4:45 AM in the Palouse

I had visited this spot earlier in the week but it was a solid overcast at mid-day so I wanted to return before I left since I really like the solitude of the scene and thought it might make a good photo if there was something going on in the sky and if the mountains in Western Idaho in the background were visible.  After a night of significant rain, I looked outside at 3:30AM and saw that the rain had stopped and since there is already a bit of light at that hour in Washington in June, I could see that there was some definition in the clouds with a few breaks.  So I decided to return to this spot pre-sunrise on this, my last day, before flying home.  This little farm is located in a bowl in the rolling hills of the eastern Palouse, access is via a dirt road followed by a grassy dual track.  My front wheel drive Toyota Corolla rental car had no problem getting there despite having to climb a wet dirt road hill just after leaving the main road.  After taking this shot and a few others, I was getting to leave and spotted a small wind-mill/wind vane situated next to a tree that I thought would make for a nice final photograph.  So I proceed down the relatively steep gravel hill and about halfway down my car started slipping and sliding as the road had turned to mud - I knew it was going to be difficult going back up that hill to get back to the main road.  I got near the bottom and took the photograph.  I decided rather than to try to go back up the hill I just slid down I would keep going on this road and link up with another that would take me back to the main road.  Not too far I was faced with another muddy hill - my little Toyota made it about halfway up before bogging down.  I put it in reverse to back back down - and nothing - the wheels wouldn't even turn.  Time to find the traction control switch and turn it off.  This allowed me to back back down even though my driver's side wheels were in a bit of a trough.  I finally made it back to the bottom and tried again, this time with traction control off - the car was sliding all over the place and I made it no farther.  Even with the traction control off, there must still be some sensors in this car that basically disengages the transmission when it detects two much wheel spin - I'm starting to think I would need a locking differential to get back out and may have to hike back to the main road - there is no cell service here and it is 5:00AM.  I clearly wasn't going to make it up that hill so I somehow got the vehicle turned around in the mud and proceeded to try to go up the hill that I initially came down.  I got about halfway up and bogged down.  Meanwhile my white car no longer has any white visible and the windshield wipers with wiper fluid assist are giving me just a small hole to look through.  I back back down, spin out, and try again.  I bogged down again but what is puzzling to me is that it isn't that my wheels are digging in, it's the computer in the car that is shutting down the drive, if I could just keep the wheels going there's a chance I could get out.  I am now getting really worried that I might not get out of here for some time and might miss my flight.  So back down for one more try.  This time when I bogged down due to the wheels no longer turning I decided to hold the car with brakes while I brought up the RPM of the engine in neutral and then shifted it into gear while simultaneously releasing the brakes and sure enough I could go forward about 10 feet before the wheels stopped turning again.  I now had a procedure to get out and after about 15 of these neutral, RPM up, shift into gear while releasing the brakes I made it back onto the gravel part of the road and got out of there.  I am now driving along in a car that probably weighs several hundred pounds more due to the mud that is all over and under it with just a little hole to look through.  The car did start to shed some of the bigger chunks and as I went through the tiny town of Palouse, there is a single bay coin operated car wash.  I pull into the bay and dig for my change, I needed $1.75 and sure enough I had left the change at the hotel.  No problem, there is a change machine.  i get out my wallet, the smallest bill I have is a $20 bill.  Fortunately the change machine took $20s but do I really want 80 quarters?  The answer was yes so I got the change and got the mud washed off of the car and went on my merry way...