The problem: One bad Chevy fuel pump that became apparent outside of Prairie City, Oregon, as we left the valley and headed into the mountains.
This is the fuel filter which should be about half full of gas (but is almost empty here). The Chevy ran fine on the flat, but hills caused a crippling loss of power. We limped to the top of the pass and decided that it was a fine place to camp and assess the situation.
Some Background: Larry spent untold hours and uncounted dollars perfecting all this gear. He got 1 old car and 2 old motorcycles up and running, 2 mounts for 2 motorcycles at no small expense, roof rack, custom rain awning for the Chevy, Handyman Jack, shovel, boxes and bags of tools, and god-knows-what-else.
The next morning we drove back into John Day and ordered a new fuel pump at NAPA Auto Parts (where--to my dismay--the staff greeted Larry by name). Confident that the Chevy would hold together for a few more days, we drove back to what Larry billed as "The Best Campsite in Oregon," a site frequented by Larry's family since the 1960s.
Sadly, the family campsite was already taken by a bunch of beer swilling, motorcycle riding men, their wives, and children (one kid had a motorcycle with training wheels). We camped downriver, at the "Bandon Bandits" site, a soggy, sad little spot where recently fallen trees had blocked access.
Larry fished from Esther's Rock and caught several whoppers in memory of Esther, a member of his father's deer hunting circle.
Despite the great fishing, Larry was unable to sleep for worrying about how he'd get the Chevy out of the steep, rocky canyon with a bad fuel pump, as well as a dying, smoking, slipping clutch. We left the next morning for greener pastures.
We moved a few miles up the Mahleur River, to a luxurious camp within easy reach of a tow truck.
Larry's Next Idea: Ride the motorcycles to the fire lookout on Table Rock despite the fact that the road wasn't open yet for the summer. No problem.
Here you see Table Rock through the remains of a burnt section of forest, giving the whole trip a sort of lunar-exploration flavor.
Because the road hadn't been cleared yet for the summer, Larry got to practice his manly motorcycle maneuvers, jumping logs and going off road around obstacles.
Finally we neared the lookout, the first visitors of the year.
It was incredibly beautiful up here, a 360 degree view of the Wallowas, the Strawberries, and the Elk Horns.
As we left the lookout, I began to think that the motorcycles might actually be a good idea. Until this:
On the road home, Larry's motorcycle broke down. We rode double on the teeny tiny remaining bike back to camp where the crippled Chevy awaited. We managed to get the Chevy with a broken fuel pump back to pick up the broken motorcycle.
The next morning, Larry cleaned out his grub box and fixed his candle lantern, both highly entertaining and necessary tasks. Admitting defeat, we packed up and drove back to John Day where we picked up the new fuel pump at NAPA. Larry decided to try to make it home on the old pump, preferring to replace the fuel pump in the safety of his own garage (or street).
Sadly, the Ochoco Pass did the Chevy in. It lurched part way up, but clearly had no intention of making it to the top (not to mention Mt. Hood after that). We pulled over to give the Chevy a chance to cool off and change its mind when Joe and Kay stopped to see what was up.
It just so happened that Joe is a mechanic from Boise, Idaho. Larry told him he was hauling a new fuel pump. Joe offered to install it. Larry (meekly) protested, but gave in when Joe insisted.
Larry had all the tools, and Joe went right to work. While Joe and Larry worked, we attracted a small crowd of Chevy fans.
This cross-country biker left New York 45 days ago. We gave him water and listened to his tales while Joe and Larry finished up the car.
Finally, the fuel pump sending plenty of fuel to the filter, we headed on home. All in all, the trip wasn't what we planned, but we met some exceptionally nice people and saw some beautiful country, and that's about as good as it gets.
