Today was a day spent traveling to our campground that is located just west of Yosemite National Park. We set out in the morning on what was supposed to be a 3hr drive to the east gate of Yosemite and then spend as long as we wanted driving from through the park before ending at our campground.
An hour or so into our trip we learned that rt. 120 which is the only rout through the park going east to west was closed due to wild fires in the park. As a result we had to take a less used pass through the mountains just north of Yosemite (Senora Pass). The signs as we got closer to the entrance of the passed warned that truck and vehicles with trailers should not use the pass. The signs also warned of a 28% grade. The van climbed the hill like a champ although at times it was hard to get it up to 15mph. After a slow long drive to the top of the pass (a little over 10,000 feet) we now had a long slow drive down a windy steep road with few guard rails. I was frequently shifting down to control the speed of the van and not put as much of a strain on the brakes. Then we came to a slight up hill. I shifted back over to drive and pressed the gas and nothing happened. The engine didn't rev yet car was running. We coasted to a stop in a pull off area along the road. While stopped we took some time to enjoy the view, take a bathroom break and pray that the van would run and get us to our campsite for the evening. 
We got back in started the van and it worked. We continued to down the steep hill moving slowly and breaking a lot in order to keep us from driving off the cliffs we were weaving around. After a half hour or so of steady hard breaking and using low gears we decided to take another stop and let the breaks cool. We pulled over at another stopping point and let the breaks cool. It seemed like we were in the middle of no where. We ate some snack and played catch while trying to patiently wait. Mean while a storm was rolling in. After a little over a half hour of letting the brakes cool we decided pray that the brakes would continue to work well and continue on our journey. 
Praise God, we eventually made it all the way through the pass and arrived at our campground hours later than we anticipated. After a long stressful day of NOT driving through Yosemite we were happy to get a good nights sleep.
Though today brought some unexpected obstacles I was glad that the boys got to witness the power of prayer. God kept us safe and kept our van running even on steep windy roads. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers. Thanks!
Comments
Post a Comment