There is really nothing like a hike. All in one package you get exercise, you get to explore places you've likely never been to, and you get to be out in nature, with all the health and spiritual benefits that it can offer a person.
But unless you live out in the middle of nowhere, you have to drive to that hiking trail. And the roads you will face will look something like the picture above. What we are going to talk about today is driving on dirt roads in such a way so that you get to your hike, you can enjoy it, and you can make it home safely.
In case you weren't aware of it, the roads you will have to drive on to get to most hiking trails will be dirt. The one above is actually a pretty good road. There are no visible deep ruts on the main road, no visible rocks, and the washboarding is kept to a minimum. On the other hand, there are dirt roads like this that you might have to drive on:
A road like this can spell disaster for anything smaller than a lifted four by four truck, and here is where we will begin our discussion on these kinds of hiking roads. The first thing you need to do is to go online or consult a guide about the route you are going to go on, and the kind of road you will have to deal with. There are a lot of great hiking websites, like Trails.com that will give you good information, as well as road information. Most states have dedicated websites as well, such as hikearizona.com, which is an Arizona-only hiking website. These sites (and many more are available with a quick Google search) can tell you where you are going, and what kind of vehicle is needed.
One thing that you are going to find if you look at these sites or books is that they will say that only a four wheel drive vehicle is recommended. If that is what they say, it would be a good idea to listen. Very commonly, those hiking recommendations are made once, then not made again for five years or more. If the road that the reviewer looked like five years ago looked like the pic above, which could be crossed by most cars, it is very likely that five years later the rain and the elements have made it even harder to cross. So listen to the recommendations of those sites and books.
OK, so you have found your place, and they tell you that you have to only use a four wheel drive vehicle to get to the site. What do you do if all you have is a car and you still want to hike there? Actually, all is not lost. All you have to do is drive until you cannot safely go any further without risk of getting stuck or damaging your car (and listen to that little voice in your head as you are driving down the road. If it says you can't make it in your car, you can't make it. Park and save your car!). Once you see that you are at that point, find a place to park your car, get your gear out, lock the doors, and hike the rest of the way. Sure, it's more work, but it will be better than having to walk back home!
But lets assume that all is good. The road is usable by all vehicles, and you have decided to use those dirt roads to get to your hiking spot. How do you drive on that road? First off, lower your speed. You might be tempted to drive as you would on the freeway at home, but that is inviting disaster. There are few road signs on dirt roads, and even fewer road repairs. I have seen it happen many times where the road was straight, level, and relatively smooth, and then a corner is turned, and right in the middle of the road is a foot-deep culvert carved by the runoff from the last rainfall. If a street car hits that culvert at any high rate of speed, not only is a driver looking at massive damage to the car, but the driver could also be looking at massive damage to him or herself as the result of the accident due to losing control of the car after hitting the culvert. And if it's not culverts, it's rocks in the middle of the road, livestock (I have driven side by side with cows or horses on dirt roads more than once) and parked cars. If you drive slowly, you'll miss all of this and get to where you're going safely.
Another issue are washboard roads. These are called washboards because they resemble the old rippled washboards that people used to use to wash their clothes about a hundred or so years ago. They look like this:
According to The University of Nevada at Reno, washboarding occurs because of three reasons: lack of moisture, driving habits (hard acceleration and braking primarily), and poor quality gravel being used in the construction of the road. As a driver, there is literally nothing you can do about washboard roads except take them slow. If you have never understood the joke about someone being rattled so much their fillings (their teeth) are coming out, you will understand once you try and drive on a washboard road. Even going as slow as ten miles per hour, the washboarding will cause such a bad vibration in some cases that the driver has no choice but to slow way down. Other possible cures are to look for smoother areas in the road to drive on, but those tend to be hard to find. And for those who think that driving faster on the washboards will take care of the rumbling, take a lesson from me: I was working on a ranch in Central California back in the 1990s. Being as it was a ranch, all the roads were dirt, and the longest one had a pretty rough stretch of washboard. My job that morning was to get to work by 4AM, and drive some animals to a customer who was expecting delivery by 6 AM. I was running late, and seeing that the clock in my car said 4: 15, I drove on that dirt road as fast as I could. I think I even hit 50 MPH before it happened. All of a sudden the steering got really light, as if I didn't have any control over the car (which I didn't), and before I knew it, I had done a complete 360 in the middle of the road. Luckily, I scrubbed off enough speed to regain control of the car, and the high, sloping, banks of the road kept me from going off in to the fields during my spin. Going faster over a washboard only ends up in a loss of control of the car, and a driver looking for a new car. Go slowly over them. If you are going hiking, you are doing something to get away from society and the constrictions of urban life. Leave the clock behind, and don't worry about how long it takes to get there. Enjoy the drive, and get there safely.
Another tip I have for you is to not always drive on your side of the road, especially if the road is very rough. Now before anyone gets the fool idea to just drive all over the road all of the time not worrying about traffic, let me be clear and say that this idea is only for when you know the road is clear behind you, and in front of you, and when there is a section of road on your side that would be better to be driven around. Never follow this idea if you can't see (i.e. it's foggy, it's dark, you are close to the beginning or end of a corner, or an intersection of any kind.). Now that that's been said, let me tell you what I mean. If I am on a dirt road, and I am on a long stretch where I can see anyone coming in front of me or behind me for a good long distance, I will sometimes drive on the left side of the road if it's smoother or if there are obstacles, like culverts or rocks on the right side of the road. Once the roughness or the obstacle is gone though, I go right back to my side of the road, and I never stay on the other side for very long. This works because most dirt roads are not as widely used as regular roads. But even saying that, remember that there are many people who use dirt roads, so only go to the other side if you absolutely have to, and get back over as soon as you can. Of course, if you are on your side of the road, and you see a rock or a large culvert, along with a vehicle coming the other direction, you have to stop, let the other car or cars go by, and then drive around the culvert. Be clear though that you do not have the right to drive on the other side of the road just because it's a not widely used dirt road. Safely is always your responsibility.
Dust is another fun fact of dirt roads. If your car entered the dirt road clean and shiny, it will exit it dusty and dingy. It's just part of driving on a dirt road. Another tip, keep your windows up around any other vehicle that passes you or drives near you. If your window is down when a truck goes past in the other direction, you will get a huge helping of dust and dirt from the truck free of charge. And that dust will get everywhere, as well as mess with your breathing. You can keep you windows down the rest of the time, but any time you see a car or truck, roll them up.
Trucks and other drivers are another thing to focus on. Truck drivers, especially away from the city, seem to think they grow a cape when their truck tastes dirt, and that they can drive in any way they want, at any speed they want. They will go 30 MPH faster than you on the roughest road, and they won't worry too much about following distance or tailgating. This is something you have to keep in mind. Of course it isn't all truck drivers (and by trucks here I mean pickup trucks) but I have seen enough truck drivers go past cars in the rain and intentionally splash other cars, or pass cars on dirt roads and drive aggressively near the car to kick up as much dust, as well as get really close when coming up from behind to intimidate drivers. Again, not all truck drivers do this, but enough do it to merit the warnings. The best thing to do regarding truck drivers is let them go. Don't race them, don't try and get mad, just let them go. It is truly not worth it.
If you take to the dirt roads that your favorite hiking spots are on in a spirit of caution and respect, driving on those roads will be safe for you and your car. Remember to keep your speed down, be extra careful to spot road hazards, and keep a sharp lookout for other cars, especially trucks, so you don't get in trouble. Doing these things will mean your hike is extra special, and will mean that your car, and a relaxing ride home, await you at the end of the hike. Until next time...
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