Downs and Ups

One of the several factors getting back to Arizona when we did was that BJ and I had a sorta complex pair of river trips scheduled for early October and although we were both trip leaders, we hadn't done any planning while we were enjoying the Alaska trip. We've done the trip many times before so planning was less of a concern, but this time we were doing separate trips targeting the same jet boat date.

When Turk was scheduled for a third surgery, I read the handwriting on the wall and cancelled my trip so that I could be home to take care of Turk while BJ introduced her two annual hiking odyssey girlfriends to our favorite river. I was bummed, but it was the right thing to do.

Shortly after I shared that I was cancelling my trip, a friend called and asked me to join her trip. We've done a lot of trips with Helen including multiple versions of her Friends of Helen trip in January. This year she was planning a 10 day Green River trip doing both Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons a couple weeks ahead of the dates BJ had selected so now I get to go and will be back in time for dog sitting.

The way the logistics work out, I get to use my solo canoe for the first time in 18 months! So now, with less than two weeks to launch, I've developed a menu and I'm starting to do some trial packing. Meanwhile, Turk seems to be healing very well!

Another Tire Update

In early April I wrote a post about trying to find a matching tire for a fresh spare preceding our Alaska trip. This post assumes you've already read the previous post. We headed northbound with 7,790 miles on the Maxxis tires and a brand new Kumho of the same size and ratings for a spare.

On the way home, while in Stewart, BC I noticed that my curb side Maxxis, with 16,007 miles on it, had apparently blown a ply and was now out of round. I noted the problem because of increased tread wear in a couple spots on the tire that happened to end up in a position where I could see it. No telling how long I'd run the tire that way.

I'd been watching some outer shoulder wear that suggested I'd need to find someone to align the axle at some point, but tread wear had been good to that point. I put on the Kumho spare and pulled the Maxxis with the idea that I'd talk to my Discount Tire dealer when I got home.

When we got to Nampa, ID, a guy on the freeway flagged me over and told me that my street-side tire had a "bad wobble." There was a Discount Tire at that exit and when we pulled the tire it had a knot the size of a large orange on the inside sidewall.  It had 17,667 miles on it at this point. (And I didn't get a picture!)

Note that while both Maxxis failed, neither failed catastrophically which is a huge improvement on some of the ST stories I've heard.

I told the Nampa Discount Tire manager I wanted to install either replacement Maxxis or Kumho 857 tires. He couldn't get the Maxxis and the Kumho was on national backorder. I asked about 15" tires with similar outside diameter and ratings and he found Continental Vanco tires in a 215/70R15 size that had nearly matching specs, but it was going to take a week to get them.  His only timely solution was to install Goodyear HMG2020 tires that are custom built for U-Haul.

They are the same 205/75-14 size, nearly an inch smaller diameter, bias ply, D rated with a lower 2,039 pound / 63 mph rating. They are built in Canada. The sidewall states they are property of U-Haul, not for resale but they appear to be widely available.

We called my local Discount Tire manager who agreed to buy them back from me when I got home as long as I ordered the Continentals through him! 

I've always been picky about my tire diameter because I only had 1/2" clearance between the rear canoe rack and the top of the garage door. By going to the 15" Continental tire I can maintain the clearance but have more options for emergency replacement tires if needed. This tire is engineered in Germany and built in the Czech Republic. It carries a 109 'S' rating which gives it 2,271 pounds and a speed rating in excess of 100 mph.

Since the Continentals (right) are exactly the same diameter as my Kumho spare (which now has 1660 miles, left) I'm going to keep the 14" Kumho spare and run the 15" Continentals on the ground

just as soon as I get the bearings changed since at least one is starting to fail.

Changes

It's been a bit surprising to see how much has changed around here in the four plus months that we were gone. The Mexican lime tree, although it was pruned before we left, decided to send suckers to the sky. What hasn't changed is the monsoon storms and the Arizona heat! Our daughter and her fiance did a wonderful job keeping the landscaping in check.

I was really surprised to see bumper crops on the lemon, Mexican lime, and orange trees. Still green of course, but looking really good. Usually one or two of the trees decide to bear but it looks like it will be all three this year.

As we drove around town, we were surprised at the number of new businesses that have just opened or that are advertising openings in the near future. You leave town for a while and the world changes.

Turk's situation continues changing. He's scheduled for his third surgery tomorrow although we're hoping that this one will not be as involved as the first two. Still trying to get his incision healed.