Trail Puddles!

[Kyle & Kari Frink]

1. Are you the person who guns it into puddles?
2. Or do you hold back and take it slow?

• We are a little of both to be honest, there are times when we will have some fun, that is if we know the trail really well, and have seen this area dry/void of standing water. Then sure just to have a little fun, but if it is a trail or puddle we are unfamiliar with, we will take it easy.
• Point in case, years ago when we lived out on O'ahu it was our second or third time out at a local off-roading area called K-point(short for Kaena Point). We had never been out there after any heavy rain of any sort. So I gunned it into a huge puddle and halfway through immediately regretted it lol. The steering wheel jerked from my hands with quite some force. After clearing the puddle we had found that I hit a rock jutting up from the bottom, this had forced the driver side tire sideways upon impact. The only real damage was the steering stabilizer blew hydraulics everywhere, so that guy was done for lol.

 

[Robert Jordan]

I personally am the one to take it slow. You never know what lies beneath that murky mess and I have had the unpleasant experience of destroying an A-Arm, wheel and tire by being careless. Not to mention how bad sandy water is for bushings and shocks. If you take it slow you have a better chance of your equipment lasting much longer. Also, When you gun it you create far more cavitation in the puddle thus washing out the sides and creating deeper ruts which in turn may hinder someone else's ability to travel down that path. It is better to be safe than sorry in this instance.

 

[Kyle & Kari Frink]

@Robert Jordan

Definitely better to be safe than sorry, but everyone in a while taking a chance could be worth it too lol.

 

[brien]

We're definitely the take it slow/safe type, especially for larger puddles and water crossings. Since we typically adventure in some pretty remote and unpopulated areas of the Sonoran Desert that are not often traveled by others, it's be pretty risky to take chances "just for fun". If we break something we're unable to fix on the trail by ourselves, it would be quite a hassle.

Not to mention all the extra wear and tear that can happen just from the gritty water alone as @Robert Jordan pointed out. Mud is even worse.

 

[Kyle & Kari Frink]

We're definitely the take it slow/safe type, especially for larger puddles and water crossings. Since we typically adventure in some pretty remote and unpopulated areas of the Sonoran Desert that are not often traveled by others, it's be pretty risky to take chances "just for fun". If we break something we're unable to fix on the trail by ourselves, it would be quite a hassle.

Not to mention all the extra wear and tear that can happen just from the gritty water alone as @Robert Jordan pointed out. Mud is even worse.

Once again a very valid and true statement, especially when you are super isolated from help or recovery.

 

[Cpyonker]

I generally take the entrance slow and accelerate through.

Just curious, is anyone here when the are just at a off-road park or something. One of the 2wd send it guys?


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[Kyle & Kari Frink]

@Cpyonker

1. Never heard of the group 2wd send it.
2. I don't drive a 2wd beside my human powered down hill bicycle lol.
3. Where is this park you speak of? Lol

 

[Kyle & Kari Frink]

@brien

Also still have yet to check out your newest video! Will do soon! Like right now lol

 

[tacoclifford]

How do you guys go about deciding if your going to drive through it in the first place?
Are you the type to do the blind man with a big stick to see the depth and bottom solidness?
Are you the type to go really slow and feel the bottom through the vehicle? So you just go for it and hope for the best?



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[Kyle & Kari Frink]

How do you guys go about deciding if your going to drive through it in the first place?
Are you the type to do the blind man with a big stick to see the depth and bottom solidness?
Are you the type to go really slow and feel the bottom through the vehicle? So you just go for it and hope for the best?



Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk

Sometimes both, only do I try it by how it feels under the tires of the vehicle if I know someone is ready to recover our rig.
The stick method/wadding across to see how deep it is, is also good to begin with.

 

[brien]

I'm in the desert so we don't get really big mud puddles regularly. Most of the water we encounter is during our monsoon season and it's typically in the form of rushing water in rivers and washes. If obviously shallow and not moving fast we just cautiously drive through, otherwise we have to get out and check it out. This involves things like tossing decent sized rocks into the water and listening for either the "clunk" of hitting other rocks (shallow water) or a "glug" (deep water). We also regularly wade into the water to check for hidden deep holes, washouts, and to check the current. Even if the water isn't very deep, the currents can be brutal. Since our precipitation comes in the form of monsoons, most of the time there's water its because it has flash flooded, and is therefore moving pretty fast.

For example, here's @1Louder trying not to get swept away while walking a crossing for us some time last year. We determined the current was much too strong and had to turn around at this point.

 

[Kyle & Kari Frink]

I'm in the desert so we don't get really big mud puddles regularly. Most of the water we encounter is during our monsoon season and it's typically in the form of rushing water in rivers and washes. If obviously shallow and not moving fast we just cautiously drive through, otherwise we have to get out and check it out. This involves things like tossing decent sized rocks into the water and listening for either the "clunk" of hitting other rocks (shallow water) or a "glug" (deep water). We also regularly wade into the water to check for hidden deep holes, washouts, and to check the current. Even if the water isn't very deep, the currents can be brutal. Since our precipitation comes in the form of monsoons, most of the time there's water its because it has flash flooded, and is therefore moving pretty fast.

For example, here's @1Louder trying not to get swept away while walking a crossing for us some time last year. We determined the current was much too strong and had to turn around at this point.

Appreciate the info! @brien

Recently saw someone using the "tripod" method to check/cross a fast moving stream. Don't know how helpful it actually is, but by using a decent size solid larger stick/small log. They placed in front of them moving sideways and leaned on the stick for support and it "supposedly" broke up the current making it easier for you to cross. Like I said never have I tried this but always looking to learn new techniques and yes a quickly moving current can be dangerous especially if it's deep enough and your vehicle has any buoyancy it will potentially get carried down stream. If you feel that is a concern, cross at an angle facing somewhat against the stream. It's the same concept as if you are swimming across any deep river, you swim for a point further upstream from where you want to go. Cause you will get forced back by the current and end up downstream, past where you wanted to end up.

 

[tacoclifford]

I was fishing last October in Pulaski New York. The salmon river. I never realized how crazy strong a current can be until then. Even knee high water has the potential to take you out, especially if there’s an unexpected hole.

But thanks for the input!!

 

[Kyle & Kari Frink]

I was fishing last October in Pulaski New York. The salmon river. I never realized how crazy strong a current can be until then. Even knee high water has the potential to take you out, especially if there’s an unexpected hole.

But thanks for the input!!

You bet! No worries, that is what this community is all about, or should be I think. Helping each other it that is...

 

[Louie559]

Depends on how deep it looks lol

 

[Lindenwood]

I am generally cautious, but on known trails have occasionally been known to think "hrmm, bet I can splash most of this mud off if I lean into it a little bit." That actually has paid off the couple times I've gotten her real dirty, and have been able to clean it all out with one spray cycle rather than 3 or 4.

It was also fun...