Labor Day Weekend - A Weekend off the road.

A turn of the key, a twist of the valve on the tank and the nitrous is ready. The GM Race LT1 motor, fuel injected, super charged small block fires up. It is this “rail’s” turn to run the mountain. The path clear, dust dissipates; the course is a straight line, straight up, located at Sunset Crater National Park in Arizona, the course is a mountain side covered in lava rock. A crowd of enthusiasts wait in anticipation, the fuel pedal mashed to the floor, the paddle tires spin the horse power unleashed, a launch forward the intense ride begins. The first 100 feet rough, dips and grooves cut by countless attempts preceding this effort. The vehicle disappears behind the 30 foot pines; the sound of the roaring horse power makes clear the contender is making its way upward. A dust cloud rises and over the pines the rail blasts towards the peak. Full throttle, rear wheels spinning hard, clear view once past the trees, this attempt will be successful, an amazing effort as the rail clears halfway, velocity increases, it is an impressive combination of mechanical know how, and brass balls. A vertical drag race, he clears the top. The next part is just as exciting, the trip back down. Horse power can’t help; the brakes can control or defeat the attempt to return down the giant slide. This driver decides to provide a show and blasts back down the steep behemoth.

He is done with the show, next a dirt bike, two more atv’s hit the slope, some make it others make a quick u turn before gravity has them doing barrel rolls back down. This is a very interesting community, the only thing these individuals want to do is run the hill or watch whiles others dare to overcome gravity. Everybody, women, children, people of all ages gathering in the middle of this forest, accessible only by four wheel drive or ATV. Campers from all over the state “roughing it”, no facilities, no TV, no electricity, the only supplies are that which was carried in. They can be found in the many sand dunes, the back trails of any off road challenge, or just traveling in groups across an assortment of off road trails. The new horse if you will.

This past Labor Day Weekend I was invited by my friend Brad and his wife Valarie to go camping, quote, “We have an extra quad, why don’t you come and join us?” I took them up on it, working hard; putting in my efforts for my boss, and endless hours have drained me, why not partake in such an offer to simply leave the challenges of everyday life. A kiss and a blessing from my wife Susan, and a four hour drive from eastern Tucson takes me just north of Flagstaff, a wonderful change in weather. For those of you who don’t live in Arizona, Tucson averages 100 degrees in the summer and Flagstaff is in the 80’s. By Labor Day we Tucsonan’s have endured a long hot summer. To put into prospective the difference in climate, Saturday night there was snow on the top of San Francisco Mnt. Range, a delightful cold night and 75 degrees during the day. Besides, being in the high altitude and a wonderful soothing climate; enhances the prescribed relaxation efforts. Tucson is a desert, cactus, sand, rocks, rattlesnakes, and more cacti. Flagstaff – Pine trees stretching to the sky, grass, mountains, water, not a desert.

To my amazement this is a very different community, a combination of RV, ATV quads, side by sides, and dirt bikes of all sizes. An elderly couple drives by and waves while heading in their new side by side ATV to the trails. Kids riding mini quads, parents tend personally to their training, a close family out in nature, just playing. Parents tossing the football together, playing board games, cooking over the fire pit. Then the yell is given, Dad lets ride! The motors are started and together they go and hit the trail.

In this time of history when the family seems to be a combination of stress, daycare, video games, and take out, I take great delight in seeing the family unit participating as one without any of the iPods, flat screen TVs, or any of the mind numbing family dulling devices.

As mentioned this was new to me, the Yamaha 350cc Quad provided for my adventure was an automatic 2001. No high performance anything, just a functioning, mechanically sound form of transportation. Once I familiarized myself with the applications of the vehicle we were out on the trails. Hours could be traveled, every view new from the previous.

Slalom through the trees, one trial takes you to a breath taking view of the surrounding mountain range; another brings you to a valley covered in a lava flow, endless views of nature, no subdivisions, no mini malls, just trees. Rain clouds form, water falls from the sky; we find cover next to a Pine Tree that has seen 100 years of history. A bolt of lightning, a clap of thunder, the rain falls, a calm soaking precipitation, other fellow riders scramble to find cover, Brad and I simply sit and wait out the current conditions. The conclusion clear, a wet day on the trail is better than a good day at work.

In Arizona storms travel fast, a down pour comes and the sun follows quickly, so sitting it out is not a wasted consumption of time. I look across the cove and see a camp, the family rides in to gather under the canopy, the two little boys jumping excited, no regrets with current conditions, they talk to mom and dad acting out the previous adventure. More lightening, another group darts across the valley. A glance north shows the inevitable blue sky, the dark clouds above slowly head east, the constant rain subsides, a drizzle remains and we ponder the next direction to head off to. We consider a trip to camp for dry clothes, the direction is determined and we roll. As the rain dissipates the speed of travel increases, half way back the blow drying speed has made it unnecessary to change, another advantage in Arizona. A hard right and a different trail will lead us deep into the valley.

45 minutes of dodging trees, brush, high fast slalom through very strong pine trees, motivates concentration, accelerates the heart, driving skills mandatory, an appetite is developed. Yes food is a good plan, another trail heads towards camp. The main road located, now it is open throttle to camp. We alternate lead; one eats dust while the other blazes the route.

Approaching camp a stream of smoke indicates the coals are still hot from the morning fire, a quick stir, a couple more chunks of wood and the fire reignites. Dig a hole next to the fire, take a couple shovel scoops of the hot coal and the Dutch oven is ready to do its thing. A pot roast, potatoes and carrots, an hour of friends reminiscing about how we have suffered through the day of fun and relaxation, and the meal is ready. A cut of beef so tender no knife is needed, carrots and potatoes soaked in the natural beef gravy, oh my, roughing it is so terrible. Paper plates, a fork, and the nourishment commenced. Clean up consisted of putting the plates in the fire, forks get wiped clean, some hot water simmering in the cooking pot and we are ready to do nothing. Should we ride, but wait. A box of ding dongs gets cracked open. No calorie counting, it is a good old fashion sugar fix. A bit of a rest and another ride is on the docket. This time a contest, wood, we need wood for tonight’s fire, who will be the victor? I missed this one by a mile; carefully tying a few good sized logs of a fallen tree to the front of my quad I head back, proud of my gathering skills. To no avail however, Brad pulls up dragging a tree, fifteen feet long easy, his wife Valarie pulls in behind him dragging another tree, this one a bit bigger, maybe twenty feet, Brad shakes his head in defeat, her son Bruce has limbs tied to his quad and is dragging his own section of a tree, not nearly as long. I lose, Valerie wins. How many people this Labor Day weekend went out to gather wood with nothing more than a quad and some rope? No saw, no battery operated sawzall, what an experience. Then I notice, all over the camp people are clearing dead wood from the forest to warm their families for the night, what a different set of events.

On Labor Day Weekend One will usually find me barbequing and sitting on a couch watching the opening weekend of college football. But not this year, covered in dust and smelling like smoke I am having a great time.

A perspective if you will through the eyes of a city slicker born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, 5 years removed and living life in the desert, learning about nature and the many opportunities for family and relaxation. Not everything in life needs to scheduled, timed, planned, and executed to perfection. Jump out of the box, do something with no formal plan, take that trail, see where it takes you. We all need a good weekend out on a regular basis.

Otherwise what really is the point of everything we do day in and day out?