Saturday, February 18, 2017

It is nice going through the mountains with an empty trailer.  Made good time on the road.  Other than that, nothing exciting today.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Rawlins, Wyoming.

Friday, February 17, 2017

This afternoon I got my next load.  I honestly can't believe that they want me to do this, but my next load is in Waterloo, Iowa.  Yup, that's right!!  They want me to deadhead over 1,800 miles (2897 km)!!!! Since they are paying for the fuel and stuff, I don't really care.  Off I went.

It had been raining all day and still was when I left Sacramento.  By the time I got to about 5,500 feet heading up to Donner on I-80 the rain had changed to snow.  The roads became increasingly worse on the way up.  Took some photos while going up.  Couldn't get any at the top or on the way back down because the conditions were too bad. 

Cal Trans doing their thing

Just before I took this picture a mini van spun out in front of me.  Was able to get around it.

You can see how deep the snow is along here.

This is about 6,500 feet elevation

Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Winnemucca, Nevada.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

I woke up a little after midnight and decided to check to see if the road had opened up.  Well, according to the Cal Trans web site, it was!!  I called the California Highway Patrol to confirm it.  In Nevada and California some permit loads can travel at night. I was on the road by 1 am.  It was VERY windy this morning.  The snow at Donner Summit was, in some places, over 20 feet (6 meters) deep.  Too dark to get any photos.  The roads were in very good shape.  Went past the mud slide areas.  Cal Trans had done a fantastic job getting that mess cleared.  The rain started when I got to Sacramento.  Apparently it was snowing at Donner Summit because snow chains were required and permit loads were restricted.  Glad I went when I did!!!  Beat the weather.  Made it the rest of the way to Pleasant Grove, CA.  Was there way too early so I had to wait for them to open.  When they did, I delivered the excavator.  Then went back to Sacramento to the Sacramento 49ers Travel Plaza to wait for my next load and sleep.

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

The day started off real good.  I-80 had opened back up.  I left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Here are some photos of the sunrise in Nevada.

Stopped at the Petro truck stop in Sparks, Nevada to get the lug nuts on the wheel I had worked on re-torqued.  Left there and got stuck in bumper to bumper traffic west of Reno.  They had just closed I-80 west bound to big trucks.  I got off at exit 3 and went back to the Petro in Sparks, NV.  They were still cleaning up I-80 from yesterday's mess PLUS there was another mud slide a little further west which closed I-80 to everyone.  Tonight the weather is supposed to deteriorate and we are supposed to get another storm.  I could be here for a while!!!  At least this is a very good truck stop.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Left this morning at sunrise.  Out near the Bonneville Salt Flats is this thing sticking up in the middle of nowhere.  I checked it out, its called "The Tree of Life".  Click here to read some more about this stupid thing.

Had to stop just inside Nevada to move the machine again to make the weight right for Nevada.  After that was done I got back moving again.  Stopped again for that ridiculous required 30 minute break and changed out some pins in the trailer.  California does not like these...

They want bolts instead.

So, after that was done, I left again.  While on the road heard that I-80 was closed in both directions in California due to a mud slide.  I decided not to continue to Reno because all the truck stops would be full by the time I got there.  I stopped at the TA truck stop in Mills City, Nevada.  Good thing I stopped because I had blown a wheel seal and axle grease was all over the back of the truck.  Caught it before it did any damage to anything else.

So, as I am writing this he is working on my truck.  Hope it is finished soon.

Monday, February 13, 2017

Doing much better today.  Able to eat food.  Here is my view today.

The big question is weather I will be able to deliver.  The place where I'm delivering is 50 miles (80 km) south of Oroville.  That is where the dam is about to break. Oroville Dam.

I still don't have my California permit.   I suspect that this is the reason why.  Tomorrow I'll go to Reno and we will see what happens from there.

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Today didn't start off as I had planned.  I got food poisoning from the horrible food at Little America.  Started at 4 am local time throwin' and goin'.  Half hour before sunrise I left there. Here is my view today.

 Made it 3/4 of the way to Salt Lake City and had to stop again.  Continued on.  Stopped at the Flying J truck stop west of Salt Lake City, Utah.  Couldn't go any further.  Slept on and off the rest of the day.