The 12 Days of Four-Wheeling

˜Twas the night before deadline and all through house,
not a soul was stirring, not even my spouse.

As I pecked at my laptop and pondered the season,
What came to mind was more than one reason.

New trails, new friends, and good times galore.
If it weren’t for four-wheeling, my life’d be a bore!

OK, enough for my attempt at poetry. The holiday season is the perfect time for reflection. And, yes, there’s the excitement and anticipation of what is to come. Hey, even an old chum like me looks forward to Christmas. (Maybe not the gaudy necktie and fruitcake, but everything else is pretty cool.) Some pleasures of life just don’t get old. For this month’s article I decided to veer off course just a bit. But maintain a 4WD angle.

As they say, you can take the man (or woman) off the trails, but you can’t take the trails out of the person. With tongue planted firmly in cheek but my right hand on the shifter, here are my dreams for the coming days. How do they compare with yours?

12 Days of 4 Wheeling

1. On the 1^st day of four-wheeling we have a long and event-packed escape ahead of us.
2. On the 2^nd day of four-wheeling we have two tons of gear for packing, and a long and event-packed escape ahead of us.
3. On the 3^rd day of four-wheeling we have three great trails begging, two tons of gear for packing, and a long and event-packed escape ahead of us.
4. On the 4^th day of four-wheeling we have four tires singing, three great trails begging, two tons of gear for packing, and a long and event-packed escape ahead of us.
5. On the 5^th day of four-wheeling we have five Jeeps climbing, four tires singing, three great trails begging, two tons of gear for packing, and a long and event-packed escape ahead of us.
6. On the 6^th day of four-wheeling we have six ghost towns enticing, five Jeeps climbing, four tires singing, three great trails begging, two tons of gear for packing, and a long and event-packed escape ahead of us.
7. On the 7^th day of four-wheeling we have seven river crossings gleaming, six ghost towns enticing, five Jeeps climbing, four tires singing, three great trails begging, two tons of gear for packing, and a long and event-packed escape ahead of us.
8. On the 8^th day of four-wheeling we have eight tents flapping, seven river crossings gleaming, six ghost towns enticing, five Jeeps climbing, four tires singing, three great trails begging, two tons of gear for packing, and a long and event-packed escape ahead of us.
9. On the 9^th day of four-wheeling we have nine successful hill climbs behind us, eight tents flapping, seven river crossings gleaming, six ghost towns enticing, five Jeeps climbing, four tires singing, three great trails begging, two tons of gear for packing, and a long and event-packed escape ahead of us.
10. On the 10^th day of four-wheeling we have 10 steaks sizzling, nine successful hill climbs behind us, eight tents flapping, seven river crossings gleaming, six ghost towns enticing, five Jeeps climbing, four tires singing, three great trails begging, two tons of gear for packing, and a long and event-packed escape ahead of us.
11. On the 11^th day of four-wheeling we have 11 men rejoicing, 10 steaks sizzling, nine successful hill climbs behind us, eight tents flapping, seven river crossings gleaming, six ghost towns enticing, five Jeeps climbing, four tires singing, three great trails begging, two tons of gear for packing, and a long and event-packed escape ahead of us.
12. On the 12^th day of four-wheeling we have 12 cheers to the new year, 11 men rejoicing, 10 steaks sizzling, nine successful hill climbs behind us, eight tents flapping, seven river crossings gleaming, six ghost towns enticing, five Jeeps climbing, four tires singing, three great trails begging, two tons of gear for packing, and a long and event-packed escape ahead of us.

Whimsical as this is, it’s not too far from reality. Perhaps you have experienced similar 4WD events. One time some buddies and I headed for southwest Nevada. We were planning to cruise through Esmeralda County over a long Memorial Day weekend. In addition to great trails and fantastic scenery, we were treated to numerous interesting ghost towns. Mother Nature had fun with us, too. We faced rain, high winds (one guy’s tent darn near blew off a cliff), sloshy streams, and even icy sand. No kidding!

We also enjoyed true four-wheeling camaraderie, juicy steaks on the grill, and sunrises and sunsets to die for.

It’s been that kind of a year. I hope you and your family are also savoring the memories from incredible 4WD experiences. If you are one of my students or clients, thank you for the opportunity to help you build your four-wheeling skills. It is always a real pleasure.

May you and yours have a safe and happy holiday season. Best wishes for a four-wheelin’ new year.

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Did you miss the previous article?

• 2017-11-11 The Perfect Cup of Camp Coffee
• 2017-10-11  Convenience of a 4-Door Model in a 2-Door Vehicle
• 2017-09-11  Amateur International 4WD Event “ the Penultimate Bucket List 
• 2017-08-10 2m Hamming Off-Road
• 2017-07-14 Are You a Roads Scholar?
• 2017-06-15 San Rafael A Swell of a Drive
• 2017-05-11 How to Properly Abandon A Vehicle
• 2017-04-26 Wilderness First Aid Training Valuable On And Off The Trails
• 2017-03-17 Complicated Issue? “ Trail Spacing!
• 2017-02-18 Driving Off (road) into the Sunset
• 2017-01-11 Resolve To Cook With a Dutch Oven

Some Upcoming Events (click on the link for details)

Memorial Day in the Inyo Mountains

After the first of the year, we will open the registration for Easter Safari, San Rafael Swell Adventure, Wilderness First Aid 2-day training and the Rubicon Adventure. Send us an email if you want reserve a spot on any of these events prior to January 1, 2018.

January 2018

January 13 Getting Started Off-Road “ LA area

January 14 Day 2 Getting Started Off-Road “ LA area

January 20 Sand & Dunes Pismo

January 27 Winching & Recovery – Mojave, CA

January 27 Getting Started Off-Road “ San Diego area

January 28 Day 2 Getting Started Off-Road “ San Diego area

February 2018

February 03 Women Only Getting Started Off-Road – San Diego area

February 24 Beginning Rock Crawling – Johnson  Valley

The winch bandana and winch DVD make great stocking stuffers.

Yellow is back in stock! The Orange and Red went fast last time with blue not far behind so if you want a specific color order now while we have most of them available. The Bandana layout follows the Vehicle Recovery Plan with pathways to more detail. A unique section of the Bandana, gives the steps for a Winch Rigging Check: Walk through so that you verify every element of the rigging before you commit to the pull. Stuff this in your recovery kit and you will always be ready. Warning “ the Bandana is not a substitute for proper training and use of quality equipment used within the bounds of their safe working load. We advise you to use the information provided in the Winching Recovery Bandana at your own risk. We cannot control the quality and specifications of the equipment used and the methods actually employed. The original press release with larger graphics is on the website .

73 KI6FHA
I hope to see you on the trails!
Tom Severin, President Badlands Off Road Adventures, Inc.
4-Wheel Drive School
310-613-5473
www.4x4training.com
Make it Fun. Keep it Safe.

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Want To Use This Article In Your Magazine, E-Zine, Club Newsletter Or Web Site? You are welcome to use it anytime, just be sure to include the following author/copyright information: Tom Severin, 4×4 Coach, teaches 4WD owners how to confidently and safely use their vehicles to the fullest extent in difficult terrain and adverse driving conditions. Visit www.4x4training.com to develop or improve your driving skill. Copyright 2017, Badlands Off-Road Adventures, Inc.