[RC] Tevis for the Mechanically Challenged + Suzy - Dabney Finch
WARNING: This Post About Suzy and
My Tevis Trip is Lengthy. If you are Tedium Averse, or Easily
Disgusted By Those of Us Incapable of Learning to Operate a LQ
Horse Trailer, and/or You Were Not One of Those Who Requested This
Story, you May Wish to Quit Here.
Wednesday Afternoon Before Tevis:
Didn't have time to pre-chill the refrigerator because
the horsetrailer's jack replacement work ($811) was only finished Wed
am.
(It isn't until Friday afternoon in Robie Park that I realize the
refrigerator isn't broken after all, because it took that long for
it to finally start to cool down.)
Gary had reminded me a bizillion times to be sure to put air in the tires
and check the lug nuts. (That's one of the numerous "mechanical"
things he usually does, but he didn't have time due to the last minute
repair of the broken jack.)
When the third air pump we've purchased in as many months also
refuses to pump air into the tires, I finally figure out it's my cigarette
lighter in the Acura, which the air pump is plugged into, that
is malfunctioning. No big deal. I can fill the tires up at
Suzy's when I go there to pick her and Cayenne up.
As I pull out of the driveway, I forget to check my right mirror before
turning onto the road and wonder why the trailer is starting to
lug.
Oops! That stucco pillar at our entry hasn't just put a ding,
dent, or scratch along the side of the trailer (as have the other
stationary objects with which the trailer has come into involuntary contact
while I've been driving it). This time there's a big hole on the side
of the trailer in which I can see pink insulation and wood
construction. That is really more of the insides of my trailer
than I had ever wanted to see. Well at least it's unlikely to rain on our way up
to Tevis.
At Suzy's I discover the stucco post had also taken a chunk out of one of
the trailer's tires and we have to switch to the spare, which Suzy informs
me isn't looking so good either.
Suzy advised me not to "ruin Gary's weekend" by telling
him about the trailer mishap until after Tevis. I considered
this excellent advise and was fully prepared to follow it.
Unfortunately, however, Gary noticed some tell tale signs of the
impact on the stucco pillar as he entered our driveway Wednesday evening; he
telephoned me at Suzy's seeking further explanation. Not wanting him to
worry needlessly, I told him I hadn't noticed anything amiss.
We left at twoish Thursday morning. Surprisingly, the directions we
were following from the last time I'd done Tevis (only ten years ago) were no
longer correct, so we ended up doing some circling and back-tracking
through the beautiful Sierras before happening upon Robie Park Thursday
afternoon.
Chuck (Linda Morelli's husband) did an excellent duct tape repair of
the trailer's side, which provided much entertainment for my male endurance
buddies, and consoling hugs from the females, as they asked me whether Gary knew
about the accident yet?
The following morning, Friday, I awake to a dusty, pissed
off Suzy Kelley, "We're completely out of water. I'm never travelling
anywhere with you again."
(Poor Suzy had tried to take a shower after having been up for
hours already, doing more hard labor around our campsite than I
could have accomplished in an entire day.)
Turned out we had run out of water because when I was filling the
water tank, I had thought it was full but it was really
just one of those danged air bubbles.
After we had begged water from one of Tevis' big water trucks,
Suzy (who during the water fiasco had discovered where the trailer's indicator
lights were) announced our black and grey tanks were full up and we'd have to
figure out some way to get to a dumping station without running into all
those huge horse trailers making their way up the steep dirt single tracks into
Robie Park.
More male assistance later (thank you Chuck and Fred Beahm!), it turns out
the tanks are actually empty, and it's just the indicator lights that are
broken.
Of course the emptiness may have been due to the two leaks
Suzy found in the tank's pipes. Suzy (the most mechanically
competent woman I know--which is saying a lot in this sport!) showed me
where "someone" had already tried to repair the leaks, inappropriately using
electrical tape instead of the glue specially made for living
quarter horse trailer tank pipes.
That's when Suzy started what turned out to be a single-spaced 3-page
list of all the things on the trailer needing attention, maintenance,
repair, or replacement. (Because as she pointed each item out to me, I'd
tell her I'd never remember it and to write it down.)
Thank goodness I had a break from hassling with the trailer on
Saturday. Riding a fresh, conditioned, and very competitive mare 86
miles in record breaking heat and humidity over the notorious Tevis
trail was a cinch (and a joy).
On the way home on Sunday, as we were heading up the grapevine into LA, one
of the trailer tires blew out.
It was a good thing the AAA tire repair guys had brought two
tires with them, because as it turned out, the one next to the bad one was
getting ready to go too, so we needed both. (Or maybe they just said that
to sell us the other tire--but what're you going to do? Precious
Cargo.)
Was my horsetrailer humiliation in front of the Great Suzy Kelley
worth being able to ride her mare Cayenne as far as Francisco's?
ABSOLUTELY!
We had a great ride. Cayenne was so on her game (thanks entirely to
Suzy's conditioning) that we worked our way up steadily during the ride and were
looking at a nice finishing placing if it hadn't been for the pulled
shoe on the hard rocky road into Francisco's.
THANKS SUZY! Not just for letting me ride Cayenne, but for at least
attempting to teach me the proper care and feeding of horse trailers, and for
your patience and good cheer through it all. You're the BEST!
