My HEROES!
Good People Are Still Out There!
A tale of true selflessness!!!
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The CDA holiday lighting fireworks show takes place on the day after Thanksgiving. Being that I helped from the very begininng with the setup of the show, I thought it would be worth driving back from camping just for the show on Friday. So, I left Brandon and Joe at camp about 1:30 PM Friday afternoon and headed down river. At the last minute, I decided to take a 30 Mile shortcut from Avery to Wallace, Idaho.... On the map it looks like a much shorter route and I figured what the heck! Well, I have never been on this road... its not paved, narrows down to a weaving gravel road and weaves up and through the mountains going through tunnel after tunnel! Awesome road to go explore! Beautiful country! I did not plan on offroading by myself and without tools or a spare. (not a good idea) After getting into 2 feet of snow, I actually got a little worried... |
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Turns out I made it with no problems until the last half mile of the trail where I was forced into the shoulder by an oncomming toyota truck. I dipped my tire into the soft gravel ditch just barely and kept on going. As I entered the town I felt this dipping sensation from my right rear.... Although I have never had a flat tire before, I knew exactly what it was! Sure enough when I pulled over, there was a rock an inch and a half stuck in the middle of my tread and air was coming out faster than I liked! After airing up the tire at the conoco and finding out from a not so helpful attendant that the nearest tire shop was Les Schwab in Kellogg 12 miles away..... I had to do something! Well, I figured the best thing to do was to go for it and see if I can make it to kellogg... after all, if I break down the most likely spot to get help is on I-90! So I get on the on ramp and get a quarter mile down the road and BAMMM! The rock flys out of the tire and hits my wheel well like a bullet! The tire instantly goes flat! So I pull over and assess the damage. I am not going anywhere, I am rim to assphalt! So I call all the people that might be able to come help me and none of them answer their phones... a lot of help my cell phone did me there! So, I figured the best thing for me to do was to get the wheel off and hitch hike my way to kellogg and see if I can get it fixed and then hitch hike back to my truck. So I jack the truck up get the wheel off, secure my rig (full of guns and camping equipment) and roll the tire down 50 feet and put my thumb out! 15 minutes went by, along with countless big trucks, hunters, sportsman... all of which could have easily stopped and threw my tire in their truck or trailer. People even changed lanes to get away from me... and I don't think it was just being polite... I am fairly discouraged at this point. I remember asking the Lord for help and wisdom on what to do sometime in the time I was waiting and sure enough He answered! While pondering what I was going to do if no one stopped I looked up and saw a nice suburban coming down the road and thought "they might be able to fit my big (35") tire in their rig... I should put my thumb up..." BUT before I could put my thumb out, their blinker was on and they were pulling over! Someone actually was STOPPING! I was beside myself!!! The woman in the passenger seat got out and immediately went to the back to make room for my tire. I loaded my tire and repeatedly thanked them for stopping. They were so gracious saying it was no big deal and they were glad to help... John, his wife, and their daughter were on their way back to MONTANA! GOING THE OTHER DIRECTION ON I-90! They saw me, had compassion and got off in Wallace to come back and get me! UNBELIEVABLE! So they took me twelve miles to the Kellogg Les Schwab! Not only that but they waited for me to get a spare tire mounted*, about 30-45 minutes, put both my old tire and my new spare in their clean rig and then drive me back to Wallace and my truck! |
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Here is a picture of my rescuers! My heroes! This is John holding my tire that has a huge hole in it. I have never experienced kindness of this magnitude from complete strangers! Their gift to me is something that I can never repay them for! They would not take money or anything... their only request was that I do the same for someone else in need! Because them, I made it to the fireworks in time to be boated out to the barges and assist in firing the show! I hope that I will never forget their sacrifice and when the time comes, be able to pass on their kindness (or Pay it forward) to someone else |
| *Special note. Les Schwab gave me a used tired and mounted it up for me without charging me a dime! It turns out, their was only one tire in the entire store, both new and used, that would fit my truck! AND it was the very last tire we looked at in the used tire area! THE LAST ONE! Please support these guys! Les Schwab may not have the lowest prices, but they have the best customer service I have ever experienced! | |
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Me fuelling up on my way back up the St. Joe after an incredible fireworks shoot! Best Ever on CDA Lake! All possible because of kindness shown to a complete stranger! (a dirty one at that)
I made it Back! |
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