Loose Cannon
Mar 22, 08, 2:17 am
Tour of Duty 21st February 2008 to 18th March 2008
Part 2: 4th March 2008 to 18th March 2008
As mentioned in part 1, I had the opportunity to see some of the Victoria area. Then I was dropped off at the Victoria International Airport (YYJ). There was a lot of time before the flight so I did some paperwork. Then I checked in and checked bags which weighed 48.6 pounds and 40.8 pounds. One bag was much lighter as I elected to wear my jacket onboard. I ate dinner at the White Spot restaraunt and was not terribly impressed with the service. Afterward I cleared security with only a quick look inside my briefcase.
Air Canada Jazz #8078 YYJ-YVR Dash 8-300 Seat 11F Cruising altitude 4,000 feet Estimated flying time 0:15, actual 0:13 Scheduled departure
19h00, actual 19h09 Scheduled arrival 19h25, actual 19h30
The Dash 8-300 had a capacity of 50 economy seats in a 2-2 layout. Boarding was done by stairs. I was originally assigned seat 3F but was asked to move farther back due to weight/balance issues as too many people were up front. Plane was nowhere near full with load at perhaps 17 passengers. Movement was 9 minutes late followed by taxi/hold of 3 minutes and takeoff. I am not sure the direction of takeoff. At 0:02 flight attendant came through and offered mints to the passengers. Way to go! This is much better service than I've had on super-short flights (30 minutes or less) in the USA.I felt gradual descent after a few minutes. At 0:07 I saw what I thought was Tsawwassan where the BC Ferry leaves the mainland for Vancouver Island. At 0:09 I felt descent in earnest just after landfall and announcement was made we would be landing soon. I saw the lights of the Vancouver metro area and downtown on final approach. Gear went down at 0:11 and we landed east to west. Taxi was 4 minutes and we arrived at gate C38F 5 minutes late. We deplaned via stairs and I went inside and found the next flight was to leave out of gate C32.
Air Canada #182 YVR-YUL A-320 Seat 29F Cruising altitude 33,000 feet, later 35,000 feet Estimated flying time 4:36, actual 4:38 Scheduled departure
23h20, actual 23h24 Scheduled arrival 07h05 +1, actual 07h33 +1 Ticket cost: unknown
Plane was not totally full. Capacity was 20F/120Y for total of 140 passengers. Of that number 101 seats were filled and there was empty middle seat next to me. Pushback was 4 minutes late. Taxi/hold was 18 minutes followed by takeoff to west. I saw lights of Vancouver area and made out downtown. We went over the ocean, turned south and east. Seatbelt sign went off at 0:04 as landfall was made over Tsawwassan. Early in the flight BOB was offered. There were choices and I chose the Quiznos Prime Rib with Horseradish sauce sandwich for $6 US or CAD. That sandwich was quite tasty. Shortly thereafter was a drink run and I got whole can of ginger ale.
There was some light chop at 1:08. The IFE system is called enRoute. The IFE offered choices of TV, movies and 12 channels of music. At 4:13 announcemnent was made we would start descent in a few minutes. Announcement was made it was -7C and snowing a @YUL. I felt descent begin at 4:15 and bumps started and continued throughout descent. Gear came down at 4:35 while still in clouds. At 4:36 I saw snowy ground and visibility appeared poor. I'm not sure what direction we were headed but we had a rough landing on a snowy runway. The weather was absolutely insane and conditions were horrible with blowing and drfting snow not to mention very poor visibility. We skidded to a complete stop on the runway then commenced a slow taxi which lasted 12 minutes. We arrived 28 minutes late at gate 6. I got my bags 39 minutes after arrival and got a ride to the yard.
Upon arriving at the yard I found the snowdrifts were so high that the front door to the office was blocked so I had to go in a back door. Some of the snowdrifts were about as high as I am tall. The garbage truck was waiting for me and the motor was running. While waiting for the paperwork I did inspection then went over to Tim Horton's to get a Ham and Swiss sandwich and Boston creme donut. During the wait and lunch conditions improved from absolutely horrible to just plain bad so once I got the paperwork I got started.
Trip: Montreal, QC to North Royalton, OH 581 paid miles Routes: Quebec 40 to Quebec 540 to Quebec 20 to Ontario 401 to Ontario 137 to Interstate 81 to Interstate 90 to Interstate 71 to Ohio 82 Maximum elevation: unknown buy likely not much over 1,000 feet if that. Permits needed: PA Trip Permit
Conditions were bad and on Quebec 40 a little west of Montreal I saw a truck and trailer jackknifed and that blocked the eastbound highway resulting in major backup for traffic going that direction. Since I had an overnight flight and got almost no sleep I was fatigued and I noticed that many drivers still drove too fast in my opinion considering the adverse conditions so I stopped at Cornwall, ON and got a motel room for reasonable price at the Fifth Wheel Truck Stop.
After getting settled into my room I rang Calvary Baptist Church to arrange a ride to the Wednesday evening midweek prayer meeting and service. Then I took a nap for a couple hours, woke up and got cleaned up and was taken to the evening service. Calvary Baptist Church in Cornwall, ON is the closest thing to a perfect church I have found so far in North America. The message was on love with the Scripture reference John 15:9-14. Then I was taken back to my room and got a good nights sleep.
Next morning I fueled at the Fifth Wheel in Cornwall, ON and diesel was $1.129 per litre CAD which translates to just over $4.27 per gallon CAD. The exchange rate is now slightly in favour of the CAD over the USD but both are very close to par and are separated by mere percentage points so sometimes one is slightly worth more over the other.
I proceeded and conditions were ideal. I crossed the border into the USA at Alexandria Bay and the ACE Electronic Manifest cleared promptly and I was on my way without any delay. I fueled at truckstop near Watertown, NY and diesel was $3.979 per gallon. Later diesel was $4.019 per gallon on the NY State Thruway at a service plaza. I got as far as Erie, PA where I spent the night.
Next morning when I was ready to go it was snowing. It snowed the whole rest of the way. I saw the aftermath of a nasty wreck on Interstate 90 just east of the OH/PA state line. Diesel was $3.859 at the Flying J in Austinburg, OH. The drive from Erie, PA to North Royalton, OH should have taken a little over 2 hours but total drive time due to bad weather and road conditions took 6 hours. Traffic moved very slowly in Cleveland but I finally made delivery in North Royalton much later than planned and I got ride to Motel 6 in Strongsville, OH.
I got room at Motel 6 in Strongsville, OH and ended up stuck there the entire weekend. Weather was absolutely horrible Saturday with snowfall all day. I rang the company up Saturday and was told to get to Burlington, ON. The plan was for me to get up early Sunday, hire a taxi to the train station in downtown Cleveland and take the Lakeshore Limited to Buffalo where I would be picked up by a friend and taken to morning church then afterward connect with the Maple Leaf going to the Aldershot station near where the company headquarters is located in Burlington, ON. That was the plan and I lined up a taxi ride but Saturday evening the taxi company contacted me and backed out as no drivers were willing to drive considering the conditions. I lined up a ride (or so I thought) from another taxi company and went to bed.
Sunday morning early I arose and rang the taxi company and was told they also backed out. I rang every taxi company in the phone book and was unable to get a ride to the train station so I was stuck another day! Also, Greyhound was not operating busses from Cleveland to Buffalo. I went back to bed and was not able to get transport anywhere for Sunday morning services but was taken to Broadview Heights Baptist Church in Broadview Heights, OH for Sunday evening service where I received excellent hospitality.
Monday morning I got up early and was able to hire a taxi to take me to the train station. I purchased a ticket and checked my bags as far as Buffalo.
Lakeshore Limited #48 Cleveland to Buffalo Scheduled departure 07h00, actual 07h00 Scheduled arrival 09h55, actual 10h45 Ticket cost: $31.00
Departure was on time. I went to the dining car for a light breakfast of sausage patties costing $3.00. There was one stop in Erie, PA and there appeared to be some police activity which caused delay. The train arrived in Buffalo at Depew Station 50 minutes late.
A friend of mine picked me up and took me downtown and I had lunch and we had a visit before I was taken to the Exchange Street station where I caught the Maple Leaf.
Maple Leaf #63 Buffalo to Aldershot Scheduled departure 15h09, actual 15h54 Scheduled arrival 19h00, actual 19h00 Ticket cost: $31.00
The train was late in arriving. Checked luggage was not available so I had to bring all my luggage on board. We stopped at the Niagara Falls station then headed for the border. Passengers were instructed to shut off all their electronic devices at the border. At the border Canada Customs officials came on board and took declaration forms that were filled out. I was questioned as the agents appeared to be puzzled about the purpose of the trip so I showed my transporter licence plate and other papers as well as a copy of the work order and the agents were finally satisfied and I was not sent to Immigration. It appeared that plenty of time is built into the schedule at the border and the time with Customs took less time than anticipated so we were on time in Canada. At the border Amtrak personnel were replaced by VIA Rail personnel. The train was much fuller in Canada and I had an interesting conversation with a man from South Africa.
Arrival at Aldershot was basically on time and I got on the Burlington Transit bus for $2.50 CAD and was dropped off at a stop real close to the Bell Motel where I spent the night.
Next day I was taken to the company headquarters and got the truck, did inspection and got started on the next trip.
Trip: Burlington, ON to Pomona, CA 2,457 paid miles Routes: Ontario 403 to Ontario 401 to Ontario 402 to Bluewater Bridge to Interstate 69 to Interstate 465 to Interstate 70 to Interstate 255 to Interstate 270 to Interstate 44 to Interstate 40 to Interstate 15 to Interstate 10 Maximum elevation: 7,335 at Arizona Divide on Interstate 40 about 5 miles west of Flagstaff, AZ. Permits needed: AZ and NM Trip Permits
Before I got to the yard on Tuesday morning someone had to dig the truck out of the snow but it was ready when I got there. I got started and needed fuel in Brantford, ON. Diesel there cost $1.359 per litre or just over $5.14 CAD per gallon. There was a bit of a backup over the Bluewater Bridge but the ACE Electronic Manifest took and I was soon on my way. Diesel was $4.109 in Imlay City, MI but only $3.899 at the Flying J near Lansing, MI. I had dinner at Bob's Big Boy in Imlay City, MI before staying up late and proceeding as far as Angola, IN for the night.
Wednesday the weather was good and temperatures warmed up as I progressed. Diesel was $3.759 in Indianapolis and $3.839 in Terre Haute. I got as far as St. James, MO where temperatures were in the low 60's F. Thursday I encountered a thunderstorm in Mt. Vernon, MO. I fueled at Flying J in Tulsa, OK where diesel was $3.689 per gallon, the lowest price on this trip. Just after I fueled in Tulsa I briefly sat as a thunderstorm came through. Then I proceeded and there was light rain at most though I saw lightning to the distance. I spent Wednesday night in Yukon, OK.
Temperatures warmed up on Friday as I progressed west. I stopped in Erick, OK and saw the Roger Miller Museum for a $2 donation. Temperatures warmed even more as I entered the Texas panhandle and winds picked up and hindered my journey some. The sun set near Adrian, TX, the midpoint of old Route 66 and darkness fell as I entered the Land of Enchantment. I spent the night in Santa Rosa, NM.
Saturday also saw no precipitation but I encountered more strong winds west of Albuquerque. Diesel was $3.839 per gallon in Gallup, NM. I got as far as Flagstaff, AZ where I elected to shut down. I wanted to get to Kingman but did not have the hours to legally do so.
Sunday morning it was 25F and snowing at times in Flagstaff. I got in contact with a friend who moved to that area and got directions to his church, East Valley Baptist which I attended for Sunday morning service. Afterwards my friend treated me to lunch at Subway. Then I went to Little America to get fuel and diesel additive as the Fuel Filter light was illuminated. I hoped the additive would help unclog the fuel filter. Diesel ran $4.019 per gallon. While in the truckstop waiting my turn I heard something about Interstate 40 being closed due to a wreck.
After I fueled I parked and rang ADOT for road conditions. To make a long story short this wreck was no small deal. At least 50 to 80 or more vehicles piled up on westbound Interstate 40 a few miles west of Flagstaff. There were at least two fatalities and I heard reports people not requiring medical attention were taken from their vehicles to a middle school where a shelter was set up for the night. As a result the Interstate was shut down for all the rest of the day and much of the night. My friend graciously offered to put me up for the night so I graciously accepted. I was taken to Bible Baptist Church in Flagstaff for Sunday evening service before spending the night at my friend's house.
Monday morning I received word the Interstate was open so I started to proceed and saw police activity and wreckage of several trucks on the side of the road where the crash took place. The Fuel Filter light came on so I stopped at a truck stop in Bellemont, AZ. The shop there was unable to take me so I turned around and went back to Little America in Flagstaff where the estimated wait time was 3 hours. The wait was actually 5h30min and then the part was not readily available so one had to be ordered. As it turned out I made the right call in returning to Flagstaff because the fuel filter looked pretty bad. It was very possible that the truck would have conked out before I was able to reach Kingman. The shop was able to get the necessary fuel filter rather quickly and a new one was installed. I was fortunate to get out the same day after 7 hours of downtime and I got as far as Kingman, AZ before calling it a night.
Tuesday I proceeded and temperatures warmed up into the mid to upper
70's F between Needles and Barstow, CA. I turned the air conditioner on. There was a bit of wind around Needles. Before entering California I topped the tank at the Pilot in Lake Havasu City where diesel was $3.979 per gallon. Diesel was $4.079 at the Flying J in Barstow. I stopped in Hesperia and had a prime rib sandwich at Newton's Outpost Restaraunt before heading down below. I did not fuel in Hesperia but diesel was $4.159 per gallon there, up 52 cents from when I left almost a month ago. I got into Pomona late that night and made an after-hours delivery and hired a cab and came home.
Part 2: 4th March 2008 to 18th March 2008
As mentioned in part 1, I had the opportunity to see some of the Victoria area. Then I was dropped off at the Victoria International Airport (YYJ). There was a lot of time before the flight so I did some paperwork. Then I checked in and checked bags which weighed 48.6 pounds and 40.8 pounds. One bag was much lighter as I elected to wear my jacket onboard. I ate dinner at the White Spot restaraunt and was not terribly impressed with the service. Afterward I cleared security with only a quick look inside my briefcase.
Air Canada Jazz #8078 YYJ-YVR Dash 8-300 Seat 11F Cruising altitude 4,000 feet Estimated flying time 0:15, actual 0:13 Scheduled departure
19h00, actual 19h09 Scheduled arrival 19h25, actual 19h30
The Dash 8-300 had a capacity of 50 economy seats in a 2-2 layout. Boarding was done by stairs. I was originally assigned seat 3F but was asked to move farther back due to weight/balance issues as too many people were up front. Plane was nowhere near full with load at perhaps 17 passengers. Movement was 9 minutes late followed by taxi/hold of 3 minutes and takeoff. I am not sure the direction of takeoff. At 0:02 flight attendant came through and offered mints to the passengers. Way to go! This is much better service than I've had on super-short flights (30 minutes or less) in the USA.I felt gradual descent after a few minutes. At 0:07 I saw what I thought was Tsawwassan where the BC Ferry leaves the mainland for Vancouver Island. At 0:09 I felt descent in earnest just after landfall and announcement was made we would be landing soon. I saw the lights of the Vancouver metro area and downtown on final approach. Gear went down at 0:11 and we landed east to west. Taxi was 4 minutes and we arrived at gate C38F 5 minutes late. We deplaned via stairs and I went inside and found the next flight was to leave out of gate C32.
Air Canada #182 YVR-YUL A-320 Seat 29F Cruising altitude 33,000 feet, later 35,000 feet Estimated flying time 4:36, actual 4:38 Scheduled departure
23h20, actual 23h24 Scheduled arrival 07h05 +1, actual 07h33 +1 Ticket cost: unknown
Plane was not totally full. Capacity was 20F/120Y for total of 140 passengers. Of that number 101 seats were filled and there was empty middle seat next to me. Pushback was 4 minutes late. Taxi/hold was 18 minutes followed by takeoff to west. I saw lights of Vancouver area and made out downtown. We went over the ocean, turned south and east. Seatbelt sign went off at 0:04 as landfall was made over Tsawwassan. Early in the flight BOB was offered. There were choices and I chose the Quiznos Prime Rib with Horseradish sauce sandwich for $6 US or CAD. That sandwich was quite tasty. Shortly thereafter was a drink run and I got whole can of ginger ale.
There was some light chop at 1:08. The IFE system is called enRoute. The IFE offered choices of TV, movies and 12 channels of music. At 4:13 announcemnent was made we would start descent in a few minutes. Announcement was made it was -7C and snowing a @YUL. I felt descent begin at 4:15 and bumps started and continued throughout descent. Gear came down at 4:35 while still in clouds. At 4:36 I saw snowy ground and visibility appeared poor. I'm not sure what direction we were headed but we had a rough landing on a snowy runway. The weather was absolutely insane and conditions were horrible with blowing and drfting snow not to mention very poor visibility. We skidded to a complete stop on the runway then commenced a slow taxi which lasted 12 minutes. We arrived 28 minutes late at gate 6. I got my bags 39 minutes after arrival and got a ride to the yard.
Upon arriving at the yard I found the snowdrifts were so high that the front door to the office was blocked so I had to go in a back door. Some of the snowdrifts were about as high as I am tall. The garbage truck was waiting for me and the motor was running. While waiting for the paperwork I did inspection then went over to Tim Horton's to get a Ham and Swiss sandwich and Boston creme donut. During the wait and lunch conditions improved from absolutely horrible to just plain bad so once I got the paperwork I got started.
Trip: Montreal, QC to North Royalton, OH 581 paid miles Routes: Quebec 40 to Quebec 540 to Quebec 20 to Ontario 401 to Ontario 137 to Interstate 81 to Interstate 90 to Interstate 71 to Ohio 82 Maximum elevation: unknown buy likely not much over 1,000 feet if that. Permits needed: PA Trip Permit
Conditions were bad and on Quebec 40 a little west of Montreal I saw a truck and trailer jackknifed and that blocked the eastbound highway resulting in major backup for traffic going that direction. Since I had an overnight flight and got almost no sleep I was fatigued and I noticed that many drivers still drove too fast in my opinion considering the adverse conditions so I stopped at Cornwall, ON and got a motel room for reasonable price at the Fifth Wheel Truck Stop.
After getting settled into my room I rang Calvary Baptist Church to arrange a ride to the Wednesday evening midweek prayer meeting and service. Then I took a nap for a couple hours, woke up and got cleaned up and was taken to the evening service. Calvary Baptist Church in Cornwall, ON is the closest thing to a perfect church I have found so far in North America. The message was on love with the Scripture reference John 15:9-14. Then I was taken back to my room and got a good nights sleep.
Next morning I fueled at the Fifth Wheel in Cornwall, ON and diesel was $1.129 per litre CAD which translates to just over $4.27 per gallon CAD. The exchange rate is now slightly in favour of the CAD over the USD but both are very close to par and are separated by mere percentage points so sometimes one is slightly worth more over the other.
I proceeded and conditions were ideal. I crossed the border into the USA at Alexandria Bay and the ACE Electronic Manifest cleared promptly and I was on my way without any delay. I fueled at truckstop near Watertown, NY and diesel was $3.979 per gallon. Later diesel was $4.019 per gallon on the NY State Thruway at a service plaza. I got as far as Erie, PA where I spent the night.
Next morning when I was ready to go it was snowing. It snowed the whole rest of the way. I saw the aftermath of a nasty wreck on Interstate 90 just east of the OH/PA state line. Diesel was $3.859 at the Flying J in Austinburg, OH. The drive from Erie, PA to North Royalton, OH should have taken a little over 2 hours but total drive time due to bad weather and road conditions took 6 hours. Traffic moved very slowly in Cleveland but I finally made delivery in North Royalton much later than planned and I got ride to Motel 6 in Strongsville, OH.
I got room at Motel 6 in Strongsville, OH and ended up stuck there the entire weekend. Weather was absolutely horrible Saturday with snowfall all day. I rang the company up Saturday and was told to get to Burlington, ON. The plan was for me to get up early Sunday, hire a taxi to the train station in downtown Cleveland and take the Lakeshore Limited to Buffalo where I would be picked up by a friend and taken to morning church then afterward connect with the Maple Leaf going to the Aldershot station near where the company headquarters is located in Burlington, ON. That was the plan and I lined up a taxi ride but Saturday evening the taxi company contacted me and backed out as no drivers were willing to drive considering the conditions. I lined up a ride (or so I thought) from another taxi company and went to bed.
Sunday morning early I arose and rang the taxi company and was told they also backed out. I rang every taxi company in the phone book and was unable to get a ride to the train station so I was stuck another day! Also, Greyhound was not operating busses from Cleveland to Buffalo. I went back to bed and was not able to get transport anywhere for Sunday morning services but was taken to Broadview Heights Baptist Church in Broadview Heights, OH for Sunday evening service where I received excellent hospitality.
Monday morning I got up early and was able to hire a taxi to take me to the train station. I purchased a ticket and checked my bags as far as Buffalo.
Lakeshore Limited #48 Cleveland to Buffalo Scheduled departure 07h00, actual 07h00 Scheduled arrival 09h55, actual 10h45 Ticket cost: $31.00
Departure was on time. I went to the dining car for a light breakfast of sausage patties costing $3.00. There was one stop in Erie, PA and there appeared to be some police activity which caused delay. The train arrived in Buffalo at Depew Station 50 minutes late.
A friend of mine picked me up and took me downtown and I had lunch and we had a visit before I was taken to the Exchange Street station where I caught the Maple Leaf.
Maple Leaf #63 Buffalo to Aldershot Scheduled departure 15h09, actual 15h54 Scheduled arrival 19h00, actual 19h00 Ticket cost: $31.00
The train was late in arriving. Checked luggage was not available so I had to bring all my luggage on board. We stopped at the Niagara Falls station then headed for the border. Passengers were instructed to shut off all their electronic devices at the border. At the border Canada Customs officials came on board and took declaration forms that were filled out. I was questioned as the agents appeared to be puzzled about the purpose of the trip so I showed my transporter licence plate and other papers as well as a copy of the work order and the agents were finally satisfied and I was not sent to Immigration. It appeared that plenty of time is built into the schedule at the border and the time with Customs took less time than anticipated so we were on time in Canada. At the border Amtrak personnel were replaced by VIA Rail personnel. The train was much fuller in Canada and I had an interesting conversation with a man from South Africa.
Arrival at Aldershot was basically on time and I got on the Burlington Transit bus for $2.50 CAD and was dropped off at a stop real close to the Bell Motel where I spent the night.
Next day I was taken to the company headquarters and got the truck, did inspection and got started on the next trip.
Trip: Burlington, ON to Pomona, CA 2,457 paid miles Routes: Ontario 403 to Ontario 401 to Ontario 402 to Bluewater Bridge to Interstate 69 to Interstate 465 to Interstate 70 to Interstate 255 to Interstate 270 to Interstate 44 to Interstate 40 to Interstate 15 to Interstate 10 Maximum elevation: 7,335 at Arizona Divide on Interstate 40 about 5 miles west of Flagstaff, AZ. Permits needed: AZ and NM Trip Permits
Before I got to the yard on Tuesday morning someone had to dig the truck out of the snow but it was ready when I got there. I got started and needed fuel in Brantford, ON. Diesel there cost $1.359 per litre or just over $5.14 CAD per gallon. There was a bit of a backup over the Bluewater Bridge but the ACE Electronic Manifest took and I was soon on my way. Diesel was $4.109 in Imlay City, MI but only $3.899 at the Flying J near Lansing, MI. I had dinner at Bob's Big Boy in Imlay City, MI before staying up late and proceeding as far as Angola, IN for the night.
Wednesday the weather was good and temperatures warmed up as I progressed. Diesel was $3.759 in Indianapolis and $3.839 in Terre Haute. I got as far as St. James, MO where temperatures were in the low 60's F. Thursday I encountered a thunderstorm in Mt. Vernon, MO. I fueled at Flying J in Tulsa, OK where diesel was $3.689 per gallon, the lowest price on this trip. Just after I fueled in Tulsa I briefly sat as a thunderstorm came through. Then I proceeded and there was light rain at most though I saw lightning to the distance. I spent Wednesday night in Yukon, OK.
Temperatures warmed up on Friday as I progressed west. I stopped in Erick, OK and saw the Roger Miller Museum for a $2 donation. Temperatures warmed even more as I entered the Texas panhandle and winds picked up and hindered my journey some. The sun set near Adrian, TX, the midpoint of old Route 66 and darkness fell as I entered the Land of Enchantment. I spent the night in Santa Rosa, NM.
Saturday also saw no precipitation but I encountered more strong winds west of Albuquerque. Diesel was $3.839 per gallon in Gallup, NM. I got as far as Flagstaff, AZ where I elected to shut down. I wanted to get to Kingman but did not have the hours to legally do so.
Sunday morning it was 25F and snowing at times in Flagstaff. I got in contact with a friend who moved to that area and got directions to his church, East Valley Baptist which I attended for Sunday morning service. Afterwards my friend treated me to lunch at Subway. Then I went to Little America to get fuel and diesel additive as the Fuel Filter light was illuminated. I hoped the additive would help unclog the fuel filter. Diesel ran $4.019 per gallon. While in the truckstop waiting my turn I heard something about Interstate 40 being closed due to a wreck.
After I fueled I parked and rang ADOT for road conditions. To make a long story short this wreck was no small deal. At least 50 to 80 or more vehicles piled up on westbound Interstate 40 a few miles west of Flagstaff. There were at least two fatalities and I heard reports people not requiring medical attention were taken from their vehicles to a middle school where a shelter was set up for the night. As a result the Interstate was shut down for all the rest of the day and much of the night. My friend graciously offered to put me up for the night so I graciously accepted. I was taken to Bible Baptist Church in Flagstaff for Sunday evening service before spending the night at my friend's house.
Monday morning I received word the Interstate was open so I started to proceed and saw police activity and wreckage of several trucks on the side of the road where the crash took place. The Fuel Filter light came on so I stopped at a truck stop in Bellemont, AZ. The shop there was unable to take me so I turned around and went back to Little America in Flagstaff where the estimated wait time was 3 hours. The wait was actually 5h30min and then the part was not readily available so one had to be ordered. As it turned out I made the right call in returning to Flagstaff because the fuel filter looked pretty bad. It was very possible that the truck would have conked out before I was able to reach Kingman. The shop was able to get the necessary fuel filter rather quickly and a new one was installed. I was fortunate to get out the same day after 7 hours of downtime and I got as far as Kingman, AZ before calling it a night.
Tuesday I proceeded and temperatures warmed up into the mid to upper
70's F between Needles and Barstow, CA. I turned the air conditioner on. There was a bit of wind around Needles. Before entering California I topped the tank at the Pilot in Lake Havasu City where diesel was $3.979 per gallon. Diesel was $4.079 at the Flying J in Barstow. I stopped in Hesperia and had a prime rib sandwich at Newton's Outpost Restaraunt before heading down below. I did not fuel in Hesperia but diesel was $4.159 per gallon there, up 52 cents from when I left almost a month ago. I got into Pomona late that night and made an after-hours delivery and hired a cab and came home.