After a string of Trida disasters, we tempted fate once again and organised another attempt to negotiate a catastrophe free weekend at Radiator Springs, and hopefully rid the jinx cloud hanging over it’s head. Will the Curse of Cripple Creek claim more victims (actually the same victim’s repeatedly over and over and over)
Steve, George and Ross headed up on Friday morning, Ross towing the Taj Panda; George and Steve in the Bronco. Barb, Grace and Poo Poo Head were to come up on Saturday. Everything was set for a weekend of fun …….. or fear !!!
The Taj Panda was nervously set up in the same spot as September, the last fateful trip. There was nervous tension in the air along with deathly quiet. There was an eerie feeling as the Panda wheel slowly and deliberately dropped into the same levelling hole that was originally dug for the last trip that ended so badly. For the first time since the “weekend that is not spoken of”, the full extent of September’s muddy ruts that were created by and subsequently claimed the bogged Patrol and Panda were still clearly visible 6 months later.
Chin up we say, no point living in the past we say …. onward to brighter horizons.
After a quick drive around in the Bronco a sad realisation was made … it became clear that Yum Yum had been “Cow Napped”; He’d been duffed by a Duffer!!! (look that up in Wikipedia!!!!)
After a brief period of mourning over Yum Yum, we set about clearing the tree of the access tacks and testing Steve’s theory of blackberry removal. Using a grapple and the car to literally pull the blackberries in bulk from behind to create a clear to access to roots proved successful to point. Everything worked pretty much to theory …. except the only thing that wasn’t upto the task; the rope. The theory was right in any regard.
After a lot of high 5’s and back slappin, the intrepid campers gathered some firewood and headed back to camp. The camp shower that was set up behind the Panda and was a welcome blessing enjoyed by all, except one nameless (and slightly stinky) camper. We cooking a BBQ and settled down to a chat and drink by the fire staying up wind of Mr Stinky. All lamented that camping’s pretty good. The cloudless sky again produced another magnificent display of stars not visible amongst the bright lights of the city at home.
Barb, Grace and Poo Poo Head arrived Saturday to another great day. As the day progressed the tracks were graded and cleared, a section of blackberries test poisoned and it was starting to look like just maybe the jinx was finally broken.
Another night by the fire and clear skies over night, we headed home Sunday morning …. jinx broken.
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