Jeepin' is a disease. Longer ago than I care to admit, an early Spring day my roommate and I took his Willy's Overland station wagon to 'explore' old ghost towns 'up in the hills'. We were going up a road when navigator (me) said, pointing, up THAT draw is an old gold mill. So up the trail we went. It went into a creek and out the other side, so turn in the hubs and in we go. Next thing we know, it's bobbing weightlessly, water a couple inches below the windows upstream, and threatening to flow over the hood. The engine died. We had it in gear, and used the starter to back it as far as possible out of the creek. The battery gave up after a valiant fight. After several hours, I walked out to the road- a little traveled dirt county road, and flagged town a passerby in another Jeep. We had rope and jumpers. This helpful person pulled us out of the creek. We had enough oil to effect an oil change on the spot (the engine was full of water). We jumpstarted the ol' Jeep and headed home- about 30 miles. On the way, the transmission was blowing steam from the little ball-joint where the shifter went into the tranny. We got home without further incident, drained and refilled ALL the gearboxes The moral of the story- DON'T go boondocking during Spring runoff. That water's COLD! Oh, and be prepared and let someone know where you ae headed- JUST IN CASE!
Jim
