It started off when we pulled into Colorado Springs - what an amazing city!! We heard that there was a great road with dispersed camping possibilities in Pike's National Forest. The road was Gold Camp Road. We found the road and started up the mountain. This dirt road was switchback after switchback. It was steep and narrow. To the right was the mountain, and to the immediate left was a sheer drop hundreds of feet (with no guard rail).
After driving the RV up to about 8600ft of elevation and through two mountain tunnels, we found out that the source of info was incorrect. There wasn't even a place wide enough to turn around much less set up camp! We gave up on that road and stumbled across another road that promised opportunities to set up a remote campsite - Old Stage Rd.
old stage road proved to be very similar to Gold Camp Rd. very steep, very narrow - no possible way we could stay on this road. With nowhere to go but up, we pressed on. And on. And on.
Until we hit the steepest portion of the road. I have never experienced a road this steep - even without a 5,000 pound trailer dragging me down!!
The smooth power of that Triton V8 was just not enough to get the job done. While trying to climb the steepest part, the truck just stopped moving forward. We were done climbing at that point. There was no way to turn around, so I started to back the rig down the mountain (a nightmare!). It was getting dark and the road was very difficult to see. I had backed the trailer down the mountain about 1/4 mile then misjudged a switchback. I started turning the trailer too soon and got the inside wheels barely off the hard road. I knew that if I backed up even one more foot, the trailer would be stuck there, and I had no power to go forward. I WAS STUCK!!
Some nice guys stopped to help me direct the 5 or 6 cars that drove through my roadblock. After waiting about an hour for the transmission to cool off, we tried to straighten it up. It had enough juice to move me about a foot. I knew I wasn't driving down that mountain. Thank God for AAA!!!
After another hour and a half, the wrecker arrived with a giant diesel semi truck to haul me and my trailer out of that mess. AAA sent a courtesy car to bring us down the mountain, and we followed right behind the wrecker. Things were going smooth on the way down the mountain until the wrecker's brakes caught fire!!!!
We were following this guy and breathing the smoke from his brakes! I thought for sure this was the last time I would see the truck and RV! Thanks to God for getting us down the mountain!
We were dropped off at the nearest WalMart parking lot where we spent the night in the RV.
After being cooled off, brought down below 6000 feet and being unhooked from the RV, the Expedition drove perfect! Again thanks be to God!
I had assumed my transmission was blown and I was anticipating a huge expense in repair bills. I was able to drive it to a repair shop and have them check it out and do a tranny flush. In stead of spending $2500 on a tranny, it only cost me $95 for the tow and $200 for the flush and diagnosis. God was looking over the Crofts.
Now we are at a pediatric ER to have Lucy checked out. She has had a fever for the past 3 days. Pray.
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