It was the winter of 2000/2001 and I lived in Tucson, Arizona then. But did you know that Tucson is also the home of the southernmost Ski Resort in the country on Mount Lemon, just on the North side of town. I grew up in Upstate New York and the winters just are not the same in Tucson. When a cold snap came in, it snowed on Mount Lemon. But until the roads are cleared, only 4-wheel drive vehicles and vehicles with snow chains are allowed on the roads up the mountain to the ski resort. My new 2001 Dodge Ram, 4x4, Diesel, was just waiting for a snow trip.
We headed up the mountain and sure enough, we were stopped by the park rangers and the police who were checking and turning around anyone who was not 4-wheel drive or with chains. The park ranger advised up to be real careful as the Ram did not have dirt/mud tires on it like his jeep did. We gabbed a bit and I told him I had grown up in snow country and would be careful.
The wife and I had a wonderful drive up the mountain in the snow (big, heavy flakes…) and we stopped in town at the top, had breakfast, walked around for a while, and headed back home, down the mountain…
About half way down, the park ranger’s jeep was off on the side of the road, slipping and sliding in the semi-frozen muddy ditch. There was a bit of steam or smoke rising from his tires, he must have been red-lining it try to climb his way out.
We stopped and offered to help and he said he must have hit some “black ice.” I told him I have a tow strap and I would pull him out, he laughed and said the road was too slippery, I told him, with my diesel, my 4-wheel drive, limited slip in low, with my 7,000 plus pounds of weight and my secret “dust” I could move the mountain top…
As I wrote earlier, I grew up in snow country and my grandfather taught me to always carry a bucket of sand in his trunk. Well, I carry a bag of Cat Litter…
I pulled up behind him so our bumper hitches faced each other, I hooked up the tow strap from my hitch to his hitch, leaving a foot, or so of slack, I then sprinkled cat litter in front of each tire for a several feet.
I then told him to start it, but leave it in neutral, do not try to drive out while I am pulling him out. I did not want him finally getting traction and slamming into me before he could stop…
With that cat litter, the truck did not slip one bit and I pulled him out smooth as butter… He said he was going to always carry a bag of cat litter after that, but I told him it would not have helped the way he was stuck… And I added this before I left, I told him I guess it was a good thing I didn’t have dirt/mud tires on my truck like he did on his jeep… L 
L…
