Lynne Champlin
For 30 years, Philip and I have belonged to a hunting club up in Mendocino County. We, and 11 other families have had hunting and fishing rights on a 16,000-acre ranch. I used to go up with Philip for many years but for the last 10 years, Philip has usually gone up with his hunting buddy, Larry Wolfe, or our son, Chris.
The property is beautiful, but rugged. Logging roads criss-cross the ranch for access by four-wheel-drive vehicles. Wildlife is everywhere. Deer, pig, mountain lion, bear, bobcat, fox and coyote can appear around any bend in the road. We see lots of turkey, grouse, pigeon and quail too. We often have had fresh venison, pork and turkey on our table.
Philip decided that it was finally time to retire from hunting this year. He wanted to go up to the ranch one last time just for old time’s sake. On a recent Monday morning, he and Larry packed up our veteran Jeep and headed for the hills. The drive takes about five hours from Napa to the camp, which is located off Highway 101 near the Humboldt County line. After turning off the highway there is still a drive of about 15 miles of mountain road with an elevation of about 4,000 feet.
Philip called me that evening on his cellphone to tell me that they had arrived safely and were alone on the property. They had driven over some pretty rugged trails looking for wild pigs that afternoon, but didn’t see any and planned to go out early the next morning. Cellphone service is limited to just a few areas on the ranch.
About seven the next morning he called and his first words sounded normal, friendly and happy. “Good morning,” he started, but then he said, “We have a problem, Houston.”
They had gone out early looking for pigs and the Jeep died and wouldn’t start. They were about six miles from camp. The car would start up after a few minutes and then die again. He didn’t trust it to get them back to camp, let alone back to Napa. I thought maybe the Jeep had decided to retire too.
He wondered if our son, Chris, would come up and bring the tow bar off our motor home to tow the Jeep home. This was a heads-up, and he was going to call Chris in Rocklin. I immediately thought that Chris would have to drive to Napa to pick up the tow bar, thus adding another hour to their rescue.
I had a friend, Sue, staying with me. We were going to work on a special project, which now seemed to be put on the back burner. I said to Sue, “Let’s go out to the motor home and see if we can wrestle the tow bar off the motor home.”
First, I had to find the key that would unlock it from its steel holder. Next, I disconnected all the safety cords and the electrical extension for the car brake lights. I then had a clear view of the tow bar attached to the rear of the motor home. There was a rubber cover to protect the key hole from the dirt, which I removed. The key fit perfectly and I unlocked it. Pulling the heavy tow bar out of its holder was the hardest part. I wiggled it, tapped it with a hammer and finally gave it a big tug with Sue’s help. It finally came loose and we pulled it out. I certainly could not have done it alone.
We collected all the extra parts, cords, key, WD 40, and hammer and put them into a box to take with us.
After successfully removing the tow bar, I decided that Sue and I could make the trip up to the ranch ourselves. I called Chris and surprised him by saying, “We can do it,” and save a little time. I thanked him as he is always willing to help us. We got ready, packed lunches and water, got the box of parts and tools and carried the heavy tow bar to the back of the Tahoe. That was a real challenge.
I knew that Sue was a good driver. We had ridden with her before when she picked us up late one night at the airport. She was careful, confident and didn’t take any guff from those truckers when they tried to bully her. I asked if she would like to share the driving since it was a long trip and she agreed. We roared out of the driveway heading for the wilds of Mendocino County.
For the next four hours, we checked in with the boys a few times by cellphone to coordinate which ranch gate we would use. We stopped at Laytonville to fill up with gas and I took over the driving.
At Bell Springs Road, I turned off the highway to the dirt road. I was familiar with the many twists and turns, and I knew this old road was used by local residents and heavy ranch and road equipment trucks. Everyone thinks they own the road up there as there isn’t much traffic, except when you meet someone coming around a blind curve. At about 1 p.m. I pulled up to our destination, “the mail box gate.”
We were happy to spot the boys waiting in the shade in a borrowed ATV (all-terrain vehicle). They had been able to open the gate after getting the new combination. The combination they had given me had been changed recently. That would have been a major problem for us getting into the ranch. Once on the ranch, we drove another six miles to the hunting club camp where the Jeep was parked. Fortunately, they had managed to get the car back to camp.
We were happy to have a real bathroom and the good lunch that Larry had made for us. So we enjoyed relaxing in the cool cabin with our BLTs, chips, and soft drinks. The boys connected the cars. I was happy nothing was missing in the box that they might have needed. We packed up the cars with loads of gear making sure there was room for the four of us. They turned off the propane and water, closed the bear-proof wood door and locked up the cabin. About an hour later, we were heading home back over those dirt roads again with the sick Jeep in tow.
It took us longer to get back to Napa as the towing speed is 55 mph but we made it. Philip learned later that the Jeep’s computer (the “brain” of the Jeep) had died. Fortunately a new one can be installed, and soon it will be back on the road. But, no more hunting trips off road for Philip or the Jeep.
Philip and Larry sang our praises and thanked us many times for coming through as well as we did. We had dinner on our back porch and toasted our success with Volker Eisele Wine as we were very tired but happy to be back in Napa.
Sue really enjoyed the trip. It was the most excitement she has had in the past few months of being home during the virus. She was all smiles the whole time, terrific help, and a very good sport. If I had thought about it, I should have worn my “We Can Do It” red T- shirt because we took on the challenge and “did it.”
Looking back, I was happy that I had been helping Philip attach and disconnect our Jeep for 20 years. I was familiar with all the pieces and wasn’t afraid to try. We have always been a good team, which is important when motor home camping.
The boys have promised us a night out at our favorite restaurant in Napa. We think that will be a nice treat and a great thank-you.
We sincerely hope to have smooth travels from now on. This rescue business is exhausting.
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