Let me start this off by saying I'm an idiot, and I'm never gonna do this again. I'm not doing anymore offroading until after high school when I've got the money and the freedom to do this stuff properly.

So a friend and I decided to take my stock ranger out on a couple of old trails by a local Reservoir. After school, we drove his towncar and my truck down. We ditched his towncar at the front of the path and got in my truck. The first 500 yards or so was all mud puddles. That was my first mistake. I'd say I got in a good 10 inches of muddy water. I gunned it through there, knowing I'd get stuck if I tried to stop. I got to the end of the little stint and turned off the path to go under these huge inter-state powerlines. It was wide open field, with grass and **** about 3 feet high. Lots and lots of fun. After a while we decide to go back. I drive about halfway back and my friend says "Can I take a shot at it?". I let him drive. That was my second mistake. We get to the original mud pits and I tell him we should try and go around him - seeing how I barely made it through the first time. So we start going around and all of a sudden he's gunning it. I'm yellin at him to stop and he slams the brakes, my entire front end jumps into a ditch. I was so pissed and we were so close to the access road. I tried to ease it out but my front tires were so dug in. I got out my come-along, recovery strap, chain, and some 2x4's and went at trying to rig up something to pull me out. We needed a pike so we call his dad, who takes 2 hours to get there. Keep in mind this is in the middle of a swamp with no trees and nothing to attach to. His dad gets there with a pike and we hammer it about 4 feet into the ground, rig up my come along, and try to wiggle me out. No good. His dad had to go because he's diabetic and didn't have any insulin. So I called this guy I know named Evan. He puts down what he's doing on a Friday night and gets geared up to come pull me out with his TJ. He arrives about an hour later (my friend and I were still going at it with the come along) with 2 other friends in the Jeep. We try to tug me out (This guy has monster boggers and a 6 inch lift). My truck weights more than his 4-cylinder, so they call another friend who comes with HIS lifted Jeep - 38's and a broken winch. They try to anchor tug me out but it still ain't working. This is when I call my dad (it's like 11 and he hasn't heard from me) and he flips out. So we call a THIRD guy who comes with a ****in' stock jeep with an electric winch. It's been 6 hours at this point. The guy rolls up (casually bobbin' through the mudholes), rigs up the cable, and yanks me right out.

This whole time I tried to avoid talking to my parents because I knew they would worry and get real pissed (it's technically still their truck). They didn't know I was going off roading (and I honestly wasn't intending to - it was just impulse). I know I was an idiot for doing it, but I didn't want to make the situation worse by getting them involved in the recovery. I was in an area that is apparently patrolled by 2 county sheriffs' offices and was way too far out for reckers to get to. There wasn't anything my parents could do.

But right as my truck gets yanked out, we see a flashlight bobbing down the path. We hope it's not a cop coming down (they'll arrest you on the spot and find a way to get your vehicle impounded). The guys I was with have had way more experience with any of this than I have and they weren't too worried (they've had a couple run ins with the sheriff, but gotten out of it). Turns out the guy coming down the path is my dad. Holy ****.
He said earlier NOT to go wheeling, because he didn't want his truck messed up. So he gets there, we drive my truck out. All the lifted boggers come out and everyone went home.

I'm out driving privileges for a month. It could be a hell of a lot worse.

Thanks for reading, here's some pics:

THIS IS ALL THE GRASSY PART. I stopped taking pictures when we got to the mud.









And we wind up in a ditch...



Unfortunately, I don't have pics of the mudslingers. One of the guys who came out first brought his camera (they apparently like to film all of their recoveries), and the beasts are on the tape. I'm hoping I get the file soon.

 

damn that sucks btw you picts dont work

 

first the pics don't work and second you shouldn't be wheeling in a spot that you know you can't bad things can happen. its happened to me before but you learn your lesson as you go.

 

Fixed the pics. I'm expecting lectures....I know what I did was stupid and I honestly was just being irrational.

 

oh just realized your in virginia. what part? also the cops take things like this very seriously in this state.

 

hey in in nothern VA herndon to be exact

 

I think you definitly learned your lesson on this one. Good thing you no friends who have rigs like that. They saved your but

 

Always bring a friend! I almost had the same thing happen to me, luckily I got out.

 

We're all entitled to a couple stupid mistake as beginners.

 

never let someone drive your truck #1... number two your lucky if you didnt bend the TTB arm or any bumper damage

 

True bout the axle arm

My stock locking hubs blew though. 2wd for me now.

 

Sucks about the hubs. But atleast you have a month to fix them.

 

You mean your dads stock locking hubs blew, not yours since its his truck....

Hopefully you pay and fix for what you broke on his truck.

 

Glad you learned your lesson! I freely admit I've been there done that (not with my Dad's truck as I always had my own though), but even though me and my Friends like to BS about the stupid things we did, the older I get the stupider they seem and knowing just how lucky I was at never getting caught, hurt or destroying anybodies property.

~HJ

 

that suck

 

Never go offroad alone. When I first got my truck me and my friend went mudding under some powerlines, I made it through a bunch but I lost momentum once and got stuck. Wound up having to call my buddy and have him pull me out in his dad's 4x4 F250. Cops came and wouldn't let us try to take it out without my dad coming since its in his name and legally his truck. He came and then we got it out and the cops left, but unlike you my dad didn't care and just made fun of me lol. I doubt I'll ever go mudding again, especially without someone in a 4x4 too.

 

dang, bummer man

a month without driving will be rough.

 

@korey

shoot man. you were REAL lucky haha. i mean, i know i got off easy - yours was just ridiculous. I'm surprised the cops didnt serve you a citation.

Just to let y'all know, it's not like it was my dad's vehicle that he drives. It's a truck that I've saved up for - paid him in full. He returned some of the money later so I could do upkeep on it/pay insurance/pay gas. I still owe him some on it, but it's not like I jacked my dad's work truck. But legally, even after I've paid him, it's his truck until I'm 18.

 

Its fun to offroad but when you get your first vehicle, I know its fun to mess around but you have to have some kind of respect for the vehicle.

 

My dad was happy when I took my 4x4 offroad offroading, lol. That's when I found out the 4x4 wasn't working, so we took it to the shop.

Haven't been really offroading since.

 

Haha good story man...well that doesn't give the right impression but you know what I mean. Buddy system is a must...

I remember my first 'stuck'; just got my full license, so I must have been about 17. I was being WAY retarded...I hit an old powerline trail that we used to be able to ride on,,,haha it was with my old truck (1990 2wd open diff ranger with street tires) and I was in some deep power trail lines... I don;t know what the hell I was thinking...and I was alone. got stuck in a mud puddle (that was bound to happen) and I knew I was screwed. after about 15 mins of me sweating ***** (not having ANY recovery gear since it was spur of the moment) and rocking back and forth I somehow managed to get out and back to the pavement... man I was stupid!!

 

weve all done it, when i was 16 i had a baja bug that i just got running and took it out to a trail behind my house and sure enough got stuck. i had to walk about 2 miles to get home, grab some tools and beg my dad to take me back and hope that i could get my bug on the road again. I luckily made it and my dad absolutely hated my bug from then on. Lesson learned.

Bummer about the month off, but now you know.

 

At least you didn't break anything and learned a lesson.

 

dang that sucks man

 

Been there done that. Going along on an innocent looking grassy field and hit a good sized rut- I had my front control arms buried pretty good when I got stuck. Lifted 4 cyl tacoma couldn't get me out, nor a Z71 silverado, it took a combination of the Z71 and a lifted jeep. Never again did I try that.