Adventures
On leading 14 Jeeps through the woods.
Happy Wednesday, everyone! On Wednesdays, I share the Adventures column, in which I tell you a story detailing a recent experience or adventure I’ve embarked on. I share these stories in the hopes that you, too, will feel inspired to tackle a new adventure of your own, or maybe dispel some of the fear or uncertainty you may be facing.
So, let’s dive in.
I recently led 14 Jeeps through the woods on a nearly 60-mile ride that I had routed and scouted beforehand. While this may not sound like a big deal to those of you not in the off-roading community, it was to me. I had only ever led about 5 or 6 vehicles before, so to think of the number 14 was huge for me!
Everyone had been hyped up about the ride in the weeks leading up to it, and when the day finally came, I was a little nervous. My fiancé and I had driven about an hour and a half to our staging location, which was a gas station with a large parking area about half a mile from the entrance to the Francis Marion National Forest where we were going to be wheeling.
I remember waiting there and watching the line of Jeeps roll in. Many of them had decided to meet up beforehand and convoy to the staging location, but I live further away, so I opted to meet everyone at the gas station. When everyone rolled in, I felt my heart rate spike. Reality started to settle in. I was going to be leading this group; they were going to be putting their trust in me.
Now, I’ll pause here and note that while the FMNF is mainly flat dirt roads, many of the people I was leading that day had barely ventured off pavement. I wanted this to be a good ride for them and not scare them away from wheeling altogether. I later learned that a handful of those who went had gone rock crawling up at Uwharrie, which is far more technical and challenging than anything we would be encountering on this ride. I have also been up to Uwharrie, so the FMNF was going to be a breeze for those of us with more experience.
Anyway, once everyone was there, we gathered around and I gave them a short speech. It wasn’t anything crazy—how long the ride could be, where we would be stopping for lunch, what the conditions of the trails would be like, what to expect. I also detailed what not to do on the trails, like driving off the marked paths or leaving trash behind. Basic things! I answered a few questions and we were quickly on our way and bantering over our radios.
Leading a Jeep ride hardly seems equivalent to some other things in life, like taking on a leadership role at work, or having to pay an unexpected expense, but I was proud of myself for tackling it and leading everyone through the trails safely. I have many more rides planned, so I’m looking forward to guiding people across more technical terrain.
With each ride I’ve led, I’ve learned something new every time, whether that’s better communication over the radios, or ensuring that I’m taking lines that everyone else behind me can take, there’s always been something new to take away from each and every ride. I’m excited to learn more as I begin leading more and more rides and adventures.
All this to say: believe in yourself. Most things turn out better than you can imagine! Taking on a new challenge might be scary at first, but the things that you’ll learn and the experience you’ll take away from it will be worthwhile.
What about y’all? What new adventures or challenges have you been tackling lately?
—Carissa