Continuing the drive though, we got more comfortable and started to enjoy the drive again, getting spirited again going around the mountain. We came upon an entrepreneurial photographer who camps out on the Sisters and takes shots of the cars going buy to sell on his website
TXMotoFoto.com. I was very impressed with the BCR suspension and how planted it kept the heavy truck. I was pushing it as hard as I felt my wife was comfortable with and Mouse said it looked solid while he was following. Said it looked like a "Spec E53" type of build if that were to exist. Maybe it does. At any rate, I bought all 4 shots he got of Red.
So we were excited to come across him and looked forward to seeing those shots. Continued the drive until we came to the 4th stop, Canyon BBQ & Grill. The wife and I had one of the best turkey sandwiches (and biggest) we've ever had. We talked about for more time than I'd like to admit. I took these shots of some of the group who were there. I wish I had more time to take pics of the cars but for the reason forthcoming, wasn't able.
As we were eating we finally got some cell service and Mouse's phone began blowing up. Turned out his coworker from TMJ Bimmers, one of the event sponsors, had his rear end completely come out of alignment on his sapphire black 4.6is and shredded his rear tires. This is where the pictures end unfortunately, we were pre-occupied with getting him home. He had rented a trailer and towed it down to stay in with his family for the weekend. Wanted to get back to Houston on time to avoid, what I can only imagine would be exorbitant fees. So he limped the 4.6 to a tire shop in Leakey that is supposed to be open on Saturdays. It wasn't. When we got the call he was stranded there with his wife and kids for a few hours so we decide to call off the run and head back to Leakey (the second stop) and help out.
When we got there we assessed the truck. But the owner is a master tech so by "assess" I mean we walked around it and agreed the toe in and camber was crazy and that the damage to the tires was severe. He was waiting for a AAA tow to a Pep Boys in San Antonio ($$$) and with the family there, was more concerned with their comfort. Mouse and I decided to send his family back with our wives to Lazy Hills and we'd wait with his coworker for the tow. Well, after shooting the sh*t for about 45 minutes a truck towing a flatbed trailer pulls in behind the tire shop. We start to chat the driver and his wife up and learn they are headed to San Antonio. I jokingly asked, "you taking the empty trailer there?" He replied that he was. That was all it took for Mouse's coworker to start dickering a tow. They agreed on a price and it ended up saving him $250!
So now he had a way to get to San Antonio and hopefully get his truck looked at. Pep Boys had said they would as they don't close til 8. Long story short, he got it there at 7 and they said they wouldn't look at it until tomorrow. Figures. Told him the wife and I would go pick him up, and that he could have the 315/35s I had just taken off the wife's X5. His tires were completely wasted from all the scrubbing. So we drove back to San Antonio, grabbed him, then drove home, picked up the tires, and then we all headed back to the event. Wife and I joked this is the only vacation we've been on where we've been at home everyday of it, but not slept there.
Everything worked out okay. When we got back, we drank way more than we should have, and had a great time. Mouse drove him back the following morning (don't know how he did that as we were all hungover) and they found that the upper adjustment bolts had both come loose and caused the issue. So the repair wasn't expensive, he had tires to replace the shot ones, and he was on the road by 10:00AM Sunday. Could have been much worse. We grabbed Mouse's wife, checked out, and drove her with us to San Antonio so he didn't have to come back. We ate lunch BJ's Brewhouse and parted ways anxious to get home and relax the hangover away. Unfortunately we had to pick up the munchkins about 30 minutes after getting home...
No rest for the weary...