667: Bobbyjo Birdsong’s 1951 Willys Station Wagon
The Ghostly Willy….
On a late Spring day, I was slowly putt-putting my way along Piños Creek Road towards the boomtown of Summitville, Colorado. Gold was the strike there; many tons of the sparkly stuff. I wanted to photograph the old mines and visit the historic cabins and enjoy the breathtaking landscape to be found along Piños Creek.
I was tooling along in Tadpole, my ‘98 Jeep Wrangler. Taking in the scenery and thinking about the miners and all of those who’ve come before, to settle this beautiful wilderness. When I glanced at my rear-view mirror, I noticed a ghostly, vintage Jeep crawling up the trail behind me and gaining ground quickly. I thought how odd it was that I hadn’t been aware of his presence and snapped a quick photo from my rear-view, of the ominous specter of a ‘51 Willys Jeep.
At next glance the old and weathered Jeep was right on my bumper. I sped up a bit to accommodate the new arrival, as the trail was far too narrow to allow him to pass. But, rather than see a gap widening between us, the other driver remained practically glued to my rear bumper.
Faster still, I urged Tadpole down the narrow and winding trail, with the creepy newcomer pushing me along, until I was speeding well beyond my comfort zone.
Reaching a particularly narrow stretch of trail I came to a tight bend overlooking the deep canyon of Piños Creek. Too fast, I slid into the turn and felt Tadpole losing traction on the loose scree of the road and as my Jeep careened into the open air and began it’s plummet to the stony creek-bottom below, I glanced backwards to the Willys stopped on the ledge above me…. As I landed in a crumbled pile of Jeep, amongst a deep bank of snow, I swear as I was dragging myself free of the mechanical entanglement…. he was showing me the moon.
All I could think of, “Must be like a Jeep-wave, from back in his era!” Haha
Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – Bobbyjo Birdsong
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