Embarrassed

TEujunga

TEujunga

New member
Almost too embarrassed to post this, but go ahead, have a laugh and tear me a new one for being an idiot.

I was wheeling alone on some back trails in the middle of nowhere on the Markagunt Plateau near Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah and came upon a mud hole. "How bad could it be?," I thought, and forged ahead.

I immediately dropped off a cliff into several feet of water, beneath which was the slimiest, stickiest, goopiest mud imaginable, and high-centered the T4R on the brink. Absolutely no traction at any of the 4 wheels. Tried every trick in the book -- nothing. Just as I was starting to panic about being stuck, I opened the door to get out and dropped my keys *plork* right into the muddy water.

I guess my guardian angel was looking out for me, as just when I was wondering whether I was going to spend a sub-freezing night in a mudhole or try to walk ~20 miles to the nearest town, two couples on a pair of side-by-sides came by at just that moment.

First I dug around in the mud until I found my keys in about a foot of water. We each had a snatch strap and D shackles, so we attached one end of each strap to the trailer hitch receiver and the other ends to the two side-by-sides. They pulled in unison while I applied power in reverse. It came right out! Thank God, and thanks to these kind locals for their help, who by the way assured me that people get stuck in that mud hole all the time.

Still 5 days left on my trip, but believe me when I say I'm done with the mud holes! :yield:
 

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We all do these mistakes and as long as you learn from it, the better. I do a lot of exploring by my son & I, using this I have as MUCH as possible to recover things myself. I also don't go into anything that is potential for problem, that giant hole that your driver front was in, I usually check it with a stick. I did my first river crossing this last year, it had a swamp, mud holes and a fast moving 15' wide creek with a 2' ledge on the other side. I stopped, grabbed a large stick and started walking across the beginning of the crossing. Ground looked super soft but was actually hard, the stick went into the ground almost a foot before entering the fast creek. I got wet along with very cold but I saw the creek didn't go above 2 feet and the bottom was actually pretty hard.

So what I was trying to get at is, I'm glad you're okay. I didn't do anything like this with my 4Runner till I had it lifted, tires and recovery equipment. :)
 
I can laugh at you dropping the keys, but everything else is scary. Lucky break with your rescuers, there were a few trails where I was alone and had to do some re-routing or backtracking in fear of getting stuck. Fun memories though!
 
Kotrin said:
We all do these mistakes and as long as you learn from it, the better. I do a lot of exploring by my son & I, using this I have as MUCH as possible to recover things myself. I also don't go into anything that is potential for problem, that giant hole that your driver front was in, I usually check it with a stick. I did my first river crossing this last year, it had a swamp, mud holes and a fast moving 15' wide creek with a 2' ledge on the other side. I stopped, grabbed a large stick and started walking across the beginning of the crossing. Ground looked super soft but was actually hard, the stick went into the ground almost a foot before entering the fast creek. I got wet along with very cold but I saw the creek didn't go above 2 feet and the bottom was actually pretty hard.

So what I was trying to get at is, I'm glad you're okay. I didn't do anything like this with my 4Runner till I had it lifted, tires and recovery equipment. :)
Click to expand...

A stick is the key... several places too.
 
Consider yourself lucky, the mud hole could have been much deeper.

It sounds like only your pride was hurt.

Thanks for posting the pictures.
 
Good learning experience for you, as others have said a stick is key and also making sure someone knows where you are going and when are you expected to return. Depending on the situation maybe more then 1 someone who would not be in the same car etc. - while its almost laughable to think of those circumstances, every fatality I have reviewed at the company I work for has been a Swiss cheese model of minor events that seem inconsequential and/or "that will never happen" situations that add up to a death or near death experience.

Random Side note: That looks identical to a mud hole that gave me my worst panel dent - alone, tested the hole, didn't have winch so decide it was too deep to go straight through so hugged the side and hit something (rock or root) that bumped the passenger side right up into a tree........but better then being stuck!

live and learn - thanks for sharing
 
By looking at your front plate, it seems you also did some river crossings.

Glad you got out safe and sound, I think if you had made it further in the side by sides would not have been able to pull you out.
 
OP great use or creation of the word "plork" ....when you typed that I got the feeling I was right there watching the unraveling
 
I usually carry a long hiking pole, but after seeing the bog you found I might start carrying a pair of hip waders also.

:behindsofa:.
 
The keys part is a little embarrassing I suppose, but if you wheel a lot you're going to end up stuck in a hole somewhere at some point.
 
Stoked you got outta there. Getting stuck in the mud isn't embarrassing at all! That's what Toyota made 'em for: To go places a unibody "CUV" can't go.

Embarrassing is pulling up to the mall in your brand new TRD Pro with 7,000 dollar Icon suspension, a supercharger and polished control arms. :der:
 
There's shit you do when you are with other people that you don't do when you are by yourself. It's one thing to challenge yourself, it's another to **** yourself. Only experience tells us the difference.
 
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