Let me start by telling you how this came to be…
About 5:30am on a Sunday Morning,
I woke-up & took a look outside and noticed what a nice overcast day it was, even with some light sprinkle action-taking place.
I decided that it was a great day to get some coffee from the Circle K and take a little drive.
(Where? I didn’t know.) Starting at this desert area called Rail X. It is located on the West Side of HWY 77 on the outskirts of Catalina. I had been out there exploring many of times before and thought that I had been on every trail/ road that was to be traveled, I was wrong! I had actually come across a road that I had never been on before let alone thought about seeing where it would go. (Of coarse I was off & playing
)
I reset my mileage just to keep track of how long the trail would be in case it was worthy of an L.O.S.T K.J run some day. I then started down this road that was taking me North bound towards Florence. I had been playing and scouting for about 1½ hr. When I came across an electric sub station where there is a four way crossing. At this point the rain was getting a bit harder and noticed the storm was moving north to south, towards me of coarse I paid no mind to this and ventured west, towards I-10. Cruising up & down hills in & out of washes that weren’t running and also paid no mind to these either, I continued for about 1hr. when I noticed my gas tank was less than a ¼ of a tank full
. This was a big concern! I didn’t think about checking how much gas I had before I left town, I thought I’d just be a few miles away. I then drove up to a top of a hill so I could hopefully see if I was getting close to any main roads that would get me back home fast. I didn’t see any, except one. It was the Freeway (I-10) about 10mi. west or further from where I already was. I decided to turn around and try out one of the other crossroads that I had seen at the sub station.
Remember those washes I was talking about earlier? Well the started to run, some more than others but still the were running, Washes aren’t my kind of fun especially in Monsoon whether, although I did get the chance to notice that some washes are better to cross than some ravines. Ravines are narrow washes, which means the h20 tends to run a bit faster & harder. Washes are wider and the flow of h20 tends to be spread out more, unless the water flow is great. Once I got back to the sub station I looked east and saw Hwy. 79, much to my delight there was way gate w/ several locks on it, but none of them where unlocked so I couldn’t get to the Hwy. (It was only 20’ in front of me.
) I then turned back around to the sub station, at this point I didn’t know if I could make it back the way I came from or if I headed north that it might lead me to Hwy. 79.
Decisions, decisions. None of my roommates knew of my where about so if I had run out of gas they would have been no use to me. (I have always tried to let someone know where I’ll be and roughly how long, but I had not told anyone.) I thought I’d try and keep going north. About 45mins later I could see the Hwy. 79 again and thought that if I could find a wash that wasn’t running to bad I’d try to drive down it and eventually get up on to the Hwy. I was at the point if I needed to I’d cut the fence down and cross it then mend it I would. So I found a wash, it was flowing good, well enough that when I went side ways in it. It would push the rear of my truck.
(
EVEN IN 4L IT IS NOT A GOOD FEELING
) so here I am, traveling down a wash when I see that it is getting wider, wider is good, means the h20 level will be dropping soon right? Nope, It got deeper! The wash flows right in to a pond.
I could tell by the edge of the water, the dirt had been pushed up to catch all that would flow its way. Now I’m trying to climb up the embankment this is harder than it seems, but clay/ mud packed tires doesn’t make a lot of traction, I did make it up though.
Needless to say I waited on the embankment until the flow was comfortable enough for me to head back up the dreaded wash that I had already been down. That went w/o a hitch. (Had some fun slipping & sliding though.) Once I got back to the road I kept going north, about a ½ mile more I finally found a road that lead me out of the muddy desert, where I was able to get to a gas station then return home safe & dry.
How to become a “Bodaggit”:
1.Don’t tell anyone where you’re going or how long you should be, they’ll just be waiting for you.
2.Don’t ever worry about how much gas is in the tank.
3.Drive in washes during Monsoon season, it’s fun!
4.Drive alone; it’s quieter that way.
Once you’ve done these 4 things in one trip, you’re eligible to make Bodaggit of the year!!!
Dan, I may not of had much gas, or told anyone of my where about’s, but at least I had my Spare tire!
Please, Please if you ever get the feeling to just take off, try and remember… Me & My story first
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