The whole escapade came about because I pushed my scheduling to make this trip. I went up late in the day with equipment that was untested, and virtually unknown. I did the exact opposite of what I would advise someone else.
Just to add to the general feel of the trip, there was a 50 yard red streak on the pavement. It started on one side of the road, veered across both lanes, in and out of the opposite ditch, and ended on the side it started. I'm guessing something big hit an Elk. Something to keep in mind when you need to allow extra braking distance, in the night, in the dark, where there is no cell signal....Bwahahahahaha!