Kellyex1450
Well-known member
So I recently had the pleasure of attending my first California Four Wheel Drive Association event at Panamint Valley Days. As someone who comes from a deep prerunner background, I’ll be honest—I had my reservations. In my mind, I pictured a conga line of Jeeps, all doing a blistering 14 mph, crawling through 97 miles of fire roads while arguing about tire pressure.
But reality? Reality hit me with a tire iron.
What I actually experienced was an awesome family trip to a stunning part of the desert, with legitimately challenging 4x4 trails. Not only did I have a great time—I’m already planning on going back. The money I spent was worth it ten times over.
The organization was on point. The kids had a blast. The runs were curated with historical info I never would’ve known just bombing into the area with my usual “go fast, ask later” prerunner energy.
Here’s what shocked me the most:
Everyone was awesome.
From event staff to the folks on the trails, it was just… good people.
I’m 42, and I was definitely younger than about 80% of the crowd. I brought two of my kids—ages 9 and 7—and because of that generation gap, I think we ended up having an even better time. Everyone wanted to talk to the kids, teach them stuff, show them cool things on the trail, and make them feel welcome. It felt like traveling with 200 extra grandparents, but the kind that actually like you.
The camping area was mellow. Like… suspiciously mellow. I’ve never been in a desert camp with that many people where everyone was respectful. No Roman candle wars. No dude blasting Cottonmouth Kings at 3 a.m. while revving his muffler-delete desert missile to redline and sowing Bud Light cans across the land like a farmer planting spring wheat.
Maybe I’m getting old. Maybe I’ve finally found my people. Hard to say.
The fact that you pay a small fee and get all this—history, community, good times—and the money goes toward keeping our OHV places open… that’s huge. At this point in my life, after everything the outdoors and OHV has given me, I know it’s time to give back. And honestly, what better way to “give back” than by being rewarded with awesome trail rides in awesome places?
If you’re someone who wants to get out there with your family or buddies, and you want a meaningful, enjoyable way to support the future of off-roading, I can’t recommend a Cal4Wheel event enough.
Because the truth is:
Public land isn’t guaranteed.
We need organizations like Cal4Wheel fighting the good fight and representing the OHV community in the positive light that 99% of us actually live by.
I went in skeptical. I came out a believer.
See you on the next run.
But reality? Reality hit me with a tire iron.
What I actually experienced was an awesome family trip to a stunning part of the desert, with legitimately challenging 4x4 trails. Not only did I have a great time—I’m already planning on going back. The money I spent was worth it ten times over.
The Event
The organization was on point. The kids had a blast. The runs were curated with historical info I never would’ve known just bombing into the area with my usual “go fast, ask later” prerunner energy.
The People
Here’s what shocked me the most:
Everyone was awesome.
From event staff to the folks on the trails, it was just… good people.
I’m 42, and I was definitely younger than about 80% of the crowd. I brought two of my kids—ages 9 and 7—and because of that generation gap, I think we ended up having an even better time. Everyone wanted to talk to the kids, teach them stuff, show them cool things on the trail, and make them feel welcome. It felt like traveling with 200 extra grandparents, but the kind that actually like you.
The Camping
The camping area was mellow. Like… suspiciously mellow. I’ve never been in a desert camp with that many people where everyone was respectful. No Roman candle wars. No dude blasting Cottonmouth Kings at 3 a.m. while revving his muffler-delete desert missile to redline and sowing Bud Light cans across the land like a farmer planting spring wheat.
Maybe I’m getting old. Maybe I’ve finally found my people. Hard to say.
The Bigger Picture
The fact that you pay a small fee and get all this—history, community, good times—and the money goes toward keeping our OHV places open… that’s huge. At this point in my life, after everything the outdoors and OHV has given me, I know it’s time to give back. And honestly, what better way to “give back” than by being rewarded with awesome trail rides in awesome places?
If you’re someone who wants to get out there with your family or buddies, and you want a meaningful, enjoyable way to support the future of off-roading, I can’t recommend a Cal4Wheel event enough.
Because the truth is:
Public land isn’t guaranteed.
We need organizations like Cal4Wheel fighting the good fight and representing the OHV community in the positive light that 99% of us actually live by.
I went in skeptical. I came out a believer.
See you on the next run.
