow was my excuse to search for a snowplow too.

It took considerable research to find one that would work, from the weight to the mount under the ATV’s belly, to the winch required to lift the blade. Options seemed limitless. Luckily, a 50% discount popped up and with a finger swipe on my phone, it was done!

A few days later, the day after my winch arrived, the snowplow arrived in a beautiful box. After about 6 hours of work (without too much cussing), it was ready — just in time for the snow!

Blaine Howerton in front of his Polaris Xplorer

I couldn’t wait to get the ATV, the winch, and the plow on the trailer and up Poudre Canyon, where about a mile of private road was covered in a fresh blanket of snow. My neighbors loved me that blustery Saturday morning. Up the hills, down the hills, reverse a few times and forward a few more; and “only” 2 hours later, the entire road was clear.

Just as I was admiring my work, it began snowing again. GRRR! But what did I expect? It is winter and I was at a high altitude.

But fully determined, I went back on the ATV until, SNAP! The spool on the brand new winch broke and the ATV started sputtering. After some troubleshooting and increasing snowfall, I decided it was time to get the ATV back on the trailer and head on out before a forced overnight stay on the cold, frozen mountain.

 

Ahh well, back to YouTube for more research.

The challenges of life on the mountain seem never-ending. But for me, that’s what makes it so enjoyable. There is nothing like bringing the Xplorer home, working on it some more, and looking forward to the next time — sooner than later, for sure! And when you pull it off the trailer and it all works, it’s just so gratifying.

Time spent out in nature is a lot like life — frustrating at times, but always something new and wonderful around the corner.

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