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about past Holiday adventures!
"You want to go
to Moab for New Year’s Eve?" my husband, Tom, asked. "Sure, sounds like
fun." I said. And thus began another adventure for the Deweys.
The first day was wonderful--just enough challenges to get
our adrenaline flowing and for me to get lots of practice with our new camera. The weather
was perfect and we even did the "tourist thing" by hiking up to one of the
arches. Day two was more challenging, especially at the Launch Pad, a rock formation that
looks like some sort of roller coaster left over from prehistoric times. Things got a
little hairy when Tom got off to the side a little, but luckily Bill was right there by
his side to help him through it. That was where Dave found the penny, head side up, and
Tom got his CB handle of "Lucky Penny." I had opted to sit that one out with the
dogs; thank goodness or I probably would have ended up with a handle like
"Screamer!"
Day three dawned bright and clear and Tom was definitely
looking for some more challenges. Apparently, Bill sensed it. Every time we passed a more
challenging option we’d hear Bill say "If I had my Defender, I’d take that
…" and you can fill in the blank with some challenge. (Bill had left the
Defender at home, choosing the plush ride of his Range Rover instead.) Tom wasn’t
about to pass up such a dare, so with me saying "He’s not serious, he’s
just kidding," Tom would bravely take on the obstacle.
Everything went fine until the afternoon of day three,
when we were driving along an easy dirt road with a deep V-groove just to the side of the
road. "If I had my Defender, I’d straddle that V" we heard from Bill.
"No, Tom. He doesn’t mean it. I’m certain he’s kidding." "We
can do it." Thus, I was outvoted. We start to slowly work our way along the V-groove,
which slowly started to widen. Then, the right front tire slides in the soft dirt and
we’re STUCK with the Defender at a ridiculous angle. "Bill, we’re going to
need a little help here" I manage to say over the CB between fits of laughter. Dave,
bringing up the rear, pulls up next to us and uses the tow strap to get Tom’s
Defender straight again, so we can continue with this fun little odyssey.
In the process, Dave’s truck gets stuck, so we grab the Hi-Lift Jack and get his
truck free. Then Tom continues following the groove and… gets stuck again. Looking
back on it, I think Tom just wanted to use his new winch. We hook up the winch and pull
the Defender back on the road. Everyone agrees that the dirt’s too soft to straddle
the groove. By this point, we’re covered in thick red mud, including the dogs, but
Tom’s having a wonderful time. And, quite honestly, so was I.
There were other challenges in the
following days, but Tom and I both look back fondly on the day we were STUCK. And, thanks
to the fabulous Nerf Bars Tom had gotten for Christmas, the Defender didn’t even look
any worse for the experience. We hadn’t had a real vacation in years and I
can honestly say, looking back on it, I would not have chosen any other way to spend it.
"Fun" was the main ingredient with lots of "Safety" thrown in the mix,
too.
We’re already planning for the "Hole in the Rock" trip in April.
Well…I have to go now; I can hear Tom yelling to me something about
"lockers." He’s not getting his lockers until I get my new horse-and
that’s final!" (Laurie Dewey, Colorado)
-------------------------
"Every so
often our need to break out of the ordinary becomes so strong that we
throw caution to the wind and "Just Do It!" What we did this
time was sign up for Bill Burke's Four Wheeling New Years trip to Moab.
Neither of us had been to this part of the country, so that added to
the sense of adventure.
Our fellow four-wheelers included a couple in a Land Rover Defender
from Colorado (Deweys), a couple with a large Chevy truck from
California (Snyders) and Bill and Rachel in a Range Rover. Everyday
brought a new experience and trail and our confidence grew as Bill led
us places that we never imagined our stock 1990 Jeep Wrangler could
ever go.
Truth is, if we had been on our own we
would have assumed that the trail ended there. Instead of turning
around, we forged ahead with Bill running alongside or directing us
where to place the wheels.
This four-wheeling adventure
included all the wholesome pleasures one could hope for--tow strap
assist up an icy gully, self-rescue with a winch, "testing"
out Santa's gift of RUD chains and of course a Hi-Lift jack recovery.
Every vehicle on the trip had the chance to participate in these events
and everyone agreed that these were invaluable learning experiences.
Bill turned these circumstances into teachable moments and explained
exactly what he was doing and why.
Thinking back, it is hard to pick a
favorite route but one that provided some of the most challenging
driving was Spider Mesa Trail. It was a thrill watching those with
lockers climb the "Launch Pad," but the feeling of
accomplishment of successfully negotiating "Mirror Alley" is
something we will never forget." (Diane Nicholl & Kirk Webb,
Colorado)
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