Death By Four-Wheeler - The Play by Play

Memorial weekend in my family means trips to the Ranch - an amazing piece of property that my aunt Keri and uncle Rick own. The ranch is just about 20 minutes from Zion National Park, one of the most beautiful places in the world in my opinion. Seth and I decided to take 2 airplanes and drive a total of 10 hours to be at our annual family trip. Trips to the ranch include paint balling, riding 4-wheelers, playing lots of board games, golf cart rides hunting for "Big Butt" and movie watching. This trip was no exception. Overall it was an amazing trip - but it certainly got off to the wrong start.

We pulled up to the ranch on Friday afternoon. I got out of the car, took a deep breath and enjoyed the beautiful view. Ahhhhhhhh, the ranch.

Within minutes Rick comes driving up on his new toy, a 2 person four-wheeler. The ranch has 2 of them already but this one certainly was a new level of "bad ass". Rick enthusiastically says, "Wanna go for a ride? Hop on!" So I do.

Let me preface this story by saying that Rick is a kid at heart. No one is more fun to goof off with. My memories of Rick include him taking me home after babysitting his kids, on his motorcycle, while singing Boy George songs. Other memories include trips to Disney World where the two of us went on the Tower of Terror about 10 times in a row. I also think of Vegas and 4 days in Disneyland with the old Christmas Box House gang where I consumed far too many churros. He has brought a lot of fun and exciting times into my life.

Moving on -

I hop on the ATV and Rick takes off.


Now when I drive I am very slow (too slow) and cautiously. Rick on the other hand feels much more confident and likes to drive a little crazy. Within seconds on the vehicle I was white knuckled and nervous, but laughing. Rick then says to me, "Lets go jumping."

Jumping?

Oh no no no...

Trying to be the cool niece that I am I say "Ok!"

Now the "jump" used to be a small bump in a flat dirt path. But when he said "jumping" he really meant "jumping". We go flying off the edge of this big hill that I have never driven an ATV on and I swear I almost peed my pants. I gripped the handles and closed my eyes, preparing for the worst. But we landed just fine, and I laughed. Rick turns around and flies back up the hill. We catch a little bit of air - and I was scared, my eyes were once again closed, but we once again landed. I started to relax and realize "Oh Becky calm down, you are going to be just fine."

And then we decide to take one more jump...

(enter ominous music)

Rick turns the four-wheeler around and we are on our way back to jump down the hill. We hit the top of the hill at high speeds -


catch more air than the last jump...

The back wheels hit the hill and catapults me out of my seat!

My legs fly off the ATV -

My left foot kicks Rick in the head -

and I am mid air -

Yes this is a real picture of me in mid- air. Just go with it.

This is my brave stunt double reenacting the mid-air flight.

I do a flip in the air and land right on my tail bone.

The next thing I know I am eating dirt and sliding through the bushes. When I finally stop I think to myself "Oh no, I broke my tail bone." and I lie there without moving.

I hear Rick come to a quick stop on the ATV - I hear him jump off and say "Oh no oh no! Oh my gosh Becky are you ok!?"

I respond "It's ok, I am ok. I just need a minute"

I then look to the left and my shoe is right next to my head. It is then I realize I have lost a shoe in the accident. Let me just say it wasn't just a slip on, I was wearing my running shoes, and they were laced tightly on my feet.

I say to Rick "How did my shoe get there?" and start laughing - but it hurt.

About a minute later I hear another ATV driving up to

us. I ask Rick who it is and he says "It's Seth."

Oh good. Seth. He'll know what to do. He's a PA. He'll take care of me.

I have visions of Seth jumping off his four-wheeler and running up to me in a panic - rescuing me from my pain and sorrows.

Instead he pulls up and starts laughing.

Yep.

I guess he saw me laughing and figured I was ok.

After a minute I catch my breath and Rick slowly pulls me to my feet.

Oh man my lower back and my butt are just screaming. My pants are ripped covered in grass stains. My arms and legs are scratched and I am covered in dirt. Completely covered in dirt.

I slowly make it back onto the four-wheeler and get a ride back up to the house where I proceed to sit on frozen hash browns and pop the IBU.

I was in a lot of pain that night and for much of the weekend. Each day I feel better and I actually was able to run 4 miles today so I'll be just fine.

But I do have to say my right butt cheek is covered in about 5-6 bruises that have changed from yellow, to green to blue and now black in color.

This was not captured in the reenactment - I know you must be disappointed.

And that is how I nearly died at The Ranch and created yet another memory with my uncle Rick. :)

The End.