Drove "Old Henry" to the top of Mt. Evans, the highest paved road in North America, last week. Total distance 1,367 miles in three days and never opened the tool box once. (Did open the trunk once for some duct tape as you'll see later)
Why did we do it? Why does anyone climb a mountain?
Because it's there!
We started out Thursday morning headed south. Between Price and Green river I learned something. When I was going 55 mph my engine was 180° but when I went 65 mph my engine was 190°. Just one more reason to stay under 60 mph which I almost always did.
As we turned east onto I-70 at Green River the terrain was just flat desert and hot - 97°.
The strange thing was that my engine temperature soon went up to 210° and started sputtering a little like vapor lock but I doubted that since I'd turned on my electric pump climbing up to Soldier Summit (7,477 feet) earlier in the day. I eventually decided to take an exit and park under the overpass (not a tree in sight to get some shade from) and idle the engine fast to cool down a bit. Got out and took a picture.
While I was standing there taking the picture I noticed something - the wind was blowing quite hard (30-40 mph)
the same direction we were going! So, that explained why we'd heated up so much going the same speed as before - 20-30° hotter - just because of the tail wind.
Soon we reached Thompson Springs, the ghost town I stopped at on the way back from Rocky Mountain National Park last year and took a little video to go along with the still pictures taken last year. The video is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF2EKYuQUlw the pictures from last year are here:
http://s1059.photobucket.com/user/cr...?sort=4&page=1
Reached Idaho Springs, Colorado, elevation 7,526 ft., that night and stayed in kind of a dive motel to rest before the Mt. Evans assault the next day.
Friday started out early in the morning. It was 75°. Seventeen miles later we had climbed to 10,980 feet overlooking Echo Lake that we had passed at 10,626 feet.
At 12,081 feet we were above the timber line and just driving through the tundra.
Summit Lake at 12,837 feet.
Just 1,400 feet more elevation to climb to the top.
At the top the parking lot was at 14,130 feet (that's what the sign says).
When we arrived at the top we were warned about the dangers there.
But, we weren't even at the top! We had to get out and hike a quarter of a mile up 128 feet higher to the top!
If you think it was difficult for an old fat man to hike a quarter of mile up 128 feet at over 14,000 feet you are right. It was take my steps as slowly as I could then sit and rest every 100 feet or so for my muscles to get replenished with oxygen so that I could go on.
At the real top we were at 14,258 feet. (Yeah, that's my toe just to prove I was there)
And AnnaRae and Pepe sitting on the top to prove that they were there.
Looking down from the top you can see "Old Henry", the remains of the Crest House, the highest occupied building in the world from 1939-1979 when it burned up, and the observatory that is above 40% of the air and 90% of the moisture of the earth's atmosphere so the telescope can see better. More on the Crest House here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crest_House Original photos including a 47-48 woodie here:
https://www.google.com/search?safe=a...%3B2000%3B1587
Eventually we headed back down. The temperature at the top was under 60° so we were glad we brought jackets. On the way down the engine stayed right at the thermostat setting of 170°. We had no heating problems going up. Sometimes up to 200° but rarely.
On the way down we passed Lincoln Lake at 11,637 feet while our road was still at 12,571 feet.
The rest of the day we headed north over some more high passes. For dinner that night we ate at a quaint little ma and pa drive in in Sulpher Hot Springs. (Love those kind of places.)
Eventually we ended up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and stayed in an old motel on the national register of historic places. The Rabbit Ears sign in front was erected in 1952.
Later that day, just after going though Vernal, Utah we left the highway and headed south to visit one of AnnaRae's old roommates from college that lived way off the beaten track. After our visit we headed back toward the highway. The wind was really blowing hard from our left and I noticed the hood bouncing up and down against the safety catch. I then remembered pulling the release to show the guy the engine but he wanted to see the trunk instead and I'd never opened the hood nor latched it. I figured on stopping when we got to the highway in a few miles and latch it. The safety latch would keep it down until then . . , wouldn't it??? NO it did not! Suddenly the hood opens as high as it could (I thought it would just tear off and go sailing over the car but it didn't). I, of course, could no longer see where I was going. I slammed on the brakes and started sliding sideways as all four tires squealed to high heaven. As soon as the inertia of the hood pulling forward as the car was slowing down overcame the force of the wind holding it up it slammed down and I thought latched. But no. It was still bouncing up against the "safety catch". I stopped and got out to shut it and check for damage. The only visible damage was along the back edge of the hood where it was forced over the cowl.
I tried to get the hood to latch down but something had been forced back just enough that the latch would not quite line up and wouldn't latch. Should I just trust the trusty "safety catch"? Not likely. I thought about wiring it down but the wire I had was kinda thin and I thought it might wear through and break after a while. So, what to use? I opened the trunk and there it was - the universal fix all of fix alls - duct tape! Fortunately it was black so it wouldn't be so obvious. (Got to consider his vanity you know.) So, "Old Henry" got a nice Band-Aid to hold his hood down.
But, after we had driven a ways and stopped for gas the wind was so strong I didn't want to continue trusting just one piece of duct tape so . . . racing stripes got us home.
The rest of the trip home was pretty uneventful. For the remaining 2½ hours to home we were on the same road I drove a week ago on the 400 mile round trip with just Pepe.
As some generally inquire about Pepe and how he's doing, here is the answer.
You may recall in recent road trips that he has had serious anxiety and never could relax and lay down and sleep like he used to do on trips. In fact, much of the time he was totally un-relaxed, bugging his eyes out and panting (first picture below from our Canada trip two months ago.) But, we tried him on Acepromozine (doggy Valium) this trip and he mostly relaxed, laid his head down (which he hasn't done in the car for a couple of years) and even slept (bottom picture from this trip).
9 minute video of driving the Mt. Evans road here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDQb6VlnoLI
Prior road trips:
Canada in June 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109872
Monument Valley in March 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99523
Bryce Canyon in February 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97822
Milford, Utah in December 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93137
Nevada and Idaho in November 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89080
Rocky Mountain National Park in September 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83966
Yellowstone National Park in May 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72864
Death Valley in February 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62705
Pike's Peak in July 2011: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19141
Route 66 in April 2010: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57511