Heat going East and Visiting Family

I spent my first night after leaving at Siskyou Summit free boondock, the climb up was miserable on I-5 the road was down to 1 lane from 3-4 so trucks were struggling up the climb making the 6 or so miles up at 3-15 mph and take almost an hour in mid 90 degree heat. I had stopped and grabbed a pizza and the latest season of Yellowstone. We used the Hilt trick to not have 5 miles on curving tight lanes so went about 9 miles past the exit to the first in Cali looped around pulled off and was set up in 15 min for the night.

From there I had joined Thousand Trails so I could utilize the electric plug at Lake of the Hills for the weekend near Oregon House and I was to spend a few days at Lake Minden just for convenience to Sacramento. After 1 night at Oregon House I left and got a hotel for the whole time versus the one night I had to due to no space available because there was almost zero cell signal and while they claimed wi fi it is only at clubhouse over a mile downhill then back up in high 90s heat. The heat will become a recurring theme. I safely parked at a Days Inn for the week and unhooked trailer allowing me to see old friends and work mates and attend an IT mixer. It felt incredibly weird to be at a mixer given the last few years of COVID lockdown. I pulled out Friday morning after leaving about 5 boxes with a friend in Sacramento.

I had a quick overnight at Carlin Canyon and started having inverter issues. I pushed on to Green River Wyoming where I had a spot at the Travel Camp. It was hot even with AC going the lack of any tree taller than me anywhere it seemed meant that by 2-3 in afternoon the trailer was pushing into high 80s even with AC going nonstop, the evenings were not cool and while I had hoped I chose a small enough burg to limit the 4th of July impacting Ava someone decided that 1 am was the proper time to let them off until almost 3 am on top of the park (a neighbor). I did a little restock and shopping nearby and was happy to be on my way to Nebraska. I stayed in a little hotel at border just for a night as temps were in the 100s and then went back to my favorite little prarie oasis in Henderson, Nebraska for the week.

The heat continued but at least I had shade all but about an hour a day I was able to keep the trailer interior from going above 85. But we got to experience a new kind of heat - Heat Bursts. A rare weather instance where because of a dying thunderstorm the arm superheats and rushes to the ground in a very hot wind burst. After 2:30 I woke with a start as the trailer felt slammed into from above and I was instantly sweating. In the middle of the night it went from high 70s outside to low 90s and kept at that until dawn. Frequent gusts that rocked the whole trailer and whooshed. Time to move along and leave my little oasis?

Then I stayed in a cornfield with a van-lifer next to me. He was a chill dude asked if he minded if a parked a space down and apologized that my dog was a bit protective of me. We settle in for the night with some tv and food and left him a little thank you in the morning to enjoy when he woke. We then headed for green bay to a brand new campground. Then turmoil hit, I needed gas there was a Love's and normally i love them but there was construction and lines and an idiot in a motorhome hauling a long utility trailer that was diagonal where I was going to pump. 6 cars behind me no way to back up I eased in and pumped and then realized I couldn't get out. Every move I made sucked the cement bumper closer in between the Durango bumper and front of trailer. Thankfully a nice couple helped me while I held ava on leash snarling and going nuts with someone else in rig and they got me out of there after I only did minor damage.

Please heat stay in the plains but not so much so. But shade once again thankfully. And almost no wi fi since the campground was only 3 weeks old there was no way to verify before hand. I lived off 2 bars of AT&T and Verizon if phone or hotpot touched metal of trailer, 1 without. This I will need to fix so watch for the next blog. We had a great week until the day before me go when a squirrel jumps from tree and Ava slams her head into my shin oh great another bruise only I look down a few minutes later after my foot slips in sandal to see know I'm bleeding A LOT. She is hard headed I will say that, I cleaned it up and knew it was going to take time to heal as I have edema in my legs. Move on you are heading to see friends in Michigan you've known 45 years. So we packed up in a thunderstorm and as I am putting away cords the slick clay hillside met my back bottom etc. No damage done except dirty clothes and wounded pride.

I changed clothes in Escanaba Meijer parking lot and restocked food and headed to the Bridge. The twins I grew up with live near there and one of them is managing a park so I spent a week there at Loons Point visiting her and her twin and also got to see their other sister and mom. I had my first bonfire and finally the heat started to leave. Its peaceful and gorgeous there and it was good to see them both and be there for Heather who was going through some stuff. Loons Point is in Les Chenaux Islands off Lake Huron about 15-20 miles from Macknac Bridge. After a great week I learned to always double check your exit window brace I must have bumped it getting things settled for drive and for 5 miles across bridge she was flapping going out 90-170 Degrees but I didn't lose her. We then headed to the vet in Traverse City for Ava's vaccine boosters and headed towards my sisters.

I'm headed down M-115 about 30-40 minutes away and we are on a two lane 55 mph highway people like to drive 65 on. I'm in a string of cars following the last passing lane being 5 miles back with 3 cars in front of me and a nasty pickup leading them. I'm keeping my distance cuz I always do when pulling Tiny but Mighty when all the sudden I hear brakes locking up hard we're on a bridge downhill a little into a slight rise and I see the pickup no rear lights and just a dim bulb dangling off truck decide to go left. The cars in front of me have tires that are smoking and I jam into the brake and I pray. I start to slide I'm pressing the injured leg into the emergency brake lever not to activate but just because I'm pressing into it and i hold my breath and hear the cars behind me like 8-10 locking up there brakes. I see a driveway and angle towards it hoping to avoid the worse of it. and I'm still sliding the trailer is sliding at an angle and I am hoping the ball and hitch and everything don't uncouple and it comes into back of truck. I am almost stopped barely missing the tiny car in front of me by inches on my Driver's side, like my trailer mirror is over their door and I stop and start to shake. And I hope everyone behind me is okay as well. We are all akimbo over the road and slight shoulder and I sit there and the guy behind me waves at me gives me a thumbs up and puts his hands together like in a prayer and lets me pull out in front of him. I call my sis with blue tooth and I start crying because well my leg hurts and I nearly died and was in a dozen+ car pileup. I pull into her house 40 minutes later shaking and still crying but grateful to be landed (and yes her fiance Jess backed her in for me I could barely walk I was shaking so hard).

Now its a whirlwind of doctors and projects and family and neighbors and being back on Wixom or what was Wixom Lake and will soon be again thanks to the Four Lakes Task Force and a shout out to my rockstar neice, Kayla. More to come in about 2-3 weeks when I pull out.