Home Discord Chat
Go Back   ChiefsPlanet > Hall of Classics
Register FAQDonate Members List Calendar

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-23-2009, 03:16 PM  
Mr. Flopnuts Mr. Flopnuts is offline
FINALLY! The wait is over.
 
Mr. Flopnuts's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: The Future Is Now!!!
Casino cash: $19947565
*****Official Chiefsplanet "I have a random thought" Thread*****

Just in case you have some random thought and feel like starting a thread over it, you can just bump this one.

Last edited by Mr. Flopnuts; 07-16-2009 at 09:46 PM..
Posts: 56,649
Mr. Flopnuts is obviously part of the inner Circle.Mr. Flopnuts is obviously part of the inner Circle.Mr. Flopnuts is obviously part of the inner Circle.Mr. Flopnuts is obviously part of the inner Circle.Mr. Flopnuts is obviously part of the inner Circle.Mr. Flopnuts is obviously part of the inner Circle.Mr. Flopnuts is obviously part of the inner Circle.Mr. Flopnuts is obviously part of the inner Circle.Mr. Flopnuts is obviously part of the inner Circle.Mr. Flopnuts is obviously part of the inner Circle.Mr. Flopnuts is obviously part of the inner Circle.
   
Old 04-11-2010, 06:16 AM   #2041
Pioli Zombie Pioli Zombie is offline
Banned
 

Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: olathe,kansas
Casino cash: $10004900
Tina did not disappoint.
Posted via Mobile Device
Posts: 11,077
Pioli Zombie < Tried to steal Andy's chili fries.Pioli Zombie < Tried to steal Andy's chili fries.Pioli Zombie < Tried to steal Andy's chili fries.Pioli Zombie < Tried to steal Andy's chili fries.Pioli Zombie < Tried to steal Andy's chili fries.Pioli Zombie < Tried to steal Andy's chili fries.Pioli Zombie < Tried to steal Andy's chili fries.Pioli Zombie < Tried to steal Andy's chili fries.Pioli Zombie < Tried to steal Andy's chili fries.Pioli Zombie < Tried to steal Andy's chili fries.Pioli Zombie < Tried to steal Andy's chili fries.
   
Old 04-14-2010, 08:04 PM   #2042
LaChapelle LaChapelle is offline
Banned
 

Join Date: Mar 2009
Casino cash: $10004900
Ladies WTF
THe thick short haircut with bangs
that tappers from the chin to the short hairs of the back of the neck
Posts: 8,588
LaChapelle ....proof positive that somebody pissed in the gene pool.LaChapelle ....proof positive that somebody pissed in the gene pool.
   
Old 04-15-2010, 12:44 PM   #2043
Lumpy Lumpy is offline
Supporter
 
Lumpy's Avatar
 

Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: On a yellow brick road.
Casino cash: $9434900
Quote:
Originally Posted by LaChapelle View Post
Ladies WTF
THe thick short haircut with bangs
that tappers from the chin to the short hairs of the back of the neck
I sported that look back in the '90's, (minus the bangs). Don't ask me why some think it's still in style.

I will say one thing though, it is a hell of a lot easier to take care of short hair. Granted, I'm able to do more with my long hair, but it's a pain to control split ends and such.

Wait, isn't this CP? Why in the hell are we talking about hairstyles?!
__________________


Quote:
Originally Posted by Lumpy View Post
I had a dream about Peyton Manning and pig fishing last night. I don't know what it means, but I blame you assholes!
Posts: 8,902
Lumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby Piscitelli
   
Old 04-16-2010, 07:36 AM   #2044
JD10367 JD10367 is offline
Cheaterlover*
 
JD10367's Avatar
 

Join Date: May 2009
Location: RI
Casino cash: $10010716
Airplane note: JetBlue ****ing rocks.

I flew it for the first time last week going from Boston to West Palm Beach.

1.) Most legroom in coach. I'm 6'3" and my knees didn't touch the seat in front of me, even when they put their seat back.

2.) Each seat has an individual tilting LCD screen with around 40 channels of DirectTV as well as 100 channels of XM satellite radio. The armrest has volume, channel, brightness, and TV/XM buttons. The headset plug is your regular small headphone jack--no stupid airplane adapter needed--so you can use your iPod or noise-cancelling headphones. I didn't even turn my iPod on, during either leg. I flipped from CNN to ESPN to Discovery to Animal Planet to... well, you get the picture.

3.) They serve Dunkin' Donuts coffee. For most of you this is not a big deal, but for a New Englander... well, let's just say it's the equivalent of you guys flying and finding out, instead of a bag of peanuts, your snack is an excellently-grilled steak tip with good KC BBQ sauce on it.
Posts: 12,916
JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.
   
Old 04-16-2010, 04:34 PM   #2045
KurtCobain KurtCobain is offline
legend
 
KurtCobain's Avatar
 

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Independence, MO
Casino cash: $-2897903
When i pull the foreskin up on my penis, i always feel hungry.
Posted via Mobile Device
Posts: 28,481
KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.
   
Old 04-17-2010, 01:07 AM   #2046
Lumpy Lumpy is offline
Supporter
 
Lumpy's Avatar
 

Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: On a yellow brick road.
Casino cash: $9434900
Quote:
Originally Posted by KurtCobain View Post
When i pull the foreskin up on my penis, i always feel hungry.
Posted via Mobile Device
"Not going anywhere for awhile? Grab your knickers."
__________________


Quote:
Originally Posted by Lumpy View Post
I had a dream about Peyton Manning and pig fishing last night. I don't know what it means, but I blame you assholes!
Posts: 8,902
Lumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby PiscitelliLumpy 's adopt a chief was Sabby Piscitelli
   
Old 04-17-2010, 01:49 AM   #2047
BIG K BIG K is offline
Veteran
 

Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: California
Casino cash: $9825230
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lumpy View Post

Wait, isn't this CP? Why in the hell are we talking about hairstyles?!
Cause it is the CP. The most dynamic fluid message board on the internet. Where else can you pull up a board dedicated to a certain subject and see most threads regarding things other than the dedicated subject.?

Anyway, RANDOM THOUGHTS: Patches. I remember as a child all of my brothers, myself and my dad wearing iron on and sewed into patches on our jeans to cover up holes. You just don't see that anymore do you........
Posts: 2,742
BIG K must have mowed badgirl's lawn.BIG K must have mowed badgirl's lawn.BIG K must have mowed badgirl's lawn.BIG K must have mowed badgirl's lawn.BIG K must have mowed badgirl's lawn.BIG K must have mowed badgirl's lawn.BIG K must have mowed badgirl's lawn.BIG K must have mowed badgirl's lawn.BIG K must have mowed badgirl's lawn.BIG K must have mowed badgirl's lawn.BIG K must have mowed badgirl's lawn.
   
Old 04-17-2010, 10:03 AM   #2048
JD10367 JD10367 is offline
Cheaterlover*
 
JD10367's Avatar
 

Join Date: May 2009
Location: RI
Casino cash: $10010716
Quote:
Originally Posted by KurtCobain View Post
When i pull the foreskin up on my penis, i always feel hungry.
Posted via Mobile Device
For a nice hunk of Fromunda Cheese?
Posts: 12,916
JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.
   
Old 04-17-2010, 10:07 AM   #2049
big nasty kcnut big nasty kcnut is offline
The pizza king of kansas
 
big nasty kcnut's Avatar
 

Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Somewhere in the u.s.a.
Casino cash: $-259100
I wonder why people think i'm trying to steal their money when i give them changes. Two times i've been accused of taking people money.
__________________
When it's grim, be the grim reaper and go get it. Adopt a chiefs Travis Kelce.

You woke up the wrong mother****er!
Posts: 19,116
big nasty kcnut is obviously part of the inner Circle.big nasty kcnut is obviously part of the inner Circle.big nasty kcnut is obviously part of the inner Circle.big nasty kcnut is obviously part of the inner Circle.big nasty kcnut is obviously part of the inner Circle.big nasty kcnut is obviously part of the inner Circle.big nasty kcnut is obviously part of the inner Circle.big nasty kcnut is obviously part of the inner Circle.big nasty kcnut is obviously part of the inner Circle.big nasty kcnut is obviously part of the inner Circle.big nasty kcnut is obviously part of the inner Circle.
   
Old 04-17-2010, 10:21 AM   #2050
PunkinDrublic PunkinDrublic is offline
Stay down bitch!
 
PunkinDrublic's Avatar
 

Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Plano, TX
Casino cash: $5490670
I drove down Ronald Reagan memorial highway. Kind of an ironic name when you think about it. His Alzheimers and all.
__________________
Disappointing my parents since 1976
Posts: 9,361
PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.
   
Old 04-17-2010, 10:22 AM   #2051
KurtCobain KurtCobain is offline
legend
 
KurtCobain's Avatar
 

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Independence, MO
Casino cash: $-2897903
This morning i was drinking coffee and i realized i needed to change my underwear, but couldn't find any clean ones. So i decided to masterbate, when suddenly my bud josh showed up with a crazy story about arabs at the bakery and i told him to stfu.
Posted via Mobile Device
Posts: 28,481
KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.KurtCobain is obviously part of the inner Circle.
   
Old 04-17-2010, 10:27 AM   #2052
PunkinDrublic PunkinDrublic is offline
Stay down bitch!
 
PunkinDrublic's Avatar
 

Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Plano, TX
Casino cash: $5490670
I was taking my car through the automated car wash and as the synthetic curtain flaps came down across my windshield it reminded me that it had been a long time since I went down on a girl. That sucks when a carwash reminds you to stop being such a selfish asshole.
__________________
Disappointing my parents since 1976
Posts: 9,361
PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.PunkinDrublic has enough rep power to blowy ou to bits.
   
Old 04-17-2010, 10:54 AM   #2053
JD10367 JD10367 is offline
Cheaterlover*
 
JD10367's Avatar
 

Join Date: May 2009
Location: RI
Casino cash: $10010716
Good video embed at the bottom of the linked article.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/04...-smart-fortwo/

I’m at the wheel of the diminutive 1,800-pound Smart ForTwo and I’m doing 70 on an iced gravel road 15 feet wide. It would be harrowing under the best of circumstances, but I’m coming up on an 18-wheeler carrying 20 tons of oil pipes. Snowbanks on either side of me stand 6 feet high, so there’s nowhere to go but straight ahead.

I’m about to meet the most dreaded monster on the Dempster Highway — an ice trucker hell-bent on making it to Inuvik. There’s no time for contemplation. I ease off the gas and hug the snowbank. It’s a delicate balancing act. Go too far and the the tiny Smart’s tiny wheels will bog down in the slush. It’s an adrenaline-pumping split second and then the monster barrels past me in a cloud of icy powder.

I just survived another encounter with a Dempster monster during a wild drive from Inuvik, Northewest Territories to Dawson City, Yukon.

This extreme road test of two Smart ForTwo Passions involves five journalists on a crazy travel adventure. There’s no way to get five guys in two Smarts; we had a chase vehicle along for the fun. Mercedes-Benz of Canada loaned us the cars to see how they’d handle the extreme conditions.

The plan was to drive the microcars, with their itty-bitty 1-liter three-cylinder engines, from Whitehorse, Canada (the capital of Yukon province) to Inuvik and then on to Tuktoyaktuk. Tuk is one of the last settlements above the Arctic Circle in the Northwest Territories. Temperatures during the journey would range from a balmy minus 8 to minus 60 Fahrenheit.

Our goal was to drive the 1,000 miles up and back in five days. The last stretch from Inuvik to the Inuit settlement at Tuk involved driving 120 miles on the frozen Mackenzie River and over some ocean inlets. We got to Tuk and built an igloo around the Smart with some help from the locals before heading back down to the Dempster highway.

The Dempster is the lifeline road into the Arctic. It is Canada’s only all-weather road into the Arctic Circle. This vein supplied miners during the Klondike gold rush of the late 1800s and still serves that purpose today. Goods and supplies are ferried in and out of the northern towns all the way to the oil rigs near the Beaufort Sea, aka the Arctic Ocean. The reality TV series Ice Road Truckers brought the road some notoriety.

At one point we were at the summit of a pass on the border between Northwest Territories and Yukon provinces. We were about 2,500 feet up and the wind was blowing a steady 90 mph. The temp gauge read minus 15 Fahrenheit. With the wind chill, it felt like 60 below. We’d been driving on backcountry ice roads for several hours and met a crazy Italian cyclist riding solo across the tundra.

The beauty of the landscape up here is breathtaking. Mountain ranges stretch into the distance under a rust-colored sun. We stopped for photos, but it was a struggle to open the door against that howling wind. My little Smart is bobbing around in the gusts as snow blows horizontally over the car like a jet plume.

The brake calipers were freezing up on the rotors, at one point locking the front wheels of my Smart. We stepped out of our warm cocoons into the arctic blast. My friend opened his door and his winter glove was sucked out. It vanished, blown off the mountain. It happened to another fella too. It’s extreme up here, and it isn’t the kind of place to stop for a picnic. After a few photos, we decided it was time to get out of the wind tunnel before our Smarts went the same way as the gloves. That was the only time during the entire journey that the cars showed any signs of of vulnerability.

The Lilliputian machines started without engine warmers, even after temperatures in Tuk hit 40 below zero. It stunned the locals, who faithfully plug in their engine warmers each night. The engine, all 70 horsepower of it, did amazingly well propelling the 1,800-pound cars over the passes of the Richardson Mountains.

It’s a long stretch from Inuvik to Dawson City, so we put the pedal to the metal as much as possible. All things are relative in a Smart, so that means we were doing between 60 and 75 mph on the fairly smooth ice and snow. That’s not as crazy as it sounds — the Smart has a great stability-control program and traction control. The handling is impressive, even on slick ice.

The suggested cargo limit of a Smart ForTwo is 400 pounds. Each car is laden with 40 gallons of spare gas, two spare tires, emergency supplies, survival kits and, of course, the driver and his luggage. We were carrying every ounce of the suggested cargo weight, and it was evident whenever the suspension bottomed out in rough terrain and the 15-inch tires clawed their way over drifts, bumps and holes.

One must bear in mind that this vehicle was designed for the streets of, say, Paris, not the wintry deserts of the Arctic. Considering that, the little ForTwo has more than exceeded expectation. My 6-foot-2 frame fits comfortably in the cozy cabin, which feels spacious until you look over your shoulder and notice there isn’t much room behind the seat. Still, we managed to squeeze the essentials in.

Driving 1,000 miles in one of the most remote places on earth is an incredible experience. The scenery is stunning, and we were lucky enough to spot a lynx on the roadside before it trotted off into the bushes. It’s very rare to see a lynx. We saw a lot of wolf tracks and spotted some moose and elk too, but fortunately not in our path. We were in the land of the wild things, with polar bears to the north and grizzly bears to the south. There are a lot of things up here than can kill you. It keeps you humble.

The weather can be equally lethal, and it changes very quickly. We saw temperature swings of 35 degrees in a single day — and all of them well below freezing. My feet were often cold as ice, even in the car. I wore boots rated to 35 below with two pairs of wool socks. I occasionally slid foot warmers into my boots. I didn’t feel them at all.

But the most dangerous things you find up here are man-made and ride on 18 wheels.

I can honestly say that spending as long as 13 hours a day in the Smart didn’t hurt. Sure, I was exhausted, but my body didn’t ache. My little Smart was comfy and cozy and surprisingly sure-footed in even the worst conditions. But it was exhausting. My mind felt depleted when we finally pulled into the former gold-rush mining town of Dawson City after driving the Dempster Highway in just about the last car you’d expect to see up there.

Paul Shippey is a photojournalist, automotive writer and adventurer who is, if you ask us, just a little bit crazy in a good way. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.
Posts: 12,916
JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.
   
Old 04-17-2010, 11:24 AM   #2054
Gonzo Gonzo is offline
Stuff & Things
 
Gonzo's Avatar
 

Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: The Yukon
Casino cash: $10126924
Quote:
Originally Posted by JD10367 View Post
Good video embed at the bottom of the linked article.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/04...-smart-fortwo/

I’m at the wheel of the diminutive 1,800-pound Smart ForTwo and I’m doing 70 on an iced gravel road 15 feet wide. It would be harrowing under the best of circumstances, but I’m coming up on an 18-wheeler carrying 20 tons of oil pipes. Snowbanks on either side of me stand 6 feet high, so there’s nowhere to go but straight ahead.

I’m about to meet the most dreaded monster on the Dempster Highway — an ice trucker hell-bent on making it to Inuvik. There’s no time for contemplation. I ease off the gas and hug the snowbank. It’s a delicate balancing act. Go too far and the the tiny Smart’s tiny wheels will bog down in the slush. It’s an adrenaline-pumping split second and then the monster barrels past me in a cloud of icy powder.

I just survived another encounter with a Dempster monster during a wild drive from Inuvik, Northewest Territories to Dawson City, Yukon.

This extreme road test of two Smart ForTwo Passions involves five journalists on a crazy travel adventure. There’s no way to get five guys in two Smarts; we had a chase vehicle along for the fun. Mercedes-Benz of Canada loaned us the cars to see how they’d handle the extreme conditions.

The plan was to drive the microcars, with their itty-bitty 1-liter three-cylinder engines, from Whitehorse, Canada (the capital of Yukon province) to Inuvik and then on to Tuktoyaktuk. Tuk is one of the last settlements above the Arctic Circle in the Northwest Territories. Temperatures during the journey would range from a balmy minus 8 to minus 60 Fahrenheit.

Our goal was to drive the 1,000 miles up and back in five days. The last stretch from Inuvik to the Inuit settlement at Tuk involved driving 120 miles on the frozen Mackenzie River and over some ocean inlets. We got to Tuk and built an igloo around the Smart with some help from the locals before heading back down to the Dempster highway.

The Dempster is the lifeline road into the Arctic. It is Canada’s only all-weather road into the Arctic Circle. This vein supplied miners during the Klondike gold rush of the late 1800s and still serves that purpose today. Goods and supplies are ferried in and out of the northern towns all the way to the oil rigs near the Beaufort Sea, aka the Arctic Ocean. The reality TV series Ice Road Truckers brought the road some notoriety.

At one point we were at the summit of a pass on the border between Northwest Territories and Yukon provinces. We were about 2,500 feet up and the wind was blowing a steady 90 mph. The temp gauge read minus 15 Fahrenheit. With the wind chill, it felt like 60 below. We’d been driving on backcountry ice roads for several hours and met a crazy Italian cyclist riding solo across the tundra.

The beauty of the landscape up here is breathtaking. Mountain ranges stretch into the distance under a rust-colored sun. We stopped for photos, but it was a struggle to open the door against that howling wind. My little Smart is bobbing around in the gusts as snow blows horizontally over the car like a jet plume.

The brake calipers were freezing up on the rotors, at one point locking the front wheels of my Smart. We stepped out of our warm cocoons into the arctic blast. My friend opened his door and his winter glove was sucked out. It vanished, blown off the mountain. It happened to another fella too. It’s extreme up here, and it isn’t the kind of place to stop for a picnic. After a few photos, we decided it was time to get out of the wind tunnel before our Smarts went the same way as the gloves. That was the only time during the entire journey that the cars showed any signs of of vulnerability.

The Lilliputian machines started without engine warmers, even after temperatures in Tuk hit 40 below zero. It stunned the locals, who faithfully plug in their engine warmers each night. The engine, all 70 horsepower of it, did amazingly well propelling the 1,800-pound cars over the passes of the Richardson Mountains.

It’s a long stretch from Inuvik to Dawson City, so we put the pedal to the metal as much as possible. All things are relative in a Smart, so that means we were doing between 60 and 75 mph on the fairly smooth ice and snow. That’s not as crazy as it sounds — the Smart has a great stability-control program and traction control. The handling is impressive, even on slick ice.

The suggested cargo limit of a Smart ForTwo is 400 pounds. Each car is laden with 40 gallons of spare gas, two spare tires, emergency supplies, survival kits and, of course, the driver and his luggage. We were carrying every ounce of the suggested cargo weight, and it was evident whenever the suspension bottomed out in rough terrain and the 15-inch tires clawed their way over drifts, bumps and holes.

One must bear in mind that this vehicle was designed for the streets of, say, Paris, not the wintry deserts of the Arctic. Considering that, the little ForTwo has more than exceeded expectation. My 6-foot-2 frame fits comfortably in the cozy cabin, which feels spacious until you look over your shoulder and notice there isn’t much room behind the seat. Still, we managed to squeeze the essentials in.

Driving 1,000 miles in one of the most remote places on earth is an incredible experience. The scenery is stunning, and we were lucky enough to spot a lynx on the roadside before it trotted off into the bushes. It’s very rare to see a lynx. We saw a lot of wolf tracks and spotted some moose and elk too, but fortunately not in our path. We were in the land of the wild things, with polar bears to the north and grizzly bears to the south. There are a lot of things up here than can kill you. It keeps you humble.

The weather can be equally lethal, and it changes very quickly. We saw temperature swings of 35 degrees in a single day — and all of them well below freezing. My feet were often cold as ice, even in the car. I wore boots rated to 35 below with two pairs of wool socks. I occasionally slid foot warmers into my boots. I didn’t feel them at all.

But the most dangerous things you find up here are man-made and ride on 18 wheels.

I can honestly say that spending as long as 13 hours a day in the Smart didn’t hurt. Sure, I was exhausted, but my body didn’t ache. My little Smart was comfy and cozy and surprisingly sure-footed in even the worst conditions. But it was exhausting. My mind felt depleted when we finally pulled into the former gold-rush mining town of Dawson City after driving the Dempster Highway in just about the last car you’d expect to see up there.

Paul Shippey is a photojournalist, automotive writer and adventurer who is, if you ask us, just a little bit crazy in a good way. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.
I like to quote long posts because it angers Deeznuts.
Posted via Mobile Device
Posts: 21,498
Gonzo is obviously part of the inner Circle.Gonzo is obviously part of the inner Circle.Gonzo is obviously part of the inner Circle.Gonzo is obviously part of the inner Circle.Gonzo is obviously part of the inner Circle.Gonzo is obviously part of the inner Circle.Gonzo is obviously part of the inner Circle.Gonzo is obviously part of the inner Circle.Gonzo is obviously part of the inner Circle.Gonzo is obviously part of the inner Circle.Gonzo is obviously part of the inner Circle.
   
Old 04-17-2010, 12:16 PM   #2055
JD10367 JD10367 is offline
Cheaterlover*
 
JD10367's Avatar
 

Join Date: May 2009
Location: RI
Casino cash: $10010716
"Silverado" on AMC. One of the more underrated films.
Posts: 12,916
JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.JD10367 has parlayed a career as a truck driver into debt free trailer and jon boat ownership.
   
Closed Thread


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump




All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:39 PM.


This is a test for a client's site.
Fort Worth Texas Process Servers
Covering Arlington, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie and surrounding communities.
Tarrant County, Texas and Johnson County, Texas.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.