Larry
Bigassgas Explorer
This is not the typical Mohave Rd and Death Valley trip report. This one is different, as it involves an old truck, rubber duck and two Dodge Rams. No high dollar Jeeps, Land Rovers, Land Cruisers, roof top tents or Backcountry adventuring for photography skill advertising and product promotion. Just a few friends getting together to escape the daily grind.
Day 1: Saturday, March 23nd – Getting there
Goal: Pueblo, CO to Kingman, AZ - 827 Miles
Originally we planned to roll out of Pueblo around 5:30 AM to meet my friend, ColoradoBill, on the Southside of town. With his cancellation we decided to leave a bit later. We also knew there was a winter storm brewing but Pueblo County on South to the New Mexico border was supposed to be spared until later in the day on that Saturday. Uh! WRONG! As it turned out it started snowing at my house around 5 AM. It wasn’t a major snow, just enough to make the roads slicker than hell plus the wind made it an almost complete whiteout at times. From home to the New Mexico side of Raton Pass we were only able to roll at 35 to 40 MPH most of the time. Once headed down the New Mexico side of Raton Pass the roads were dry, the sun was out, warmth filled the cab with sunshine blasting through the windows, birds were chirping, etc. Life was good so we thought.
Well that good travel weather only lasted for about 40 miles until we hit Springer, NM. For the next 325 miles From Springer all the way to Gallup, NM was like driving in hurricane force winds. The few Semi’s that were actually on the road were driving way below speed limit with their hazards on, many semi’s and high profile vehicles were pulled off on the side of the road. There was so much dust and dirt in the air visibility was just as bad as the whiteout snow storm we had just left in Colorado. Incidentally we heard they closed I-25 South near Trinidad after we passed through. Lucky for us!
From Gallup to Flagstaff the wind subsided enough to bring the speed up into the 80-87 MPH range until just outside of Flagstaff where I-40 turns into a total piece of crap. I-40 from there onto CA is junk! If there is any reason at all AZ Gov. Jan Brewer should learn to get along with the feds, it would be for the sake of getting their Interstates fixed.
We were losing daylight fast so I wanted to hit up a car wash in Flagstaff to clean off the road deicer crap we got in CO before we got into Kingman plus I thought the road deicer was wreaking havoc on the dual tank switch valve. Ah, man….I played hell finding a coin car wash in Flag. I finally found the world’s worst car wash next to a Sonic someplace in Flag. This poor excuse of a car wash didn’t even have a bill exchanger so I had to go to Sonic to get change. Of course, the kids at Sonic said their manager won’t allow them to give change because people come over there from the car wash all the time for change. I told him we were coming over for dinner once I was done, and basically begged for quarters like some crack whore. He gave in and hesitantly exchanged a few dollars for me. Then the car wash itself sucked. I could pee harder than the water pressure then the scrub brush broke as I was using it. What a joke! At least I got the deicer poop off. For those that may live in Flag probably now which exact car wash this is. After that time waster we made it into Kingman around 9ish and crashed at the Hampton Inn.
Trip Summary
100 miles of this caca was no way to start a vacation
First coffee return break near Trinidad, CO
Making good time between Gallup, NM and Flagstaff, AZ. The old pig actually flies down the interstate quite nicely.
Somewhere between Flagstaff and Kingman on I-40
Day 1: Saturday, March 23nd – Getting there
Goal: Pueblo, CO to Kingman, AZ - 827 Miles
Originally we planned to roll out of Pueblo around 5:30 AM to meet my friend, ColoradoBill, on the Southside of town. With his cancellation we decided to leave a bit later. We also knew there was a winter storm brewing but Pueblo County on South to the New Mexico border was supposed to be spared until later in the day on that Saturday. Uh! WRONG! As it turned out it started snowing at my house around 5 AM. It wasn’t a major snow, just enough to make the roads slicker than hell plus the wind made it an almost complete whiteout at times. From home to the New Mexico side of Raton Pass we were only able to roll at 35 to 40 MPH most of the time. Once headed down the New Mexico side of Raton Pass the roads were dry, the sun was out, warmth filled the cab with sunshine blasting through the windows, birds were chirping, etc. Life was good so we thought.
Well that good travel weather only lasted for about 40 miles until we hit Springer, NM. For the next 325 miles From Springer all the way to Gallup, NM was like driving in hurricane force winds. The few Semi’s that were actually on the road were driving way below speed limit with their hazards on, many semi’s and high profile vehicles were pulled off on the side of the road. There was so much dust and dirt in the air visibility was just as bad as the whiteout snow storm we had just left in Colorado. Incidentally we heard they closed I-25 South near Trinidad after we passed through. Lucky for us!
From Gallup to Flagstaff the wind subsided enough to bring the speed up into the 80-87 MPH range until just outside of Flagstaff where I-40 turns into a total piece of crap. I-40 from there onto CA is junk! If there is any reason at all AZ Gov. Jan Brewer should learn to get along with the feds, it would be for the sake of getting their Interstates fixed.
We were losing daylight fast so I wanted to hit up a car wash in Flagstaff to clean off the road deicer crap we got in CO before we got into Kingman plus I thought the road deicer was wreaking havoc on the dual tank switch valve. Ah, man….I played hell finding a coin car wash in Flag. I finally found the world’s worst car wash next to a Sonic someplace in Flag. This poor excuse of a car wash didn’t even have a bill exchanger so I had to go to Sonic to get change. Of course, the kids at Sonic said their manager won’t allow them to give change because people come over there from the car wash all the time for change. I told him we were coming over for dinner once I was done, and basically begged for quarters like some crack whore. He gave in and hesitantly exchanged a few dollars for me. Then the car wash itself sucked. I could pee harder than the water pressure then the scrub brush broke as I was using it. What a joke! At least I got the deicer poop off. For those that may live in Flag probably now which exact car wash this is. After that time waster we made it into Kingman around 9ish and crashed at the Hampton Inn.
Trip Summary
100 miles of this caca was no way to start a vacation
First coffee return break near Trinidad, CO
Making good time between Gallup, NM and Flagstaff, AZ. The old pig actually flies down the interstate quite nicely.
Somewhere between Flagstaff and Kingman on I-40