![\"Missisippi\"](\"http:\/\/autoramblings.com\/sportsmobile\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Missisippi.png\" "\\"Missisippi\\"")
<\/a>![\"california](\"http:\/\/autoramblings.com\/sportsmobile\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/california-1.png\" "\\"california")
<\/a><\/p>\nJune 7th through June 11th 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n In early February, Sportsmobile forum members Marc & Christine (alias Twogone on the site) were in the midst of planning a trip from their home base of Taylor Mississippi to sunny California. If you?ve ever lurked on the forum you may have seen some of the videos Christine has put together featuring a few escapades of their travels throughout the US. IMO they are TV worthy and all my friends and coworkers look forward to her next Hollywood handiwork. I was sure the west coast trip video would be another hit. The trip was looking to be a route through several mid and southern states ending somewhere along California?s lower coastal region that Marc dubbed ?The Six Week Great West Tour???<\/em>. In scheduling such a long road trip, there would be plenty of America to delve into. One of the highlights of their trip would be a white water rafting trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Even though the Grand Canyon alone would fill much of an adventurer?s plate, most folks would also want to get in the most of what the lower 48?s southwestern states had to offer. I know that I would.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CQ-CQ-CQ<\/strong><\/p>\n Reaching out to forum members, Marc posted their tentative stops while also asking for any advice on some of the unique areas to visit on the journey westward. As usual there were numerous suggestions from the group including a few spots out west that I?d visited in the past. Of course with Yosemite being a common destination for those visiting California, I wondered if it was on their itinerary. I got the word that neither of them had been to the park and it sounded to me like they both showed some interest in seeing California?s little gem.<\/p>\n Yosemite<\/b><\/p>\n A few weeks later, Marc E-mailed me stating that Yosemite was now on their list and asked if I wanted to join them for a couple of days in or around the park. He also said they both wanted to meet an acquaintance from the bay area whom they had developed a friendship with over the last year. Suzann was the fianc?e of one of our forum members who unfortunately had passed away due to a fast oncoming illness in 2012. Jamie, known as Ultrasport12 on the Sportsmobile forum was one of the Administrators and is missed by all the members who knew him. Marc and Christine kept in contact with Suzann during his Illness and got to know her quite well. Although I had never met Jamie or Suzann in person, I was more than willing to meet her and I thought Yosemite would be the perfect spot to do so. <\/p>\n Although the park is somewhat of a tourist trap, it is one of America?s prime destinations. With the thought of some backcountry travel thrown in, I assumed Marc & Christine would appreciate at least one or two nights away from the crowds. My suggestion was doing the highway 108 loop to Yosemite. Also known as Sonora Pass, highway 108 is one of California?s most beautiful drives and offers much better camping opportunities compared to Tioga Pass which runs through the park. If all went good I could meet M&C up on Sonora Pass for the first couple of nights and then move toward Yosemite within the next day or two and meet up with Suzann. After making camp somewhere around or within Yosemite, we could all spend the next few days exploring the park together, and take in what the lower section of the park had to offer. After that, Marc and Christine could leave out Tioga Pass to see the upper portion of the park on their way out to highway 395 and the LA area. I sent the maps and suggestions to Marc before they had left.<\/p>\n Engine issues<\/b><\/p>\n Well things never quite work out the way you want, and during M&C?s trip out west they ended up having engine problems. Not only were they having trouble, I was hit by multiple issues prior to them making their west coast trip. The complications I had turned into what I called the 10,000 dollar tribulations of 2013. My 6.0?s wiring harness failed, my brakes rotors were toast, and the lousy air conditioner compressor flew apart. As an added precaution on resolving my electrical issues, the fuel injection control module needed to be replaced. It was a pricey scramble to get things in order to make rendezvous to say the least. Marc?s issue was an engine fan intermittently sticking which would plague them through their entire trip. At least I was dealing with the trouble at home. There is nothing worse than being far from home with engine problems. As Marc and Christine left the Grand Canyon all was looking good but that wouldn?t last long. Marc phoned and said it was California or bust?if his fan failed he?d deal with it. I was told every time he was close to a dealership the fan would operate correctly. Myself I was still going through a myriad of problems, most of which I hoped to be resolved as they approached. No matter what, I was gonna meet up with M&C even if it was in a pickup and sleeping in a tent. You just have to try to make sure inconveniences don?t ruin the ambiance of the trip. <\/p>\n There were a couple more problems that could change the trip. Even though they were ahead of schedule, their fan did continue to give them problems. Being that Sonora Pass has a 26% grade and because they were driving into one of the summers warmest heat waves, I was concerned whether or not highway 108 was a good idea. To make things worse, all the campgrounds on Tioga inside the Park had not opened for the season except Tamarack which had been loaned out to a individual group. Only one campground open other than those in the valley and the park service let a private group have it? What dumbass park manager approved that?<\/p>\n A day later Marc called me at work claiming they were in Yosemite desperately trying to find a campsite. I told him the bad news about all the campgrounds being closed in the upper portions of the park and they should look closely at Saddlebag Lake. He explained it was closed due to snow and then said ?we?re in something called the valley<\/i>???. Yosemite Valley? Talk about ahead of schedule! Apparently they had found something up on top of the pass the night before but it wasn?t what they wanted. He said they were so close to the neighbors RV they had problems opening the side doors and definitely didn?t want to end up in a similar situation again. In Yosemite Valley during this time of year, if you?re without reservations the only hope is a cancelation and that?s rare. The sites aren?t as bad as what they had endured the night before, but it?s still a zoo. Myself I hate the valley during the busy season. All I could do was to send them to one of my better boon dock spots close to the Yosemite. <\/p>\n I gave Marc some options, one being a really nice boon dock spot just outside the park that I had been to just a few months prior with another forum regular cellularSTEVE. I could only hope they would find it. Once they left the valley, cell service is spotty so I?d probably never know if they made it or not. Hopefully they would be able to spend a few days by themselves exploring the area and enjoying my private spot by in seclusion. I told Marc that I hoped it was up to their standards and that I?d try to make it by the weekend or earlier if possible. My schedule hinged on the vehicle repairs. <\/p>\n As mentioned, California was going through a heat wave. It would be a hot spell with 105+ temperatures but the repairs would never happen on time. Word came in that it would be a few days and I feared the meet was going down in flames. <\/p>\n Friday 6\/7\/13<\/b><\/p>\n In a desperate move I decided to take the pickup to do my initial meet with Marc and Christine. Hum, maybe I could make the first meet a memorable one. (Christine showing off the van)<\/p>\n I hated to leave but my van was supposed to be ready later that day and I wanted to get back up there.<\/p>\nOK, call it a dirty trick, but I decided to grab my California Fish and Game hat, an official looking shirt and an old west badge that said CALIFORNIA RANGER on it. Pulling into camp (yes they found the boon dock spot) I saw a Sportsmobile down in the draw. My vehicle is white and I figured Marc didn?t know fish and game vehicles are green, so as I pulled up I hoped I?d be able to pull this off. In my best Ranger Rick voice I said ?Excuse me, are you folks camping here????<\/em> Marc asked if I was Dave B. I again said ?Excuse me? You?re not camping here are you????<\/em> Marc?s eyes were looking at the hat then dropped to the badge. There was a definite ?Oh???<\/strong> followed by ?now this buddy told us it?s OK to be campin here???.<\/strong> The look on Christine?s face went from a big smile to something like an OMG look. I tried to go further but was shaking so hard wanting to laugh I just had to let go. Marc yelled ?You are Dave B!???<\/strong> He had seen me in a few pictures on this site but I don?t usually show myself much and the costume did the trick. It?s something I?ll remember for the rest of my life. For the next 4 hours we sat shootin the bull and I?ll admit it was about the fastest 4 hour of my life. Of course I got the full tour of their vehicle?it?s what all SMB owners do. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n