Wednesday, October 23, 2013

DODGE CITY KANSAS TO RATON NEW MEXICO & AWWWWW NUTS WE BLEW A REAR TIRE!!!!!

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THE ROCKIES AS SEEN WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY 300mm LENS…TAKEN FROM TRINIDAD’S WALMART PARKING LOT IN COLORADO
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COLORADO TOWN OF TRINIDAD & THE ACTUAL DISTANCE AWAY OF THE MOUNTAINS
Our day was rolling along just fine until we blew a rear driver’s side outer dually Michelin tire.  We both heard a short escape of air sound but there was no change in the handling of the rig.  I even thought the ‘pssssshhhh’ sound might have come out of the stereo.  We were on a paved 2 lane highway with no shoulders.  As it was we had been looking for a place to pull off for Pheebs to have a run anyway.  Spotted an old derelict building ahead with enough room to pull across the highway & in.  Good thing we did.  Stepping out of the rig we saw right away the outside driver’s side tire appeared down.  On closer inspection I saw a big slit in the sidewall so knew the tire was totally ruined.  And it was hot!!  We assessed the situation & decided it was safer to stay where we were & call our COACHNET for roadside service.  This was the first time we have ever had a flat RV tire & the first time we have ever had to call for roadside service involving any of our rigs.
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Kelly spoke with the Coachnet folks & gave them our location.  Our Garmin GPS told us were 26 miles northeast of Trinidad Colorado on highway 350.  Just south of a place called called Thatcher.  Knew it would probably be a couple hours before things got organized & the tire service place would reach us.  Spent that time removing a bunch of stuff from our rear storage area so I could get in & unbolt the spare tire.  Happy to see it was a brand spanking new Michelin tire same as what is on the rig.  Also took the time to check the generator oil & the Winnie Wagon’s oil as well.  Just a wee smash of oil for them both.  Also sat down & started on tonight’s post while waiting for the tire service fella to show up.
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ADOBE WALLS & TIN CEILING
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THIS OLD BUILDING WE WERE BESIDE WITH IT’S ORIGINAL ADOBE WALLS WAS PROBABLY BUILT IN THE 1800’S & MAY HAVE BEEN A STAGE STOP ON THE SANTA FE TRAIL
Aside from our new toaster setting off the smoke alarm this morning we had another quiet start to the day.  Oh,  there was the guy who cruised by with a noisy muffler heading into the Casino.  Got money for one arm bandits but not enough money to put a new muffler on his car.  Priorities eh!!
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THAT’S US UNDER THE BOOT HILL CASINO PARKING LOT LIGHT JUST BEFORE PULLING OUT
We got out of Dodge around 6 a.m. & headed west on highway 50 in the direction of Garden City & points beyond.  Our casual destination was Trinidad Colorado.  Watched another Kansas sunrise filling my driver’s side mirror.  Big orange ball of fire lighting up our way ahead.  My eyes were on the horizon when just west of Holly Colorado I caught the faintest dark object in the distant haze low on the horizon.  Mountains??  Maybe:))
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EVER SO FAINT BUT THERE ARE MOUNTAINS IN THEM THAR HILLS
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Past couple of days we have been following the Santa Fe trail.  I think we may have picked it up around Dodge City somewhere.  How great it was today when there we were heading west on the Santa Fe trail while on our rig’s Ipod playing through the rigs stereo the Sons Of The Pioneers were singing one of my favorite songs, ‘Along The Santa Fe Trail’.  For me that was special happening today.
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‘ALONG THE SANTA FE TRAIL’
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MORE PHOTOS FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT TODAY
At the town of La Junta Colorado we picked up highway 350 which headed us south.  Coming out La Junta’s southern end I spotted snow capped mountains right away far to the west.  No wondering this time, those mountains were the Rockies.  I would say in all travels west this was the best first mountain sighting I can remember & it was the snow that made such a striking impression.  Rolling through Colorado’s Comanche Grasslands on 350 we were reminded of the rolling hills & trees around Hillsboro & Chloride New Mexico.  Felt we were truly back in the West again.  Flat top mesas, distant plateaus, Aspens & Cottonwoods in their blazing Autumn colors, scrub Pines & Junipers.  What a beautiful land this is.   And then………………’pssssshhhh’!!!!!!!!!!
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Our tire service guy arrived & got himself right to work on our flat tire.  Mexican fella with lots of Tattoos & a big friendly smile.  Took him about 20 minutes to wrestle Winnie’s flat tire off & Winnie’s new tire on.  And there right in the middle of the flat tires tread was a Phillips screw imbedded in the rubber.  The rip in the side wall was opposite of where the screw was imbedded.  He said we were lucky we found a spot to pull off before the tire shredded & caused damage.  Also before the other dually, overburdened, also blew.  The thing I take away from this experience is that if one dually goes flat you don’t even know it until it’s too late.  Had we not heard the ‘pssssshhhh’ we would not have suspected a thing.  
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OF COURSE EVERYTHING I TOOK OUT OF THE WINNIE WAGON I HAD TO PUT BACK IN AGAIN INCLUDING THE FLAT TIRE & RIM
Tire fixed we headed 26 miles into Trinidad, hopped I-25, & slipped off exit 11 at Walmart to buy some bug spray & make a decision.  We were at the top end of the Raton Pass & it was 3 p.m.  Our Mountain Directory said we had some 6% downgrades in front of us.  Did we want to spend the night at Walmart & do the downgrade in the morning or did we want to do it this afternoon.  We are always up & on the road early so we did not want to miss the scenery heading down the mountain in the dark.  Decided to keep on & enjoy Colorado’s afternoon colors.  Off we went.  Despite some scary comments we had read about the Pass we did not find it much of a challenge at all & I was surprised at how the Ford geared itself down in the grades.  With the Damon I had to do that manually pulling the gearshift down into lower gears as grades steepened.  Compared to Arizona’s Mingus Mountain, Borrego Spring’s Montezuma Grade, & the Yarnell Hill, the Raton Pass was a Pussycat.
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Decided to pick up some gas in Raton.  Spied a K-Mart & figured we would spend the night there but it turned out to be too scruffy & not a level spot to be seen.  Kelly spotted a KOA across the road.  We don’t normally do RV Parks & speciously not expensive KOA’s but we were tired, it was getting late, & they had electricity & water.  And cable TV.  And nice to grab a hot shower.  And so that is where we are tonight.  In a KOA in Raton Colorado.  Tomorrow we will enjoy the scenery all the way down I-25 to maybe Albuquerque.  After all, scenery is what it’s all about for us……………………
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YIKES, NOW THAT IS TOTALLY WAY TO CROWDED FOR US
GROANER’S CORNER:((  Here's a short one for all you texter's out there........Can you read the following?
YY U R YY U B I C U R YY 4 ME
Too wise you are, too wise you be, I see you are too wise for me.
-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

25 comments:

  1. So very sorry you guys had a flat, but what really matters is that ya'll are okay.

    Very nice photos!!

    You are spending the night in New Mexico! I hope ya'll waved to me as you drove thru Colorful Colorado!!

    We will be driving I-25 over Raton Pass in just a few days!!

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  2. Sure glad someone has good ears and heard that 'pshhhhht.' Plus always good to have roadside service. I've used mine enough times to pay for it.

    That looks like a real icky KOA, except for the hot shower.

    At this rate you'll be in Congress by the weekend.

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  3. Amazing what that screw could do. I am glad you heard something and looked like the perfect place to pull off the road. You are in some familiar territory. I will email you the story of each LaJunta and Raton...will have some humor I believe in the stories.

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  4. Glad you made out ok with the flat. Maybe consider a tire monitoring system? Don't forget to get a new spare!
    You're be home before you know it?

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  5. I agree that KOA's are usually overpriced, or maybe just priced out of my comfortable range, but when I truly needed a place to stop for the night and could find nothing, the sight of the KOA sign always warmed my heart.

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  6. And that is why we have a TST tire system. We are both too deaf to have heard a pssst. lol Beautiful pictures as always.

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  7. Yes, you are in New Mexico if you're in Raton. We don't have rats in Colorado. :))

    Glad it all worked out OK.

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  8. Great time you are making. Even stops to check out old buildings beside the road. Sure is good to be able to call and and have a strong guy with correct tools change your tire for you. Beautiful scenery. Happy the weather is great for you also.

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  9. Lucky that you caught that flat tire before anymore damage was done.
    We too find the KOA's crowded sites and too expensive, but its a place to stay with full hook ups.

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  10. So glad all is fixed for you & Kelly & the Phebes! I know how you feel when you see snow-covered mountains. We are heading over to Flagstaff for the weekend. Hope to see lots of color there...
    Cheryl Ann

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  11. Hi Al & Kelly, If you are not in a rush to get to Congress you could spend a few unforgettable days near Albuquerque - There are some huge casinos with lots of parking - You could leave the RV at Santa Ana Star Casino and take the Jeep to Jemez Springs -only 40 miles and breathtaking - the real NM - then stay at Sandia Casino and take the tram to top of Sandia Peak - you don't like to do tourist things but the tram should not be missed - also Casa Rondena Winery is undiscovered beautiful old Mexican style and you could take great photos there - you are in my favorite area on Earth - Enjoy !!

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  12. You can find the song "Lights of Albuquerque" by Jim Glaser on youtube they play it late at night on the radio out there - from the Sandia area look down on those lights and you will see "the diamonds in the desert" and the stars in the night sky - the memory will stay with you forever! Enjoy !!!!!!!

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  13. Yep, a Tire monitor would have no doubt saved your tire and your blowout. You see, you get a slow leak while driving down the road and when the tire gets low on air, it gets hotter than a firecracker and it BLOWS from all that heat. When your tire pressure got down 12.5% in that tire, it would have warned you that you had a leak.

    I don't sell them, but I sure recommend them. I also feel that PressurePro is the best on the market. There is a big dealer in Aguila, just 30 miles from Congress.
    its warm, but nice here in Congress, take your time and have a safe trip.......
    We are heading to the Pistol Range for a big competition match this morning.....

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  14. Glad you didn't have a real blowout which would have caused damage on your new rig!!! That's why we pay for those road side services!! We've used our twice, once to be TOWED off the side of the freeway in the old Beaver motorhome and once when the cowboy got the Country Coach stuck in a sand pile in Yuma! Travel on and tell us about the scenery you saw!!

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  15. You were lucky to find a place to pull over before the tire shredded
    We've never stayed in a KOA because of Jake, but the hot shower feels so
    good after a long day.

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  16. We had the toad tire go once and it was totally shredded and had done major damage before we discovered it. First thing we did was get the Pressure Pro tire system which has saved us about 4 more times. Glad all was well and you just took it in stride.

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  17. We also have a tire pressure monitoring system. Won't help in a blow out but it sure does let you know if there's a problem with a tire before it does too much damage. I was worried about Raton pass but it wasn't anything compared to some roads we've been on. We stayed at the top of the pass.

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  18. Beautiful pictures of the Spanish Peaks outside of Trinidad. Great campground up in the mountains take Highway 12 west out of Trinidad till you get to NF Road 422 turn left and go up to Bear Lake Campground. No services but beautiful! There are two campgrounds up there. Just love it! Glad you didn't loose your other tire. Safe travels.

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  19. Only you could find the beauty in a run down old building. Your pictures and thoughts brought it to life!

    Good thing you are safe, tire blow outs are nothing to sneeze about.

    Tire pressure monitoring system is on my "to get" list for my motorhome for sure.

    Not sure I would hear the psssstt either.

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  20. No im not going to tell you to buy a Tire pressure monitoring system although the cost of a tire is close to the price of a Tire pressure monitoring system seeing as how you don't have a Tire pressure monitoring system you saved a hole bunch of $$$ (hole har har get it hole ) u save screw put in house wall u not having a Tire pressure monitoring system and you bought a tire instead
    China tire makers love u long time save money u no buy Tire pressure monitoring system u buy tire instead we make big profit
    USA guys in USA spend $$$ on a Tire pressure monitoring system,,,Tire pressure monitoring system not good for Chinne tires
    We make no $$$
    Canadian Yankee snowbird imperialist lov u Lon time
    U buy Tire pressure monitoring system we no like u
    Buy more tire have slow safe trip
    Fourtune Cookie Say don't eat Sushi it,s Japanese

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  21. One of the main reasons we got rid of our Keystone Cougar was 3 blowouts..and it wasn't even 2 years old. I still remember the name of those tires that blew..Mission tires...We just put new shoes on our Hiker and she's ready to roll...

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  22. Did Pheebs happen to find a red Kong ball dog toy at the Trinidad Walmart. Our dog left one there last year. ;)

    Pat

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  23. I swear there's negative vortex in Trinidad. When I worked for the Fire Center, I flew on a Citation with an advance team to Ft. Hood. We lost an engine at 40000' feet and had to drop to 25000' to restart the engine. In the meantime a storm is building and advancing toward Trinidad. My pilot husband will tell you that it is not a good idea to have engine issues during an approaching storm. We landed in Trinidad on an airstrip straight from the Twilight Zone--jackrabbits darting about and curtains mysteriously moving in an abandoned terminal. I will never forget Trinidad!!

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  24. Your story is very interesting. Keep on writing. I really like part about casino. I'm a professional casino player https://casinority.com/12-greatest-gamblers-who-beat-the-casino/ and one day I will be there

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