After a couple of days camping, it was time for Adam to make a trip back home to check on the animals. He and our good friend Jeremy went together. The day was hot and the traffic was horrendous in Astoria. On their way back they were stuck in traffic clear back to the John Day boat landing!! After a while, the Montero started to get a little heated, so they pulled over to let it cool down, and then had a smooth trip back to Naselle from there.
When it came time for everyone to pack up and go home on the last day of camping, we kept getting word that the bridge was backed up clear to Washington! My parents, Adam, and I stayed back at camp for a while to let the traffic die down. Adam and I even debated going the Longview way (twice the drive). Sure, we could go sit in traffic, but Adam was worried that the Montero would overheat on the bridge and there would be no place to pull over. So, we made a little plan and headed towards home. The bridge was clear, so I safely headed to Astoria with no problems.
Adam went to the dump station to dump the trailer, and I left him to head home. Once I reached Burger King, the traffic was backed up, I was guessing, all the way to Safeway (about 2 miles). I didn't waste any time heading up to Bond Street to bypass all the traffic. I was almost to the hospital when I noticed the Montero was sounding a bit iffy. I contemplated pulling into the parking lot, but decided I would stop at Safeway instead. Of course, I had just passed the pull-in when I stopped at a stop sign to pull into traffic...the Montero went ka-put and steam started rising from the hood. Great.
I didn't know where the hazard lights were (lots of faded switches in that little beast) so I just waved traffic for 10 minutes while the engine cooled. Then, I pulled into traffic, only to pull over after going like 50 yards...more steam. I stopped at a spot where it looked like I was ready to pull into traffic, so people kept waving me in. I waved at them to pass and tried to avoid looking at anyone. Adam finally came through waving/honking at me in as well...I waved him passed too.
He called me unsure as to why the Montero would be acting this way since it wasn't hot outside and I wasn't stuck in stop-and-go traffic. He said I should be fine once I passed Safeway and to stay at low RPMs. It wasn't working, as I was stuck behind a slow van. I pulled over just before Emerald Heights (maybe 2 miles??). More steam!!! I sat for 10 minutes and then felt fairly confident I could stay at high speeds/low RPMs for the rest of the trip. I probably traveled 4ish miles when I looked in my rear view mirror at the giant billows of steam that trailed behind me and the cars keeping a great distance. I pulled over to get out and watch the whole vehicle become engulfed in steam. An older guy had even pulled over just in front of me...he got out, got some water bottles out of the back of his truck, didn't say ONE word to me, got back in his fancy truck, and LEFT!
Near tears, I called Adam. He had to unhook the trailer at home and then come and get me. He arrived, put some water in the radiator and began the drive home. I tried to follow him in the truck, but the traffic was too thick and I didn't see him pull off the road just before the Svensen light. From the spot that I had pulled over, there was about 7ish miles left to get home. It took Adam an hour to get home!
On his last pit-stop he was running out of water, so while the radiator steamed, he blew the steam away to find a hole somewhere. He found one! So, he searched through the kids' toy bin that was in the back of the Montero from camping and found a deflated balloon. He used the balloon to patch the hole and used gauze from the first aid kit to hold it there.
He was so proud...so I took a picture.
It's all fixed now :)
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