You know those signs that tell you not to drive into flooded areas?
Every time I’d see one, I always wondered about the target audience. I mean, who would be stupid enough to drive into a flooded area? And if they were that stupid…well, maybe ol’ Darwin had the right idea.
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Based on the cover photo, you may have already guessed where this story is going. I don’t have to look very far to find someone stupid enough to “enter when flooded.” I see that guy in the mirror every morning when I shave.
You see, there’s a creek that flows across the dirt road out to the West End Gun Club. I’ve been driving across it for close to 40 years now. Most of the year, it’s a dry creek bed. After a rainy spell, we’ve had times when it was so obviously flooded I wouldn’t attempt to cross it. Most of the time. But other times when the water was flowing, it didn’t look bad enough or deep enough to keep me from taking a chance. I mean, what could go wrong?
I guess I’m one of those guys who has to urinate on the electric fence to see for himself. Yep, I finally got stuck, and stuck good. I always figured with my all wheel drive Subie I could get out of anything. But you know, AWD ain’t the same as 4WD. Something I learned today.
When I heard the underside of the Subie hit the ground on the ledge (that was now more of a bank than a ledge), it hit hard. I felt it as much as heard it. I was in trouble. I tried to back out, but I knew from the downward facing hood the Subie’s butt was in the air and I could feel the front wheels spinning in the water. I was balanced on the bank, and I could feel the car rocking and pivoting slightly to the right. It was like being in a formulaic movie or a bad dream when a car has gone out of control and is hanging over a cliff. I opened the door and the bank was directly under the opening, and as I looked at the ground, the bank was eroding. In the wrong direction. Water started coming over the door sill and into the car.
I beat a hasty exit out the passenger door. Other folks going to the range, wondering if they could cross, had stopped and were watching me. I had set the example. The spectators tried to help by pulling down on the rear bumper. It did no good. I was high sided, and if anything, the car was moving more toward the stream, which was starting to look like Niagara Falls. Yikes.
I called the Auto Club, but they put me on hold. The bank continued to give way under my Subie, so I called 911. They took my info and I never heard from them again, nor did anybody show. You know the old saying…when seconds count, the cops are only minutes away. The other spectators drifted away. I was on my own.
Then a miracle occurred. Good buddy Lee, who I met for the first time this morning, came by in a Jeep. A real Jeep. With a winch. We connected (literally and figuratively), but it was no good. As the winch did its thing, it dragged the Jeep toward the Subie. Lee and I looked at my situation. Lee put boulders in front of the Jeep’s wheels, and the winch dragged them along, too. “If I could hook up to another vehicle,” Lee said, “we could make this work.”
Then the second miracle occurred. Another newly-met good buddy named Aaron rolled up in a big Dodge pickup. He hooked up to Lee’s Jeep, Lee hit the winch button, and just like that (with some God-awful undercarriage scraping and grinding), I was free. For a few seconds, I thought my future held a commission as a U-boat commander, but no more. Lee and Aaron, wherever you are, thanks much!
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Oops.
Yep, that wasn’t YooHoo rushing by.
Shit happens.
Glad you got out finally.
You may want to consider a vehicle with more ground clearance.
Or thinking twice. Maybe even three times.
If you think that was stupid I’d be tempted to drive forward.
I guess you had to be there. Never entered my mind.
“Wise Men Rush In Where Fools Fear To Tread”…..
Wait, that’s not right is it??
It’s close.
Lesson learned I hope. Glad you were rescued before your ride went floating downstream. When I was tooling around in the Holcomb Valley area near Big Bear in my 4×4 (not AWD) van last winter I ran across a guy in a well equipped and lifted Jeep Rubicon. He mentioned that he likes to cruise the back roads after a good snow storm looking for flatlanders who come up to play and invariably get stuck. Interestingly, he said most of the vehicles he pulls out are Subarus. Subaru has a good reputation as a go anywhere vehicle but owners overestimate their capabilities. I think I know one owner who will think twice before venturing too far off the beaten path again.
Yep, it happens. Got your phone message and I’m taking your advice. Thanks, Peter.
I’m impressed that you had the nerve to admit to this. WHAT were you thinking?
However, I’m a big fan of the Subie though.
I wish I had a nickel for every time I was asked that question (What were you thinking?) over the course of the last seven decades.
I know you are a fan of Subies. You are the guy who gave me that first free hit.
Good to hear from you, Tom.
I’m not really poking fun , I’ve had my share of uh-ohs. Anyway a friend’s Dad had a saying for this sort of event.
“So soon old , so late smart. “
Well, I got it half right…
Glad it turned out ok! Plus it gave you fodder for another great story.
I don’t know how it is in your area, but around North Carolina, good ole boys with big tucks and wenches are always on the lookout to render assistance.
Gresh would have tried to get to the other side never thinking about the return trip…. when the water would have been deeper. And at night.
Thoughts of using this for blog foddeer briefly crossed my mind as I watched the bank erode, but I had other things I was dealing with that had a higher priority. The blog idea came later (after I washed my underwear).
Your comment about Gresh sparked a thought for another blog I could do from the China ride. Something that similarly involved riding off a cliff shortly after the donkey burger episode.
Stay tuned, and thanks for commenting.
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I would spin this that you saved other’s lives by blocking the road thus preventing them from being whisked away down river! hero of the day! 🙂
You are quicker than me, Mike.
Wow, so glad this didn’t go further south than it did, Joe. Didn’t know there was a difference between AWD and 4WD, but happy you found a couple of great folks who pulled out of that spot. Besides washing your underwear I’m guessing the Subie’s interior will be getting a thorough cleaning as well…
Yep. Thought it would be okay based on how many times I’d been through it before. Obviously didn’t get to shoot that day, either.
There’s a silver lining here. Those front wheel bearings needed a good cleaning out anyways.
That’s what I call my handicap parking sticker. It’s one of the better things that came out of a motorcycle accident a few years ago.
As has been said by no less a great modern philosopher that Will Rogers himself “Good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgement”. So there you have it- a little learning experience that goes into that big bank of wisdom that we all need but most do not have enough of until it doesn’t matter anymore. And so it goes…….
Yep. I got some experience.
Ha, Ha, Joe. Glad it came out OK. I’ve had my various Subie’s in some stupid places out here in Colorado. So far I’ve always made it out, but you never know. . .
Dan K.
Good to hear from you, Dan. Yeah, I’m glad, too. It was an exciting morning.