2010 - IDNVCA - Last years, open roads, good people and amazing clouds

I love exploring and we all know that life is about the journey.

So what could be better than a trip through the wild west.

But, let me start from the beginning.


I have an obsession with "last year" machines.

Usually, my interest starts with a simple introduction, like someone saying something to the tune of, "that was the last year they made ______!" From there I learn more, read a bunch, make some calls, and get a hold of one.

For instance, I grabbed a stock 1986 CJ7 Jeep with the I6 Engine, 4x4 and the manual T5 transmission. This machine was special because it was the last year AMC owned Jeep and the last year they made the fantastic CJ model. I reasoned that these facts made it the best CJ and that made it worth owning.

Sounds crazy, but makes total sense to me.

More recently, I was introduced to another "last year" machine. The somewhat famous 5.9 liter, 12 valve Cummins Turbo Diesel engine. This beast of an engine was put into full-size Dodge pickups starting in 1989 and continued through the first half of 1998, when they switched to the more modern 24 valve, and did away with the mechanical injection system.
Arguably, the 12 valve engine is one of the best Diesel Engines ever put in a production vehicle. It is commonly known as the "million mile" engine and a simple search will reveal plenty of examples of 12 valve CTDs with 300,000, 600,000, 900,000+ miles on them. Not only is the engine incredibly reliable, it can also tow impressive loads all the while maintaining reasonable mpg (almost double the gasoline version).

Sometimes, this "last year" property will give a machine collector status, which makes it rare and can substantially increase the value. As I found out, in the case of the 12 valve Cummins, the rarity multiplies because the truck is so reliable that owners hang on to them forever.

I searched for months for a 1997 Dodge Ram 2500 SLT, 4x4, Long bed, Extended Cab, 5 speed manual with low miles. I was very specific and very patient. I even test drove 4 different 12 valve trucks without finding the right one.

Last month, I found the perfect 12 valve and it was all the way up in Emmett, Idaho. A rancher was selling his "baby" after 14 years of well-maintained, garaged ownership and I had to have it. With 112,900 miles, this truck was "like new."

Again, this all sounds crazy, but seemed very reasonable at the time.

So, I flew to Idaho, arranged a meeting at the Boise airport, took the truck for a spin and made the purchase. It was a no-brainer. The truck was simply perfect.

1997 Dodge 2500 CTD


Now back to the journey...

The best part about this whole crazy purchase, was that I had over 1000 miles of the most magnificent country to cruise back home to Los Angeles.

The evening I bought the truck, I headed to McCall, ID, where good friends Sonya and Garrett live with their daughter Lauren.

This took me 100 miles north of Boise, up highway 55, along the Payette River.


The Payette river was near record levels and was absolutely raging.


McCall is a beautiful little town with a large lake and plenty of fun, outdoor opportunities. It quickly landed near the top of my list of "Move here to get away from the insanity."


Garrett and Sonya live on 5 acres outside of town and it is beautiful.



I spent the night here and in the morning had coffee and made princess puzzles with Lauren.


I made it back to Boise that morning, had Big-O put some new BFG tires on the Dodge and was on my merry way.

I love Idaho. The clouds here seem fluffier and the stretches of roads allowed time to watch the shapes change from monkey to snail.



I spent the day cruising through southern Idaho, crossed into Nevada and made it 40 miles south of Battle Mountain. It was just around midnight when I almost hit a large antelope and decided it was time for bed. The stupid animal ran directly at the headlights and missed me by 6 inches the moment I came to a skidding stop. Wakey wakey!

I pulled off the main highway and drove into the dark, dusty hills without any plan. 4 wheel drive saved me in a sand wash and pushed me across two streams. 4 miles later, I found the first flat spot and tried to sleep. Surprisingly, there is no good place to sleep in that big Dodge and 50 mph gusts kept me out of the bed.

The next morning, I woke to see where I'd landed.


All the necessary proof that Nevada is amazing too.

I took a morning jog, washed my face and was back on the road by 8am.

The Dodge still had the factory Tape Deck and I had managed to find a few tapes at a pawn shop in Boise. My meager collection was lacking, but just enough to get me by.

In all, I listened to the Dire Straits cassette for about 15 hours.

Two hours later, I made it to highway 50. The so called Loneliest Road in America.

And in reality, it is really out there, but not so lonely.

A short up-hill climb from the 305/50 intersection is the old western mining town of Austin and the first thing you'll see is the castle tower on the hill.



Austin is a great little town with some great history.




I stopped into this Serbian International Cafe for some breakfast.



And let me tell you, coffee served with a warm smile is the only way to start the day.


I like to stick with basic meals on the road. Bacon, eggs and hash-browns seem to keep all my systems happy and quiet.



There was a bar in the next room so I stopped in to see what was going on.

It was June 12th - USA vs ENGLAND World Cup madness was on and noon was just around the corner, so i figured a shot a whiskey would get the barkeep talking.


And she was very nice.

In Austin, there's a little something for everyone.
I never asked the owner about the sawzall, but I can only assume it was for my protection. The impressive bar back came from England via train and stagecoach in the late 1800's.

There was a good guy watching the game at the end of the bar. He was riding his bicycle back and forth across the US.

He was on day 7 of five months.

He shared some great home-made shrimp salsa that I can still taste.


I'll remember his name someday.

The Austin locals were more than friendly and welcoming.

After wandering around town and through a handful of antique shops, I was back on the road.

The Dodge has a 35 gallon tank, and I was averaging 21 mpg. That's just over 700 miles per tank. And in Nevada, that's just enough to get you from gas station A to gas station B.

Just hope that gas station B doesn't look like this burned out truck stop 30 miles west of Tonopah, NV.

This place gave me the creeps, but was worth poking around.











I continued on down highway 6 to the 773.

Now this is a lonely place.

Another 100 miles or so south, I crossed into California and onto highway 168.

It must be said that highway 168 is one of the most amazing roads that I have ever had the pleasure of driving. The pavement winds up for 20+ miles and then drops down into an isolated valley that just took my breath away.


The asphalt shot straight across the valley and twisted back up over the mountains on the other side.

When i crested the top, the canyon broke to reveal the magnificent Eastern Sierra Mountains, just south of Mount Whitney.

AWESOME!

I parked on a ridge and was witness to a gorgeous Sierra sunset. 30 minutes that I will never forget.

And yes, California is absolutely stunning.

If you find yourself on highway 168, take a deep breath, throw on some good music and enjoy the best that mother nature has to offer.


After the sun dropped behind the peaks, I put the camera away and pushed on to Los Angeles without stopping, arriving in my driveway around 11pm.

It was a great 3 day adventure.

The truck performed as expected. Reliable, smooth and loud as hell.


Oh yes, one more thing...

Clowns are scary.

But clown motels are like the worst nightmare I can imagine.