May 29, 2021

Statistics

Initial Target

Start

End

Storm Intercepts

Tornadoes

Hail

Wind

Features

Miles

Campo, CO

Pecos, TX 11:00 AM 5/29/2021

Pecos, TX 8:00 PM 5/29/2021

None

0 mph

None

Summary

Upslope chase targeting Campo, CO for afternoon supercell play, but suffered dual vehicle mishaps that sidelined us in Pecos, TX for the day.

Crew and Equipment

Chase partners: Jennifer Brindley Ubl, Anton Seimon, Tracie Seimon. Equipment: Sony AX100, Samsung S9, Photography courtesy Jennifer Brindley Ubl shooting on a Nikon D4s.

Video

Map

Details

Anton's email to the group:

"Saturday sees mid-level flow in the southern stream, where the good CAPE resides, weakening below the level that would usually be supportive of supercells. The only exception appears to be the Raton Mesa upslope flow should generate a good turning profile. This scenario often produces early afternoon supercells northeast of Pueblo that then track SE towards Campo and Clayton. We might consider heading up that way if sufficient heating and moistening occur. "

Vehicle Failure
Pecos, TX
12:03 PM

Brindley and I were loading up to depart Pecos, TX for another day of High Plains storm chasing when we got a call from “Team Woodchuck” of impending disaster. Their oil pressure light was illuminated. They were returning to Pecos from their morning excursion, but they didn’t know if they were going to make it. Saturday in a relatively small, dusty town, there weren’t many options for a mechanic, but fortunately Anton and Tracie found a shop that was open. They managed to get their van into the shop before we could intercept them.

12:04 PM

Meanwhile, my Subaru had developed an awful sound from the left rear wheel. We limped it into the shop to see if we could get service as well. Gary the mechanic and his young helper took a look at our vehicles. Anton had taken their van into a local oil change place that morning. That shop had failed to properly secure the cap on the oil reservoir, it came loose, and oil had sprayed all throughout the engine compartment, trigging the low oil pressure warning and temporarily causing the alternator to fail. In our case, we had developed a bad wheel bearing.

Eagle Automotive
Pecos, TX
1:47 PM

This is the shop at which we found Woodchuck. Tracie had to flag us down from the street and lead us through the gate to the back or we dould have never found it.

1:10 PM

4:59 PM

5:01 PM

We spent the day trying to stay cool in the shade of the vehicles, making runs into town for parts for the cars, and waiting for more parts to arrive from out of town. Gary obviously didn’t have a wheel bearing for a Subaru Forester. We initially tried to get one from Midland arriving from the daily auto parts store stock run to Pecos, but wound up having to send Anton and Tracie an hour south to Fort Stockton once their van was operational again.

5:01 PM

5:04 PM

5:14 PM

Storms erupted near Fort Stockton. We could see the towers on the horizon.

Mechanic Gary and his Assistant Save the Day
Pecos, TX
7:22 PM

Fixing the cars took the entirety of the day and went well into the evening. We were extremely fortunate and grateful to have found Gary and his assistant, who were willing to stay late to get us back on the road. Otherwise we would have probably been stuck in Pecos through Monday.

7:26 PM

7:32 PM

Gary was working out of a shipping container because his shop had been broken into multiple times, and his tools stolen. We tipped him well for his service and give a shout out to Eagle Automotive.

Conclusion

It wouldn’t be a chase trip without some kind of misadventure. The Colorado target produced, but really we were just happy to be back on the road as these vehicle failures could have turned out far worse.

Lessons Learned

Some of the best local service can be found in some of the most unassuming places, so don't be too quick to judge based on outward appearances.

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