The ides of March. The time of year where Spring is knocking on Winter’s door, and kids get out to enjoy Spring Break for those that are in school. For me, it was time to try something new, hitting the desert trails on a RZR.
The idea behind renting a RZR for the day was to test it out and see if it would be something that I would enjoy enough to perhaps buy one day. A way to fill up one’s time during retirement. I head out to New River, the starting point of this journey, and I get settled into my rental, learn how to navigate the GPS, and strap on my bag and cooler for the day long adventure.
The guys helping me get ready comment that my gas gauge is stuck at the 1/2 way mark, but they state I have plenty of gas. It makes me a little leery, but it’s early in the morning I just want to get going. I trust that they are telling me the truth, and soon I’m on my way.
I decide to ride all the way to Crown King, an old mining town way out in the desert at the top of the Bradshaw mountains. I should have just enough time to make it there and back in the eight hours I have reserved the RZR for.
Rain clouds are all around me to the North as I go, sun and blue sky to the South. It’s cold, but I am well prepared for inclinment weather. I find the trail and soon all traces of civilization disappear, replaced with amazing desert vistas.
The further North I go, the harder the rain starts to fall. I’m covered in mud splattered awesomeness. My focus is intense as I boulder over obstacles on the trail, bobbing and weaving ever closer to Crown King. I happen to notice my gas gauge though is no longer holding steady at the 1/2 mark. It’s almost empty.
“Bastards!” They lied to me back at the rental place, but their is little I can do about it now. I’m most likely 15-20 miles away from Crown King, but there is no way I’ll make it to town and back again with my current gas situation. I do recall that Crown King has a gas station, but there is no guarantee of any fuel being available.
I decide to turn back around. I come to a little gas station in about an hour, fuel up, and see that the gas guage actually went all the way to the “full” line. Just a bunch of liars they are back at the rental place. I don’t let it damper my spirits though. I decide to ride South down to Lake Pleasant, which should fill up my afternoon before I need to return the RZR.
Back onto the trail I go, and find that a bunch of Spring Breakers are on the trails that are close to the highway where I got gas. Girls in tank tops and shorts that are looking down right miserable. I’m in a ski coat, beanie, and wool mittens. They tell me they aren’t from around here. I laugh and ride onward.
I take my time in the afternoon, stopping to shoot what I hope are some amazing time lapses. The weather, clouds and scenery are cooperating well with my vision of what I hope to capture.
Before I know it, five o’ clock is almost here, and so I race back to New River to drop off the rental. I could have submitted my receipt for the gas I had to purchase, but I didn’t really want to get into it with the rental place.
It might just kill my buzz from the amazing day I just had. I smile as I exit, thinking that I probably won’t buy one for a awhile, as I don’t have room to store it in my garage.
But it would be a great retirement vehicle.
One Reply to “RZR Ridin’”