I took my son out wheeling yesterday. I wanted to show him what my Sammi could do. We went to a favorite trail of mine that goes down a steep overgrown gully, across a creek, and up a hill littered with washed out spots and big rocks.
As we approached an area where things got serious, we came across an old farmer across the fence on a ORV with his young grand kids. "You can't get through there" he said. "You want to bet money on that?" I asked. I'll bet you a thousand dollars that you won't make it," he said confidently. I laughed and got out of the Zuk as he walked up to the fence. "You can't get through there" he repeated, "even the horses won't go through there." "I'll bet you a thousand dollars that you won't make it to the hill across the valley." "I don't care if you have a Heep, you can't make it through there." "If all I had was a Heep, I wouldn't even try" I mumbled to my son. "Okay", I said, "we'll wave to you when we get there." "Don't say I did warn you" he said "don't expect me to pull you out." "I really appreciate you warning us" I said "but I think we'll be alright."
Now this trail, or what's left of a trail, is no piece of cake. Every time I go through, it is more overgrown and there is more erosion, making it more challenging. I was a little
skittish because we'd had a recent heavy rain, but I had done it many time before, so I felt comfortable about it.
The ride down the gully was uneventful, the tree limbs didn't even scrap off my snorkel this time. The creek was deeper than usual, and the far bank was steeper than usual, but it was pretty straightforward. The ride up the other side was challenging but anti climatic.
We stopped at the top of the hill, got out and waved. Now, going down that gully is one thing, but climbing back up it is REALLY a bitch. Before I got a front locker, I couldn't do it at all, I had to turn around in the creek. I really didn't expect the old fart to make good on his bet. However, I found the desire to tease him about it just too much to bare, so I turned around, and headed back down the hill. As soon as I turned around, the old fart got on his ORV and high-tailed it out of there. My son and I laughed our ass off.
The trip up the gully was more difficult, but Sammi, as usual, made me proud. Shit, I didn't even air down my tires. When we arrived at the spot where we left the farmer and the kids, they were completely out of sight.
Well, we won the bet, but we didn't get paid. Damn.
