Tackling Truckee in Winter

I had driven the dirt trails 3 miles North-east of Truckee on many occasions, and in many vehicles, but my Amigo was the first vehicle I tried on these trails during the winter.
On the West side of Boca Resevoir in Truckee, California there are numerous day use trails, which in January are often considered inaccessible. This is not true the Isuzu Amigo which has eight inches of ground clearance and nearly the same in suspension travel. Standard features on the four-wheel drive model are galvanized steel undercarriage protection, and four wheel locking hubs. The four-wheel locking hubs is the number one reason I was able to make it through the frozen ice, snow, and mud trails my Amigo navigated. The tight turning radius, mixed with a wide stance and extra low granny gear should be mentioned also.
One of two highlights of the morning was taking off down a steep hill (everything was snow covered) towards a thirty foot across snow covered sheet of ice, concealing water and mud underneath. We broke through the ice into the mud almost imediately powered our way through like an arctic ice breaker, rocking from side to side with the sound of ice shattering beneath the wheels. The other highlight was driving across a small isthmus to an island near the edge of Prosser Resevoir.