Quadding 101

It is day two of rain here at the field station.  We are socked in.  Which is good for the Earth, but not so good for fieldwork.   But that is ok as we have been going hard since our arrival and we have a GC being installed today so we can measure more gasses.  That said, we got out earlier with some quads and bombed around the grounds to blow off some steam and learn a few things.

If you’ve never been quadding, you are missing a whole big hill of fun.  That sounds obnoxious and pretentious even to me, but I really think it is true.  And so I must define the word quadding, because is that even a real word?   By ‘quadding’  I mean ATV-ing four-wheel style.  It is exhilarating – a blast – a damn great time.   My good friend Brandon gave our crew some helmets and a few good tips and opened up some opportunity to learn on a rugged course at Meanook.  Seriously….  every last one of us had a great time. 

Some tips: 

Don’t be afraid to go fast into curves and lean into them (you can overcome the quad angling off good solid earth by shifting even ever so slightly to the opposite side).

Quad in pairs so when you try to wrangle your way over a log the size of your wheel, someone is there to angle you in the right direction when you find yourself anchored.  Puddles are sometimes a burden, also, if you navigate poorly.

Know the terrain so you can go wildly fast on the straight-away and slow down for the bucking bronco trenches. See also, point number two above.  

If you need to go under a fallen tree it is ok to put all your weight on one side of the quad to make room.

Big rubber boots that are awesome for wetland walking are not the best clutch workers.

I’m edified and still gaining courage and insight, and THAT seems a good metaphor for life.  Whatever the perspective, it was a great way to spend an early afternoon.