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Journal
Entry: Day Four - October 30,
Monday
Nearly
dawn here on lonely Phinney Pass, it's
extremely cold, and of course, very quiet on
the wooded mountainsides outside the window
of the BEV. At this elevation, warmth will be
slow in coming. I best get an early start
this morning, for I have many miles of
overland travel ahead of me. Last afternoon's
ascent up the remote and seldom traveled
Phinney Canyon in western Nevada's portion of
Death Valley National Park was a unique
exploratory experience, one that I highly
recommend. Think I'll eat breakfast inside my
rig today to keep warm. Once I maneuver past
that gigantic boulder down canyon, the rest
of the drive to Red Pass and Titus Canyon
will be a relaxing time. Early morning is one
of the best times to be in Titus, for shadows
and cliff colors are more pronounced. My plan
today is to also explore the Oriental Ghost
Town area and Gold Mountain, a maze of
alluring backroads that will surely tempt any
outback safari explorer in these parts.
Cucomungo Canyon will come later in the day,
making a good camp.
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Warn
the Scouts
Boy Scouts
have the proper philosophy
when it comes to the best insurance for a safe return:
Be prepared! If you're going into the wild and remote
backcountry, set out prepared or don't set out at all.
The bottom line here is that we leave as little to
chance as is possible. Beating the odds may work for
driving around town each day, but in the outback where
we venture, there is little room for such a cavalier
attitude. As the saying goes: "Failing to prepare is
preparing to fail."
For us to
have fun and enjoy the solitude this planet offers in
abundance,
we need to feel reasonably assured that our
transportation out there will not leave us out there
... stranded. Even if we can hop in someone else's rig
to get back home, no one wants to leave their wheels
unprotected in the outback for mice and spiders to
call their new home. I had to do it once, and while it
makes for a great story later on, it's a bummer when
it's happening! Therefore, the vehicle, and what's in
the vehicle, is where we'll begin this narrative on
backcountry safety.
Old
Murphy
The Old
Trailmaster is firm believer in Murphy's
Law,
that age-old, seemingly nonsensical philosophical
dribble about catastrophe being inversely proportional
to preparedness. It goes something like this (in two
of its famous incantations): "If anything can go
wrong, it will." Or, seeing it another way, "The less
prepared you are for something, the greater the
likelihood that it will occur." Yes, yes, I know this
law has no basis in factual scientific theory …
it is completely without foundation. But,
nevertheless, its dark fog hovers silently in the far
reaches of my mind, so I ritualistically make sure I
have my bases covered the best of my ability to
anticipate negative scenarios.
The second
version is the one I am most concerned
about
because it is the one that occasionally affects me.
So, I just began figuring that the inverse of it must
surely also be true (I call it Stevie's Law): "The
more prepared you are for any given eventuality, the
less likely its chance of occurring." That's because
Murphy can't have any fun with me knowing that I'm
ready. I think my dad must have believed this too
because he was always harping on me to tend to every
little detail ad nauseam. Of course, now his warnings
probably have me in a "Chicken Little"
mode.
Keep the
maintenance schedule on your
BEV
(Backcountry Exploration Vehicle) current at all
times. Write it down so you don't forget a year from
now. Every time something wears out or breaks on your
rig, use that knowledge to be more prepared next time.
Get the spare part, if it is reasonable to stow in the
BEV, and a repair you can make yourself out on the
trail. Pick your mechanic's brain, and have him
proactively speculate what needs to be done ahead of
time before something "goes south" at an inopportune
time. The idler pulley on my serpentine belt was once
becoming worn (something that street drivers would
leave until it gave up) but I replaced the inexpensive
part, knowing that if broke "out there" I would be up
the creek without a paddle. Engine hoses, radiator and
serpentine belts, and tires are some of the more
obvious things to keep an eye on prior to each trip.
How's your water pump? Fuel pump? Fuel filter? Spark
plugs? There are a million little things it seems, but
a little thing can bring you to a grinding halt and
ruin your day! Think you have thought of it all?
Murphy will happily show you what you've missed. Be
proactive ... replace and repair in a timely
fashion.
Carry
emergency repair supplies and backup items with you in
your BEV
... however much you can fit in there. You may carry
most of it for years and never touch it, but you are
ready, and have some peace of mind! Murphy knows you
have it too. I used to carry extra engine oil, but
having never used it once in over thirty years,
nowadays get my peace of mid from protecting the
vulnerable oil pan with a skidplate. No matter where
you're going, have emergency survival supplies in your
rig that are always available. Extra clothing for cold
weather, several day's (or week's) worth of food and
water, survival tools, and rescue gear are all
essential for those who leave little to chance.
Let me list a
few of the things I always keep in my
vehicle.
In no particular order, they are: signal mirror,
strobe light, waterproof matches, fire extinguisher,
backpack, first aid kit, survival books, manually
powered flashlight, food, water, sun still, eating
utensils, bowls, nylon rope, toilet paper, cell phone,
gloves, jackets, warm head coverings, coveralls,
towels, rain gear, waterproof boots, fishing line and
hooks, large knife, all kinds of hand tools, tow
strap, shovel, traction aides, tree saw, duct tape,
silicone sealant, plastic bags, sledge hammer, and my
brain engaged. And for today's electronically
controlled BEVs, spare fuses are an absolute must! Who
would have ever guessed that a blown fuse could render
one's 4wd capability inoperable?
Recently,
while scouting in the Panamints for an exciting new
route to explore,
my right rear tire slid off a large boulder, and the
rim caught the blunt stone with the full weight of the
vehicle. Within seconds I lost all the air, and faced
a severely bent rim. The tire was unharmed. Rather
than install my spare, I tried using my sledge hammer
to pound out the large dent. Forty minutes later, my
wheel was round enough to see if it would take air. My
small 275 PSI air compressor (available for about 40
bucks at most auto stores), did the trick in another
20 minutes, and I was on my way.
One winter on
Interstate 5 in northern
California,
over 300 motorists were stranded overnight along the
ribbon of concrete, courtesy of a freak snowstorm, and
one elderly man did not survive to be rescued the next
day - his wife went back from their vacation a widow.
Stories like that keep me ever vigilant!
Always
remember this: a fun weekend in the backcountry can
kill you!
I know this not because I am writing to you from the
afterlife, but because many years ago I was the field
chief for a high-country search and rescue team. So as
not to be one of those sad statistics we hear about
occasionally on the news where some young backpacker
never comes back after an innocent trek into nature,
or the family who drives into the mountains two hours
before the heaviest snow in years, never to drive out,
we must spend a little time brainstorming what we
might possibly face, and how to deal with it (or avoid
it altogether).
I'm going to
briefly touch on a few survival
thoughts.
In fact, the first thing I recommend doing as a
prudently cautious adventurer, is buying a good book
(or two) about survival. Here are a few: Outdoor
Survival by Garth Hattingh, New Holland
Publishers, Inc. (ISBN 1 84330 822 3) -
Emergency/Survival Handbook by the
American Outdoor Safety League (ISBN 0-916890-64-3) -
Desert Survival Handbook, How to Prevent and
Handle Emergency Situations by Charles A
Lehman, American Traveler Press (ISBN: 0-935810-65-x).
Read your books thoroughly and purchase the minimal
supplies the author says are necessary to save your
life. This is the first step to outsmarting Murphy's
Law - a loophole if you will. Not only do I keep these
supplies in my rig, I keep the book with them so that
I'll have a handy reference should I need to spend
more time out there than my original plans called for.
It sure keeps my mind at peace!
Whenever
possible, do not travel alone.
There is usually safety in numbers. Two people in one
vehicle are better than one person in one vehicle. Two
people in two vehicles are better still. The more the
merrier … not only will you likely have more fun
with your friends and family as you share in
exploration, but if something goes wrong, you'll have
more options. A vehicle malfunction that puts it out
of order is big on my list of cautious concerns, so if
at least one other BEV is with you, there is still a
way out (unless you're both buried to your axles in
mud or snow, in which case you can congratulate each
other over your combined lack of foresight - next time
go one at a time!).
Assuming that
you are traveling the outback with a
group,
I recommend having at least one person along who is
experienced in the art of maneuvering a 4wd vehicle
through demanding trail terrain. If ever necessary,
this person could drive everyone else's vehicle
through a particularly challenging or unnerving spot
in the roadway. This is good back-up insurance.
Park
and Walk
Anytime you
are unsure of the road ahead,
always park your BEV (parking brake on, engine off,
and key out), and get out to walk the section of road
before you drive it. I think it's fun to do this,
discussing with other drivers the best way around a
rock or over a gully, and it helps build your
confidence on trails with a greater difficulty rating.
Better safe than sorry, as the saying goes. For me,
these challenging portions of the road help spark my
personal sense of adventure, making the refinements of
our modern-day world seem like they're on another
planet. Besides, I love the extra physical exercise
for my health!
Don't take
unnecessary chances or risks!
You're out there to have fun and enjoy nature, so keep
things tame. Listen to the advice of others who may be
extremely hesitant about trying a road that has been
washed out by a storm, for example. Look for ways
around a place in the road that appears to be asking
for trouble. As a last resort, it is okay to turn
around. Take it from someone who has been stuck and
had to leave his Jeep out in the boonies, coming back
later to retrieve it: such things may make great
stories to remember around the campfire or to recall
in our old age, but they are often no fun when they
are happening! Fortunately, the times I have
experienced trouble over the years, I was usually with
others, and I am glad I was. Groups are simply more
fun too!
Once in the
late seventies,
I was way up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in
California with an Australian buddy of mine. I was in
my little black Jeep and he was in his little blue
Jeep. We were on the infamous Ershim Trail, 26 miles
of primarily Class-5 exploration between two
designated wilderness areas, and many hours away from
help of any kind (the Ershim and the Rubicon were cut
from the same mold). Well, on the second day out, he
broke part of his steering linkage, the kind of thing
that required a welder to fix! He was going nowhere!
To make a long story short, he camped out at his
disabled Jeep as I drove the remaining 8 miles of
trail road (at an average speed of 2-3 MPH), took the
graded dirt road around Courtwright Reservoir, and
then the paved two-lane mountain road the rest of the
way down into the town of Fresno.
By the time I
got to town, it was long since
dark,
and the businesses were closed. I got a motel and
found a welder/fabricator in the phone book for
tomorrow morning. My buddy was spending the night in
his tent in the woods and I had a soft bed with TV (he
actually was the lucky one). Bright and early the next
day, I drove to the welding shop, told them my
predicament, and waited around for an hour or so as
they fabricated a new part (the local Jeep dealer did
not have the part on hand, so simply buying one was
not an option unless I wanted to wait around another
day or so). The welder built a brand new part from
scratch, I paid him, and then hightailed it back up to
the woods (my friend and I had figured ahead of time
that I wouldn't be back until the next day at the
earliest).
Well, things
worked out okay, but what if he had been out there
alone?
It was too far to walk out. He would have been at the
mercy of the next adventuresome soul who happened to
'drive' by the following weekend, necessitating an
entire week alone in the woods. Moral of the story:
think ahead, be ready, remain positive. When I called
in absent for work from Fresno on that Sunday night,
my boss figured I was looking for another day in the
wilds, and viewed me with suspicion upon my return
Tuesday morning, even though it was all totally
legitimate. But at least my Aussie bud and I survived
to Jeep another day!
Other
than the Vehicle
Watch the
weather as you commune with the great
outdoors.
Don't let storm clouds sneak up on you. Be ready to go
to high ground in the event of a sudden and unexpected
downpour. Don't camp overnight in gullies or ravines,
or you may get an unwelcomed bath. Death Valley is
notorious for flash floods!
Be critter
aware.
By that I mean to watch around you for potential
danger from rattlesnakes, scorpions, tarantulas,
mountain lions, bears, or whatever else happens to
consider its home to be where you currently are. The
type of terrain you are traveling will determine the
type of critters you're likely to encounter, but with
reasonable prudence, avoidance is usually easy. While
I have seen many wild animals on my adventures over
the years, I have never yet been the victim of one
(now of course, since I just typed that statement, the
third variant of Murphy's Law states that my next
jaunt will change that record).
We tend to
think of clothing as protection from the
elements,
but it can also make a difference with your fellow
creatures who live under rocks. An ounce of prevention
is worth a pound of cure. For example, if you are
going to be in the desert, wear high-top leather boots
(the higher the better). They could save you the agony
of rattler fangs piercing your lower leg. You may say,
"But I am just going to be in the vehicle most of the
time." Well, what if you break down and have to walk?
Stay in groups to keep any larger animals at bay, and
don't let children wander off by themselves in the
woods. Getting lost and being on the luncheon menu for
a carnivore are just two reasons I can think of. While
unlikely, these things should be considered on some
level.
Not all
dangers come from wild animals.
In fact, there is less danger from them by far than
another creature that occasionally lurks in the
hinterlands. I remember the time long ago when I was a
teenager that my dad and I were out enjoying the
Mojave Desert. As we were traveling down a remote dirt
road out in the middle of nowhere, we noticed an old
wooden cabin off to the side, and a woman was quickly
coming out to the road with something in her hands.
She stepped out into the narrow dirt road and blocked
our way as her hands waved a shotgun in our direction!
The lady appeared very old and agitated, and I
wondered how she survived out there all alone. Anyway,
she claimed that we were trespassing and should
immediately turn around and leave (it was in fact
public land and a public road open to all). My dad's
easy-going manner and soft non-threatening reply
somehow worked their magic on her. Not only did she
allow us to pass unhindered, she invited us in for a
drink of water and a visit before we left!
The point I
am getting at here is this:
On really rare occasion (and I stress the word rare),
it is possible to come across a human who, for
whatever reasons, erroneously believes the land is
theirs and that you are a threat to their rights.
Don't argue with these people! You won't win. Don't
lose your temper! Anger has no place in such a
situation. Stay cool, because it is likely that this
person may suffer from some delusional mental state,
and that makes the person extremely unstable and
dangerous. Comply with their wishes, resigning
yourself to finding another route. Unless you are
fortunate enough to make friends with such a person,
the risks are simply not worth your ego satisfaction.
Actually, if you do become friends, you'll likely have
an ally for life, and be granted safe passage anytime
you are in the area.
Dehydration
should always be taken into account before you
experience it;
They say that once you are thirsty, you are already a
quart low. Carry plenty of water. Experts now tell us
we should drink at least 64 ounces of water every day
(one half gallon), and up to double that if we're
physically active in a hot environment. Water is
always your friend (unless it comes in the form of a
flash flood). Humans can live for weeks without food,
but only a matter of a few days without water! Bring
enough for everyone in your BEV, and tell them to
bring their own in addition (what if you need radiator
water?). You can never have too much.
Also, have a
sun still with you
- this amounts to nothing more than a 3' square piece
of soft translucent plastic (like a piece of a shower
curtain, for example) and a drinking cup. This will
produce water for you! You can buy these commercially,
or just make your own. To get water, do this: 1) dig a
round hole about 18" deep and 24" in diameter, 2) put
your cup in the middle of it, 3) toss some vegetation
into the hole around your cup if available, 4) place
the plastic over the hole, held in place by small
rocks around the perimeter, 5) put a rock in the
middle of the plastic, suspended over the top of your
cup, about 3" above it, 6) wait until your cup runs
over, and then take a drink! Water condenses on the
inside of the plastic due to the hot sun making the
area under the plastic very humid. The condensation
then runs down the plastic and drips into your cup.
Yeah, it takes a while, but beggars can't be choosers.
Another variant of this method involves placing a
plastic bag around a branch of vegetation on a bush,
and holding the opening sealed with a string or rubber
band. Condensation takes over and produces water. The
sun's heat is a marvelous thing!
Unless of
course, You're getting too much of
it!
In Death Valley on the basin's main floor during the
hottest summer months, risk of death from dehydration
can be a real concern because the humidity averages
20% and can often fall to only 3%. In this situation,
your body efficiently sweats-out your water reserves
very quickly to keep you cool: during the heat of
summer you'd need 2 gallons of water per day if you
only sat in the shade and did nothing, and 4 gallons
if you are active in the sun. Don't confuse this with
heat stroke, which is a situation in very hot
high-humidity locales, where your body cannot cool you
efficiently through evaporative perspiration, causing
overheating and sometimes death. Dehydration is a case
of your sweat evaporating immediately, which leads to
a situation where your body cannot cool itself, so you
overheat and die.
Getting back
to clothing for a minute, it goes without
saying
that you should be prepared for any weather. Bring
more than you need (someone else will forget to bring
anything extra). Even hot desert days can turn into
cold desert nights. On hot days, whether in the
mountains or desert, I always keep my skin covered by
clothing to avoid sun damage. My recommendation is to
not wear short pants or short sleeve shirts regardless
of temperature, but that is not comfortable for some
folks. It's peace of mind to know that you are ready
for any weather. My rig always has extra clothing for
any type of conditions.
In fact, my
backcountry exploration vehicle is a
storehouse
of emergency and survival gear of all types. I carry
everything from clothing, food, water, and emergency
supplies to spare vehicle parts, tools, and repair
items. If necessary, I could be self-sufficient out of
my truck for at least two weeks (more if I rationed
well), that is if I had not repaired it first from my
supplies. My buddy Rich Colley does not have all this
stuff in his BEV, but one day he told me on the phone
that he had a complete compliment of emergency and
survival equipment. I asked him, "How so?" to which he
replied that his 357 Magnum revolver gave him all the
rights he needed to my storehouse. We had a great
laugh over that one! He has always been the jokester
(at least I certainly hope he was jesting).
Driving
to Survive
If you're
reading this, it's a fairly safe bet you know how to
drive.
As in all driving, common sense plays a significant
role in our safety, and a high number of mishaps and
driving related problems can usually be tracked back
to driver error. Know when I end up making a mistake?
Yup, when I'm feeling a little rushed for whatever
reason, or when my mind is wandering to places other
than behind the steering wheel. I suppose that could
be termed a judgment error, in that safe driving
requires total concentration.
Rule number
one is: don't be in a rush!
Whether it's around town or on a class-3 trail, keep
the mind engaged at all times. There have been a few
times over the years that my backroad confidence
lulled me into a false sense of security, perhaps I
was going 10 MPH when I should have been crawling
along at 5, and I ended up smacking part of my vehicle
against something harder than sheet metal
(fortunately, that has only happened to me twice, with
only very minor damage). So, just by slowing down, you
have more time to react to the changing terrain ... of
course, proactive driving is even better still.
Reading the road ahead is your best option. Try to
anticipate what's coming.
All right,
let's say your mind is in gear,
you are as cautious as can be, and you come upon a
section of backroad strewn with rocks. Since your rig
has pretty good clearance, you'll be able to straddle
or avoid most of them by knowing where the high points
are under your BEV. If you have independent 4 wheel
suspension with A-arms, the greatest clearance is
often right down the middle of your rig. With standard
differentials and suspension, usually driving to one
side or the other allows you to drive over rocks
without mishap. Most BEVs have skid plates built in
nowadays, but what often comes from factories is not
strong enough to do the job for folks who truly
venture off the beaten path.
Let's say
there is a rock up ahead,
and the road is such that you can't drive around it
(the best option when available). Let's also say that
you can't place your rig such that straddling it will
work either. Your only option is to drive right on top
of it as you pass. Let's add another "oh no" to the
mix: the rock is sharp ... sharp enough to maybe
puncture a tire. In this scenario, make sure that you
place the treaded portion of your tire atop the sharp
part of the rock because treads have greater strength
due to more plys, especially steel. Sidewalls are
relatively weak compared to the treads, and will rip
far easier. Treads can stand an unbelievable amount of
rough going.
Now you're
heading down the trail and notice that it
crosses
a streambed up ahead. Many crossings are atop river
rock, thus minimizing the chances of getting stuck in
mud, but not all. What if the water is murky and you
can't see the bottom? Well, you could turn around (and
miss all the great scenery down the road), or you
could wait and watch someone else drive through the
water. I carry a pair of booties (water shoes) in my
truck, along with a pair of shorts just in case I need
to test out the crossing first by walking it. There is
rarely a good reason for taking unnecessary chances.
Those who do are the ones you see stuck in water
crossings, either from deep mud or because the water
was deep enough to cause an engine related problem.
This isn't too much of a concern in the Death Valley
territory most of the time.
One more
quick thought and a story about water
crossings:
If you have drum brakes, fording water often renders
them temporarily ineffective until they dry. Back in
the seventies (yes, here comes another of my stories
from the old days) I drove my Jeep across a small
streambed and noticed on the other side that it was
really hard to stop. But the dirt road was straight so
it was no big deal. The guy behind me (my friend Rich)
was now crossing the water, and not knowing any
better, I stopped to watch him. Well, that day, I
learned to never again stop so close to the stream! He
also had drum brakes on his rig, couldn't stop any
better than I did, and so he ended up running into the
back of my Jeep ... good thing I had a large spare
tire out back to keep his grill off my two 5 gallon
gas cans I used to carry. It was a soft hit
fortunately, and we both had a good laugh. Today, most
BEVs have disc brakes that are largely unaffected in
this way. Oh yeah, I never carry gasoline like that
anymore either.
Sand happens.
Most of the time it isn't deep enough to cause much
worry,
and is usually fairly hard packed. Since I always
remain on roadways, the need to air-down the tires
considerably is generally not present. If you do
happen upon a particularly deep section of sand, test
it out first by walking. If you're still in doubt but
wish to continue, letting air out of your tires can
help, but how much? Experience counts here. And do you
have an air compressor to reinflate them when
necessary? If you drive through light to moderate
sand, the main essential key is to maintain your
vehicle's momentum. This keeps you on top of the sand
rather than sinking in if you slow way down or stop.
Again, the best option here is to test by walking
first. Never jump into anything without knowing what
the consequences are. I have driven many miles over
many years through sandy portions of roadways in
sandwashes, with standard tire pressure, and not been
stuck. You will get a lot of different opinions on
this one.
Know where I
used to see the most accidents as a cop in the
backcountry?
On blind curves. People tend to think that because
they're out in the middle of nowhere on an old dirt
road that they don't have to worry about oncoming
traffic. Well, that's not the case, as many
unfortunate souls have learned the hard way! Often
times people tend to drive down the middle of
primitive roads that are narrow anyway, so you get two
cars from opposite directions doing that on a blind
curve and a head-on is the result. If each BEV is
doing 20 miles per hour, that's like hitting a
concrete wall at 40! This is clearly a very real
concern, and it is best to drive as though there will
be another vehicle around every corner. Speed kills!
This concern is why the National Park Service has kept
Titus Canyon one-way through its entire
length.
Ooh, here's
something else that just came to my
mind
(however feeble it may be). What's the most fun you
can have on narrow primitive dirt roads on the sides
of steep mountains? Switchbacks, of course ... ones
that can't be negotiated in one continual turn. If you
don't already know, never cut a switchback too close
to the inside corner; it may result in a roll-over -
and that's not the way to have fun in the outback!
Drive as far forward as you can, and then stop (you
have little choice, of course), cut your wheels the
opposite way, and back up as far as you can (usually
until your rear bumper touches the hillside behind
you). Turn your wheels once again in the direction of
the road, pulling forward as far as possible yet
another time. If it's a really sharp switchback,
you'll have to back up a second time, and repeat the
entire process again. Each time you have to stop and
backup, it adds another point to the turn. A 3-point
turn is a tough switchback, especially considering the
reason for the tightness is because the road probably
is etched out of a steep hillside, and all the while
you're looking out into precious more than blue sky
and distant scenery down below. There is not much of
this in Death Valley National Park, but we do run
across mild switchbacks on a few of the
roads.
The
phenomenon known as "off camber" is one that
will
wake up even daydreaming drivers. Can you say Steel
Pass? It's when your BEV begins tipping to the side
because the road isn't level laterally (left and
right). Every now and then primitive roads experience
this because some of these roads originated long ago
under conditions where proper construction was not an
option. If a road is far enough off camber, it's best
to walk it first to make an assessment. Once you try
driving it, go very slowly so that if you get spooked
you can back out of it. You might be surprised to know
that most BEVs will tip quite a bit farther than you'd
expect, but inherent caution usually keeps things
safe. A little of this tippy stuff is okay now and
then, but it gets old real fast if it's on the side of
a steep mountain where our stomachs become unsettled
looking down!
What happens
if you meet a BEV coming the other
way
on a road only wide enough for one rig? Well, that's
why there is a reverse in your transmission, of
course! Seriously, if you see this scenario
approaching, remember that the driver traveling uphill
has the right-of-way. The downhill driver usually is
responsible to either backup or pull over far enough
to let the uphill vehicle pass. I say usually because
sometimes the uphill driver may just happen to have a
convenient pull off area (sometimes barely large
enough to fit a vehicle). If the road is on a
mountainside, but level, then each driver should be
looking for options. Basically, it's a cooperative
effort often negotiated by sign language as each
driver motions appropriately. You rarely get bored on
these roads.
Sometimes
dirt backroads descend steep
hills.
Overuse of your brakes can heat them up and make
stopping dangerous. Use low gears on steep hills,
keeping the BEV in low-range if possible. Let the
gearing maintain a nice slow comfortable speed so that
you don't have to use the brakes nearly as much. Slow
is a word I like! It keeps me safe so that I can enjoy
the backcountry.
One final
driving tip I'll cover here has its roots in human
psychology.
It is important to realize when you are being
influenced by this subtle aspect of the mind that can
lead to mishap. So what is it? Well, it sometimes goes
by several descriptors: bravado, machismo, or the need
to project an image that one can do something as well
as anyone else, without fear. I know this is real
because I have at times in my own life suffered from
it, and I've seen plenty of other humans (men and
women both) who have also fallen victim to its
insidious grip. This can get you into trouble,
sometimes big trouble.
Out in the
middle of nowhere is no place to worry about
image
(of course, if you had tried convincing me of this
when I was in my twenties, I believe it may have
fallen on deaf ears). It probably boils down to a
self-esteem issue I suppose, but be that as it may,
the best way to approach backcountry terrain is in a
state of humility. Get too smug and, sure enough, old
Murphy is bound to jump out of the bushes and take the
air right out of your sails! We aren't out here to
prove anything to anybody, so we should just admit
that, "Hey, I'm a little unsure about how to best
approach this obstacle. Can you help me?"
I hop into my
BEV and head out to the hinterlands for the wilderness
experience,
and it is best enjoyed if I'm not overly worried about
personal or vehicular injury. Sure, I do enjoy a
challenging road too, and most of these types of roads
can be traversed successfully through driving
experience or being assisted by someone who
understands the nuances of backroad navigation. The
whole idea is to have fun, be relaxed, and marvel at
the awesome planet on which we live.
High
Tech Goodies
Fortunately,
nowadays we have a few options for getting
help
that weren't available years ago in the seventies when
I couldn't wait to drive every Class 5 road around. I
put a CB radio in my truck (about a fourth the size of
the one I used to have in my CJ). These little radios
are great fun to use with others in your caravan for
communication, and they no longer require FCC
licensing. It is possible to use them in the event of
a breakdown to call the local emergency services, who
often monitor channel 9, if you are in line-of-sight
between your antenna and the receiving antenna. This
could be but a short distance or many miles depending
on the terrain. Besides that, it is sometimes fun to
monitor the CB while you're traveling the
highway.
Another neat
little thing (everything's little these
days),
are those hand-size walkie-talkies with a 2 to 7 mile
range. I can think of all kinds of scenarios for them.
Car to car on the trail if your friends don't have
CBs, person to person while hiking the canyons, or
person to car if a spotter needs to guide you over a
rough area of road from a distance. My local Radio
Shack dealer told me about a case in Oregon where a
stranded mountain climber on Mount Hood used his
communicator to call for help in Portland over 75
miles away - due to the climber's great elevation, his
walkie-talkie's signal reached the metro area and he
was rescued from the snowy slopes! Amazing story. You
have to remember though that this was a fluke, a rare
event where circumstances happened to be just right,
because these units generally could not be relied on
to rescue you if you're really way out
there.
I have found
that cell phones are largely ineffective way out in
the boondocks,
at least the times I have tried testing them to learn
if they could be a realistic method of signaling help.
I've tried on the tops of 13,000 foot passes in the
Colorado Rockies and elsewhere, usually getting the
message that there was no service available at my
location. That's not too reassuring, especially if
you're in an area where no one else is nearby with a
CB radio to pick you up. Quite
surprisingly however,
on a 7 day solo backroad trek in Death Valley and the
Panamint Mountains, the cell phone had service 6 out
of the 7 days (but I had to usually climb a small
mountain though to get out). It all depends on where
the microwave towers are located. Sometimes a CB will
get you help from a fellow explorer, where a cell
phone is nothing but a fancy, yet useless, piece of
technology.
Something far
superior in effectiveness, but very
spendy,
is a satellite telephone. These little gems, with
their large antennas, use satellites in space to relay
your message, and are far more reliable than cell
phones, which use microwave relay towers on Earth. In
places where cell phones don't work at all, such as
the 12,000' pass roads in the Rockies, satellite
phones apparently excel, and at the bottom of deep
canyons, they also work when a satellite is overhead
(this is according to a company spokesman to whom I
spoke for information).
There is a
very unfortunate downside however, and that is
cost!
These communication devices currently cost hundreds of
dollars. But the most unfortunate consideration is
that the service providers currently have no service
option for someone like myself who only wants the
phone strictly for emergency situations. The least
expensive option is a monthly payment of $39.95 for 40
minutes of airtime. So, it will cost you at least
$479.40 every year to keep the phone available even if
you never use it! I will definitely applaud the
company that hopefully someday initiates a low-cost
service plan for emergency-only users (perhaps a
pay-as-you-use plan that does not have a time limit on
usage, where the company is suitably compensated by
charging a very high per-minute charge for emergency
calls).
This next
little bit of technological genius doesn't cost a
penny once you buy it
(except for batteries), but it costs roughly the
equivalent of a satellite phone initially. It is a GPS
emergency beacon. GPS, as you most likely know, stands
for Global Positioning System, and, like the satellite
phone, uses orbiting satellites to transfer your
signal. But, unlike the satellite phone, the GPS
beacon allows no conversation. To be used only for
life-threatening emergencies, the palm-sized GPS
emergency beacon requires only that you flip a switch
to activate it. According to manufacturer's claims,
within 3 minutes your distress signal will be beamed
off an orbiting antenna and back to Planet Earth where
it will be intercepted by emergency services personnel
in your area, who will then know your location within
100 feet! Amazing, huh? All you have to do is sit back
and enjoy the scenery, awaiting your rescue (along
with a possible invoice for rescue services that will
have you paying long into retirement). At least you
will be alive to pay it!
As you can
see, there are several methods of helping to insure
your safe return
from your primitive four wheel drive and hiking
adventures. Some are inexpensive, while the best
options are out of reach for many of us. If you have
money to burn, you could have all the little toys in
your rig for rescue, but nothing is as good as the
brain that resides inside your head for staying out of
trouble in the first place. That is really the key
here … avoid trouble ahead of time by taking
reasonable precautions, or, if you are like me, take
even more precautions that the average prudent human
would not take. I try to prepare for anything, and in
so doing, cheat Mr. Murphy out of his Law.
Tell
a Friend
Here's
something that's really important (and it's
free)
- be sure that someone who didn't go on the trip knows
where you are and when you'll be back. Give them your
itinerary. If it's way out in the boonies, leave them
a map with your expected route highlighted. If you're
with a group of vehicles, this becomes less of an
issue than if you're driving alone in one rig. The
person you entrust with this info is your lifeline in
the event of disaster.
Make a couple
of phone calls ahead of time to local
authorities
in the area you plan on exploring. Ask them for the
condition of your intended 4x4 road or hiking trail,
and what the weather has been like lately. Check to
see if any of the roads have been closed or are now in
designated wilderness areas. Some regions where I used
to drive 30+ years ago are now closed to vehicles.
In addition
to telling a friend,
see if you can get a bunch of them to also go with
you! That's the most fun to be had out where the
pavement ends. There's nothing quite as memorable as
camping out with the crew in the middle of nowhere.
Mapping
it Out
Those are
some of the emergency topics, so now comes the most
fun part
of preparation for the adventure. Planning your route!
Ever since I was a kid, I loved to look at maps. Even
today I can spend hours pouring over every little road
and wondering what it's like if I haven't been there
before. I look for incredible land formations,
biological curiosities, and ghost towns rich in
history. I search out the roads indicated by two
parallel dashed lines because these are the ones
listed as primitive, poor, or 4wd, and the ones I
especially like to drive! I enjoy seeing things and
going places that are too remote or unreachable by
most people. I do not care for crowds. I do love the
natural world. Nature without crowds is ideal! I use
maps to locate these places. Once I get to them,
hiking on foot gets me even farther away.
Then I make a
plan.
Gee, sometimes I think that planning the trip is just
as fun as taking it. How many days? Who will go with
me? What will we see? Where will we camp? Will our
vehicles make the trek in perfect working order? What
will the hike be like, and what will the views be on
the walk? How will we feel when we return? The
anticipation and planning of the outing is an exciting
time for me ... it's a time when my imagination takes
hold and provides an extra impetus for the actual
trip. By the way, don't forget to always bring
detailed maps of the areas you are going to
travel!
We
love the wilderness too!
I've been
discussing our human survival in the outback on this
page,
but would now like to take a moment to talk about a
few issues that bear on the survival of the outback
itself - concerns where our human actions continue to
impact the wilds we all love so much, and cause a lot
of philosophical division among users of the land.
Stepping onto
on my soapbox once more,
I wish to make a statement of personal belief: Respect
nature, respect the wilds, respect the incredible
planet we call home. Stay on the roads, and don't
participate in destructive driving practices. Don't
litter. You packed it in, so now pack it out to the
next available PTR (public trash receptacle). Clean up
after others who do not respect these principles. Do
your part so that when anyone sees a group of us
coming down the dirt road, they'll greet us with
respect and admiration. "Walk the talk" as the saying
goes!
These things
are obvious to those of us who are
enamored
with the beauty and mystery of nature, and we would
never even consider tossing out trash, driving off the
roadway or trail, or otherwise contributing to the
degradation of the areas we love to explore. If you
are reading this, I am probably "preaching to the
choir" as they say. However, thanks to a few
inconsiderate four wheelers, and the negative
publicity that follows their uncaring and sometimes
malicious deeds, the general public often tends to
lump us all together. This biased concept really hit
home recently when a TV commercial for an
all-wheel-drive station wagon portrayed a more
traditional BEV and its driver as destroying the quiet
serenity of nature. It made me sad to see it, knowing
that for such an idea to make it to public television,
it must be widely held.
Destructive
media campaigns continue to
emerge
from both "sides" of the fence, compromising efforts
of cooperation and harmonious planetary coexistence.
Consider these following two emotionally
confrontational examples:
Unfortunately,
even the media who make their
living
by covering the backroad world occasionally contribute
to its demise. Case in point: I was reading a popular
four wheel drive magazine recently, and was saddened
to see the words one staff writer used to describe
people who wish to protect nature ... "enviro nazis"
was his terminology. Such verbiage only serves to
divide and enrage. There is no defense for using
inflammatory words. That writer wants to keep areas
open to use his truck, yet he chose to upset
environmentally sensitive folks who read his article.
True, there are those at opposite ends of every
disciplinary spectrum in life, but we do share this
planet, and I feel we should all be working towards a
cooperative solution of shared management and
Earth-friendly usage, not fighting one another while
proclaiming our way the only way.
The "other
side" is also insensitive at
times.
It was sad for me to come upon an editorial drawing at
a very well-known environmental website, showing a
caricature of the planet Earth with a BEV tire tread
imprint flattening about half of the planet.
Underneath the sketch were the words, "What was that
bump?" To me, this strongly inferred that those who
use vehicles to discover the natural wonders of the
world do not care about Earth's health. Such
unthinking generalizations are counterproductive and
inaccurate. Ironically, I happen to passionately agree
with the organization's mission statement and goals of
environmental stewardship, and I participate in a
carbon emissions offset program, so I personally feel
that to alienate supporters is not in anyone's best
interest. I believe the most prudent course of caring
action is a common spirit of cooperation!
Perhaps I'm a
dreamer when I talk about my hopes for
cooperation
within the community of humans regardless of their
individual agendas, but so be it ... I'll keep
striving towards the ideal of empathetic cooperation
in our ecological efforts, just as I strive to improve
my personal contributions.
Towards the
goal of planetary and human
survival,
I eagerly anticipate the future time when we can visit
the far reaches of nature in vehicles that truly leave
absolutely no atmospheric evidence of their visit; a
time when, working together harmoniously, the most
ardent supporters of all points of view can overcome
political, financial, and social impediments that
continue the current status quo of environmental
destruction, and a time when the balance of nature is
once again firmly entrenched about the Earth.
Making a
difference starts with you and
me!
The more of us who can actively dispel the thought
that all people who venture off the pavement onto dirt
backroads in vehicles are environmentally destructive,
the better off we'll all be. It's a first step towards
a better tomorrow. Let's all be courteous and
empathetic in all our actions. As the wise Mahatma
Gandhi once said, "We must become the change we want
to see."
