It was a relief to finally have taken Ellie back to Colorado after our fitful start last month. Now we just needed to remember everything we’d been taught. Thankfully we had presence of mind to video everything for reference. That saved us from an unknown number of problems.

Preparing an arrival and departure checklist would’ve been a good idea. And my navy training certainly would have suggested such a thing. It probably would’ve prevented one very scary moment in particular as we arrived in Rifle Gap State Park.

When towing a trailer, the hitch is your bestie. It keeps the trailer moving (or not moving) in an intended fashion. Not hitched? Probably good to have a way to keep the trailer from moving when you most certainly do not want it to move. But of all the things I might forget to do this evening, placing the tire chocks around the tires would have been a fine idea.

Alas.

I’d set up everything else for hitch separation, had pulled out one side of the over-center bolts (keeping the trailer part of the hitch attached to the truck part of the hitch). The other side seemed very tight. But I also really didn’t know what to expect. But when I exerted just enough force to pull the bolt out of its place, the entire trailer shook and fell backward. In the moment it felt and sounded like it was sliding away into the reservoir. Thankfully in practice it was only about 3 inches or so. But it was enough of a scare.

I knew immediately what I’d forgotten to do. And knew immediately it was time to get that checklist up and running.