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| Nick hard at work on phase one of the recovery ... |
In fact, Elmer's front wheel was stuck so far into the mud that the opposite rear wheel had lifted off the ground and lost traction. Nick worked so hard and we did what we could to help - resting in the little shade available between bouts of assistance. Fortunately we had plenty of drinks and water with us. There were a few small waterholes but the water was far too hot to be considered for a refreshing dip.
Phase one of the recovery was to use the high-lift jack to raise Elmer's wheel and dig as much mud as possible around it. As the jack took the weight it started to sink slowly through the mud crust, so Nick created a platform under it to distribute the weight a little better.
The next mission was to drop many rocks of various sizes into the hole. This allowed Nick to raise the wheel higher for another layer of rocks - and then a layer of sticks also.
The chainsaw wasn't with us, so Nick did his best to break timber with the mining mattock. We can't prove our estimation of temperature but believe it was at least 45 degrees. (There were gloves in the back of Elmer and they were necessary as hand protection when touching/carrying the rocks).
After working steadily for what seemed like a couple of hours, Nick deemed everything ready for launch. We were all needed as traction, so Vaughan and I perched on the tailgate with Erin standing behind us holding the roof rack for support. I had an arm tightly around Vaughan, trying to hold the burning hot edge of the tailgate with finger tips only (as only the finger-less gloves had been left).
Speed was of the essence as the logs would sink into the mud under Elmer's weight. Nick drove off the jack, shooting backwards quite fast. We all were very lucky not to fall off! Erin suffered a burn to her elbow but otherwise we were unscathed - and hugely relieved to be unstuck!
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