Monday, March 13, 2006
What's a GRAY ROAD?
By definition, the Atlas says that gray roads are: Other roads, conditions may vary; local inquiry suggested. Oddly enough this is the same definition used for unpaved roads!! This is also a very important piece of information we did not possess when leaving Riudoso.
The gray road leaving Riudoso in the general direction of Albuquerque is beautiful; the views are spectacular. Unfortunatly, we were offered this view while going downhill on an 8% grade towing our pickup truck and hauling all our worldly belongings. Not a pretty sight!
By the second big downhill grade, we were forced to pull over and give our smoking brakes, transmission, and tires and chance to cool down. By the third and last set of grades and curves (on THIS road), our brakes gave out completely and we were fortunate enough to be able to pull into the grass in order to get ourselves stopped. I will forever be impressed with Mark's skill and stoic cool-headedness as I squealed all the way down the mountain!
Here is a picture of us setting on the side of an 8% grade while we cool our wheels. Notice how close we came to the end of the berm before running into the mountain? That was how long it took our brakes to get us stopped. I did not have the presence of mind to take a picture at the bottom of the mountain when our brakes quit working and we were forced to hit the grass in order to come to stop. I was too busy being glad we survived!
Long before we reached Moab, we had learned to dread the appearance of the following sign.
The gray road leaving Riudoso in the general direction of Albuquerque is beautiful; the views are spectacular. Unfortunatly, we were offered this view while going downhill on an 8% grade towing our pickup truck and hauling all our worldly belongings. Not a pretty sight!
By the second big downhill grade, we were forced to pull over and give our smoking brakes, transmission, and tires and chance to cool down. By the third and last set of grades and curves (on THIS road), our brakes gave out completely and we were fortunate enough to be able to pull into the grass in order to get ourselves stopped. I will forever be impressed with Mark's skill and stoic cool-headedness as I squealed all the way down the mountain!
Here is a picture of us setting on the side of an 8% grade while we cool our wheels. Notice how close we came to the end of the berm before running into the mountain? That was how long it took our brakes to get us stopped. I did not have the presence of mind to take a picture at the bottom of the mountain when our brakes quit working and we were forced to hit the grass in order to come to stop. I was too busy being glad we survived!
Long before we reached Moab, we had learned to dread the appearance of the following sign.
