Lately, Mother Nature has been doing this super cool thing in the “Fall” and “Winter” months where you never actually know what the weather is going to be like. Will it rain? Maybe? Will it be 4 degrees? Who knows. It’s suddenly 65 degrees and we’re all confused wearing light jackets. And that’s all in one day. Welcome to Nebraska, family. Fall leading into winter lends for a lot of mud particularly out on those back roads, so knowing how to get out of a sticky(literally lol) situation will be important!
As such, here are some tips for when you get your wheels stuck in some mud.
DON’T PANIC
Never in the history of panicking has panicking been a productive solution to a problem. I know, I know. Easier said than done, but if you are able to take a step back and think calmly about how to handle the situation you are much more likely to get out. For example, the panicking part of my brain would probably slam my foot on the accelerator, and end up in a much deeper rut, both literally and figuratively. So when you feel those wheels spinning, but you aren’t going anywhere. PAUSE. Take a deeeeeep breath. Exhale… don’t hold your breath… you need to be conscious to think clearly, bro. Then follow the next steps.
SLOW AND STEADY DOES IT
This is some turtle and the hare stuff, here friends. Try to gently accelerate out of the rut, perhaps rocking the car a little as you go. If you are lucky, you will ease out of the mud, and you won’t have to take any further action.
SEEK HELP
If that doesn’t work, the next best course of action is to find yourself a helpful stranger, or call a buddy. Calm is also a pretty big component of this one too. You will want to use the same method as before-slowly accelerating and rocking-only this time there will be others pushing to help you out of the initial dip. Remember that there are people back there so if you slam on the gas, all that mud that you are trying to escape from is going to lambaste those attempting to help you out. Slowly accelerate and hope that he added boost from your friends, new or old, will get you out of there.
CREATE TRACTION
Still stuck? Your tires are probably lacking the traction they require to escape. Your next step is to try to create your own traction for your tires. Look around for twigs or leaves, anything you can lay in front of the wheels. If you want to be prepared for future times when you might get stuck in the mud, cat litter is actually an excellent tool in this situation. Other things that might help create traction around you could be an old coat or piece of clothing, a car mat, a blanket, gravel a board, or even a piece of cardboard.
ADMIT DEFEAT
Know when you’re beat, man. It’s ok. You’re still a winner, ok? Mud is a tricky beast, so sometimes DIY isn’t going to get you out of there. After you have tried all of the above without success, call for a tow, or ask a friend, and maybe in the future simply stay away from that area in the future!
If you do spend a lot of time traveling down unpaved back roads or have to travel through muddy areas, consider stopping by Harchelroad Motors of Imperial and Wauneta to get yourself a quality Chevy truck that can handle those kinds of conditions. If you already have an awesome vehicle that is literally made for muddy travel, make sure your tires are inflated and have enough tread. A bald tire is very likely going to get stuck in the mud! If they’re worn down and need replacing, stop by Harchelroad Motors of Imperial and Wauneta to get yourself some new tires.
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