Sorry for the late upload of this post. I had internet challenges which I will cover next post.
Made it safe and sound arriving around 11:30PM EDT. I am starting writing this offline at 3:30 AM local time Thursday morning. Clearly my body’s clock is still on EDT time. No biggie.
Yesterday was interesting. It was rather ho-hum starting in Texas, topping off fuel, and heading out. Around 3:30PM Mountain time with the outside temp at 104F I had to climb a mountain just prior to Las Cruses. It was a very long climb. Engine getting hot. No place to pull off, need to slow down. Engine getting hotter, still no place to pull off, slow down more as much as I dare (25MPH) while still in a traffic lane with vehicles zipping by me. Engine and transmission temperatures nearing red line. Finally a place to pull off. Oh look, there is the top of the climb about 1000 feet away. Don’t care, stopping any way. Pull off and put it in park. Truck starts beeping at me warning me of over heating condition. I shutdown the engine. Can smell something – I’m not an automotive guy but can smell something telling me the truck engine/tranny got too hot. No steam or smoke visible so that is good. Send a text blast to family letting them know my current status (hoping mom doesn’t see the texts right away). Let Sasha out and secure her leash to the rear of the trailer (the only location with shade). Get Hershey and Sasha water. Decide to let Hershey out of the truck as well. As he is not used to being on a leash, he slipped his harness when I was busy with Sasha. Where did he go? I hear him. There he is. He climbed up into the rear suspension of the truck to hide. Get him out, put his harness back on, and put him in the trailer. Grab a lounge chair from the trailer, recline behind the trailer in the shade with Sasha and relax while I wait for the engine and transmission to cool and exchange texts with family getting advice. Amazingly, at this point I am not stressed. I am simply relaxing with the attitude that I will get stressed if and when I confirm long term automotive issues. As I won’t know the status for an hour or two (after the engine has cooled), then there is no value in worrying at this moment, only in taking whatever corrective actions I can and staying safe as much as possible. At this point, I am simply experiencing an unplanned R&R stop on a beautiful mountainside. Snap a couple of photos.
In retrospect, I wish I had gotten a pic of the truck with the hood up to better record the memory. Oh well. About 45 minutes into my stay, a local stops in to check on me. Makes sure I’m ok, asks if I need water. Nice guy. Well, it’s been an hour (didn’t seem that long), and although the engine and tranny temp hasn’t dropped much in the last 30 minutes, they are now down to the operating temps they have been hanging around for the trip. I can still see coolant in the reservoir so that is good. I open the reservoir cap – pressure has come down enough that I don’t observe it releasing pressure when I open it. Add 2-3 cups more coolant to top it off to what appears to be the full line. Return the coolant cap and close the hood. Time to pack up. Put the chair away, get Sasha in the truck. She was reluctant as always but she finally gets in to get the reward of a hot dog. What to do with Hershey? Seems to me that the trailer has not been overly hot every time I stop and have to get into it for something so I feel generally comfortable leaving him in the trailer for the rest of the ride (~3 hours). Do one last check to make sure I haven’t left anything behind and the trailer is locked. Break time is over. On the road again. Thankfully the rest of the trip was uneventful.
I roll into the park around 9:30PM local time. Find my lot and park the truck/trailer. Connect the power and call it good for the night. Walk Sasha. Get a bite to eat while sitting in the recliner gazing at the stars and talking to Cheryl (my wife) on the phone. Prepare a jar of oatmeal for breakfast and call it a night. It has been a long few days.
Am I ever thankful for:
- Making it to my destination safely.
- Not having any major mechanical problems on the way.
- Having family and friends for support.
Seeking Simplicity 