Through the Mountains

Kenosha Pass View

I love seeing the mountains. However, driving 15 tons of motorhome/car through them scares me a little. I've never tested a guard rail, and I have no plans to start, but I'm skeptical that that little steel fence would provide much of a barrier to our coach. And then there's the potential problems of overheating, and hot brakes failing, and who knows what else. It just spooks me a little.

But this is a powerful, modern RV. Our old but mostly reliable engine pulls us up through the hills to our first mountain pass, the Kenosha Pass. Passing the top at around 10,000 feet, we gain a beautiful view of the high plains to the south, and the mountain peaks all around. We stop on the descent for a couple pictures. Beautiful, just beautiful.

Our travels this day take us through 2 more mountain passes. In between the last 2, we stop in Ponch Springs, the "Crossroads of the Rockies", to walk the dog and ourselves. Seems that US 285 crosses US 50 here, thus the name.

Poncha Springs

But as we return from our walk, I notice that our car has a small coating of diesel fuel on it. This is not the first time we've had a diesel leak, it's the third. And it appears to be a tiny leak at the moment. So we press on to Alamosa, some 60 miles down the road.



Diesel droppings

In Alamosa, we stop for fuel. The small leak is now leaving a puddle of fuel under the engine, and our car is coated with diesel. I explore some, but can't determine the source. Time to get help.

I ask in the store about diesel mechanics, and get a couple names, but one is the husband of a friend of one of the ladies that works there. We call him, and discuss the problem. We expect to have to order parts from Denver, if the leak is a repeat of the former problem. He suggests a place for us to park for the night, and plans to come over in the morning to diagnose the problem.

Now, we usually don't travel on weekends just for this very reason. It's hard to find people who can fix things on the weekend, and twice as hard in the middle of nowhere in the high plains of Colorado. But we haven't had a breakdown in two years, and we've been feeling free and foolish. And here we are, Sunday afternoon in Alamosa, parking in a tiny truck stop behind a Loaf and Jug convenience store.

The one benefit from this unplanned stop is that I get to watch the New England Patriots beat the Indianapolis Colts in a very close game. As a Patriots fan, the game had me on the edge of my seat until the last 2 minutes. That was fun.

The next morning, John Demers from Southern Colorado Truck Repair arrives, and in ten minutes diagnoses our problem as a leaky rubber hose, He departs for 15 minutes, returns with a new hose, and we're on our way before noon. Thanks, John! We consider this a blessing.

That afternoon we make our way to Santa Fe, New Mexico.