I read the forums a lot, but don't really post often, but something happened yesterday that I wanted to share. Everyone here talks about their Jeeps in so many different ways, but yesterday was the first day that I got out of my Jeep, looked at her, covered in mud and dirt and ice and snow, and nodded in pride, not because of what she's capable of on rocks or in the mud, but what she's capable just normally.
Last night I made the drive back home from Southern California, down through Cleveland National Forest, along I-10, to Austin, TX. If you weren't aware, that storm that came in hit most of that path and everything north of it. My experiences were varied, but here's a sample of what I saw during my trek...
1. Cleveland National Forest was covered in snow. Like, completely. I watched cars slide all over, and one guy flipped his pick-up truck right in front of me. I saw vehicles with hazard lights on, barely making it up hills, and the occasional car off to the side of the road, their skid/slide marks showing clearly what had happened.
2. In Tuscon, I found a pretty serious downpour of rain. Nothing outrageous, but again, it seriously impacted traffic and other drivers.
3. Towards the end of my time in I-10, I found snow and ice. Semis tipped over. One rig split in half from another hitting it. Cars stopped everywhere; some abandoned, some with hazards on. Rest stops were full of people, travelers and truckers alike. And police/workers helping control traffic or warning drivers of the dangers.
4. Farm-to-Market roads in Texas were the worst, though. For about a 100 miles I traveled through ice. Not just patches of ice here and there, I'm talking about a sheet of water thrown over a hundred mile area and frozen as soon as it hit the ground. You couldn't walk anywhere and not be on ice. At this point, I saw half a dozen cars at most--no one was driving--and those I did see were facing the same problems you'd expect--people sliding all over, families stuck because they were towing trailers in two-wheel drive cars and pick-ups up steep hills that had snow and ice on them.
It was crazy and intense driving for half the trip.
Through all of this, my Jeep handled everything like a champ. Never did I think, "I shouldn't be out here." If anything, I thought, "These people should not be out here."
Yesterday was one of those days that made me appreciate my Jeep again... if I needed such a thing. I love that how capable it is. I love the look. I love the compliments I get about it. I love the modifications. I love the customizations. I love taking the doors and roof off. But really, I just love my Wrangler.
So, I raise my glass to our Jeeps, and to everyone here on the forums--You've all made owning my Jeep an even more fulfilling experience.
May your next adventure end safely.
Last night I made the drive back home from Southern California, down through Cleveland National Forest, along I-10, to Austin, TX. If you weren't aware, that storm that came in hit most of that path and everything north of it. My experiences were varied, but here's a sample of what I saw during my trek...
1. Cleveland National Forest was covered in snow. Like, completely. I watched cars slide all over, and one guy flipped his pick-up truck right in front of me. I saw vehicles with hazard lights on, barely making it up hills, and the occasional car off to the side of the road, their skid/slide marks showing clearly what had happened.
2. In Tuscon, I found a pretty serious downpour of rain. Nothing outrageous, but again, it seriously impacted traffic and other drivers.
3. Towards the end of my time in I-10, I found snow and ice. Semis tipped over. One rig split in half from another hitting it. Cars stopped everywhere; some abandoned, some with hazards on. Rest stops were full of people, travelers and truckers alike. And police/workers helping control traffic or warning drivers of the dangers.
4. Farm-to-Market roads in Texas were the worst, though. For about a 100 miles I traveled through ice. Not just patches of ice here and there, I'm talking about a sheet of water thrown over a hundred mile area and frozen as soon as it hit the ground. You couldn't walk anywhere and not be on ice. At this point, I saw half a dozen cars at most--no one was driving--and those I did see were facing the same problems you'd expect--people sliding all over, families stuck because they were towing trailers in two-wheel drive cars and pick-ups up steep hills that had snow and ice on them.
It was crazy and intense driving for half the trip.
Through all of this, my Jeep handled everything like a champ. Never did I think, "I shouldn't be out here." If anything, I thought, "These people should not be out here."
Yesterday was one of those days that made me appreciate my Jeep again... if I needed such a thing. I love that how capable it is. I love the look. I love the compliments I get about it. I love the modifications. I love the customizations. I love taking the doors and roof off. But really, I just love my Wrangler.
So, I raise my glass to our Jeeps, and to everyone here on the forums--You've all made owning my Jeep an even more fulfilling experience.
May your next adventure end safely.
