Biker Eagle
Observer
Here's the story: Four years ago, this week, our family was camping in the Smokys. We went to a remote section of the park to avoid the hoard of visitors during the July 4th weekend. We spent the day at Abrams Creek all by ourselves except for 2 middle aged ladies relaxing close by. The temperature hovered around 100 all day and we spent most of our time floating in inner tubes. Around 5:00pm under clear skies I heard a tremendous roar sounding like a 747 landing, and I asked my daughter did she hear that plane as it sounded awfully low. She replied "I sure did but didn't see it" and I said I didn't see it either. Then cold chills ran down my back as I felt something was dangerously wrong. I yelled for everyone to get out of the water NOW! Well to shorten the story, trees began to fall by the hundreds and a big oak was blown over on top of our group in the river, all caused by a rare storm called a Derecho. One of the 2 ladies was killed by the tree and 4 of my family were airlifted to UT trauma hospital in Knoxville 5 hours later. I was the lone one to walk out.
Well a week goes by and my family is out of ICU but not the hospital, and I make a trip back to the park to retrieve our camping gear expecting to find all destroyed. But, my Eureka 4 man Timberline is still up and in great shape. Amazing! Only thing missing was the tent's stuff sack and the tent poles stuff sack.
Fast forward to this week. My SIL and I are going on a camping trip to the Smokys this month. So I called Eureka to buy the 2 stuff sacks. The CSR at Eureka when I asked if I could buy replacement sacks answered NO but I'll send them out FREE as warranty replacements. I told her they didn't break but were blown away in a storm and my fault, and she replied doesn't matter that my Outfitter grade Timbeline had a lifetime warranty. Today FedEx delivered the 2 sacks and a "Lagniappe" gift of a Eureka tent stake puller. Wow...just wow!
Well a week goes by and my family is out of ICU but not the hospital, and I make a trip back to the park to retrieve our camping gear expecting to find all destroyed. But, my Eureka 4 man Timberline is still up and in great shape. Amazing! Only thing missing was the tent's stuff sack and the tent poles stuff sack.
Fast forward to this week. My SIL and I are going on a camping trip to the Smokys this month. So I called Eureka to buy the 2 stuff sacks. The CSR at Eureka when I asked if I could buy replacement sacks answered NO but I'll send them out FREE as warranty replacements. I told her they didn't break but were blown away in a storm and my fault, and she replied doesn't matter that my Outfitter grade Timbeline had a lifetime warranty. Today FedEx delivered the 2 sacks and a "Lagniappe" gift of a Eureka tent stake puller. Wow...just wow!