The Desert Is…Running Barefoot and Driving Crazy.

March 9, 2010-Jorge's Jeep windshield after plowing through a muddy puddle on the sand dunes, Utah.

I grew up on the East Coast, and we never drove cars the way desert locals here do. Sure we were crazy, we’d steal a car and drive to a New York City club for the night, but that was different. Here, skidding is practically a way of life–you know, driving forward with the wheels turned? Yeah, that’s fun. Especially in water. Especially when you’ve tried to avoid skidding your entire driving life. Here, people rally the red dunes, where the sand is soft and the dunes are steep and there are no limits to push. The engine smokes, passengers hit their heads on the ceiling, everything bounces inside this metal box with a gas pedal, and it’s cool! You can even roll your car here without too many worries. So they say.

March 9, 2010-Blurry vista from the sand dunes.

But, it IS possible to drive too fast and too hard over bumps, even friendly-looking ones.  So we got a little stranded. And it was kinda my fault. Luckily, we were close enough home to hoof it, but far enough out to need a tow. And we were pretty lucky to get rescued because the desert gets cold fast when you’re soaking wet and stranded.

March 9, 2010-Jorge pulls the engine belt out of his smoking Jeep.

March 9, 2010-Lauren tries to push the Jeep out of a huge puddle.

March 9, 2010-Seth to the rescue.