[tcb] Re: Havasu Trip report -- part 2

  • From: "Eric Woodall" <eric@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 06:56:16 -0600 (CST)

Looks Ca Ca Ca Cold...
Great trip report Gerald!

> I was between El Paso and Ft Stockton on Tuesday morning coming home. By
> the time I got past Ft Stockton the signs were up that I-10 was closed
> from
> Sonora to San Antonio.
>
> I-10 between Ft Stockton and Sonora seemed OK because of the big trucks
> keeping the right lane pretty much clear. Then I screwed up and exited for
> fuel before I got to Sonora because I figured it would be a cluster-f$%@
> right there at the point they were stopping everyone. The turn onto the
> entrance ramp was the biggest slide of my trip -- at 5mph. I made the turn
> and the Rivi just kept right on going on the road behind me. I got lucky
> and caught a dry spot before it could drag the ass end of the truck to far
> off my trajectory.
>
> Turns out Sonora wasn't so bad after all. That kinda sucked.
>
> I got to Sonora and went north to El Dorado up 227 (yeah, weird but the
> weather/ice was worse to the south than to the north, the roads to the
> south were closed).
>
> Headed down Hwy 190/Hwy 87 towards Fredericksberg. Doing fine until the
> sun
> went down. When that happened the melting flakes that had been falling on
> the road all day created an instant 1/2" of ice.
>
> The *SECOND* time the Riviera tried to come around and be the lead vehicle
> I just found me a pull-out beside the road and stopped. *22* miles from
> Fredericksberg.
>
> Luckily, I was on my way home from a weekend cold-weather camping trip. I
> just went back to the bus and fired up a heater and the stove and made
> myself some coffee. Then I went back to the truck and fired up the laptop
> and watched the last 6 episodes of Supernatural season 1. I slept in the
> truck running it a few minutes when it'd get cold enough to notice. All my
> camping gear in "Wal-Mart tubs" was in the Rivi and it would have been a
> pain in the rear to pull them out so I could sleep in the bus. I had 10
> gallons of spare fuel in cans in the back just in case. I tend to take
> back
> roads on my trips and sometimes don't see a gas station for a LONG time.
>
> After the sun came up I discovered Hwy 87 is not a good place to be in icy
> weather. I thought I was going to have to spend another night there
> because
> there wasn't enough traffic to break up the ice so I could drive again. I
> finally was able to head out about 10:45 driving 15 - 20 mph with the
> truck
> in low gear. I only lost traction and started sliding a couple of times
> during the 1 hour+ that it took me to go the 22 miles into Fredericksberg.
> I know how to drive on ice but it has been MANY years.
>
> 290 from F-berg to Austin was still bad in a few places. Mostly spots
> where
> there are fields for open grazing on both sides of the road so the wind
> kept re-freezing the road.
>
> Once in Austin I had to adjust my trajectory a couple of times due to ramp
> closures. That's why I love my GPS on the laptop. 17" screen so you can
> SEE
> what the map is showing you without really looking away from the road.
>
> Took 71 down to I-10 because I had Eric's roof-rack to deliver in Houston
> and I wasn't sure what 190 across Lake Livingston would be like. That was
> all pretty clear sailing. Still raining as I got closer to home but no
> ice.
>
> Anyway, work beckons (17 hours/day through the 29th, downside to my little
> trips).
>
> There are a few (bad) photos of the campout and trip at
> http://www.phorce1.us/bbbxi/. It was a bit chilly in AZ (high 20's) so I
> was more interested in keeping hands in pockets than holding the camera.
>
> G2
>
>



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