Day 5 ATV Day

Today was ATV Day.

It ended up being one of the most expensive days of our vacation—and definitely the one that required the most planning on Robb’s part. There are tons of rental companies to choose from, so Robb had done his research ahead of time to find the best one for us.

With the size of our group, we needed two 4-passenger ATVs. The company had trails available to ride on, but we were a week early in the season, so they weren’t yet delivering the ATVs directly to the trail. That meant I had to drive a vehicle towing a trailer—loaded with an ATV—through the mountains for an hour. Not exactly my comfort zone. My stomach was in knots all morning from the stress.

I kept telling myself, “I’m a capable adult. I can figure this out.” Robb gave me a heads-up to tell the rental company I’d towed a trailer before. Gulp. I just hoped I wouldn’t mess anything up—because a wrecked ATV would make this day a whole lot more expensive.

The morning got off to a rocky start. We were trying to get everyone out the door early, and the plan was to just pick up Bryce on the way. But when we got there, we found out everyone 18 and older had to be present to sign waivers. So, I had to turn around and go back for Bryce and Bree.

Of course, when we returned to the rental office, neither of them had brought their licenses. You’d think teens would automatically carry ID—but we’ve run into this with Brook too. I’ve learned: you must spell it out—if they’ll need ID, tell them. We ended up just telling the company they wouldn't be driving, which at that point felt like the easiest solution. We were ready to get going.

Bryce, Bree, and Emmy rode with me to the trail. I actually did fine towing the trailer—though the beat-up 2004 vehicle they gave me felt like it was about to fall apart climbing the hills. Still, we made it to the Switzerland Trail, unloaded the ATVs, and we were off.

Everyone was a bit nervous about riding with Caleb, who’s known for his need for speed. Bryce drove one ATV with Bree, Abby, and Emmy, while Caleb took the other with Robb and me. Caleb handled the ATV well but definitely drove too fast at times. The trail had a mix of other riders—Jeeps, motorcycles, even a guy on a bike—so he could’ve used a bit more caution, especially around blind corners.

We rotated drivers throughout the day. Bree, Abby, and Robb all took turns and had a blast. I didn’t drive—it just wasn’t that important to me, and there was already a constant scramble for more driving time.

The weather was perfect—not too hot, and the rain held off until we were done. We had the entire day to ride and explore different parts of the trail. By 4:00, it was time to return the ATVs, so we loaded them up and made the trip back. First-time trailer hauling: success.

To wrap up the day, the kids played pickleball that evening. This ongoing need to be the pickleball champ is cracking me up.

Can you tell which vehicle liked going through the mud at full speed?