Splashing through puddles and driving in mud???

[1leglance]

Ok I need feedback from the group here on the "right" thing to do....
First some background..last weekend I ran the Camino del Diablo trail and I fully admit I enjoyed that rare thing we get here in Arizona called puddles. I fully admit I loved the effect of water splashing up as I hit the puddles with some speed. Now I have gotten feedback that splashing through these puddles is bad for the environment in that it displaces dirt from the road bed. I had not considered that since the Camino is regularly graded by the Border Patrol.This keeps it flat & level in order to lessen abuse of thier rigs and to better spot footprints of crossers. But if splashing in puddles is uncool then I want make sure I don't do it in the future (I know there are other reasons not to do it like, water in the engine compartment and such but boy was it fun).

The other concern that was raised was driving in the mud, as this creates rutts and that is bad for the trail also. Again I wasn't concerned on this trail due to the heavy use by Border Patrol but I would like some feedback for the future on other trails. And over the radio we opted not to follow exactly in each others tracks but just to the side in order to "squish" the road flat again vs deeper rutts.

The bad weather was part of the adventure for us and the amazing sites we saw of the raging San Cristobal wash, the green folage, the fresh smell after rain, the mini water falls at Tinajas Altas...all things that can only be seen during or right after rain.

So I would like feedback from everyone...
I can see not splashing through puddles if it does have negitive impact.
I can understand about rutts but then do you only go out in dry conditions?
I think foul weather is part of overland travel so not sure what to think on this one..

Looking to improve my habits and knowledge so let's hear your thoughts everyone.

 

[DaktariEd]

Sorry, Lance,
I don't want to get involved.
You're obviously a criminal....splashing through puddles and all. :safari-rig:
You know, I have my reputation to protect...

So...I wouldn't lose any sleep over this.

I'll bet most of us would do likewise!

I usually take it easy through puddles, though honestly I can't remember the last one...too rare here in AZ.

As for ruts...can't really avoid them. The more you try to edge to one side, the more damage you might be doing to other vegetation along the trail. Pretty soon everyone is crashing around the ruts and the damage is far worse than just going through.

Just my 2 cents,

Ed

 

[Skylinerider]

If you go around puddles in the trail you effectively make the trail wider which is not good. I just drive right through them.

 

[Scott Brady]

Yeah, a big splash, displacing material widely would not be considered "light". However, if the speed was necessary to make the obstacle, then it was what was necessary. And on that trail, the surface will be graded any day.

I was just there (a day ago), so I know what you were up against. Those silt beds were nasty, but could be traveled at moderate speeds.

 

[viatierra]

It is definately best to go through the puddles. El Camino Del Diablo in particular had significant problems with this. Sections of the trail were closed due to damage created by people leaving the trail to drive around puddles & mud. I would say that if you are in a sensitive area and the road is really gooey, keep in mind that chewing it up will make it more difficult for the next truck/group... temping them to drive off the trail to get around.

 

[viter]

It's not a river with it's own ecosystem, it's a puddle - temporary water on the road, so I wouldn't worry about "destroying the environment". hey, I could make an argument that you are "disrtibuting" nutrients dissolved in puddle water to the "environment" around the road by creating big splashes and thus "serving the environment"

and like others said, from everything I've read before, remaining ON the road is always more "environmentally correct" since you are messing with the road and not the "untouched" nature around it, even when it involves driving thru mud and water on the road.

I think people get a bit carried away sometimes "protecting the environment" before giving a second thought to what they are actually talking about. just my 2 cents...

 

[Ursidae69]

The "environmental damage" (I use this phrase loosely) that could occur, that we should be concerned with, because some environmental groups are concerned with it, involves erosion. Going nuts in a flooded road will mobilize sediments. This really isn't as much of a concern on the C del Diablo because there are not sensitive riparian environments or fisheries nearby (I don't think) that could get affected by excess sedimentation. The main C del Diablo concern is simply road damage. The way to get through this with the least impact is to simply drive the speed necessary and not create ruts if you can avoid it and not to go around widening the roadbed.

Now, if the road you're talking about parallels a stream that has a salmon fishery in it, then erosion would be a real concern if a road is not stable and wet.

 

[toddunderscore]

Thanks for the information folks. I was with Lance the other weekend and trail abuse was on all our minds while traveling the road. The approach to San Cristobal wash was tense due to the visible rising of water on the road and deepening mud. I myself was concerned about stopping for an extended period of time while Jean Pierre waded out every 100 yards to make sure it was passable. I'd also like to add that any splashing that might have been unnecessary was NOT done on the preserve. The standing water in question was on the Barry Goldwater range where the graded roads were at least two lanes wide.

And Scott, the silt beds were so bad when we were there you almost couldn't tell were the road was. I imagine the Border Patrol was blasting through the mud the previous 24 hours desperately searching for a vehicle that never made it out of the Camino the night before. In some areas, the trail was so forked you didn't know which way to go. Exciting, yes. But maybe not the best laid plans to travel a road for the first time in those conditions regardless of the insisting approval of the Refuge office.

 

[Grim Reaper]

Yeah mud is bad M-Kay.

After all siltation never happens in nature. Dirt just never moves on its own before man came about.

You should go buy some carbon dollars and donate them to Al Gore to pay for his private Jet and his luggage to ride to hotels in Mercedes as penance.


Have you ever been to the grand canyon? :wings:


Tread lightly is a good thing. Move as little as possible but like all things Moderation is the key.

 

[soimu`]

how to wash a offroad car

 

[KevinNY]

Hitting puddles at speed is a good way to drive mud and silt into your alternator, starter, radiator etc. Fast enough and you will start to blow off licence plates and plastic trim. Slow as possible fast as neccessary. The guy in front of me hit this section too fast and stalled out at the end with a wet distributor.

 

[toddunderscore]

Excellent advice. We didn't have any debris in critical engine bay components so it sounds like we hit the obstacles just right (did have to spray the belts a bit though.) No one lost a plate or plastic trim either!

 

[upcruiser]

We have alot of wet, muddy weather in these parts. On small trails and unimproved surfaces, I try to be as carefull as possible in order to not displace sediment or dig uneeded ruts. The whole "I'm in the mud, I'm going to put my foot into it and show everyone how much mud I can get on my rig" mentaility is alive and well here. Like said earlier, going as fast as you need, but as slow as you can is the key for not only for preventing uneeded erosion, but also preventing a lengthy two hour rig cleanup after the outing. What always seems to get me though are the long slogs down muddy/wet dirt roads. I always seem to start off, avoiding the puddles and travelling slow through them when needed. I always end up kind of hauling *** after awhile, once the windshield has been doused enough that I know I'm going to be doing a complete powerwashing AND scrubbing of the whole truck. That's only on improved roads though that I know get graded and worked on regularly.

 

[Ursidae69]

Yeah mud is bad M-Kay.

After all siltation never happens in nature. Dirt just never moves on its own before man came about.

You should go buy some carbon dollars and donate them to Al Gore to pay for his private Jet and his luggage to ride to hotels in Mercedes as penance.


Have you ever been to the grand canyon? :wings:


Tread lightly is a good thing. Move as little as possible but like all things Moderation is the key.

Mocking the situation is not helpful, M-kay?

Of course siltation happens in nature, it's a natural process, but what I described, that you mocked, is not a natural situation.

Each little bit helps, that is the point here.

 

[Ruffin' It]

I've never understood off-roaders who hold contempt (ie. sarcasim) for preservation of the land they go so far out of their way to visit. There is nothing eco-freaky about trying to make as little impact as possible, even if the impact you make won't cause mass destruction.
Don't forget - the off-roaders that give us all such a bad name are the ones that think their little part won't hurt anything.

Sorry for the tone.

Yeah mud is bad M-Kay.

After all siltation never happens in nature. Dirt just never moves on its own before man came about.

You should go buy some carbon dollars and donate them to Al Gore to pay for his private Jet and his luggage to ride to hotels in Mercedes as penance.


Have you ever been to the grand canyon? :wings:


Tread lightly is a good thing. Move as little as possible but like all things Moderation is the key.