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Glad you made it out alive! This is why we all need gopros.
no kidding. lol glad it wasn't worse for you and sustained injury's! how fast can a dog run anyhow?
Gunflint, just a heads up this is a known problem with the snowdog. I have this happen to me and many others do as well. It seems if moisture builds up on the engine and if it gets really cold it will take off. Before starting mine I check a little lever that the throttle spring attaches to below the gas tank. Left side of the machine if you a sitting behind it. It only moves about a 1/4", but if it doesn't move at all then I know the dog will take off. If I'm out on the lake I usually just start and stop it several times to build up engine heat and it will work. I sprayed it down this year to prevent moister and so far so good, but it really hasn't been in the conditions to test it out.
What type of throttle does that unit use? Thumb control like a sled? Glad to hear you didn't lose your gear or run someone over.
Hand lever with a cable to the actual throttle at the Briggs and Stratton motor.
Gunflint, have you gotten with the manufacturer about this problem?? It sounds like several others have experienced the same thing??
Helpless feeling for sure.i cant imagine watching the snowdog and all your gear going on a solo mission.
It may be your fault for not using the kill tether, but what caused the throttle to get stuck wide open?
To be clear...IT WAS OPERATOR ERROR!!! I screwed up and did not use the kill-switch tether that comes as standard equipment.That is the reason that I thought twice about posting the story (it was my fault). I was the goon left staring at a running Snowdog.But, I thought the laugh for the group at my expense was worth the obvious fact of informing everybody on Ice Shanty that I can be pretty stupid sometimes. Plus, I don't think anybody here was surprised by that fact.
I was manual starting it (pulling the cord) with mittens on and I think I hit the manual throttle lever near the rip cord. I am not sure, but it still was preventable. I don't plan on posting this story twice!
After trudging and catching a nice limit of Lakers, I finally got back to my Snowdog and hitched everything up for the ride home.BUT, when I started it up I must have hit the throttle and the gas stuck wide open and my Snowdog took off across the lake towing everything and leaving me standing with my mouth open in disbelief. I watched scooting across the ice with my Livescope, camera, Nils Auger, etc. and finally started running through knee-deep snow after it. It could go a couple miles on that lake if it would have gone straight, but luckily it started to veer slightly left. I was running as hard as I could and hit slush but kept on going. After a while the Snowdog and sleds disappeared in a bay to my right. I kept on running, imagining what will happen when it hits a boulder or tree on the shoreline. As I started around the point of the bay, here comes the Snowdog again! Somehow it had glanced off a cedar and that turned in around and it was heading back out of the bay towards the lake.Luckily, it again veered to the right aiming directly towards the shore. I was just standing there wondering what would happen next. I saw a small miracle. There was an 8 foot opening in the woods with a steep upwards bank. The Snowdog and sleds hit the hole and started uphill, but the before it went 20 feet it hit a boulder and laid over on its side in waist-deep snow. It STOPPED and sat with the throttle still wide-open but not going anywhere.I finally was able to run up to its track and follow it to the shoreline and hit the "kill switch." I then just sat down with my chest heaving. I disconnected the two sleds and pulled them back to the lake. I spent 30 minutes digging out the Snowdog and getting it turned around. I checked the throttle cable and things seemed normal. Finally, I got it started back up and it was once again my obedient Dog. I was relieved that it actually worked with no apparent damage to either the Snowdog or the sleds and contents! I was also glad not to have to walk another 3 miles back to the cabin across a windy lake.I got everything hitched back up and started home - grateful that I was in one piece, the Snowdog still worked and I had a limit of lakers to clean once I got back to the cabin.I debated about sharing the story, but I thought it was more than worth it to give all of you a laugh on me. Snowdog and sleds safely home.2 nice Lakers.
This has Patrick McManus written all over it...
Nothing personal, but you had me laughing... I know it sucks, but it is kind of funny ( maybe not to you) anyway, glad you and your self musher are OK and no worst for the wear... time to install a boat style kill switch to that bad puppy.. again, sorry for laughing and glad you are OK... ( PS, I though I was the only one stuff like that happened too)