Getting My Subaru
Chapter 7
Just off the freeway was a truck
stop and I pulled in. I went inside and asked if there was a mechanic on
site. There wasn't but one was on call and they put in a call for me. He should
be there within 30 minutes. I walked around the store then went back to my
car. I went back to the store then back to the car. After an hour and a half
I gave up. I asked to see a phone book and found that there was a Subaru
dealer in town. I got directions and it was only about two miles away. When
I arrived I explained the check engine light to the service manager. I was
surprised when he recommended continuing on. He stated that if the car was
running well it was likely not a serious problem. I took his advice and hit
the road again. The light went off and on many times on my drive home but
the car ran fine. When I had it checked at home it was a misfire in one cylinder
but not a major problem. Still it was one more thing for me to worry about
on the rest of the trip.
I was not happy with the delay and had no idea now
as to how far I would be able to make it that day. I had hoped for Twin Falls,
Idaho but began to think in terms of Evanston in the far southwest corner
of Wyoming. I stopped again for gas in Rock Springs as the daylight was
rapidly receding. It was just about dark when I drove by Evanston. There
was more snow here than anywhere else on the trip. I still felt good so
I kept on going. From Wyoming I dropped into the northeast corner of Utah.
The highway split with I-80 continuing into Salt Lake City and I-84 dropping
down to Ogden, to the north of Salt Lake City. It was dark in Ogden but I
had real traffic for the first time since Indianapolis. At that point I determined
that I would continue on to Twin Falls regardless of what time I arrived.
At 8:30 pm I pulled into another Motel 6 in Twin Falls. Even with my late
start and a long wait in Laramie, I still covered 725 miles for the day.
I started early on Saturday morning but I was shocked
to see the difference since the night before. The whole Snake River valley
was covered by the thickest pea soup fog I have ever encountered. The speed
limit was 65, I believe, but I could not go over 55 with such limited visibility.
I crawled along wondering how long this could last. I rose above the fog
for a short while then descended back into it. The farther I went the worse
it became. As I dropped down to Boise it looked like snow. Everything was
covered by a thick coating of white ice. The trees, the homes, fences, and....
the roadway. I coasted down at 50 mph while cars whizzed by at 70+. Visibility
was no more than 25 feet making it hard to see anything ahead. The Subaru
did great in these conditions while the driver did less well. At the other
end of Boise the road was completely white. It was 17 degrees according
to one sign. The freeway narrowed to one lane as a big multi-car accident
closed the rest. I suspect some of the speedsters I had been passed by were
in that mess. I continued towards the Oregon border and the fog did not
let up a bit.
By the time I crossed into Oregon I had driven 165
miles in pea soup fog. This was the most nerve wracking driving I have ever
done. Most of it was on icy roadway. I had expected the fog to go away when
I climbed out of the Snake River Valley. No such luck. It continued for
mile after mile. Finally as I neared Baker, Oregon it lifted. I had spent
more than 4 hours and 200 miles in an icy hell with no visibility. When the
skies cleared I sped back up to 70 mph. I have lived in Seattle all my life.
After 25 years of driving this was only the second time I had driven in
Oregon. At first I forgot about the lack of self service at gas stations.
A helpful attendant set me straight. It was cold enough I didn't mind sitting
in a warm car. The last bit of fun was the Pendleton Hill. The fog came
back at the top and it was a little icy with minimal visibility. After the
morning I had already had a steep icy hill was not what I needed. After
that it was a breeze. I had one more gas stop near Ellensburg, Washington
and then a straight shot back to Seattle. As it turned out I had a little
more of an adventure than I had planned on.