The "S" in SUV
If you're an SUV owner like me, chances are
you've never taken your sport utility vehicle
off-road. Years of using my vehicle for utilitarian
purposes went by before I finally utilized it for
sporting purposes by getting off the pavement. Now,
it cracks me up to see a soccer mom in a Ford
Expedition gingerly driving over a speed bump in a
strip mall at two miles per hour, completely
unaware of what her vehicle is capable of.
Admittedly, I didn't have a clear idea of my
SUV's capabilities either, until last spring. On
impulse, I signed up for a trip to Joshua Tree
National Park led by Total
Escape Adventures. I'd "listened in" to the
travel company's discussion
forum for several months, and was eager to meet
what seemed like a fun group of people. Little did
I know I'd be putting my Ford Explorer through its
paces.
After an evening of food, wine and campfire
conversation, we woke up to a warm Mojave Desert
day and climbed into our SUVs. In my passenger seat
sat trip leader Lory, an off-road enthusiast and
veteran of many off-road races. I followed Dana,
owner/founder of Total Escape, who pulled her
lime-green Isuzu Amigo off the pavement and onto a
dirt road marked "4-Wheel Drive Vehicles Only."
Hitting a bumpy stretch of washboard-like dirt, my
vehicle started shaking like an F-14 breaking the
sound barrier. The plastic fittings of my
instrument panel vibrated crazily, giving me the
first tingles of concern. Soon, our caravan stopped
to air down our tires to about 18 psi, which
lessened the bumpiness of the road (Dana carried an
onboard air compressor under her hood).
The road worsened steadily as we ventured deeper
into the desert, leaving behind the national park
and entering BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land.
My concern grew as my vehicle navigated turn after
bumpy turn and climbed over ever-larger rocks. My
confidence kept pace, however, as I became more
comfortable with the off-road obstacles, thanks in
part to pointers provided by Lory.
The biggest of such obstacles came when we
reached a wash that bisected our way. The road
dipped down into a small gully, turned at the
bottom, then sloped right back up again. Large
rocks encrusted the road like a minefield,
requiring an extra degree of care to avoid
bottoming out on them or blowing a tire. The trick,
however, was that the slope of the far side also
required a high enough rate of speed—and a
quick turn—to avoid spinning out and getting
stuck at the bottom of the wash. In short, the
obstacle required just the right mix of careful yet
quick maneuvering. Lory volunteered to steer us
through this spot, but I was ready to put my new
skills to work. After closely studying the terrain
and choosing my path, I put the SUV into drive and
moved forward. Threading my way through the rocks,
gunning the accelerator and cranking the wheel at
just the right moment, I vaulted up the far side
and reached safety. We all shouted
victoriously.
It wasn't much further that Dana herself judged
the road too rough to continue. We turned around
and backtracked back to camp. But we'd tasted
enough dirt for me to gain a whole new appreciation
for my vehicle and its capabilities. Since then, I
ignore speed bumps and barely flinch when I take my
Explorer on bumpy dirt roads. And I can't help
looking around at all the SUVs sharing the road
with me, wondering how many of them have ever
touched dirt.
Read more about the Joshua
Tree trip and see photos at Travels
to Distant
[Strick]Lands.
©2003 Michael
Strickland ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
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