WOW what an afternoon

bearhunter

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Uber Super GunNutz
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Location
okanogan
Today the chores were finished early and it was warm but with heavy cloud cover. Obviously it was going to rain.

Still, I hadn't been out hunting and the season is already two weeks old in my area.

I'm getting to decrepit to hunt the way I used to and my Arthritis makes sure to remind me of this regularly.

Still, there are places within 20 minutes that have good Deer/Bear populations and I don't have to worry about getting stuck in meter deep muck. I still need four wheel drive to get into the best spots but it could be worse.


I loaded up the gear, while the Jack Russel supervised it all. She loves to go hunting/fishing/driving. She is perfect in a blind. Insists on being able to see everything but she has telescopic vision and her hearing is way beyond anything I can imagine. Then there is that infallible nose. She's a 24/7 dog. Incredibly well behaved for a JR and way to smart for her own good.

We were driving along a stony outcrop section of the road when all of a sudden there was a BLINDING FLASH AND DEAFENING EXPLOSION. The old 93 Dodge diesel engine died and all of the electronics shut down.

The whole rock outcropping was sparkly with electrical discharges. It was raining in buckets, which turned to hail then snow. This lasted for close to an hour. I had visions of spending the night on that rocky ledge, wrapped up in the blankets that are always behind the seat in the club cab.

The thunder/lightning/torrential rain/hail/snow went on for over an hour. My JR, Maiya, was terrified.

The whole show was over as fast as it started. I was a bit concerned about getting out of the cab but it had to happen sooooo. My fears were unfounded. Turned out the lightning had burned out the main 25 amp fuse and shut everything down. Luckily I carry a box of spares. You sort of get into the habit of carrying tools and spares in a vehicle that's 25 years old but still running strong.

Once the fuse was changed out the truck started easily. One thing I did notice though, the battery was HOT.

It cooled down by the time I got home. Did a quick diagnostic on the electrical system and all seems well.

This situation could easily have turned into a cold night and a 25 klik walk out. I'm getting to old for that sh1t. Still I'm going out again tomorrow but in a different spot.

The recent forest fires in the area I was in today have caused the animals to temporarily find more suitable accommodations. All of the fire crews, air drops etc pushed them out as well.

I found close to twenty pounds of finger sized shaggy manes, silver moons and pine mushrooms. A few chanterelles but not many. They went well with tonight's steak. The rest went into freezer bags for later.

TURF THE LIBERALS IN 2019
 
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Ahhh, nothing like the raw power of Mother Nature.
Happy to be reading about the blown fuse and not something more sinister like singed hair etc...
Score 1 on the mushrooms and dont forget to stop at Lordco or crappy tire for that new fuse !
Rob
 
This is a reminder .... I have no spare anything except a tire.

Where you hit by the lightning? What blew the fuse?


Most people don't realize that lightning doesn't strike. It originates on the ground and goes up. At least that's what I've read.

I believe the lightning originated from the rock outcrop a few hundred yards ahead where I was at the time. It's a huge Quartz deposit that's very fractured. I always assumed the fracturing came from the blasting done to create the road. Apparently, as I've found out today there is a large iron deposit and maybe some silver? underneath. It seems I'm not the only person that's seen this promontory ravaged by lightning.

I can see the rock face from where I live and there has been thunder and lightning coming from the area since last night.

The only thing I can figure with the blown fuse was that the power surge wasn't as bad as it could have been if I had been closer to the source. It was just enough to HEAT up my battery and create the power surge that blew the main fuse.

I had visions of a complete electrical burn out.

To my knowledge I don't recall any tingling sensations that are often coincidental with close lightning strikes. I also don't have a ground strap. That may have been a blessing in disguise.

My JR has found what looks to be a permanent spot in the bathtub. The thunderstorms and heavy rain are so bad she doesn't even want to go into the light, let alone out to do her business.

Today I've got a big pot of Green Tomato/Wild Mushroom/Cucumber/Onion mixed with bacon fat soup on the simmer. Looking forward to that for dinner. Maybe I can entice the JR out to try some???


Thanks for that Dan. I learned that the hard way from working with the VERY ODD sloppy welder. Most are anal about making sure their grounds are properly set so it wasn't common. Hopefully the recent grease job and repacking of the bearings every fall will keep that damage minimal.

TURF THE LIBERALS IN 2019
 
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This time, it was just a warning... Next time you drive through, though... ;)

Glad you're OK!

I couldn't "drive through" the electrical system was down and the truck was stalled in place. I was 'driving through" when the lightning struck.

TURF THE LIBERALS IN 2019
 
Today the chores were finished early and it was warm but with heavy cloud cover. Obviously it was going to rain.

Still, I hadn't been out hunting and the season is already two weeks old in my area.

I'm getting to decrepit to hunt the way I used to and my Arthritis makes sure to remind me of this regularly.

Still, there are places within 20 minutes that have good Deer/Bear populations and I don't have to worry about getting stuck in meter deep muck. I still need four wheel drive to get into the best spots but it could be worse.


I loaded up the gear, while the Jack Russel supervised it all. She loves to go hunting/fishing/driving. She is perfect in a blind. Insists on being able to see everything but she has telescopic vision and her hearing is way beyond anything I can imagine. Then there is that infallible nose. She's a 24/7 dog. Incredibly well behaved for a JR and way to smart for her own good.

We were driving along a stony outcrop section of the road when all of a sudden there was a BLINDING FLASH AND DEAFENING EXPLOSION. The old 93 Dodge diesel engine died and all of the electronics shut down.

The whole rock outcropping was sparkly with electrical discharges. It was raining in buckets, which turned to hail then snow. This lasted for close to an hour. I had visions of spending the night on that rocky ledge, wrapped up in the blankets that are always behind the seat in the club cab.

The thunder/lightning/torrential rain/hail/snow went on for over an hour. My JR, Maiya, was terrified.

The whole show was over as fast as it started. I was a bit concerned about getting out of the cab but it had to happen sooooo. My fears were unfounded. Turned out the lightning had burned out the main 25 amp fuse and shut everything down. Luckily I carry a box of spares. You sort of get into the habit of carrying tools and spares in a vehicle that's 25 years old but still running strong.

Once the fuse was changed out the truck started easily. One thing I did notice though, the battery was HOT.

It cooled down by the time I got home. Did a quick diagnostic on the electrical system and all seems well.

This situation could easily have turned into a cold night and a 25 klik walk out. I'm getting to old for that sh1t. Still I'm going out again tomorrow but in a different spot.

The recent forest fires in the area I was in today have caused the animals to temporarily find more suitable accommodations. All of the fire crews, air drops etc pushed them out as well.

I found close to twenty pounds of finger sized shaggy manes, silver moons and pine mushrooms. A few chanterelles but not many. They went well with tonight's steak. The rest went into freezer bags for later.

TURF THE LIBERALS IN 2019

what a feel good story... with mushrooms and a dog included..... but the part i like the most is the 1st gen dodge cummins getting you home :)
I got one too, 91 single cab 4x4 ;)
 
Most people don't realize that lightning doesn't strike. It originates on the ground and goes up. At least that's what I've read.

I believe the lightning originated from the rock outcrop a few hundred yards ahead where I was at the time. It's a huge Quartz deposit that's very fractured. I always assumed the fracturing came from the blasting done to create the road. Apparently, as I've found out today there is a large iron deposit and maybe some silver? underneath. It seems I'm not the only person that's seen this promontory ravaged by lightning.

I can see the rock face from where I live and there has been thunder and lightning coming from the area since last night.

The only thing I can figure with the blown fuse was that the power surge wasn't as bad as it could have been if I had been closer to the source. It was just enough to HEAT up my battery and create the power surge that blew the main fuse.

I had visions of a complete electrical burn out.

To my knowledge I don't recall any tingling sensations that are often coincidental with close lightning strikes. I also don't have a ground strap. That may have been a blessing in disguise.

My JR has found what looks to be a permanent spot in the bathtub. The thunderstorms and heavy rain are so bad she doesn't even want to go into the light, let alone out to do her business.

Today I've got a big pot of Green Tomato/Wild Mushroom/Cucumber/Onion mixed with bacon fat soup on the simmer. Looking forward to that for dinner. Maybe I can entice the JR out to try some???


Thanks for that Dan. I learned that the hard way from working with the VERY ODD sloppy welder. Most are anal about making sure their grounds are properly set so it wasn't common. Hopefully the recent grease job and repacking of the bearings every fall will keep that damage minimal.

TURF THE LIBERALS IN 2019
It runs both ways. Glad you made it out, that’s a bit of a hike!
 
quite an adventure, for your pup; at a local store (great canadian superstore kind) in the homeopathic section look for Bach’s Remedy, either spray or droplets, it’s for anxiety, natural medicine ment for people but works on dogs as well, i use droplets for my dog on long weekends when people go nuts with fire works, spray can be done straight into muzzle, droplets just put them in the water bowl
 
Get your self a SPOT satelite locator, pay the yearly fee and never leave it at home.
Buddy x2 broke down off of Fool Hen and walked out,,turned dark and they had a cat following and screaming at them
primal instincts cut in and they were pretty scared
 
Most people don't realize that lightning doesn't strike. It originates on the ground and goes up. At least that's what I've read.

Sort of.

Does lightning strike from the sky down, or the ground up?

The answer is both. Cloud-to-ground lightning comes from the sky down, but the part you see comes from the ground up. A typical cloud-to-ground flash lowers a path of negative electricity (that we cannot see) towards the ground in a series of spurts. Objects on the ground generally have a positive charge. Since opposites attract, an upward streamer is sent out from the object about to be struck. When these two paths meet, a return stroke zips back up to the sky. It is the return stroke that produces the visible flash, but it all happens so fast - in about one-millionth of a second - so the human eye doesn't see the actual formation of the stroke.
Source: The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL)
 
Glad to hear that you come out of this relatively unscathed. My brother had a near encounter such as yours. Lightning took out a power pole just one power pole span ahead of him when he was driving home from work. He said it rocked the car but didn't affect any electrical system. He also said he could smell the Ozone ( ionized air) as he passed the stricken power pole. Obviously you were much closer to the strike if it took out your electrical system.
 
Glad you're OK! I got stuck in a washout back in the spring and somehow the engine stalled. This was a few km off the main road, some 40+km up east harrison as it was getting dark. Not a fun feeling when you are alone and stuck.
 
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