06/19/2026
Disclaimer: Long and full of a combination of facts AND opinions. The opinions are my own, and might not 100% align with the beliefs of the club as a whole. There's likely to be some stuff that you may find silly. There might be one or two things that make you scratch your head. There might even be things that make a cartoon light bulb over your head light up!
It's been a while since we've done this. Since riding season is now fully upon us, it's probably time for a refresher.
Regarding "club rides":
You do not have to be a club member to ride with us, but we do ask that you follow along with a few guidelines or rules. Some of you have heard or seen this a hundred times, some of you will "ha ha emjoi", some of you may roll your eyes. It's cool, as long as you read and understand. Some of this may be bordering on ridiculousness to some of you. Remember: if it's being said here, it's likely been an issue in the past.
~We ask that if you are going to join us, your ATV be registered. Your registration money goes straight to the state ATV program; it's where clubs get most of their money for trail building and maintenance. We are all aware that there's a registration sticker shortage for whatever reason; previously registered machines can be done online. New machines can be registered at IF&W HQ in Augusta. The club is NOT responsible for your fines, just sayin'.
~We ask that -whenever possible- you join us from the ride starting point, and not join a ride already in progress. We have a driver's meeting from the kickoff point, and expecting the details of the driver's meeting to be duplicated multiple times along the route is, well... rude. If you must join in progress, jump in line before the tail of the pack. There's a reason why a designated person brings up the rear: it's so the leader can be assured that we have everyone. This segues us into the next:
~We ask that you ride single file and stay approximately in the same order. It helps make sure we haven't lost anyone. If you want to be in a different order after lunch or after a break, that's one thing.
~Ride with your lights on! "Lights on" isn't so you can see where you're going during the day; it's so you can be seen, especially in the rain or dust!
~Related to the above: please don't drive beyond your sightline or ability level, especially in the dust. You aren't going to be left behind. 99.9999% of the time we are going to be on marked trails. Stay on the trail even if you lose immediate sight of the person in front of you. If we come to an intersection that has more than one legal option, we are going to stop or slow way down until everyone catches up.
~That said, we don't leave people behind. If you have equipment problems, let someone know, don't go until it blows up! If you have equipment failure, there are usually open seats in a SxS if we need to leave your ride behind. We'll likely tow you to the next town or highway crossing, abandon your machine, and get you and your truck/trailer back to it after the ride. There are often enough mechanically inclined people on the ride that we can apply a band-aid enough to get you out of the woods.
~On the note of being left behind... If you deviate from the plan, or leave the group for any reason, you are no longer the club's responsibility. If we tell you clearly that the ride is a brown bag lunch, and you decide to peel off and go to a restaurant and wait an hour to be seated, another hour to be served, and half an hour to eat, that's on YOU, not the group. If you're not at the rendezvous point at the specified time, it's all on you. (We have been known to wait a *reasonable* amount of time, with clear communication. If the departure time is 1PM, and you let us know you're going to be 5 or 10 minutes late, we'll probably let that go. If the departure time is 1 PM, and you call us at 12:55 to tell us your 16" loaded pizza is going to be another half hour before it comes out of the oven, you may be on your own. If you decide to peel off and go say "Hi" to your brother-in-law, who has a camp just a little ways down this other trail, that's on you.
~Our events are family-friendly. The use of recreational drugs or alcohol is frowned upon. A beer or a drink with lunch is one thing, if you must... however, a 30-pack in the cooler in the back really isn't the image we're trying to promote.
Please arrive at the morning departure point, ready to go at the designated time with a full fuel tank and an empty bladder. Assuming that our route is going by a popular fuel stop in the first few miles of the ride is likely to be misguided. If you have known mechanical issues that will slow progress, please do the right thing and sit out the ride, or ride with someone else. If you have a "slow leak" that needs air every 5 miles (and know about it before the ride), it's not fair to the others. If you have a "slow leak" that needs air every 50 or 60 miles, and you're appropriately equipped to deal with it, that's obviously less of an issue. That said, stuff happens during a long ride. Breakdowns out of the blue are a different animal entirely.
We try to share details of the ride, especially the approximate distance, time, and availability of fuel along the route. If we tell you there's fuel at the destination, which could potentially be 80 miles away, and you're only capable of 60 miles on a tankful, you should probably pack extra fuel! If we tell you it's apt to be a 12-hour day IF there are no breakdowns, please don't get irate if it turns into a 14-hour day! Bring extra, warm, dry clothes. Bring plenty of water or Gatorade, and bring lots of snacks. And bugspray. When Ms. Wendy and I go out for a big ride, we pretty much pack enough to survive an overnight in the woods... maybe not comfortably, but we're not going to be cold, hungry, or dehydrated. Being bummed out because a ride went awry is understandable, but it's better if you're not hangry or dehydrated!
In a group ride of 20 or 30 people or more, there's a real possibility that there may be someone you don't care for. That's OK. We don't all have to be besties - though it'd be cool if we were, wouldn't it? :-) . We DO need to be civil and respect each other.
It's ATVing in the wilds, stuff IS going to happen. That's part of the adventure. Wrong turns, bug bites, and breakdowns are nothing to panic over.
If you take nothing else away from this, know we're not going to leave you behind. I have been left behind. I can tell you, even with 45-plus years of off-roading experience, being left behind SUCKS! Especially in an area you're not familiar with! A year ago, I was part of a large, long ride, and 3/4 of the way back in the pack, a new rider was having mechanical problems, 20 miles from the lunch spot. A dozen of us stayed behind and made sure they made it to the destination. The rest carried on with no concern whatsoever. By the time we helped the people limp into the lunch area, the others were preparing to depart. I'm unlikely to ride with that organization again because of this.
Be good to each other, communicate with each other, and know the plan. Most of all, BE SAFE! Ambulance rides and LifeFlight rides are no fun and wicked expensive!
See you on the trails!
~trailmaster
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