After my night at Mesa Spirit RV Resort, I returned to Desert Autoplex and both Flo and Bart got baths. Then, I entered Payson, Arizona in Google Maps on my iPhone and set out.
It was only 75 miles and 10 gallons of gas north of Phoenix.
Along the way, I noticed mile marker 234 on Arizona route 87. Dad and I played a little game – well, I played it and he humored me – that whenever consecutive numbers would show up, like at 12:34, I’d say, “Hey, Dad! That’s good luck!”
So, when I noticed that mile marker, I said out loud, “I wish you were here, Dad.”
As plain as day, I heard the response, “I’m always with you.”
Boy, did I need him today!
I stopped in at the forestry office and spoke to a very helpful woman who identified some dispersed camping areas (i.e. “free”) and I went to investigate. I got a ways down the road she marked on the map and didn’t see anything that looked really good. I decided that these spots didn’t feel right. I always honor those sorts of feelings, so I managed to get turned around and back out to the main road. I had seen Ponderosa Campground about a mile back, and I knew they had sites available – I checked the campground info before I left Mesa – and I figured paying for a campsite seemed like a good idea.
I circled the campground a bit and finally found a site that looked big enough and was a pull-through.
In theory, it was big enough. I pulled in and was just about to pull around the curve, when I got the strong urge to stop and check. I got out and saw that my trailer tire was about an inch from getting hung up on a stump. I backed up, All looked clear, but I had another strong urge to stop and check.
I shifted into park, got out and saw that I was right against a smaller tree that was obscured by a large tree.
I swear I almost got sick. This is the same side I just got fixed!
I made myself stop and think. I walked around and looked at the lay of the land. With the tight turn of the site, I was really stuck. I decided to call AAA. I got through right away and explained the situation. They weren’t phased in the least. “So, you need an extraction?” I allowed as how I did.
They set me up with a service call, and I proceeded to wait.
In the meantime, the campground host, Don, came over to see if he could help. We tossed around ideas about what to do. Then another camper came by to get in on the fun. More ideas. More waiting.
Finally, Tom, my knight in shining armor arrived.
He didn’t have any immediate ideas, so I shared the ideas we had come up with. He like the idea of using his winch to pull the tree away from the trailer and then having me drive out. Don was game to help direct, so there were plenty of eyes on the truck, trailer and all of the trees.
He got the winch ready to go.
He pulled the cable over to the tree.
He got a strap looped around the tree and hooked to the cable.
And he pulled the tree away from the trailer!
With Tom and Don directing and watching what I couldn’t see, we finally waltzed Flo out of the campsite.
Damage? What damage?
Actually, if you look very carefully, right above the “S” you can see a slight wrinkle in the band.
I’ll take it!
Then, Don helped me get into a site that was easy to get into – and will be easy to get out of.
I am sure that Dad was there with me. How else would I have known to stop when I was about to run into a stump? How would I have known to stop when I snugged the trailer up against the tree?
With all the good people in the world to help when I need it and Dad watching out for me, I have nothing to fear!