Agreed. This is classic PJorgen.ski3pin said:This is a really good one!
Done something really stupid?
- Thread starter ski3pin
- Start date
N'kwala
Geezelle
Yep. Real classic stuff. It's that awful moment when you realise what you've just done. There are Aha moments and then there are Oh **** moments, aren't there?Ted said:
Foy
Resident Geologist
During the just-completed MT-ID-WY-NE trip (report in process), I did something I NEVER do, and while it didn't bite me on the backside, it sure could have.
We'd planned on a traverse of the Lander Cut-Off enroute from Jackson, WY to Atlantic City, WY. New ground for me, and I'd studied it intensely. At the last minute, literally at 0630 on the morning of departure, we decided to run north to see the Gros Ventre Slide and a drive-by of the Tetons. I simultaneously decided to take WY 131 and FS 300 out of Lander, WY to reach South Pass/Atlantic City, following but a cursory glance at my Benchmark. The basis for this decision was "I've been through there before, in a 2WD 15-passenger ASU Geology van--it's a piece of cake". You see, I'd been part of a group of 9 Appalachian State University geology students and 1 professor who had attempted to reach and climb Gannet Peak in August 1976 (failed due to bad weather and exhaustion on the part of several of the crew). On the return trip, I correctly recalled we'd left Dubois and made a side trip from Lander to the Popo Agie Sinks, the U of Missouri Geology Field Camp, and South Pass.
Well, full of diesel and with a full water tank, we climbed out of Lander, passing the Sinks and the Field Camp. On pavement. That should have been my 1st clue--I recalled gravel. Many switchbacks later, we'd picked up at least 3,500' of ups. Should have been my 2nd clue--had no recollection of switchbacks or a large elevation gain. At Frye Lake, we lost the pavement and FS 300 continued as a fairly steep and gradually narrowing road with decreasing signs of regular grading. That should have been the 3rd clue. The day-tripping couple in the nice Ram pickup ahead of us turned around and another pickup behind us, laden for camping, passed us, all mouths agape. Seemed as though they knew something we didn't. Fourth clue.
With a rapidly decreasing level of confidence in my memory of events just 39 years ago, we discussed "what to do?". It was already after 3pm and getting our 39' nose-to-tail rig turned around would be a challenge under the best of circumstances. We faced a good 3 hours of retracing to Lander and on to Atlantic City on pavement. We were around 1/3 of the way through and the road, while crummy, hadn't gotten any crummier for a couple or three miles, a sign that it does at least go through. Still, the spectre of encountering a switchback, disconnecting, chocking, and dragging the trailer through a 180 turn with the come-along and straps was weighing heavily on my mind, but we decided to give it a go nonetheless. If we have to drop it and turn around, so be it.
It turned out OK. We crested the Blue Ridge at +9,500', passed Fiddler's Lake (notes to return for a stay one day), had some very slow going around turns approaching switchback in tightness, met a pair of very suprised dual-sport riding teams suddenly (due to their speed) in our faces and a delicate tiptoe around them (more they around us), and a couple of short "shelf" sections later, we passed a standard FS gate (open) near Louis Lake and the road was obviously graded beyond there. Whew!
There were a few more tight spots and yet another shelf section or two after Louis Lake, but we reached South Pass in good shape and good time. Dropped the camper at a BLM campground and drove the truck to "The Stamp Mill" in Atlantic City in time for a Moscow Mule and a terrific cheeseburger. A thick coating of moon dust on everything, including us, was the only casualty.
The stupid thing I did was failing to adequately study the route on my maps prior to entering the segment. I NEVER fail to do so. My MO is ALWAYS to engage in map study so throughly that I memorize the topography, or at least the key features. Thinking "I've been here before" was my undoing. Communications with our professor, now retired and in his 80s, proved what I finally came to realize: Back in '76, we'd done a short out-and-back from Lander to the Field Camp, then crossed the southern tip of the Winds on WY-28 with a side trip on the gravel roads to Atlantic City and South Pass City enroute to I-80 at Rock Springs on our return trip. He even recalled it was a cold, rainy day and we'd gotten the van covered in mud on the wet gravel roads. We did NOT, however, traverse FS 300 between the Field Camp and South Pass.. "No, Foy, that was a very rough road and it would have taken too long. I'm not even sure we could have gotten the van through there", said Dr. Webb in his email yesterday. Correct you were, sir.
Foy
We'd planned on a traverse of the Lander Cut-Off enroute from Jackson, WY to Atlantic City, WY. New ground for me, and I'd studied it intensely. At the last minute, literally at 0630 on the morning of departure, we decided to run north to see the Gros Ventre Slide and a drive-by of the Tetons. I simultaneously decided to take WY 131 and FS 300 out of Lander, WY to reach South Pass/Atlantic City, following but a cursory glance at my Benchmark. The basis for this decision was "I've been through there before, in a 2WD 15-passenger ASU Geology van--it's a piece of cake". You see, I'd been part of a group of 9 Appalachian State University geology students and 1 professor who had attempted to reach and climb Gannet Peak in August 1976 (failed due to bad weather and exhaustion on the part of several of the crew). On the return trip, I correctly recalled we'd left Dubois and made a side trip from Lander to the Popo Agie Sinks, the U of Missouri Geology Field Camp, and South Pass.
Well, full of diesel and with a full water tank, we climbed out of Lander, passing the Sinks and the Field Camp. On pavement. That should have been my 1st clue--I recalled gravel. Many switchbacks later, we'd picked up at least 3,500' of ups. Should have been my 2nd clue--had no recollection of switchbacks or a large elevation gain. At Frye Lake, we lost the pavement and FS 300 continued as a fairly steep and gradually narrowing road with decreasing signs of regular grading. That should have been the 3rd clue. The day-tripping couple in the nice Ram pickup ahead of us turned around and another pickup behind us, laden for camping, passed us, all mouths agape. Seemed as though they knew something we didn't. Fourth clue.
With a rapidly decreasing level of confidence in my memory of events just 39 years ago, we discussed "what to do?". It was already after 3pm and getting our 39' nose-to-tail rig turned around would be a challenge under the best of circumstances. We faced a good 3 hours of retracing to Lander and on to Atlantic City on pavement. We were around 1/3 of the way through and the road, while crummy, hadn't gotten any crummier for a couple or three miles, a sign that it does at least go through. Still, the spectre of encountering a switchback, disconnecting, chocking, and dragging the trailer through a 180 turn with the come-along and straps was weighing heavily on my mind, but we decided to give it a go nonetheless. If we have to drop it and turn around, so be it.
It turned out OK. We crested the Blue Ridge at +9,500', passed Fiddler's Lake (notes to return for a stay one day), had some very slow going around turns approaching switchback in tightness, met a pair of very suprised dual-sport riding teams suddenly (due to their speed) in our faces and a delicate tiptoe around them (more they around us), and a couple of short "shelf" sections later, we passed a standard FS gate (open) near Louis Lake and the road was obviously graded beyond there. Whew!
There were a few more tight spots and yet another shelf section or two after Louis Lake, but we reached South Pass in good shape and good time. Dropped the camper at a BLM campground and drove the truck to "The Stamp Mill" in Atlantic City in time for a Moscow Mule and a terrific cheeseburger. A thick coating of moon dust on everything, including us, was the only casualty.
The stupid thing I did was failing to adequately study the route on my maps prior to entering the segment. I NEVER fail to do so. My MO is ALWAYS to engage in map study so throughly that I memorize the topography, or at least the key features. Thinking "I've been here before" was my undoing. Communications with our professor, now retired and in his 80s, proved what I finally came to realize: Back in '76, we'd done a short out-and-back from Lander to the Field Camp, then crossed the southern tip of the Winds on WY-28 with a side trip on the gravel roads to Atlantic City and South Pass City enroute to I-80 at Rock Springs on our return trip. He even recalled it was a cold, rainy day and we'd gotten the van covered in mud on the wet gravel roads. We did NOT, however, traverse FS 300 between the Field Camp and South Pass.. "No, Foy, that was a very rough road and it would have taken too long. I'm not even sure we could have gotten the van through there", said Dr. Webb in his email yesterday. Correct you were, sir.
Foy
OP
OP
One of our favorite routes into Landers. We did not have time to take FS 300 this last trip. Now with your story we'll need to return and refresh our memory about the route. Glad you and the copilot made it through okay, albeit with a big sigh of relief. Great story!
Foy
Resident Geologist
I thought of you and The Lady often while making our way through. The Popo Agie Basin looks to be a terrific backpacking destination. There were at least 8 vehicles parked at the Christina Lake trailhead accessing the basin.
Loads of fine crags of exfoliated Precambrian granites for the rockheads, too.
Foy
Loads of fine crags of exfoliated Precambrian granites for the rockheads, too.
Foy
Smokecreek1
Smokecreek1
Okay, my turn again to be stupid again ! Actually, this is a two for ! First one, left a couple of weeks ago to check the trail heads up at the Patterson Guard Station CG in the South Warner Wilderness; planned to see if I could still do those day trips and short over nighters (just started some medical stuff to make me walk right again and this was my first test), soooo, night before left, I started thinking about hunting season(s) around here-getting to be that time of year again, like late September, Oct, Nov, for rifle hunting (in most states I play in) and August for bow hunting and I usually go to some state park or something to avoid the people. Somehow, I decide it was late August and I had time to play, well I was wrong and after enjoying a few nights with the CG to my self, the gang(s) showed up and Me and "Bob" stayed in camp and read and played ball! So always check your pre-trip plan that one more time before you leave!
Number two, got home, but planned only to stay a few days, load up on more water, then head out again, so no need to unpack or unload the frig, just turn it way down, then turn it up to max a few hours before i leave, so i just plugged in the shore power with the on camper switch pulled out, and went about doing my thing. I park the truck in the driveway and it gets allot of both shade and direct sun. I should mention here that I unplugged/replugged the shore power several times when I needed to use the truck.
Then the smoke from the fires hit and every place seemed on fire, so I extended my stay until the smoke/wind/heat went away. After 4 additional days or so I had to go in the back of the camper to get something and that smell hit me. "what said I is smelling-everything is plugged in---right ---wrong~! Yep, when I followed my shore power cable to its source is was not plugged in . I had somehow forgotten that I had unplugged the power cord from my own power before i had left and if my solar was not on and working and getting some sun and I had not driven the truck a little, I would have lost allot more stuff like batteries, not just those pork ribs, lamb chops and hamburger I had in the freezer. Well, my batteries (thank you solar) are still okay and charging away and I am getting ready to go again, but good old Murphy almost got me again! So, double check things even if you have those redundant systems like batteries and solar power and you will not loose your lamb chops(maybe). Having one of these things is sure a never ending learning and relearning experience ! Keeps you young I guess !
Smoke
! Actually, this is a two for ! First one, left a couple of weeks ago to check the trail heads up at the Patterson Guard Station CG in the South Warner Wilderness; planned to see if I could still do those day trips and short over nighters (just started some medical stuff to make me walk right again and this was my first test), soooo, night before left, I started thinking about hunting season(s) around here-getting to be that time of year again, like late September, Oct, Nov, for rifle hunting (in most states I play in) and August for bow hunting and I usually go to some state park or something to avoid the people. Somehow, I decide it was late August and I had time to play, well I was wrong and after enjoying a few nights with the CG to my self, the gang(s) showed up and Me and "Bob" stayed in camp and read and played ball! So always check your pre-trip plan that one more time before you leave!Number two, got home, but planned only to stay a few days, load up on more water, then head out again, so no need to unpack or unload the frig, just turn it way down, then turn it up to max a few hours before i leave, so i just plugged in the shore power with the on camper switch pulled out, and went about doing my thing. I park the truck in the driveway and it gets allot of both shade and direct sun. I should mention here that I unplugged/replugged the shore power several times when I needed to use the truck.
Then the smoke from the fires hit and every place seemed on fire, so I extended my stay until the smoke/wind/heat went away. After 4 additional days or so I had to go in the back of the camper to get something and that smell hit me. "what said I is smelling-everything is plugged in---right ---wrong
~! Yep, when I followed my shore power cable to its source is was not plugged in . I had somehow forgotten that I had unplugged the power cord from my own power before i had left and if my solar was not on and working and getting some sun and I had not driven the truck a little, I would have lost allot more stuff like batteries, not just those pork ribs, lamb chops and hamburger I had in the freezer. Well, my batteries (thank you solar) are still okay and charging away and I am getting ready to go again, but good old Murphy almost got me again! So, double check things even if you have those redundant systems like batteries and solar power and you will not loose your lamb chops(maybe). Having one of these things is sure a never ending learning and relearning experience ! Keeps you young I guess !Smoke
OP
OP
Well, I did something dumb, maybe not really stupid, but one I will not repeat. I hope so. We use a blue reliance water container for our gray water. With several days of use, albeit emptied at every chance, it was getting a little rank inside. When did I notice it? We were setting up camp. The Lady took on the inside chores including popping the top up. I took care of outside stuff, turning on the propane and hooking up the drain hose for the sink's gray water. A bit later I climbed inside and wondered if a piece of fruit had gone bad? Did we spill a garbage bag? There was no water in the sink trap to block the smell coming up from the gray water container. It was poor form for a plumber's son to forget something like that.
Good advise Ski.
Frank
Frank
OP
OP
Dumb, dumb, dumb....................................
learned that damn SPOT device will not stay on the camper roof after leaving the trailhead last Saturday afternoon.
learned that damn SPOT device will not stay on the camper roof after leaving the trailhead last Saturday afternoon.
Ouch!!! Sorry that happened to you...ski3pin said:
PackRat
Senior Member
Twenty some years ago, I bought an Alaskan 8' NCO and put it on my 55 GMC long bed 1/2 ton PU. The 6 cyl had died and a one year old Chevy 305 & 3 sp went into it. The PU it came out of was T-boned with only 4,100 miles on it so I had a runner.
Well, we got off I-80 onto 20 and then went up to Bowman Lake. It didn't look to promising so I figured I could make it to Jackson Meadow Reservoir to camp out.
It was dark when I tried to ford the creek and I woulda made it 'cept for the 2wd digging holes and swamping the exhaust.
We hadn't seen another vehicle on the road for HOURS and now we're in about 2 feet of ice water for the night? Just as I was contemplating carrying the wife from the truck to the camper, I see some head lights coming the other way. I mean, it's about 8:30pm at night ad this guy is going the other way? When he gets there, the first thing I see is the winch on his Toyota Landcruiser and he just jumped out and handed me the cable and pulled me outta there. The jimmy fired right up and after finding out that the rest of the way would be a piece of cake, he pulled around us and went the other way.
That was stupid, not checking the depth or the bottom (lotsa big rocks) but selling that old Alaskan was equally dumb. It was dumb selling that GMC also, but now I have an '88 F-250 4x4 XL Lariat and now that the old Lance I had is gone, I'm gonna put an Alaskan 8' CO on it and get back to East Meadow CG at Jackson Meadow this summer....but I'll go via Truckee and highway 89 as I did every other time after that near fiasco!
Hey, you got a decent Alaskan 8' CO you can part with?
Well, we got off I-80 onto 20 and then went up to Bowman Lake. It didn't look to promising so I figured I could make it to Jackson Meadow Reservoir to camp out.
It was dark when I tried to ford the creek and I woulda made it 'cept for the 2wd digging holes and swamping the exhaust.
We hadn't seen another vehicle on the road for HOURS and now we're in about 2 feet of ice water for the night? Just as I was contemplating carrying the wife from the truck to the camper, I see some head lights coming the other way. I mean, it's about 8:30pm at night ad this guy is going the other way? When he gets there, the first thing I see is the winch on his Toyota Landcruiser and he just jumped out and handed me the cable and pulled me outta there. The jimmy fired right up and after finding out that the rest of the way would be a piece of cake, he pulled around us and went the other way.
That was stupid, not checking the depth or the bottom (lotsa big rocks) but selling that old Alaskan was equally dumb. It was dumb selling that GMC also, but now I have an '88 F-250 4x4 XL Lariat and now that the old Lance I had is gone, I'm gonna put an Alaskan 8' CO on it and get back to East Meadow CG at Jackson Meadow this summer....but I'll go via Truckee and highway 89 as I did every other time after that near fiasco!
Hey, you got a decent Alaskan 8' CO you can part with?
clikrf8
Senior Member
Caught up on this topic. And, to add my stupid error. We had just left our Boondock Spot just east of Tonopah, NV heading east toward Ely. We decided we had enough fuel plus a bit to explore. We went up one of those canyons to look for our fave wild horse herd. We drove for longer than we should have but we did see them up on a bluff. We turned around and headed back to highway 6. The Fuel guage was lower than we like and soon we noticed it was a lot lower than we like. Being the prudent one, I said I would call AAA once we get a signal. The problem is that between Tonopah and Ely there are few places with a cell signal and no place to fuel up. Long story short, we cruised into the outside lane at the Shell station just as that light turned green. Our fuel tank had a capacity of 38 gallons and we filled it up with 37.9 gallons of diesel. Yeah, stupid.
OP
OP
Yeah, maybe stupid but you made it. I expect we all know what those last several miles felt like......And that wonderful rush of relief!
When I look at the thread title, the first thing that comes to mind in my past is 'Which event should I divulge?'... I'm surprised I've made it to inching up on 70.
clikrf8
Senior Member
Now, we fill up when half full cause we always have to explore where every road goes, especially those backroads N and S between 6 and 50 in Nevada and the ones E and W through the mountains. Whew, yeah, just made it. There were few places to pull over, too, especially on the last curvy part descending into Ely iirc. We should get those Roto Pax like you have.
OP
OP
Stupid and dumb; is there a difference? Here's my latest................................
Back several years ago when we were building the interior of our new ATC camper, I had the perfect place for a master on and off switch. Marty & Jeff supplied me with the usual push - pull on and off switch. Pull it out and system is powered. The perfect place was right above the battery in the passenger side front corner, right behind my back rest. It was easy to get to and protected from being bumped. I installed it in a vertical position.
Think about it. Imagine lots of rough nasty roads. Think of mile after mile of washboard pounding that switch up and down, up and down. It was astounding it lasted over three years...............until one day, "Why's the power off? Did not push the switch down?"
The new switch has been relocated to a horizontal position.
Back several years ago when we were building the interior of our new ATC camper, I had the perfect place for a master on and off switch. Marty & Jeff supplied me with the usual push - pull on and off switch. Pull it out and system is powered. The perfect place was right above the battery in the passenger side front corner, right behind my back rest. It was easy to get to and protected from being bumped. I installed it in a vertical position.
Think about it. Imagine lots of rough nasty roads. Think of mile after mile of washboard pounding that switch up and down, up and down. It was astounding it lasted over three years...............until one day, "Why's the power off? Did not push the switch down?"
The new switch has been relocated to a horizontal position.
hoyden
Lady Bug
This doesn't really count, but I'm feeling pretty stupid right now not camping tonight.
It's lovely and cool outside and I didn't go camp and I have been wanting to go out but it's been too hot and humid.
Finally there's a nice cool night and I got all in my head and didn't think about going campering until after dark.
So, that was pretty stupid.
It's lovely and cool outside and I didn't go camp and I have been wanting to go out but it's been too hot and humid.
Finally there's a nice cool night and I got all in my head and didn't think about going campering until after dark.
So, that was pretty stupid.
craig333
Riley's Human
Well I arrived at the camp in the Sheldon NWR and someone pointed out the door to my water heater is missing. Oops. Wonder where that fell off?
teledork
Pinyon Jay
On the last day of a week long trip which included a seriously rutted and off camber road into an Eastern Sierra canyon and the hellish 24 steep and rocky miles to and from the Patriarch Grove of Bristlecone pines (but oh so worth it!) and just about one hour from home I sunk my truck up to the chassis in mud on the shore of Grant Lake. It was dry until it wasn't.
I remember my mom getting angry when we would lose shoes in the mud ("how many times do I have to tell you to stay out of the gookalooks?") but I think she may have sent the angel in the Ford Excursion who's wife called out "we're here!" as I was lying in the mud trying to shovel out from beneath the truck and they were backing up to pull me out. They had seen me from the road.
I remember my mom getting angry when we would lose shoes in the mud ("how many times do I have to tell you to stay out of the gookalooks?") but I think she may have sent the angel in the Ford Excursion who's wife called out "we're here!" as I was lying in the mud trying to shovel out from beneath the truck and they were backing up to pull me out. They had seen me from the road.
CougarCouple
Senior Member
Hello teledork
You must be living right, that's awesome someone came over to help. Maybe the shore looked looked dry, but I bet you check next time!
Being stuck short time waaaaaaay better than long time.
Russ
You must be living right, that's awesome someone came over to help. Maybe the shore looked looked dry, but I bet you check next time!
Being stuck short time waaaaaaay better than long time.
Russ
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