Desert Trip: A short story from Kaiser Willys

While we may disagree on the best nickname for our Willys Jeeps, the best way to restore them, or even what color to paint our treasured collectibles,  I think most Jeep enthusiasts will all agree on at least one thing: there is nothing like the adventure of taking them to places unexplored… Here is one story about a memorable trip to the New Mexican desert… Hope you enjoy.

Desert Trip: (story submitted by Michael Hodges, photo above of Chuck Mitchell’s CJ-5)

“Danny just couldn’t climb it, so he was the first one left behind. The rest of us climbed on. Steve, our guide, stood expertly on top of the plateau waiting for us as we all gazed on the vast New Mexican desert. In front of our group, the entrance to the cave’s mouth was large enough for four men to stand side by side with outstretched arms and only cover half the distance.

As we hiked into the darkness of the cave, the walls began to close in, until one by one, we each squeezed through a small hole in the cave wall to continue. “Fat Jerry,” who wasn’t really fat but hardier than most, wished us luck and headed back to Steve’s CJ, parked and waiting patiently by a clump of desert weeds, rooted in sand and dust. One by one, the rest of us became restless as we made our way further through the winding cave. “It’s too dark in here,” muttered Chris, as he staggered behind, speaking for all of us as he asked, “Steve, how much further?” When that pin of light finally grew into our exit, I was relieved to be out of the ground.

Three hours had passed since we entered the cave, and now we were at the bottom of two enormous rock faces looking down a dry riverbed. Steve said quietly, “We’ll have to walk down the wash for a ways to get to the water,” so we made our way down, talking about one thing or another. Suddenly, something like ten or eleven wild horses came running out of the mesquite trees directly in front of us. Steve yelled, Mike screamed and I ran like a little girl. I’m not proud of that, but it was funny, post horse stampede. What they were running from we never figured out, but seeing wild horses running across the open desert is something straight out of the movies.

Steve suggested we get moving if we were going to make it back to the river before dark, so we all continued down. The longer we walked, the quieter it became until there was no talking. “I hear it.” Mike said. “It” was the Rio Grande. Cool, fresh water is a spectacular thing to see after hiking up, through, down, across, and away from the New Mexican outback. What else could we do? We jumped in!
As the sun began to set over the landscape, we noticed the headlights on Steve’s CJ slowly rising up over the ridge. “It’s Danny and ‘Fat Jerry’” Steve said…  Before we knew it, we were all piling in together. As if emerging from a long dream, thoughts of work schedules and dinner plans began to surface, and as the jeep carried our voices closer home, the desert behind us faded, before disappearing completely in the New Mexican sunset.

Have a great day in Willys Jeep life!