"Panking down a mat"?

[frnash/phx,]

That's a certified "Yooperism:
See: Alumnac.com: pank

See also: Past-E-Mail: Cam Notes - 2007: September: Sep 01-07

 

[john]

rtencza-

The reason why I do it is to provide a smooth surface for the snow thrower and ATV plow to run on. I have a gravel driveway and if I did not make a mat of snow (packed down layer), then the snowthrower and plow would be forever moving and throwing the rocks.

-John

 

[frnash/phx,]

Anyone that doesn't know "pank" has probably never heard of a Yooper Scooper, either!

… often faster than a snow blower, too, check out the video.

[This note is intended for educational purposes, not as an advertisement!]

 

[john]

"...often faster than a snow blower"

I take that bet!

Snow scoops are great for moving snow- especially from a roof, but I'll put my trusty Ariens 1024 against anyone with a snow scoop anytime!

-John

 

[frnash/phx,]

That's a good one, John!


I never used a snow blower in da Yoop, but my Yooper Scooper whupped my neighbor's snow blower on occasion.

Under certain conditions — 8-10" of light fluff (a.k.a. LES)? — da Yooper Scooper would probably win (why even drag out that heavy Ariens?), but if you're looking at chewing through a dense accumulation of over a foot or so, I'd probably have to give it to the Ariens.

Mebby we should set up a contest.

 

[frnash/phx,]

I was searching for a more definitive definition of pank, here 'tis (Really!):

This from: Past-E-Mail: Cam Notes - 2005: November: Nov 28-05<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>quote:</font>

By <font color="0000ff">WishingIWasInDaUP (Sur5er)</font> on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 - 11:25 pm:

Yooperiniowa, Yes, Pank is a word, in the Dictionary of American Regional English.

Pank (1937)
pank v [Perh blend of pack + spank, but cf Norw, Dan banke, Sw banka knock, tap, beat] chiefly nMI; also PA, Upstate NY To pack or tamp down; to crush. 1937

in 1975 W3 File nwMI, "Our snow is often too deep to dig a path, so we don snowshoes and stamp along snow, and finally it becomes hard and crusted enough to walk in without snowshoes. The process we call 'panking' a path." It is especially prevalent among Cornish people. It is especially used in the northern part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

1957 Sat. Eve. Post Letters nwMI, Another word we have is pank. It means to pat down something, as, "He panked down the sand around his sand castle."

1966 DARE (Qu. KK21, When something hollow is crushed by a heavy weight, or by a fall: "They ran the wagon over the coffee pot and _____." )

Inf MI33, Panked it &#0151;; also for like crushing a milk carton.

1966 DARE File nwMI, Pank = tamp. To pank snow in the hands to form a snowball; to pank the earth with a tamper. Used in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and in coal mining in &#0151; Penna.

1967 DARE FW Addit nwMI, Pank &#0151;; "Pank the snow down." "Pank the earth over the potatoes." "Pank the pillow."

1972 DARE File nwMI, Pank = to pack down (snow) with a shovel. Current.

1975 Ibid nwMI, Pank &#0151;; To tamp, pack; said of sand, snow, hair, etc. Gogebic, Ontonagon, Iron, Houghton Counties, Upper Peninsula, Mich.

1980 NYT Article Letters nePA, When I was a little girl growing up in Nanticoke, Pa., in the early '40s, it was a must to (s)pank the snow with the back of the shovel when building a solid fort for a snowball fight.

Ibid nePA (as of 1920s), When I was a child in Scranton Pennsylvania in the early 1920's, we panked down the snow for sledding.

Ibid NY, I told my grandson last month that his sand castle would be improved if he 'panked' the sand down harder. In upstate New York, where I lived for many years, it was used in connection with snow but additionally with sand or dirt for planting.

1993 Detroit Free Press (MI) 30 July sec F 3/3 Upper Peninsula MI, Pank: compound word formed from 'pack' and 'spank.' Describes what you do with the sole of a boot or flat of a shovel to get snow to stay where you want. "Pank it down."

1997 NADS Letters nePA, Pank &#0151; We used it to mean 'to flatten' or 'to smoosh' and we use it in association with snow, clay (like Play-Doh), bread dough, etc.

Ibid neMN, 'Pank' is used in the Iron Range of Northern Minnesota &#0151; [to mean] to pat down the snow.

Source: Dictionary of American Regional English, Harvard University Press<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>

 

[john]

About the only time I can see a scoop working faster than a snow thrower (and this is a maybe) is if you have a very small area to do, say a 20 x 50 foot driveway (or smaller) and there is less than 3" of fluff down. The smaller driveway is harder for a snowthrower because of all the turns you have to make.

I have moved lotsa snow with a scoop and once you have more than 3" or so, it fills up pretty quick. Once it is full, you better have a place to dump it!

Try to scoop a driveway like we have now and I don't care how much or little snow is on it, the snowthrower wins everytime. Heck, even the Lake Linden driveway which was about 24 x 40 was cleared a lot faster with a snowthrower than a scoop in almost all cases. There were times I would use a regular shovel to clear the snow from the middle 80% of the driveway and then cut back the banks on the sides with the thrower.

I think a contest would be great, but I call I get to use the snow thrower! It aint so heavy with self-propel, 5 speeds up and 2 reverse. Starts first pull every time. Put it in 5th and you are just about jogging behind it. Can clear a lot of snow in a hurry in that gear! Plus no ramping!

-John

 

[frnash/phx,]

Yeah, my driveway and da neighbors were both purty small. Heck ya can do 3" of fluff just as easily wit' a broom!

Biggest problem was pilin' da snow without pushing it across da street (See note 1).

The rest of my front yard would fill up kinda fast, then too there is the 'ramping' issue. It can get kinda wicked by late February!

And I agree, da Yooper Scooper would never cut it with your current driveway!

[Note 1: I never did understand why that wasn't allowed, as long as there's plenty of snow storage space there, not otherwise used, that's not in your neighbor's front yard, and ya don't leave it in da street.]

 

[toadster920]

FRNash/PHX, AZ,
The reason they don't want you to push the snow across the street is the little lines of snow left behind. Those little trails of snow you leave behind would freeze and turn to solid ice. Then when the snow plow goes by would hit it and it could break the plow blade, the hydraulic arms that position the blade (raise, lower, left, right and pitch. This is more common on country roads rather than city streets as on the country roads the plows are running down the road faster than they are in town.
I don't mean to hi-jack your "Ask John" threads there John. I just figured I knew the answer to this one and I was here.
L8R,
Todd

 

[john]

But don't get me wrong. The snow scoop is one fine piece of equipment for moving snow. So simple in it's design, but so great in what it does.

Too bad other things in our lives cannot be so simple yet efficient.

I would be lost clearing the roof in Lake Linden without one.

I built the shop and cabin (and the log home will be) so that no roofs need to be shoveled, but you can bet I will always have a snow scoop in my snow removal arsenal- just in case.

Now, what was this thread about again?

-John

 

[canoepaddler]

Learn something new every day. I thought "panking" was just a typo for "packing". I never would have guessed that it was a real word.

 

[frnash/phx,]

<font color="0000ff">toadster920:</font>

Thanks for that!
Of course I was on a county road in da town, but
ditto what <font color="0000ff">canoepaddler</font> said: "Learn something new every day."

Amazing what trivia ya learn on tis site.

Now we can all go an' try ta win a million dollars on dat TV show: "Are You Smarter Den a Yooper, Eh?"

Now it's time ta go and watch Nimrod Nation episodes 1 & 2 on the Sundance Channel!

 

[engine9man]

If you go to the little museum area by the Eagle Harbor lighthouse they have a panking machine they used on the roads. It is basically a large roller that was pulled behind something (I assume a track type vehicle) and the sign sez to pank down the road. Check it out when your in the area.

 

[scottiking]

I want a panking!
It doesn't snow here in the twin cities to nessisatate a panking!
I wish I was up by you john this weekend!
my thumb is and has been a twitchin for quite awhile now!
SCOTTIKING OUT

 

[rvrbum4]

I "pank" my driveway every year hear in Northwest IL. I just never knew there was a name for it!
We just call it, "leave the first couple of inches on the driveway and drive on it with the car so the snowblower don't throw rocks".
Panking sounds much better.