Real Winter Wheeling
Summer is over, and for that matter, fall is just a heartbeat from being gone. For the lucky ones in this country, the weather is mild enough to continue wheeling throughout the winter, while some poor souls lock their rigs away for the season. Then there are the diehards who couldn't care less about a little snow and cold, or even freezing rain for that matter. Heck, some of these people only get a month of good weather anyway, so 11 months of the year they battle the storms and misery as a daily way of life, then purposely go out into the boonies on a four-wheel adventure. If we want snow wheeling where we live in Southern California, it's a major trip to get some, and then the action is still pretty weak.
So here's the deal: We want to know about your worst kick-tail snow and misery trail ride, and want to accompany your group for our event coverage in the magazine. That's right-new places and faces and darn difficult wheeling in the frozen North or East or wherever the white stuff is falling.
We want some true hard-core stuff that'll be exciting to our entire readership. We want people to look at the pages and drop their jaws at the action they see, and we need your help to do it. Sorry, no pretty trees and light-snow-on-the-ground stuff. We want stuckage, carnage, and real-world wheeling to the max. We know it's out there, and we know you guys do it all the time.
Is that too much to ask? Real winter wheeling? Heck, I have a new pair of snow boots I'm dying to try out, and it's been a while since I slogged through a partially frozen creek just to hook up a winch cable or snatch strap. OK, it's been a real long time since I've been able to do that, and I do miss it.
But this call for help isn't without a few caveats, as usual. There are a few rules we need to abide by to do a story like this. First off, the area for the trail ride needs to be legally wheeled upon, and the trip has to be conducted in a safe and environmentally sound manner. Second, we don't provide insurance or plan trips. You invite us and we just show up at your event. Third, we usually like at least 8 rigs on these types of trips, and no more than 20. This keeps the trail moving quickly enough so we don't die in the wilderness. The number of vehicles is small enough so we can catch all of the action, but big enough to show a variety of rigs. And speaking of variety, as many different brands of vehicles on the trail really makes for a better story, as it offers something for all of our readers. Fourth, we like to keep our trips a bit hush-hush, because as soon as the word gets out it seems like everybody and their brother wants to show up for the run. It gets out of hand with 500 rigs.
Finally, unsafe wheeling, drinking on the trail, or just being a jerk will definitely not get you in the magazine, and could keep the entire coverage in the bottom of some drawer.
Sound good? The rules we live by may seem a little strict, and we don't want to ruin your fun or exposure, but we do want to show your group and our sport in a good light. If you're interested, drop us a line with photos of the area you wheel in and a few of the trucks you go with. Mail to Snow Run, 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048. We'll be picking a few groups to contact before the year is over, and while we still have a chance to go do some real snow wheeling. -Rick Pw