Lenny
03-21-2006, 06:57 PM
Just got back from Glamis, (22 miles north of Mexico Border in Cali and a "fun" 4 days of ATV and sand rail riding.
Anyways, it was insane $hit, huge power, rails etc, big blocks, blowers, turbos, anything, you name it. I was "camping" (if a Diesel Pusher and 100's more like it counts as camping) in a group of about 50 Class A's at the end "campground" "Roadrunner". Well the dessert and the dunes were unbelievable, again, something I have NEVER seeen the likes of.
So, I get there, meet up with the crowd, introductions etc, and get on a Yammy nut-bar high perf ATV. I run around in it for about 10 minutes getting used to the power, turns, and the wheels coming up when I hit the throttle etc :eek: The gang at the campsite suggests I go with "Jeff" a fella accustomed to the area and have him show me a few things and basically the ropes of where NOT to be. We take off, running about 30-40 along a nice wide sandy (beyond sandy) road. (It is like dust it is soo fine.) The grade was basically up/down swells (for lack of a better word) spaced about 50 feet apart for considerable distance. He (Jeff) is ahead of me, obviously able to run his machine far better than I but I try to keep up, about 300-400' back.
Everything goes fine, I get better at flying the thing and landing "properly" as I thought fit, and try to catch up to him to wait for a minute as I have to move some personal aspects around a bit, one being my Passport all but flying out of a pocket and being lost in the dessert forever. :rolleyes:
He is far ahead and going over swell (dune) to swell and I follow suit. Over the next one, (and I am fully aware that there are MANY 200' mountains of sand here and vertical faces on the unseen side) and this is just another 4' high slow mound, I get about the kind of air you would get doing 30-40 on a swell, I am travelling about that speed, probably launch about 3' vertically only to find that the "landing" spot on the other side DOES NOT EXIST. It is probably no less than 50-60 feet straight DOWN, as in cliff. Having my live do that 15 minutes to die thing, all the memories, and the prolonged point of contact that happens when you are basically done, I see my "guide" ahead of me, at the bottom, to the right of his machine, face down in the sand and all bent and twisted. Not his ATV, him...
With the same tradgectory (sp) as him I plummet straight down however fast 450 pounds falls at with the added speed I started with, and pile into the back of his machine.
All I remember is waking in the sand, and slowly coming back on line, finding my arms, feet, head (blood pouring over my eyebrows into my face) and legs and trying to move them. Helmet still on, all I can remember is the crunching sounds and in general "sounds" you know you should not hear.
Freaked out of my mind, I get up and see "Jeff" face down in the sand, blood streaming out of mouth into the sand and all bent up. Doing the ABC's of first aid, I see no blood pooling in his socks/legs/arms etc, ears whatever, but with screaming the "Can you hear me's" etc there was NOTHING. Nor could I notice any breathing, not a sound...
Looking up, it was apparent I was in the bottom of a "snow cone" cup and it was vertical on one side (half of the circle) and close on the other. Later I learn that these are called "Witches Eyes" :eek:
I try to climb up to get help but can not even move forward on one side without falling back in. Then I try to tackle the other side with its' lesser grade. With all of the ATV parts laying around at the bottom of the hole I grab the Flag and staff that was now laying on the ground and climb my way out to the top of the other side. (a 5 minute ordeal at least, all the time looking back at this lifeless body in the hole) Did I mention his helmet was broken in half :(
To be continued once I get home.
Anyways, it was insane $hit, huge power, rails etc, big blocks, blowers, turbos, anything, you name it. I was "camping" (if a Diesel Pusher and 100's more like it counts as camping) in a group of about 50 Class A's at the end "campground" "Roadrunner". Well the dessert and the dunes were unbelievable, again, something I have NEVER seeen the likes of.
So, I get there, meet up with the crowd, introductions etc, and get on a Yammy nut-bar high perf ATV. I run around in it for about 10 minutes getting used to the power, turns, and the wheels coming up when I hit the throttle etc :eek: The gang at the campsite suggests I go with "Jeff" a fella accustomed to the area and have him show me a few things and basically the ropes of where NOT to be. We take off, running about 30-40 along a nice wide sandy (beyond sandy) road. (It is like dust it is soo fine.) The grade was basically up/down swells (for lack of a better word) spaced about 50 feet apart for considerable distance. He (Jeff) is ahead of me, obviously able to run his machine far better than I but I try to keep up, about 300-400' back.
Everything goes fine, I get better at flying the thing and landing "properly" as I thought fit, and try to catch up to him to wait for a minute as I have to move some personal aspects around a bit, one being my Passport all but flying out of a pocket and being lost in the dessert forever. :rolleyes:
He is far ahead and going over swell (dune) to swell and I follow suit. Over the next one, (and I am fully aware that there are MANY 200' mountains of sand here and vertical faces on the unseen side) and this is just another 4' high slow mound, I get about the kind of air you would get doing 30-40 on a swell, I am travelling about that speed, probably launch about 3' vertically only to find that the "landing" spot on the other side DOES NOT EXIST. It is probably no less than 50-60 feet straight DOWN, as in cliff. Having my live do that 15 minutes to die thing, all the memories, and the prolonged point of contact that happens when you are basically done, I see my "guide" ahead of me, at the bottom, to the right of his machine, face down in the sand and all bent and twisted. Not his ATV, him...
With the same tradgectory (sp) as him I plummet straight down however fast 450 pounds falls at with the added speed I started with, and pile into the back of his machine.
All I remember is waking in the sand, and slowly coming back on line, finding my arms, feet, head (blood pouring over my eyebrows into my face) and legs and trying to move them. Helmet still on, all I can remember is the crunching sounds and in general "sounds" you know you should not hear.
Freaked out of my mind, I get up and see "Jeff" face down in the sand, blood streaming out of mouth into the sand and all bent up. Doing the ABC's of first aid, I see no blood pooling in his socks/legs/arms etc, ears whatever, but with screaming the "Can you hear me's" etc there was NOTHING. Nor could I notice any breathing, not a sound...
Looking up, it was apparent I was in the bottom of a "snow cone" cup and it was vertical on one side (half of the circle) and close on the other. Later I learn that these are called "Witches Eyes" :eek:
I try to climb up to get help but can not even move forward on one side without falling back in. Then I try to tackle the other side with its' lesser grade. With all of the ATV parts laying around at the bottom of the hole I grab the Flag and staff that was now laying on the ground and climb my way out to the top of the other side. (a 5 minute ordeal at least, all the time looking back at this lifeless body in the hole) Did I mention his helmet was broken in half :(
To be continued once I get home.