The backhoe adventure

Well, the project now has a backhoe. It will really come in handy. There are so many tasks that require digging or lifting. We have the excavator but it is so big and slow, it sometimes takes a day just to move it from one spot to the next. And some of the digging jobs are too small to use the excavator on. So, the backhoe will be a great addition to our collection of equipment.
 
And now the report on the adventure:
 
I bought the backhoe from the father of a friend. The backhoe was in the back yard of his house in Pollack Pines. So, I needed to rent a truck, load the backhoe onto his trailer, load the spare wheel with tire and spare buckets into the truck and then haul it all over 300 miles.
Kenny showed up at my place at about 8:00 AM on Friday and we headed to the rental place in Rancho Cordova. We got the truck, drove to Pollock Pines and then loaded everything up pretty much problem free.
 
We left Pollock Pines around 3:00 pm with the plan of using Hwy 49 to get from Hwy 50 to I 80 and then taking I 80. We did not get 10 miles away from our starting point before we blew a tire on the trailer. We had a spare. But, this trailer now had 10 Tons of tractor sitting on it. There was no way the jack for the rental truck was going to do any good. But, using my "McGuiver" skills, I actually managed to change the tire. Then, we had to detour to Placerville to buy a new tire to replace the blown one. I just knew that if we did not have a spare, we would need it.
 
Once we had the new spare, we found Hwy 49 and started. Or tried to start. We were at a stop light and made a right hand turn onto Hwy 49 which at that point was a very steep hill. The truck would not go over a couple miles an hour. You could have easily got out and walked up the hill faster than the truck. On top of that, I had about 10 cars behind me that had made that same turn. I was not a very popular guy at that moment.
 
It seems that the truck I rented was adequate in tonnage for towing the backhoe but it was not up to the task with the small horsepower engine in it. So, there we were, 3 hours used in loading everything, a hour used in changing the tire, $114.00 spent on the new tire and a weak truck. In judging my options, I imagined us trying to use I 80 to cross the Sierras. I saw us doing five miles an hour, in the emergency lane, for hours. Sure as heck, sooner or later, a CHP would see us, pull us over and that would be the end of the trip. They would have the truck and trailer towed somewhere and then I would be in a real fix.
 
So, I decided to go around the mountains. Hwy 49 goes north, through the foothills and along the Yuba River. Through a few connections and turns, you can get to Hwy 70, to Hwy 395 and then to Susanville. Well, at least that is what the map says. What the map doesn't tell you is that you have to travel the length of the longest canyon I have ever been in. Constantly going up hill or downhill while navigating one hairpin turn after another. All of this while pulling the trailer and 10 tons of tractor. I drove up the hills with my foot to the floor on the gas, I went down the hills with the transmission in low gears and my foot on the brakes. Oh how we became familiar with the smell of burning brakes.
 
The next thrill was that with all of the gas being used on the hills, our fuel was getting low before we were near civilization. It was late at night and it was looking like we would have to park at a closed gas station and wait for morning. But, lo and behold, we found a Chevron station that had a 24 hour pump. Thank goodness for credit cards.
 
After that, the trip up there was just tedious. Up and down and around the curves. Then, we finally hit 70 and it was pretty much straight roads the rest of the way. Without major hills. I didn't take the normal 139 route out of Susanville with those monster hills. I took 395 around them.
 
We arrived at the property at 2:30 AM. Knowing that we had to get the truck back to the rental shop, we unloaded the tractor and then laid down for a short nap. Well, the nap was longer than planned. We both passed out and did not wake until 9:30 AM. We jumped in the truck and raced back to Placerville. We had to first drop off the trailer and pick up my truck before returning the rental. I called the rental shop to see if they could stay open a little later than usual so that we could return the truck. Their response was no. Not only no, but they were closing early do to personal considerations. So, I would not be able to return the truck until Monday. And of course, I needed to be at work on Monday. Sheesh. Luckily, the person I purchase the tractor from was able to return the truck for me on Monday.
 
Then, I needed to get Kenny to the train station in Sacramento so he could get back to San Francisco. I dropped him off at about 6:30 PM and then headed back to the property. I pulled into camp at 10:30 PM. I don't think I was awake for more than a half hour after arriving.
 
Long ordeal but the backhoe is there now and after some minor repairs, it will be ready to start work.
 

I'm utterly amazed. Stunned even. I bet you had traffic backed all the way to Pilot Hill when you were going in and out of the American River canyon below Auburn. I'm glad you made it to your property in one piece.

Scott

Dog, I have made one too many trips just like that. Have you ever thought about Hwy 5-99-32-chester-susanville. Straigt shot till you get to Chico. Hwy 32 clibs a bit but nothing like the canyon. Tanker Trucks use it to get fuel to chester and Susanville.

I use that route occasionally, especially in the winter. But, I take 5 up to Red Bluff and then take 36 all the way across to Susanville. I guess I could have done it this trip but I didn't want to back track down to 5. As the saying goes, hindsight is 20 20.