While I was blissfully camping in N.H. this morning I got a call from my friend Ann (the better half of SuitedPair) They were on the SMR with a flat tire and could not get the spare tire off. They got 2 or 3 caches so they were not all that far out, perhaps only 2 miles off the paved road, and had a call into AAA.

Later I discovered that AAA could not find a single company that would go out to the Stud Mill Road. Not one. Chris ended up driving on the flat to the paved portion of County Road and the tow truck met him there. The driver could not get the spare off so Chris's truck was towed to VIP. They could not get the spare off and had to use a cutting torch to cut the bracket off.

This process took almost 7 hours.

Now, the tow was free due to AAA and Chris had to pay for the new tire (driving a few miles on a flat killed that tire) and the repair job for the spare, plus he was really, really upset that they did not get to cache

Why is this important? Well, a few weeks ago I had work done on my brake lines and the mechanic told me that my spare tire was rusted into the bracket and would have to be cut out. Both my Dodge and Chris's Chevy have tires mounted underneath the trucks and they are exposed to road salt ect.

If you have this type of spare, take 15 minutes and make sure you can get to it. This may save you 7 hours later. Plus, If you go out anywhere that is remote, make sure that you are in a good vehicle and prepared. Chris found out the hard way that help may not be an option. Just a little heads up. I now have new brake lines, a new spare tire bracket, new tires and bombed around the back roads near Eustis. Have fun, Be safe!! and Happy Caching