Adventures in a "girlie" jeep.....

My wife and I recently returned from a wonderful trip visiting our daughter, Kate, who is working at the 4UR guest ranch in Creede, CO.

We flew into Denver then rented a Jeep Liberty to drive to Creede. When our kids at home heard we were renting a Jeep Liberty they began referring to it as a "girlie" jeep.

"Seriously, Dad, do you know anyone who owns that car that isn't a girl?" was the question they posed.

Here are some stories of adventure while driving our "girlie" jeep.....

"How does the 4wd gear shift work?" While playing around on some gravel roads in the rain, we (I?) decided to try out the 4wd. I wasn't sure how to work it other than pulling up on the little gear shift next to the big one. I pulled it up and it worked fine.....low gear 4wd. We tooled around for a few minutes then decided to head back into town. The problem arose when I was unable to push the lever back down.....it wouldn't go back into 2wd! Katie thought it was funny. My wife however had visions of us driving back to Denver in low gear and didn't look to amused. After struggling with it for a few minutes it did go back into gear.....and all was right with the world.

"Flash floods and avalanches" That same night that we tried the 4wd, there was a torrential rain storm. It lasted a good 2 hours with an amazing lightning display across the mountains. We were taking Kate back to the ranch after having seen a play in Creede. It was dark, raining, and we were on a two lane paved road. I thought the two cars in front of us were going WAY to slow for conditions - yeah, a little hard to see with the weather, but 15 MPH?! Then the cars in front of me started to swerve. Just as I'm wondering "what are they doing?" I see some soccer ball size rocks on the road! We were driving along a sheer cliff and the rain had washed rocks onto the road. YIKES. We came upon two or three more areas where rocks had ended up on the road...from gravel to rocks about the size of a large watermelon. That will get your adrenaline pumping!

We eventually found the road to the ranch - a packed gravel road that runs along Goose Creek, an off shoot of the Rio Grande river. We turn onto the road and cross the bridge over the Rio Grande. As we do, we can see that there is water covering up the road ahead....and there are logs and stuff floating in the water......and the water is moving......and the road is quickly dissappearing in front of us! As Kimpa would later say.....my "man genes" kicked in - gotta save the family! I am freaked out. Kimpa and Katie are laughing as I execute a three point turn on a narrow road, in the dark, missing and confusing drive/neutral/reverse many times. By the time I get turned around the water is at the car.......we bolt back across the bridge and I endure the combination of relief, laughter, and comments by my wife and daughter. We decide to head back to Creede (driving thru the avalanches again!) and spend the night there - but not before Kate and Kimpa have me take their picture on the bridge as a flash flood is happening! *Sheesh!*

Good adventures.....driving around with the girls in the "girlie" jeep!