Mr. Toad's wild ride is in reference to a ride at Disneyland that was taken from a Disney movie from Christopher Moore's childhood. He suggests that the Shasta Snow Trip is like Mr. Toad's wild ride. The Disney movie is an adaptation of Wind in the Willows and I certainly see similarities between Mr. Toad's automobile and our buses, Mr. Toad and Brian....
Thursday Brian worked on his buses well beyond the 2pm departure time. Actual departure for the pre-trip to Willits was about 6pm. We arrived in Willits approximately 2:30am. Brian's kombi proved to be unreliable, first breaking down a little past the half way mark and then more frequently thereafter until it was finally towed behind Brian's single cab to Christopher's "parking lot" where it was left to rot, err, I mean rest.
The leg from Willits next morning was marked by very little sleep, mechanical failures and delays. A few of us "copped out" in by driving to Interstate 5 from a little town past Trinity Center for Mt. Shasta but that was after we'd been driving 15 hours already... on, at most, two hours sleep. However minimal sleep provided me and my co-pilot fantastic visions in a surreal landscape. Last year the drive from Guerneville to Mt. Shasta was about 18 hours. It was approximately 20 hours from Willits, which is quite a bit further north, to Mt. Shasta this year.
The drive home was nearly as grueling. A few of us had to abandon the final part of the trip, in Red Bluff, after a delayed departure from Mt. Shasta, four buses getting stuck at the river crossing and then an engine pull, flywheel and clutch replacement after one of the stuck buses burned up a clutch (6-volt bus with only 12-volt spares) pulling stuck buses out of the river. The clutch situation was protracted because the broken bus was miles away from the parts and the communication between groups was not optimal, we were out of CB range and cell phone communication was wonky.
Fortunately the time in-between the trips were terrific fun! I ate great, tobogganed a hill and crashed, broke my record for snow-chain installation and met some good people that I would not have otherwise even talked to. High points were when my wheel bolt tool assisted three buses, breaking my snow-chain installation record and the times my co-pilot, Zoë, asked me if I was okay.
My wheel bolt tool is a vintage Hazet (lower case "azet") unit that assisted three buses loosen and then tighten wheel bolts and while it is vintage, it is also cleverly designed by ingenuous Germans and is plenty useful even though an old and moldy thing. I broke my snow-chain installation record from two hours (first time) to 20 minutes (second time) and I am plenty proud of that. Finally, the times Zoë asked me if I was okay was because I was so tired that I'd shut down, she must have felt as if I'd gradually shape-shift into lifeless matter. The sincerity and concern in her voice had a quality that was amusing, even in that weird state.
The only problem my truck had was when it lost reverse and the ability to downshift into second; one of the shift coupler grub screws lacked its safety wire was backing out. Fortunately after I only mentioned the problem and being completely unaware of the pitiful lack of safety wire, Aaron was on top of the situation and was underneath, tool in hand, and out after about a minute having successful diagnosed and handled the problem. Once I home, the situation was fixed properly.
Certainly a year's time will soften the less stellar aspects and the stellar portions will retain their glow. So for those hardy souls who command hardy buses and for whom back roads adventuring was invented, then come join the nutty newts in northern California for this unique bus adventure!