@Paul Turner....Ha ha! Actually live downriver from "my" hot springs and get teased about that and the campground quite a bit. And I look a lot like the few pictures that exist of the old trapper that area was named after. I've been to "my" hot springs numerous times but always for business, not enjoyment so I don't have any good memories of that particular place. One in particular was a college kid who went there in the winter to commit suicide. He shot himself in the water with a handgun pointed upwards under his chin. The bullet went up behind one eye and pushed it out a little and never exited his skull. He never lost consciousness and talked to us while we packed him out on a gurney in
knee deep snow. But the self inflicted lobotomy scrambled his speech so much that he was talking in sentences of unrelated words. Don't think he knew where he was or who he was. Last time I talked to his dad the kid had had a number of operations, and they still weren't sure what he was going to be like.
That and other worse stories,
, are why I tend to avoid those springs if possible! There are some nearby springs, like Stanley Hot Springs, that I have soaked in and enjoyed on backpacking trips. Bit of a hike though at around 5 miles or so.
Regarding the axle that was my first thought...welding...but figured maybe there was something I was missing there. BUT I have found a used one for $110 including shipping (if the order doesn't get canceled, the axle doesn't get lost in the mail, etc.)
Here is something else I discovered. Cub Cadet White (Iron Gard) is not the same white or even close to the original paint on my 1650. See pic below. By looking at white areas protected from the sun, like at the top of the tower under the cowling, I have a pretty good idea what the original color was. Don't get me wrong...I like this Almond color better contrasted with the Marigold yellow color. But am I missing something? Are there two Cub Cadet White colors? I've only seen one white color offered (like on Digger's site).
I ordered a few rattle cans and in the last few days got rid of all the rust on the front wheels and painted them. My original plan was to get rid of all the rust I could find, touch up where it was needed, and generally leave the nice old "patina" alone. Because of the extreme difference in paint colors, that plan is now out the window. Still pondering on how I will move forward.
