Uhm, what? Yup. In the car the whole time.

We went back to the car, with the help of more kind northern cascades folk. And installed that tiny little donut thingy and drove away from that dirt road with the troublesome road rhino.

In doing so, we melted the brake pads or something and I dunno what the hell else… But we were now stranded on the shoulder of the highway. And it was 6:30pm.

Do I win?

A young, married hippy couple pick us up in their vw bus!

Oh boy! We think we’ve hit the jackpot. PLUS, they agree to take us all the way to the car!

As we drive, it becomes very clear that not only are they loaded, but swingers! Again, we decline – we insist that, although extremely tempting, we really must focus on the tire situation.

We grab our new-old tire with jubilation and run to the 82 datsun. We grab the jack and beging pumping… And then we discover the lugnut mistake… Omfg. Right?

Well, the hippy couple we had rebuffed were still there and willing to drive us back to the highway to find somebody else to help us….

Hot, sweaty and hungry with that layer of hot mountain dust that clings to you in August

We make it to a gas station with a little help from a nice gentleman willing to stop for 2 teenage hitchikers in cut-off shorts and bathing suits. He kindly suggested a 3 way.

Fortunately, when we declined, he dropped us off at a gas station that sold old, used, trash heap tires.

We grabbed one that appeared to be similar in size and tread. At this moment, we might have noticed the lug nut holes did not match – one tire had 4 spots and the other had 5…..

We were 8 miles from even the nearest gravel road. And an unknown distance from the highway and a gas station.

And remember: 6am

So, we start walking…. And walking… And a few miles in … We are both a little crabby, but what’s next? Kiersten begins to panic that we’re being stalked by evil cougars just beyond our vision in the trees and shrubs.

Oh… Did I memtion we were lugging the tire with us? We thought we’d try and exchange it.

17 years ago, I was camping with Kiersten in the north cascades. We didn’t like our spot, so we got up about 6am to find a better, more remote spot.

We were driving down a single lane, gravel road in her 82 datsun. I shouted “look out for the road rhino!” (Rock in the road) and she said “duh”

This response told me to pipe down. Unfortunately, this entire exhange was not enough of a warning for kiersten, as she ran right over that rock and destroyed the front, passenger tire and rim.