A Lost Day; Another Good Deed

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Friday September 18, 2009

Yesterday was a tough travel day from Custer to Casper, Wyoming. We went through more road construction zones that we could count. There were bumps, humps, gravel, dirt and such than could be counted.

But none of it yesterday could compare to the mother of constructions zones we passed through today! Poor Uncle Joe! The Beast dragged him through the muck for miles and miles east of Jackson Hole. And it was all down hill.

I felt like Neal Armstrong settling during the moon landing. I had one foot on the diesel peddle, another foot on the brake, my right hand on the tow mode switch at the end of the gear selection lever and my left hand on the manual trailer brake toggle, applying extra power to the trailer brakes as needed to slow us as we descended into Jackson Hole.

Nan and I are both sipping double toddies at our new location on Coulter Bay at Jackson Lake in the Teton National Park.

But let me tell you about our overnight stay in Casper. Close don’t count with our gps navigation system. So the destination of the Fort Casper Campground wasn’t properly set by yours truly. Well, not really, but why beat a long story to death?

After we set up Uncle Joe for a one night stand at the Fort Casper Campground, we noticed a pickup truck with an attached 5th wheel trailer being towed by a big wrecker truck into a spot two down from us. We didn’t know they could tow both the truck and an attached trailer at the same time! That must cost a pretty penny.

It turn our that some’um went wrong with the truck; the engine caught fire on the road. So, the travelers were going to stay at the campground in their fifth wheel while the truck was towed to a dealer to be fixed.

But when Nan, who is watchful about these things, saw that they were going to unhitch the truck from the trailer before putting down the front legs on the trailer, she said, “Paddy, do some’um, and do it now!”

“STOP,” I bellowed as I leapt from the bottom step of Uncle Joe; “STOP RIGHT NOW!”

Everbody stopped for some reason. I pointed out the mechanics of the situation; “If y’all don’t extend those front legs on the fifth wheel, when you unhitch it, the front of the trailer will fall and crush the bed of the pickup truck!”

“Why, I didn’t think of that,” said the tow truck driver.

“Well, the little woman over there (I, pointing to the door of Uncle Joe) saw the foolishness of it right off.” “She is what sprung me into action to save the day.”

“What’s your name anyway,” asked both the wrecker driver and trailer owner in unison?

“Call me Paddy; I’m just doing another good deed.”

. . . . . . .

So this morning, after a no wifi night a Fort Custer Campground, we got on the road an hour earlier. It was going to be a long day to Colter Bay Campground.

I’m telling you, some of the prettiest country we have seen on this trip is located at and around Dubois, Wyoming. I could spend some time in this area; we may be back some day.

If it weren’t all that construction work going on between here and there, I would return there tomorry for some picture taking. It is hard to find a place to stop and take a picture with Uncle Joe in tow. So we will see what the morning brings.

I’ve uploaded some photos of our spot at Colter Bay Campground. See where we are camped at Colter Bay, click on: Uncle Joe at Colter Bay

More to come.

Paddy

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Photos

Coulter Bay Campground01
This is our spot in Coulter Bay Campground at Jackson Lake.

Coulter Bay Campground02
Another view of Uncle Joe at Coulter Bay Campground

Comments

[Walt Z.]

Good Samaritan
A great story. Sounds like you kept an already bad experience (engine fire) from becoming a total loss. I will have to make a note about Dubois, Wyoming. Another "travel to do." I think you may have made some important discoveries on your journey. Perhaps you have actually located some of those promised "spade-ready Stimulus Package Projects" that seem to be so well concealed!