The moonlight broke through the clouds abruptly and brilliantly. So bright, we stopped trudging on the pavement’s edge and whipped our heads, hoping it was headlights.
We had been walking for nearly eight miles already. Our clothes, originally wet from the mud pits our Broncos were buried in, had long frozen over in the 16-degree weather. My pants swished with each step, ice on ice.
As we stood on the remote wooded road, the moon’s cool blue glow bounced off the snow and lit up the evening. Seeing where we were placing our feet became easier, but it didn’t make plodding through the drifts and slippery patches any less tiring. On another night, the glitter and stillness would have been pure magic. Despite feeling mentally strong, we were physically wearing down, six hours in from attempted recovery and walking out.
Even still, that hike, teetering on the slim edge between uncomfortable and dangerous, showcased nature’s beauty.
Skills Put to the Test
I love getting out in the wild, and so does Bronco Nation member Kyle, who I was with. We love survival books, having go bags, and carrying backup gear for the backup gear: Once, while practicing starting a fire with char cloth and ferro rods on the off chance we ever need to, our campsite neighbors came over with a lighter and limoncello. I suppose after half an hour of watching our sparks die out –– literally and figuratively, in my case –– they guessed that we could use a boost.
At any rate, because of our interests, we were pretty well prepared on that cold January day for a quick afternoon ride that went south. Like really south, straight through four inches of ice down into a two-and-a-half-foot-deep pit with walls like a grave, where the runny mud came up over the tops of my shin-height waterproof boots and left my wool socks squelching with standing water I poured out into the sink at the end of it all, after hair-drying my frozen laces loose.
While Kyle's Bronco wasn’t as deep in its own hole, the two sets of traction boards were no longer setting us on our way like they had earlier; my sturdy serrated-edge shovel wasn't necessary in the slushy water, and with both vehicles immobile, shackles and kinetic ropes were of no use.
If one of us had a winch, we may have been in fine shape. With one, I would have felt confident on proper use, thanks to attending Bring Your Own Bronco at Bronco Off-Roadeo New Hampshire, where I got first-hand training and experience pulling Broncos out of tricky spots along with other community members.
Are You Ready for a “We’re Not Driving Out of This One” Situation?
I would never try to scare someone into attending training. But even with our outdoor and off-roading experience, prep of the right clothes and almost all the right gear, chat with the visitor's center about conditions and a late lunch return, getting stuck on that day had us facing a true possibility of frostbite, hypothermia, or worse.
Education before you're in a situation like that can be a matter of life and death. Recovery isn't as simple as having equipment. It must be used and rigged correctly, and sometimes, the most talented off-roaders get stuck so well, they are only saved by some creative measures, like removing a spare tire, wedging it in the ground, and running a winch line up and over to provide the necessary angle for a pull. Even with all the gear possible, for less experienced owners, thinking of possibilities that may work doesn’t always come naturally, especially in a rapidly degrading situation where your mind starts to go dark and fuzzy around the edges and your hands and feet get clumsy.
Point blank, the more you’re continually spending time in situations with people above your skill level, and the more hours of hands-on training you complete, the better equipped you'll be to make it back home in good shape.
Even if you’re not an off roader yet, don’t mark yourself safe by thinking, "well, I just won't leave the asphalt." Emergencies can happen any time. You may not even be the party in need, but you'll have a better idea of how to help.
I made mistakes that day: I left my Garmin inReach Mini back at my cabin, and while I didn’t need it, it may have helped if things truly went sour. Maybe I would have made it past the pit with more experience driving. I could have had a winch on my Bronco, and maybe it would have gotten us out.
There’s one thing I know for certain. The dozens of hours I've logged with Bronco Off-Roadeo’s pro guides, who’ve seen all sorts of situations and terrains, who teach so practically and kindly, and who answer question after question, contributed to me getting as far as I did on trail and through initial recoveries that day successfully, and I’m more than glad for it.
Fortune favored us. I still have all my toes; a wheel loader got our vehicles out the next day; our recovery team was impressed with the Broncos firing right up after a night encased in ice and the capability of Kyle's manual; and I have more chances to keep improving and having fun off road.
Your Turn: Will You Take It?
Ladies, there's an awesome opportunity for you to go through some of the same small-group training on May 15 in Texas for Bring Your Own Bronco -- Ladies Day. Sign up for both sessions, Off-Road Recovery and Next Level Off-Road, and you’ll practice incredibly useful recovery and driving techniques.
With the great group of women trail guides, you're not only investing in life-saving information, but you’re also going to gain the opportunity to develop lifelong friendships. Amy “Ace” Clouds and others make sure of that!
And for everyone else, and nearly year-round, Bronco Off-Roadeo offers the complimentary owner experience for those with a qualifying vehicle, plus the Half-Day Adventure and Bring Your Own Bronco as ways to increase your talent behind the wheel. All will provide you with skills, tips, and tools to have a great time in your vehicle. Don’t forget: Premium Bronco Nation members save on the Half-Day Adventure as well as Bring Your Own Bronco driving experiences. Visit your subscription page in the forums to find your discount codes.
So go off-roading with your club. Watch videos and read up on how to use 4H, 4L, and lockers. Practice in different terrains. And attend the various programs and locations of Bronco Off-Roadeo. You can never have too many training opportunities.
The money spent is an investment in your safety and future fun, and by learning techniques in a controlled environment with expert guides, your confidence in both you and your Bronco’s capabilities skyrockets!
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