Ever had one of them days?

Woodcarver

Bronze supporter
AH elite
Joined
Dec 23, 2020
Messages
1,475
Reaction score
6,803
Location
Colorado
Media
16
Member of
NRA Benefactor Life, Ducks Unlimited Life, RMEF Life, NAHC Life
Hunted
USA (CO, KS, TX, WA, AZ, TN), Alberta, Canada
Well, that was the shortest hunting trip that didn't include hunting I've ever suffered. As I went past the Monarch Lodge in Garfield yesterday on my way to elk camp, I smelled a bit of wood smoke; bluebird clear skies, no visible fires. As I went past the ski resort, the smell was getting stronger; thought maybe one of the cars in front of me was causing it, until I passed them. As I was approaching the last S turn leading to the summit of the pass, the smell was quite strong. No visible smoke, no change in the gauges, but there's a need to see where that smell is coming from. So I pulled into the parking lot at Monarch Crest and off to the side of what's been snowplowed.
As I exited the truck, I could see smoke wisping from the wheel well. Crap. Popped the hood and had smoke rolling. Except for the smell, it looked like what an overheated engine blowing steam looks like. After the initial billow blew off, I could see the smoke coming up from behind the motor out of the firewall liner. Thankfully, I had a fire extinguisher in the trailer. Dug it out and applied my own cloud of really nasty tasting yellow dust. Old extinguisher, but it still worked!
Somehow the bolts for the exhaust manifold for the rear most port were gone. The hot gas from the gap directed at the liner from 2"-3" away were enough to set the liner smoldering. The extinguisher kept it from being a really bad day. Much PITA and some $$ later, the truck is at a repair shop waiting to be diagnosed, and the trailer and I are back at home.
The only real positive of the day, besides my truck not burning up, was I contacted the Salida office of DOW and they stayed open a little extra to give me time to get there and swap my 2nd season elk tag for a 3rd season tag. Unfortunately, my deer tag couldn't be returned to keep my point, or exchanged for the 3rd season. But at least I'll have another chance! (for hunting, not burning a vehicle)
Hunting is always an adventure; this kind of adventure I could do without....
 
Ouch! Hopefully that’s a cheap fix and a great third season elk!!!
 
Very sorry to hear this, but at least you'll get to hunt this year. A number of years ago, my father in laws '95 Ford F250 w/a 460, caught fire on top of the engine on the way up to our camp. He was running propane in addition to gas and had the propane on for fuel at the time. Something happened with the propane pressure valve at the engine and it subsequently scored the pistons in addition to the fire. Engine was toast and he didn't make it up hunting. Sh** happens sometimes.
 
Very sorry to hear this, but at least you'll get to hunt this year. A number of years ago, my father in laws '95 Ford F250 w/a 460, caught fire on top of the engine on the way up to our camp. He was running propane in addition to gas and had the propane on for fuel at the time. Something happened with the propane pressure valve at the engine and it subsequently scored the pistons in addition to the fire. Engine was toast and he didn't make it up hunting. Sh** happens sometimes.
Yeah, I've seen the results of a propane fuel fire, not pretty.
Hopefully the 2nd drive to camp goes a bit better than the 1st, lol. This was a perfect example for Sh!t Happens. Should know Monday if this sh!t is expensive, or just one appendage.
 
Glad you made the save before it really went bad.
Good luck in the next season.
 
That sucks! Sounds like it could have been much worse….Glad you been lugging that old extinguisher around with you! Plus the Tag redemption…
 
Told my son this afternoon that when I went out to unhitch and take care of the groceries, I was looking at the truck and thinking, "All I need is to refill the water jugs, all my stuff's loaded. The half-ton pulls the trailer ok. I should go fill that buck tag". Then I decided to not tempt Murphy, lol.
 
Aw maaaan! Well maybe the elk you find 3rd season will be a Boone and you would have never seen him otherwise. ;)

Hey you never know, right? Better luck next trip!
 
Sounds like a PITA, but it could of been a lot worse. Hopefully you're able to fill that elk tag. Good luck.
Bruce
 
Another rather odd silver lining to this cancellation of my hunt. I had just finished bluing a couple blades when the phone rang; a friend calling. When I asked how it was going, the answer wasn't the usual banter. His voice was strained as he told me he was pinned under a propane tank on the north side of his house. He told me the gate was locked, so I had to cut the fence to get in.
He's 70, but in great shape except for the hip he's getting replaced in March. Very active and always got something going. When I found him, he was face down with a full 100lb propane bottle laying across his lower legs. Sprinkler was on (he had gone out there to move it) dousing him as he lay in the mud. A hole in the hose under him was spraying a constant stream into his belly. He was soaked thoroughly. With his hip, he could not get a leg pulled out to push the bottle off himself. His wife was in town and normally wouldn't have been home for several hours.
Something had tripped him up with his bum hip, and I suspect he had instinctively grabbed at the tank as he went down, causing it to fall on him. Normally he would not have had his phone with him, but he was waiting on his hip doc to call. He was in the shade with 54* well water soaking him, and air temps headed to the low 30s, hypothermia could have easily taken another victim if he hadn't called me, and I was home to answer. Now I'm glad my hunt got cancelled.
 
Another rather odd silver lining to this cancellation of my hunt. I had just finished bluing a couple blades when the phone rang; a friend calling. When I asked how it was going, the answer wasn't the usual banter. His voice was strained as he told me he was pinned under a propane tank on the north side of his house. He told me the gate was locked, so I had to cut the fence to get in.
He's 70, but in great shape except for the hip he's getting replaced in March. Very active and always got something going. When I found him, he was face down with a full 100lb propane bottle laying across his lower legs. Sprinkler was on (he had gone out there to move it) dousing him as he lay in the mud. A hole in the hose under him was spraying a constant stream into his belly. He was soaked thoroughly. With his hip, he could not get a leg pulled out to push the bottle off himself. His wife was in town and normally wouldn't have been home for several hours.
Something had tripped him up with his bum hip, and I suspect he had instinctively grabbed at the tank as he went down, causing it to fall on him. Normally he would not have had his phone with him, but he was waiting on his hip doc to call. He was in the shade with 54* well water soaking him, and air temps headed to the low 30s, hypothermia could have easily taken another victim if he hadn't called me, and I was home to answer. Now I'm glad my hunt got cancelled.
Silver lining indeed! Glad you were able to help him!
 
Another rather odd silver lining to this cancellation of my hunt. I had just finished bluing a couple blades when the phone rang; a friend calling. When I asked how it was going, the answer wasn't the usual banter. His voice was strained as he told me he was pinned under a propane tank on the north side of his house. He told me the gate was locked, so I had to cut the fence to get in.
He's 70, but in great shape except for the hip he's getting replaced in March. Very active and always got something going. When I found him, he was face down with a full 100lb propane bottle laying across his lower legs. Sprinkler was on (he had gone out there to move it) dousing him as he lay in the mud. A hole in the hose under him was spraying a constant stream into his belly. He was soaked thoroughly. With his hip, he could not get a leg pulled out to push the bottle off himself. His wife was in town and normally wouldn't have been home for several hours.
Something had tripped him up with his bum hip, and I suspect he had instinctively grabbed at the tank as he went down, causing it to fall on him. Normally he would not have had his phone with him, but he was waiting on his hip doc to call. He was in the shade with 54* well water soaking him, and air temps headed to the low 30s, hypothermia could have easily taken another victim if he hadn't called me, and I was home to answer. Now I'm glad my hunt got cancelled.
Wow! I guess some things are just meant to be.
 
Wow! You never know what God has in the plans for us. What a blessing that you were there.

So, is it too much to ask that the same divine guidance that had you available to help, also bump a nice elk in your direction?
 

Forum statistics

Threads
53,632
Messages
1,131,590
Members
92,708
Latest member
KristineGr
 

 

 

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

Early morning Impala hunt, previous link was wrong video

Headshot on jackal this morning

Mature Eland Bull taken in Tanzania, at 100 yards, with 375 H&H, 300gr, Federal Premium Expanding bullet.

20231012_145809~2.jpg
 
Top