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Plan A: was to hit the road and make the 6h out of the desert in the cool of Sunday evening.
Plan B: was formulated until I woke up Monday morning having not made plan A. But I was showered, had slept 9h, and my belly was full of some Ames Famliy BBQ. Not to mention that I spent 2h in the pool, ‘cooling my core’ temperature, and otherwise cavorting with my homies Emily and Colin.

Before I even got to Vegas my butt was cramping, probably a combination of the worn out seat, and the racing. Subie, is possibly due for a timing belt change, and as a precaution I purchased the required belts, and ratchet set.. sitting as preventative measure in the shotgun seat.When I was ‘younger’ I would just hammer out 15-18h driving days, but with my slower driving car, I have started taking more frequent breaks. I’m not needing to pee every 2h just yet. but I just couldn’t keep sitting still.

Never-the-less the Super-roo is a Champ. After 3 months in storage, she fires up, I pack her to the gills, and off we roll. No complaints, no questions asked. Old Faithful. As sun sets I roll into the long (200km) zone of I70 in Utah which has nothing. It’s starting to rain as Subie is getting ready to roll over her 300,000th km (she’s a 1990 who had 90,000km on her in 2001 when we hooked up). I’ve been debating about spending the $700, and 15h needed to fix her up for another 100,000 km or if car heaven is perhaps the way to go (what would Mike Mulligan and Marry Anne do?). As the rain stops, I hit a long down hill, and see a cloud which appears to be Homer Simpson smiling at me, I am thinking everythings good. Subie, you’re doing it for me again. We’ll go places together.

7.5km more roll by, and I see shadows on the road. Really big shadows. I’m going 65 in a 70 zone and slow to 35. Elk. They’re all standing looking at me, and I didn’t have a lot of time to see them. Driving through the heard. Woa there’s one charging me from the left… move right. Boof! Bam-Wow!!?!.

Suddenly it’s it’s colder and louder in Subie.

I stop to investigate, and realize that there is broken glass shards EVERYWHERE. Of course all my bags are open, and now filled with glass. Literally everywhere.

and the window is surrounded by fur… A few more dents… but insult to injury the rear trim strip is now missing.

I drive 20 more minutes, but at this elevation I’m frozen. Find the duct tape = instant window. Crank heat… OK. Its raining again, and I know there is rain

coming in through the gaps in the ‘window’. I pull over to sleep, not wanting to take the time for tent set-up, I pull under the awning of an abandoned gas station, roll out the sleeping bag (on Subie’s roof) shoes = pillow,

and I’m about to fall asleep. As I am drifting off I hear a few drops of something land on my sleeping bag.

Either rain is dripping through the roof, or there are birds.

I roll over and sleep on my side in case of the latter.

In the morning I roll over to the Kokopelli trail just inside the Colorado boarder for a run in the AM. If you are ever driving through here, you ride/ hike up over a short ridge, and are in a rocken wonderland overlooking the Colorado River. Really stop. I only run my prescribed 45 minutes, but I could have gone for hours. It’s breath taking every time I’ve been here.

Other than a little snow & ice over the Vail pass the rest of the drive was long, but we kept on plugging away and now I’m back at basecamp in Hamilton Ontario.

More adventures will surly follow, I’ll keep you posted.

Nat