CONTINUED........
I was fighting fatigue and having a time of it keeping Dusty on even more dangerous and narrow drop off kinds of roads. I managed to maneuver Dusty down the last steep grade and drove cautiously through the campground praying for a place to pull off and rest. By this time it was almost totally dark and the girls were plastered and every single camp spot was occupied.
I negotiated a spot that looked like it could accommodate us and I actually had to threaten the guy camping there not to refuse me, which, btw, he did try to do. I told him that if he made us leave we would certainly die because I had been driving all day and I was too exhausted to carry on, and our deaths would be on his conscience till his dying breath.
I backed Dusty into an area where I thought she would fit and held the flashlight for the drunks while they set the levelers, choked the wheels and otherwise stabilized Dusty. I was darned if I was going to do much more.....it was their turn.
By the time we were finished it was pitch black. We heated a can of tomato soup, ate dinner and collapsed for the night. A funny aside: one of the drunks was worried about bears breaking in and mauling her....if you know what I mean. I told her.......Don't worry......as I got out of bed, grabbed the big carving knife and put it on the counter......I'll just knife him to death if he tries. LOL
When we woke up the next morning and stepped out the door we were shocked to find our back end hanging over a ledge. If I'd backed up anymore we would have ended up in the bottom of a very deep ravine.
We went on to have a wonderful 3 day camping adventure with hiking and yodeling in the mts and viewing the scenery and wildlife. And yes, there were dozens and dozens of deer. We couldn't get rid of a father/son duo that on a whim had decided to go camping. They brought a can of nuts, a box of crackers, a few candy bars, some cracker jacks and some beer and pop. They pretty much begged for food the whole time.
The third night there we had planned on grilling steaks over the fire. This is when I just plain told the guys, "guys, you have to leave until later tonight. We will come and get you and have cocoa after we have dinner. We just don't have enough for you." I wanted to add......dummies.......but I didn't. We had been feeding them for two days, I put my foot down because I wasn't going to share MY steak.......I'm like that with red meat.
I burned out one set of brakes and a transmission on that trip, but it is something none of us will ever forget.
;) M |
