The weather forecast for the second week of April is filled with red flags of high wind, dust storms, rain storms and 30˚ degree temperatures as I leave Las Vegas.  The forecast didn’t say snow but to me that temperature and rain = the 4 letter word, SNOW!!!  No thanks!  Git while the gettin’s good! After yesterday’s 65 miles of rough, rocky, wash-board road, I knew I needed to check the bolts that secure my nest (a slide-in camper) to the pickup bed.  I did and tightening they need. After squirming around in the dust to get under the truck to tighten the bolts, I figure my nest will stay where it belongs. Avoiding any tragedy is a corner stone to having a successful Adventure.
    After being in the dirt for an hour or so I dusted myself off and looked around.  Mean ominous storm clouds had stolen the sun; so much for the chance of a colorful sunset over Toroweep (http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/tuweep.htm) here on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Looks like that forecast was right. Plus, I knew that the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) primitive road (not maintained) out will be impassable when it gets wet, maybe for weeks.  This is a no brainer: escape, limit my risk, and avoid a crisis. The beginning of the road is like driving up a staircase. I decided slow and easy and climbing from left to right is the easiest route after seeing where the holes and protruding rock breaks were.
    Then I came to the dreaded Calamity Hill where I felt like the camper was going to tip when I went down it last April. The hill is a sharp decline of protruding rock breaks and deep holes, that slants to the left and down so sharply I can’t see the road directly in front of me. I stop at the top and figure out a path down. Last year I chose the far right away from the gorge to the road’s left - wrong! The camper almost tilted. This time I stayed in the middle and went down very slowly. Each wheel seemed to find a different hole at the same time and the truck pitched violently from side to side. I kept going. I doubt if I could’ve stopped anyhow. The truck would’ve just slid to the bottom. If I kept moving I could at least control the direction, I hoped! Once again I felt the camper was very unstable and may tip. Luckily it didn’t, very scary! I stopped at the bottom and walked around to catch my breath and decided I won’t be doing that again!
    I saw that the sky was darkening more, so back at it. I stopped at the rangerless station to check my tires; 3 of 4 needed air. The right front needed about 10 lbs. That concerned me. The ten miles of the road closest to the canyon is the worst and that was behind me now, so I sped up to beat the coming rain I could see about ten miles away. I was about half way to Az. Rt. 389, when I felt too much vibration for the effect of the washboard road. I stopped and checked the tires. The front right one that needed the most air was now flat with two splits in the sidewall. I didn’t need this - a storm was coming.
    Need it or not, it was reality. No cell phone service here, so no AAA! Would I be able to get the lug nuts off? Only one way to find out and now it was raining.  No, I didn’t need that either, but it didn’t matter. I put my rain slicker on, got the jack and wrench. It was raining, cold, and the dust was turning to muck. I was going to get filthy dirty and soaked! I bribed myself with the promise of a warm motel room, hot shower, and delicious meal of prime rib or tamales plus all that good TexMex stuff in Page, Ariz., a 150 miles away.
    I put on gloves and I got down on my knees in muck, popped the hub cap off, and put the wrench on the first lug nut. The wrench is a four headed one, the type I need, shaped like a cross. It can be gripped with one hand on each side of the middle, so I can exert much more pressure on the nut than with the straight one-headed wrench that came with the truck. A groan and a screech from the nut; it turned! I try each, they turn. This is doable; I can change the tire.
    I found the place under the frame to put the jack, inserted the jack handle and turned it. The truck was rising. Now, could I retrieve the spare? The spare on a Ford F-150 is up under the rear of the bed. The jack handle needs to be threaded through a funnel-like thing by the license plate, then into a slot, and rotated so a cable lowers the tire. To complicate the issue, I have my bicycle on a rack (hitchpacker) which sticks out about 2-3 feet from the bumper, so I get back down in the muck under the rack and bumper as it rains to do the threading. It worked and I lug the spare tire up to the front of the truck as the rain drips from my hood down over my glasses.  The truck needs to be raised and I do it.
    I expect the spare to be really heavy and tough to align with the bolts, but low and behold, it slips right on! I got it made, I put the nuts on the lugs, lower the truck with the jack, tighten the nuts and stow the flat tire on the hitchpacker. A great time for an ACB, but I’m driving.
    I’m filthy, red mud covering my jeans and arms, but I did it!!! The rain has subsided. I clean up a little and I’m back on the road, thinking of a hot bath and delicious meal. While dealing with the flat I questioned doing southern Utah’s NoWhereLands and the road to Bull Frog.  As I drove I heard a weather forecast. It contained all those 4 letter words: including 12 inches of snow! My thoughts were escape to OC, the beach... and steamed crabs!
    Hope to see you in a warm place this winter as I meander through Florida, Texas, Arizona, & southern Utah and places in between. If not, see you back here next Spring. Thanks Brenda, and all of you, and Boo to you , too!!!