by T J Reeder
Our time here was coming to an end, and we spent a few days getting everything loaded and reloaded. The back seat in the quad cab folds up and there is a cargo deck that is flat and level where we would store our bugout bags in case we had to grab and run.
Molly would be riding in the camper part of the trailer. She was doing so much better since we had gotten here. She had put weight back on and getting around much better.
Well, the day came to leave. We were both ready yet sad about leaving new friends. But we all knew there was no choice and lingering wasn’t gonna cut it. We had loaded the day before and only had to load Buck and crew and it was done.
When we pulled up in front of the chow hall the whole town was waiting to say goodbye and with a lot of hand shaking and back slapping we rolled out with promises of our return when this crap mellowed out. We had made a lot of friends since the SHTF and we would return one day, God willing and the creeks don’t rise.
We had talked it over with most of the folks we knew best and decided that while the interstate might be the fastest way to go, it would most likely be the most dangerous. So we planned to combine the interstate system with the use of back roads away from all but the smallest towns.
For now we knew from here to Idaho Falls was clear and that part of the interstate was pretty safe, and frankly it was heading into ‘Mormon Country’, and we figured if anybody had kept their turf clean and safe it was for damn sure those folks.
People can say what they want about the LDS, but I know from firsthand experience that as a rule they are very good people, they take care of their own and are not pushovers like so many in America have become. So I felt we were safe thru Utah. After that it was anybody’s guess, but we were going regardless. My ol’ grey-headed mama might be needing me, not to mention the rest of the folks who had become more then family and closer then blood.
It felt funny driving along like things were normal, and in many ways I really wanted to be riding Buck and heading cross country and I could say for sure that if it came to it, I’d dump this whole set up, grab the livestock and head for the high lonesome in a heartbeat.
If slow and cross country is safer then we would do that. But first I wanted to get as far south as possible before winter really hit.
We had decided to drive from can see to can’t see but avoiding the use of headlights. My thought was to stop a while before dark, fix our meal and go about setting up camp. Just before full dark we’d pull out and make a few miles before stopping for real. It was an old trapper’s trick- make camp and slip away in the dark to someplace else to avoid being attacked while sleeping. I guess it worked because the old trappers lived to tell the tale.
One thing we had done was remove the tail light bulbs from the rear of the truck so nothing showed when I hit the brakes. Reading can give a man good ideas to stay alive. Everything I’d done up to this point I learned from reading; well at least most of it.
I also figured as long as the weather held, we would sleep out in the open with Molly on guard. I remembered the first three asshats I killed while they shot the hell out of my trailer! I had no desire to replay that one.
We made good time the first day. Well, we weren’t doing 70 mph, but we did a steady 55 which was my top speed unless we had to really blow it out. Slow enough to check out the country coming up, and slow enough to make a quick stop if need be.
We had our weapons where we could grab and shoot real fast, but I was sure wanting something a bit faster than my bolt gun. But I had no doubt I would get something sooner or later. I would prefer to trade or buy something as to the other option.
The highway was a mess of stalled cars, but most folks had tried to get off the road so it wasn’t bad. We kept our eyes out for anything that looked like it might have stuff we could use or use as barter goods.
Around noon or so we stopped to let the critters out for a while. We picked an open place with nothing near us. Buck and the gang simply went to ripping the roadside free of those nasty ol’ green things. I love mules. Sandy’s horse seemed to think she was a mule because of the way she lit into the rough graze.
They were happy, so we fixed our lunch and climbed up on the trailer cargo deck to look out while we ate. It was pleasant with just a slight breeze and sunny- a good day to travel thru the Apocalypse.
We got water for the livestock and took care of that chore, then loaded them and rolled out. It took about two hours so now we knew about what to expect in the days to come.
We made it to Pocatello, Idaho and had decided to keep on going to avoid any trouble, but there was a cop car sitting in the roadway so we slowed and stopped about fifty yards away. A well-dressed trooper got out holding his hands away from his pistol and walked toward us. Sandy slipped out her side and disappeared behind the trailer. I got out and keeping my hands in the open waited for the trooper to get close enough to talk.
He said they had gotten a radio from some friends in Timberline (which had to be Sheriff Bob with his cop radio) saying we might hit here about now and that we were good folks and to take us in for the night.
I was relieved that Bob had thought to pave the way and thanked the officer who smiled and said, “That’s quite a woman you have there,” and pointed behind me. I turned around and all I could see was the AK muzzle peeking between two bales of hay.
I had to laugh, because I remembered her messing with the hay and realized she had made a shooting nest. Taking the high ground! I was impressed but not as much as the trooper!
I waved her down and in a moment she joined us. We filled her in on the happenings and our new plans for the night. She said she was cool with it but I caught a hint of something to be discussed later.
The officer lead us thru the off ramp barricade where I flashed him over and pulled up beside him to ask where we were going. He said to a nearby motel, but I said we would rather go to a park if possible.
He said fine, and took us to a nice small city park where we stopped and unloaded the animals. I explained to him that we were all set to camp out and would just as soon do so. He was fine with that and said he would come back in the morning.
After we had some dinner cooking on the old Coleman camp stove, I asked Sandy what was bothering her. She said it was just that we had made our plans and it kinda bothered her that we were changing them for really no reason except somebody trying to do a nice thing.
I could understand that, and told her from now on we would stick to our plan and just say, “Thanks, but no thanks” if it came up again. I felt better for it too, and realized I had the same feelings but had buried them to be nice. Well we would now make sure we did it our way.
One thing we could do was sleep in the camper, so we did and slept well with Molly the guard dog sleeping under the trailer. I think somebody could steal the truck and she wouldn’t wake up.
Morning came and we got with the program of getting ready to roll, coffee on and breakfast cooking. We got the animals loaded and everything secured, ate and cleaned up and were ready to roll when the trooper came driving up. We just waved and followed him back to the on ramp and offering our thanks, we headed down onto the empty interstate.
The Trooper told us we would be watched over pretty well until we left the state, so that was good since it meant things were going better than expected. Maybe the good folks will end the problem causers fast.
We stayed on I-15 as planned and made really good time but the stalled vehicles were getting more numerous as we got closer to the bigger cities in Utah, so that slowed us a lot. It’s only about 130 miles to Ogden, but we weren’t able to maintain the 55 mph speed. So it took a lot longer. Several times we had to drive off the road into the divider area, but going slow it went well.
Big surprise! We came up on a road block at the first Ogden off ramp. Not sure what to expect, we slowed down to a crawl and Sandy got ready to do her disappearing act, but one of the men waved and walked out with a smile.
Not sure what to do, we did noth
ing except stop about 100 yards away, forcing the man to walk out to us. He too, was wearing a Utah State Trooper uniform so we stepped out to meet him. Well- I did, Sandy stayed behind her door with her AK at the ready.
The Trooper laughed and said, “Well, that must be the Sandy we keep hearing about over the radio.” I must have looked funny, so he explained that the last trooper had passed the word to not make any sudden moves around me because my body guard might not like it.
Well now I was laughing, so here comes the body guard who said, “Yawl best not be laughing at me,” which made us both laugh harder, which was pissing her off big time, so I explained about the radio traffic concerning her. She smiled real big and said, “Damn Skippy babe!” causing another laugh attack from all.
I finally stopped and realized it was mostly stress relief. I didn’t even know I was that wired up. I needed to think that over a bit and get it figured out.
The trooper said we could stay the night, but we told him while we really appreciated the offer we would pass as we wanted to make all the miles we could, but would really like some news of what to expect ahead.
The first thing he said blew my mind. He said that some really far left liberal types led by that New York asshole Senator Scummer were declaring that America was now a “People’s Republic” and the old constitution was outdated and was being written anew and that the Bill of Rights was also set aside and new “rights” would be written when it was decided what to allow!!!
It seems that some of the politically active upper echelon of the military meaning the ‘Chairborne Raiders’ or as I prefer ‘The REMF’s’ are buying into this bullshit, and have amassed a pretty large force to implement these new laws; mostly younger troops who drank the Kool-Aid.
I for one cannot believe any member of the military would obey orders like this, but then again all Germans in WW2 weren’t Nazis but still followed their orders even when they knew it was wrong.
How could anybody who has raised their hand and swore on their honor to protect and obey the constitution ever turn their back on it? And especially the All Enemies Foreign ‘AND’ Domestic part? The big news was that Texas had immediately seceded from the union and was followed by Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma, and of course the old Confederacy. It seems the South HAS risen again!
He said ‘The People’s Republic of Californication’ was in a civil war with the northern half breaking off from the south. Of course the San Francisco airheads were screaming, but were told to shut up or get out.
I asked about Montana, and he said they had joined with Wyoming, the Dakotas and the panhandle of Idaho and formed the ‘Free States of America’, having adopted the original Constitution and Bill of Rights and abolished everything that was changed in the past years that removed any freedoms in any way.
He said the new Federal Government was vowing to bring all back to the fold one way or the other. The first thought to hit my mind was, “Good luck with that. Let me know how that works out for you.”
All this was a lot to digest, plus the question of how it would impact our journey home. Sandy spoke up and asked if we could find some radio equipment? Now why had I not thought of that? So much for man’s superior mind!
The trooper said he would check, and if they had it we could stay here while it was hooked up. I asked what it would cost but he had no idea.
We followed him off the road and to a small park, where we unloaded the animals to mow the grass that hadn’t seen a mower since the lights went out. They were happy.
We made us some early dinner or late lunch, however you wanna see it, laid out the bed roll and promptly went to sleep for an hour or so until the trooper returned with the news that we would soon have communications, which was a good thing I guess.
We took the truck to the State Police HQ for the area, and their comm. people got to it while we met with the head cop and the ranking military people for the area.
My first question was why were they willing to part with comm. gear when it was in such short supply? The answer came from a National Guard Col. who said it was simple. We were going south and east into areas where they hadn’t gotten much information.
Plus, they wanted to set up a contact with Texas for trade and ‘other’ things; the other things were left hanging out of sight. I asked what in the hell an old fart with no connections with any of the PTB’s (powers that be) in Texas could do that they couldn’t do better?
I was told they were preparing a packet of stuff for me to take along with me, and directions as to who to get it to. This was taking on a decidedly strange look, but I couldn’t see any reason to not go along and who knows? That radio might just come in handy.
By morning, the work was done and the truck now had a shiny new big powerful radio installed and it sure as hell wasn’t any cop car type set up. This one had US Military all over it, even if it wasn’t written out to see.
The comm. officer said to not to worry about using any proper radio procedures and to just talk like some dude with a CB radio. All we were to do was use a map they gave us with a grid inked-in that would tell where we were and nobody but their comm. folks would have the matching grid.
Now, I was really starting to wonder just what we had gotten into, but I still couldn’t find a reason to bitch about it. I did ask if we hollered for help, would help come? They all just looked grim and the head man said, “No. You’re on your own.”
The dispatch case was a metal box locked with a lock like I never seen before, and on top was a hole with a cable and a grenade ring attached that was taped down. It don’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out, but I did ask how long the delay was and was told about 30 seconds… and that it might be wise to be at least 25 to 30 yards away.
After a bit of talk and map looking, we decided the best way to go might be to just stay on I-15 right past Salt Lake City, since the outlaw crap never got off the ground and the road was patrolled and being kept open by Utah National Guard units.
And we had a get out of jail free card thru the entire state, plus fuel and food as needed but once we were past SLC (which would take about 2 or 3 hours) we were pretty much on our own. My thoughts were that we would head for Grand Junction and then over the mountains on what’s called Little Switzerland because of the Mountains and the beautiful vistas.
I was looking at it as the safest way to go because I have complete faith in the no-bullshit attitude of the kind of folks who choose to live in the High Lonely. Sure, there might be the same kind of spawn as we encountered in Idaho or Montana, but generally speaking now that folks are over the shock, I expect the trash is getting hauled quite well.
I was much more worried about the country being divided up like it was, and the fight I could see coming when the assholes in DC got their crap in one pile. The last thing we needed was a full blown all-out war with elements of our own military.
But the fools will never learn which is why I never understood the political mind. They get a thought or idea and just do it, never thinking, “Will the people let us?” Like the push to disarm Americans in direct violation of the Bill of Rights. They never understood that there was millions of Americans who flat would not allow themselves to be disarmed.
No matter how overwhelming the power of the FED machine, or even the military- if they went ahead with it they would lose more people than they could recruit. Talking disarming the people and doing it has a big gap between them.
I for one have long preached that if they come for you then you need to make it so fatal for them that next time they won’t be so ready to kick in doors and shoot innocent folks. And let’s face it- of late the cops have killed more innocent folks then bad guys. American Law Enforcement had taken on an attitude of US against THEM. Them don’t have badges.
This is a sad state of affairs, but it’s the truth. And the Fed Gov. is the main force that has militarized the Civilian Police. I saw it coming clear back in the 70’s and it only got worse. I remember when all the
patrol cars had ‘To Protect and Serve’ on the sides. Where did it go? When did it go? Most people never even missed it.
I guess it was when the SCOTUS ruled that the police were not required to protect the people. Whatever the exact wording was, it caused a breach between the LEO’s and the people.
Anyway, we would head off into the wild country and brave high mountain snows rather than the bigger cities where we would find a lot of trouble. With clear sailing, we could have been home in just a couple of days but the best was behind us and only trouble was waiting.
As predicted, with no problems except driving around all the stalled vehicles we made good time and hit SLC in good order. With plenty of daylight left, we decided to go on but stopped at a check point and were allowed to fill our tanks.
We stayed on I-15 until we hit the Spanish Fork turnoff which would take us to I-70 which heads for Denver- no thank you, very much!
