STICKS

Our first test drive of our new tow vehicle was a major success for us ! We had a sill empty aux. fuel tank, so we drove over into Oklahoma and up over Kiamichi Mountain. We wanted to check out several things, such as, when in tow/haul mode, how much “hold back” the 6.4 liter diesel engine gave us. Kiamichi Mountain is steep and has many switchbacks. It also has a reputation for brake failure runaways and massive wrecks. We topped off with fuel at a savings of .13 cents per gallon and headed over the mountain.

At the top of Kiamichi Mountain is Three Sticks Monument. President Kennedy Heilo'ed in to dedicate this memorial while I was away in S/E Asia on my senior trip. It is a very special place and I stop here often .

After a quick check of things, we bailed off of the mountain. Soon I became nervous about just how little I actually had to hit the brakes ! The diesel engine while in tow/haul mode was doing all of the work, with me just giving occasional “light throttle” to the fuel pedal.

We went on over to Poteau Oklahoma and overnighted at the fairgrounds where we awoke to a heavy frost and a freezing fog !

 

This photo shows how much frost my thumbnail scraped up after just a short distance.