The weather was cool the air smelled like pine. We found a sweet camping spot close to the very top.
I was thinking we probably just needed an adjustment on the rear brakes, as they are a little tricky in the Warrior. Still dealing with overheating issues and not sure why, we headed to the mechanic. 
After meeting and talking with Eric at G and G, we realized we had picked the right guy to help us out. Genuinely concerned, intelligent, experienced and wanting to help, the first thing he did was look into our overheating problem. He tested our antifreeze and explained to us that our ratio was way off and it was inhibiting cooling. I had a hard time believing that was all it was, but he was confident this was the problem. I asked him about the rear brakes and he said he would be happy to look into it. Not wanting to sell me snake oil, he explained the hazards of old brake fluid and recommended a brake system flush if we could afford it. After skidding coming down the mountain, we decided it was well within our budget. He flushed the brake fluid out and told us that one of our rear wheels was out of adjustment. With further examination, he realized our master cylinder was only actuating the front brakes. The brakes had always felt good to me, and the pedal always seemed to hold solid, but he assured me the master cylinder was faulty. He ordered the master cylinder and I asked if there was anything else he recommended. He said, "Well, just looking, I can see this vehicle has never had a tune up. It has the original spark plug wires from 1989 and they dont last forever." We decided to do a simple tuneup- plugs, wires, rotor and cap. It turned out we had 3 different spark plugs- LOL!
Our mechanic was kind as could be and stayed late to make sure we were ready to roll down the road.
While waiting for our mechanic to work his magic, we decided to take a walking adventure. We hiked out of the industrial part of town in search of a place to eat.
It was amusing to see what Lotus and Lily found along the side of the industrial park roads- lighters, nuts and bolts, washers, pens, pieces of hose. We found a road about a mile away that had a string of restaurants and agreed on sushi. We shared a variety of rolls and headed back to G and G.
Back on the road, I was amazed at how little I had to press the pedal to have positive braking action. Many of you probably don't know, but I have had experience with brake failure. Ever since, I've always second guessed my brakes coming down from the mountains.
I'm thankful to be rolling down the road now with good brakes and a fresh tune up, which has seemed to improve performance a lot.
Tomorrow we will be heading up through mountain passes to the Sequoia National Forest. It's hard to describe the roads going up the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It feels like you're going straight up a mountain with 90 degree turns as you negotiate the switchbacks.
Of course we have chosen the scenic route, which is not recommended for larger vehicles. But we are hoping to be rewarded because along that steep windy stretch of road, there are supposed to be some of the most breathtaking views to be seen in America.
Signing off for now,
Sky
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