The bike is my preferred exploration vehicle for dirt roads and gravel byways, but there isn’t always enough time. I had an appointment 40 miles away a few days ago, and an 80-mile round trip by bicycle is an all-day adventure, perhaps longer depending on road and weather conditions, so I took the Jeep. I could’ve made the entire trip on the highway, but I have a powerful yearning for dirt roads that is not easily denied. It started on the black dirt prairies of central Illinois when I was just a youngster, back before “Tricky Dick” Nixon and his Ag Secretary Earl “Rusty” Butz worked diligently day and night to destroy as many family farms as possible.
“Get big or get out.” ~ Earl Butz
My Dad was a master forager and one of his favorite Springtime endeavors was to cruise the dirt, farm roads between the agricultural fields and the interspersed woodlots, which were common then. He would drive slow enough to search out all of the numerous plots of wild asparagus, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and the much-treasured morel mushroom. That was the beginning of my love affair with dirt roads.
Devoted To Dirt
That was six decades ago and my devotion to dirt has never wavered. I spent a third of my life as a doodlebugger, driving hundreds of thousands of miles of dirt roads in the Western United States. Many of those miles were without air conditioning, and with suspension so stiff my spine would rattle. That would’ve been enough to knock the bloom off the rose for most folks I reckon, but not for me. I still can’t get enough, I have to scrape the dirt road residue out of my ears a few times a week with Q-Tips ;>)
Dirt roads are a path to solitude, freedom, and adventure. An autobahn, an interstate, or a highway might get you to your destination in a hurry, but is that good or bad? Often we miss out on the best part of the journey, to reach a destination or finish line that provides little joy or fulfillment. Dirt roads are riskier than pavement because you leave a bit to chance.
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” ~ T. S. Eliot
You could get lost or stranded. There aren’t many convenience stores, gas stations, or fast food emporiums out-there. But don’t our most powerful achievements occur when we take risks, hang it out on edge, and court failure? Many of my favorite memories include a dirt road and so do a few significant life lessons.
I told Vickie I was taking the Jeep to my appointment and then I was going to mosey back on the dirt roads, to see if I could get lost or stranded, or possibly find a few interesting images. She moaned and said she’d just finished cleaning all the dust out of the Jeep from our last dirt road adventure. I smiled and said, “Thank you!” Then I was off in search of some solitude and freedom.
