ATV Follies
Slathering lotion on my leg, my hand brushes across a small lump on my shin that reminds me of the adventures I have had on my all-terrain-vehicle (ATV). My husband, Phillip, and I purchased our ATVs in May of 2006. We lived in Alaska and thought, when in Alaska do as the Alaskans do. After months of research, Phillip decided on the perfect ATVs for us. I am not analytical like my dear husband. I would have been satisfied to pick out the prettiest pink ATV the dealership had on the lot. Alas, I did not get the pink ATV. In the end, we purchased a pea-soup green Polaris Sportsman 450 for him and a pea-soup green Polaris Hawkeye for me.One Friday afternoon in June, while I was at work, Phillip drove to the dealership, in Fairbanks, to retrieve the ATVs. The next morning we decided to venture out with our new babies. Less than 50 yards from our driveway, I collided with a small tree. Phillip joked, “At least, we know the brush guard works.” Recognizing that I did not know how to drive an ATV safely, he took me to an empty lot on base used to teach ATV safety. Phillip taught me the fine art of shifting my weight to the front if going up hill, to the back if going down hill, into the curve when making sharp turns, and when navigating unlevel ground to lean into the higher side. As soon as I felt comfortable with my new five-hundred-pound beast, we decided it was time to hit the trails.
Somebody once told me, the trails are so numerous on Eielson Air Force Base that I could ride a new trail every day and never ride the same trail twice. Phillip quickly finds what appears to be a suitable trail for novices to explore. The trail starts out fairly flat and wide. Soon I am navigating deep ruts and an extremely unlevel trail. Just when I am feeling arrogantly confidant in my new skills, I find myself on the ground with my ATV on its side. It happened so quickly and yet so slowly. I am fortunate to have been quick enough to scramble out from under the beast before it rolled onto its side. Once I caught my breath, I hopped back on and finished our maiden ride.
A few weeks later, we decided to venture off base with our ATVs. I had ridden a few more times with my husband and by myself. I was feeling confidant in my abilities. Phillip had heard about a great trail along the Chena River, north of Fairbanks. We decided to investigate. The trail started out as a fun ride, but quickly turned into a muddy mess. Phillip’s ATV became stuck in a deep, thick mud puddle. He motioned for me to take the second trail up and around the mud puddle. This would allow us to use my ATV to tow his out of the mud. The second trail started with a steep incline. I stood up on the ATV shifting most of my weight towards the front so I could travel up the hill. Then I pushed the throttle as far as it would go. All of a sudden my ATV is teetering on its back tires, and I am having visions of being crushed as it flipped over on its rear tires. Phillip later told me I had the look of shear terror, and my eyes had bugged out of my head. I am screaming for my husband as he runs to my side. Calming my nerves, he persuades me to turn on my wench. Phillip extends the cable from the wench, and wraps it around a tree. He returns to me, and jumps on to the ATV as I simultaneously jump off. Using the wench he pulls the ATV up the steep hill until all four tires rest on solid ground. Meanwhile, I am sitting by a tree on the far side of the puddle hyperventilating. Phillip positions my ATV in front of his. He attaches the wench from his ATV to the tailgate of mine. Then he asks me to get back on to my ATV. Using all the power my ATV has, I pull forward towing his out of the mud. After a quick discussion on whether we should turn around or continue, we decide it would be better to continue instead of trying to navigate that mud puddle again. I say a silent prayer hoping we do not encounter another puddle.
The view during the ride was phenomenal. The pale, almost neon, green leaves of the aspens mixed with the deep, rich greens of the pine are breathtaking. We travel for another hour without incident. Then my husband decides to change direction. For safety reasons we wear helmets when we ride our ATVs. With my helmet on I have a significant blind spot when looking behind me. In order to change direction, I would have to go in reverse to turn around. I looked behind me to the left and the right, every thing looked clear. However, I failed to see the tree directly behind me. I did, however, feel it when I slammed into its trunk causing me to bounce off the ATV. Phillip said I looked like a bull-rider being bucked off an angry bull. After making sure that I was all right, we hopped on to our ATVs and continued in the new direction. Eventually, we made a big loop and returned to where the truck and trailer were parked. The day was taxing both emotionally and physically, but it was a fun day spent with my husband.
A couple of weeks later it was the Fourth of July weekend, we decided to try riding on the Quartz Creek trail in the White Mountains north of Fairbanks. After packing lunch and drinks, we were on our way. There were numerous hikers on the trail, but they all seemed to be heading in the opposite direction. True to his nature, my husband soon decided that he wanted to turn around and follow a different trail. He turned around with ease. However, that darn blind spot thwarted me again! I failed to see that I was backing-up on to an incline. When my ATV was not reversing quickly enough for me, I pressed the little yellow button that read, “Reverse 4x4 override.” I have since learned this little yellow button should be avoided at all costs. Soon my rear, left tire was traveling up the incline. Unfortunately, the incline was so steep that my ATV had no place to go but on its side. The ATV rolled so swiftly; I did not know what was happening. All of a sudden my leg was pinned under a five-hundred-pound machine. After I caught my breath, I screamed for my husband. Fortunately, he had learned to never travel too far ahead of me. Phillip ran towards me. He lifted the ATV enough for me to crawl out from under it. As I lay on the ground crying in pain, he righted the ATV. With the ATV on all four tires again, we assessed my injuries. We did not know at the time the seriousness of my injuries. We simply assumed it was a bad bruise, and decided to continue with our ride. The rest of the ride was excruciating because we were driving over tundra. Tundra is not a smooth surface. It is riddled with ruts, and it is waterlogged ground that easily gives way under the weight of an ATV. This makes for a bumpy ride.
After we finished our ride and had the ATVs loaded onto the trailer, I rolled up the leg of my jeans revealing a softball-sized knot on my shin. Phillip and I decided it was simply a nasty bruise. Over the next week I iced the knot on my shin and took ibuprofen for the pain. After ten days the pain was not improving, and I began to get worried. Telephoning the clinic on base, I explained my injury. The nurse told me to come in immediately. My doctor lectured me on the dangers of a crush injury and ordered me to see the orthopedic surgeon at the Army hospital, thirty-minutes away, in Fairbanks. She called ahead, and he said he would meet me in the emergency room. Fear set in during the drive because my doctor had told me I was suffering from a compartmental injury, and they would have to rush me into surgery to release the pressure of blood trapped in my muscle. By the time we arrived at the hospital I had worked myself into a frenzy and was on the verge of tears. The orthopedic surgeon watched me as I walked into the emergency room, and quickly assured me that my injury was not a compartmental injury. Instead, it was as we assumed--simply a bad bruise. After lecturing me on the importance of going to the emergency room immediately should this ever happen again, he offered to buy my ATV. When I refused his proposal he teased me saying, “If you want to play with big boy toys, you should expect big boy injuries.”
A few weeks later we learned that I was pregnant with our daughter. I promised our family that I would stay far away from the ATV while pregnant. We did not have an opportunity to ride together after our daughter was born in the spring of 2007. Since I seem to be unable to keep all four ATV tires on the ground at all times, I am uncomfortable adventuring trails alone. The backyard of our house in Alaska butted up against the pipeline that ran through Eielson Air Force Base. Wide gravel roads run along this pipeline. On the rare occasion I ventured out on my ATV, I stayed on these gravel roads. They afforded me the beauty of Alaska, but in a safe manner. It was along these gravel roads that I enjoyed the blossoms of fireweed and wild irises. I also marveled at the enormity of a mother moose next to her babies--from a distance, of course.
Last summer, we moved to Utah. We began taking the four-wheelers to the cabin owned by husband’s parents. There we can ride the plethora of trails in the Fairview canyon. That September, we were there with the ATVs one last time before closing the cabin for the winter. My in-laws offered to babysit our daughter so we could ride together for the first time since her birth. We enjoyed a couple of hours exploring the trails near the cabin. As we headed back, my husband decided to change the direction he wanted to travel. The trail had come to a T-shaped intersection. At first Phillip headed to his left, but instead decided to turn right. Phillip signaled for me to turn right. There was a slight incline, so I increased my speed in order to turn right at the top of the hill. I am unsure what happened next, but before I knew it I had hit a fence post and landed hard on the ground. My ATV rolled on its side, thankfully, this time I did not get pinned under the ATV. When could stand I proclaimed, “I am done, I am just done!” Phillip expertly righted my ATV while I laid on his trying to catch my breath. Eventually, we made it back to the cabin. My mother-in-law, who is a nurse, immediately sprung into action making sure I was not seriously injured. Phillip and my father-in-law chuckled at my inability to keep all four tires on the ground at all times. After that incident the ATVs were put to bed for the winter.
So far this year I have managed to keep all four tires on the ground at all times. I also have not ventured much further than the gravel roads surrounding the cabin. I cherish the memories and adventures the ATVs have given me. Even if one of those memories is a small lump left on my shin because of a bad bruise. I look forward to many more safe rides with my husband, Phillip.
No comments:
Post a Comment