January 28, 2013
We got back to our car, and I studied the map while Rich backed up and headed out of the parking lot. Imagine my surprise when I looked up and saw not the road but the riverbed coming up fast as we headed down an embankment right into it. It seems Rich decided it would be fun to drive this in our Volvo station wagon.
I gripped the armrest and anxiously looked out, not sure I was comfortable with this plan. At this point it didn’t matter as you can’t make a U turn. You have to keep your forward momentum, speeding up to get through patches of water and trying to stay on the hardest sand. Water would splash up on the windshield and Rich had to be quick about getting those wipers on so he could see. The riverbed has a lot of curves and you have to be on your toes! It takes total concentration and nerve. Rich had the nerve. I was nervous, but the danger of getting stuck also made it exhilarating.
When we got to Ninety Mile Beach, the sand was packed hard and we were able to make a U turn and head back up the riverbed. I will say this takes some driving skill, and I was glad Rich seemed to be up to the task. It got a little hairy at the end as we needed to speed up to get through a stream and up the embankment. A mother and child were walking slowly across the road we needed to end up on. Thankfully she pulled the child to her and we were able to zoom up and out. Had we slowed down or stopped, we surely would have gotten stuck. –Cyndi
