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The Off Topic, Off Topic Thread #2
Well, it’s been a very pleasant few days off. A little camping, a little boating, a little wind, a little sunburn… And we ate the evidence.
I kind of lurked through some recent threads here, and found very little has changed. The left is still left, the right is still right, although the visceral anti-GWB seems to be down. A couple of new on-the-right types that seem to be VERY willing to speak their minds, and a couple that tried to argue from the opposite side. Maybe I’ll join in later. So for the sake of Off Topic, Off Topic thread #2, I’ll relate a story and ask a question. Those of you familiar with Colorado are familiar with Monarch Pass. 11 miles of 6.5% grade topping over 11,000 feet at the summit. So, of course IT had to happen. 1 mile from the summit, the motorhome grunting up the slope in first gear, with the dogs and wife occupied elsewhere, when BWAAAAAAaaaaa… The engine quits like I shut the key off. By now we’re down to a single lane in each direction with no shoulder. Any shoulder or pulloff is a quarter mile behind us, not fun to back up with a boat in tow, least of all with no power steering and no power brakes. So here we are, blocking the uphill lane, dead in the water, with only flashers to keep us from being run over by any semi struggling to get over the hill, probably most reluctant to stop lest he never get going again. Switch gas tanks. No go. Switch back. No go. Cycle the key several times. No go. I figure now AAA is just a quick call and an hour or two wait away and we’ll make the evening news for making a mess on the pass. Just for an exercise in futility, I try once more. VROOOOM! Off we go and the vehicle doesn’t miss another beat. Now I’ve been over most all of the passes in Colorado that are on any type of a major road, and in my opinion, Monarch is the longest, steepest, and worst on a vehicle. I’m also beginning to think it’s jinxed. This is not the first time or only vehicle that I have had act up only on Monarch Pass. The question: Can a road be haunted? Any stories? |
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Why not fire up thread #1?
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Didn't think of it. Oldtimer's disease.
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Quote:
However they have the technology to shut vehicles off remotely. Its called On-Star. |
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If you wear a tinfoil hat, they can't.
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Glad to hear you had a refreshing time, Rich, although the stalled motor incident tends to prove Murphy's law yet again. Tell spad brother Tree Top to make sure your next camper's got a suitable first gear. Be thankful, though. Before the road was modernised, this part of Spain used to be connected to the centre by a pass of similar length but with gradients that reached 19% .
Back in olde Englande there was a lane near home crossed by groups of pheasants. If you judged it just right, you could run down a few. Those were pheasant plucking times ... Anyway, sounds like a good break, discussing life, the universe and politics with friends face to face for once. |
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It is called Monarch pass, so my guess is the ghost of crazy King George, still upset about the colonies throwing him out. Maybe wearing a British infantry uniform of his day might help. With a tinfoil hat as well.
Something happened to me like that once, although on flat ground, doing about 55mph, van just died, Dodge 318, and after about 10 minutes it started. No further problems. |
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Sounds like a movie to me!!! Had any screen-play offers??
VP |
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Hmmm... Overheating, high altitude. Engine NOT fuel injected? How about vapor lock?
The slight cooling down while dead might have allowed it to clear up. I'd still wear a tinfoil hat, however, the next time I tried something like that. You can't be too careful so you want to cover all the bases. Highflight |
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