Beaver River
by Everet Regal
Title
Beaver River
Artist
Everet Regal
Medium
Photograph
Description
Not all adventures go as planned. After driving 2 1/2 hours, I was excited, wide-eyed and ready to explore a part of the world I had not been to in 35 years. I headed into the back roads of the Soft Maple Reservoir area hoping to find access to shorelines and beautiful compositions. Up and down I drove on dirt roads that lead to water, but one after another was a dead-end to private property and mostly gated. I finally found what looked to be a public access point for canoes. I headed up the dirt road knowing I would finally get a glimpse at a water view of some kind.
The innocent road of sand and dirt look harmless and was obviously used for logging. No sooner did I start an incline downward when I felt my tires quickly sink into very soft sand. It happened in an instant and I had nothing to do, but try to keep going and make a smooth wide turn to head back up. Within 20 feet my truck sank like an anchor fully buried to the frame. No cell reception, no idea how to tell anyone where I was even if I did. As I opened my door to access the situation, there was no more than a few inches of clearance between my door and the quicksand.
I had a tiny 3 foot shovel I've carried for years, but never used. I knew the only one who could get me out of this was me, but it looked like a one in a million chance that I could ever dig my way out and then, to where? I lay on my belly and I dug and I dug and I dug. I would try to ease the truck to move every now and then, but nothing. The instant I touched the gas to start a tire revolution, the truck would drop lower.
Shirt off, sweating, filthy, starving, cut hands, blisters and hadn't ate a thing yet today. I wandered around and found a couple 2 x 3 signs of plywood. I dragged them back and began digging again. I finally got the rear wheels onto the plywood. I dug all sand out from under the frame, dug in front of the front wheels as far as I could and tried to get moving forward. I made it about 2 feet and was completely buried back to the frame! I did this over and over for 2 full hours until finally I got enough momentum and miraculously was able to slowly drive up and out of there on a small trail with firmer ground. I was so relieved and amazed that I actually freed myself! I drove out and went another 1000 yards and found this beautiful place! Exhausted, starving, filthy, sweating and quivering from over exertion, I climbed to this spot and took this photo.
Out of the entire 11 hour trip, I may have got 20 minutes of shooting in. It was not the adventure I was looking for, but I'm pleased to have walked away with a handful of beautiful views.
Uploaded
February 8th, 2015
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Viewed 687 Times - Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 04/18/2024 at 3:41 PM
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