Because We Can II: We make another U turn, Sept 14, 2009

Friday, September 18, 2009

We make another U turn, Sept 14, 2009

We headed out today towards Montana on Rt 12 towards Missoula MT, first stopping at the Nez Perce NHP (Spalding). They have a neat museum, below is a photo of a silk ribbon Capt Meriwether Lewis, the Lewis of Lewis and Clark, gave to Chief Cut Nose in 1805.

This is so cool!

We also walked to the nearby town of Spalding, not many structures left.

They were having some sort of ceremony at the park, so we were able to see some costumed Nez Perce. They were known for breeding horses,especially appaloosas. We continued further along Rt 12 and came to Long Camp, this is where the Lewis and Clark expedition had to hold up for a long time on their return trip in 1806 waiting for the snow to melt in the mountains.

By this time we were some 70 miles along Rt 12 and we saw a flashing construction sign indicating that up ahead there were size restrictions – road width 9 feet (108” and we are 102”). So…guess what we did, another U turn, this time for real (the other time was when our GPS told us to make one a few days ago while on I84 ,which we didn’t do). Of course, no photos of the flashing sign, I think we were both in shock! It also explained why were not seeing any trucks or RVs coming toward us on the road.

Bob found a spot to make a U turn along this rather narrow two lane highway where another road came in. We unhooked the Explorer, just in case he couldn’t make it in one try and would have to back up. Then he got in the coach and as I was trying to watch for oncoming traffic, off he goes starting to make the U turn, just like a jack rabbit, which he made perfectly in one try. Boy was he relieved!! Me too!! This shows the spot of the famous jack rabbit U turn.

Here we are, all hooked up again, ready to head back the way we came. Yes, we are on the wrong side of the road, only spot to pull off.

All morning we were also concerned about a possible diesel fuel leak, at the Nez Perce NHP we noticed a darkened (looked wet) area about a foot in diameter on the pavement, also could see drips coming from the slave fuel filler tube. While we were hooking up here I had Bob open the flap (small door) up (with a key) to access the filler tube to check the cap, sure enough it was loose. In Oregon they pump fuel for you and the fellow there had not tightened it up enough. Yea, now no fuel leak issue!!

We ended up staying at an RV Park at Kamiah about 10 miles back which put us at the Long Camp area and also just across the road from the “Heart of the Monster”.

The Heart of the Monster, is a rock formation said to represent the heart of a monster in an ancient Nez Perce legend. Click on this link, it is an interesting story. (FYI, the monster is the rock in the background, not that handsome fellow I’m married to in the foreground.)