Seventh Annual French Lick TRIP REPORT

French Lick, Indiana - October 18-20, 1996

Written by participant Glen Jurmann

"I don't understand why anybody would take the risk just to get through that mudhole." My father-in-law was clearly confused, and in a way, I couldn't blame him. This was his first foray into off-roading, and probably the first time he'd been in a Jeep since World War II. On the other hand, this was the seventh Jeep Jamboree for my wife and I, and we thought he might enjoy joining us for a taste of what four-wheeling in a Jeep was all about.

For the last couple of years we have raved about the excitement of a Jeep Jamboree, talking about the thrill of seeing over a hundred Jeeps lined up ready to tackle the trails, the camaraderie of your fellow Jeep enthusiasts, the great cookouts, and the even greater trail leaders. We'd bragged about driving over rocks, fallen trees, stumps, streams, assorted obstacles, and, of course, the mudholes that truly test both the vehicle and the driver. We invited my wife's parents to meet us in French Lick, Indiana to get a chance to visit a little and share in this wonderful experience.

My father-in-law decided to give it a try on the first day--as a passenger. It had rained hard in French Lick Thursday night, so the trails were soupy at best, but our Red Group had made steady progress most of the morning. However, things came to a halt at a particularly muddy spot where the trail turned into a small hill. We watched in fascination as Jeep after Jeep tackled that mudhole; after about an hour the score was Mudhole 7, Jeeps 2. But then it was our turn to take a try at it. My father-in-law elected to be an observer rather than a passenger for this particular obstacle. I won't brag about great driving or the amazing abilities of our Jeep Wrangler, but will simply say that I somehow made it through the mudhole and up the hill without getting stuck.

Getting out of the Jeep, excited by the adrenaline rush of successfully beating the mudhole, I waited for the expected "congratulations" and "good work", but instead my father-in-law uttered the dreaded "I don't understand why anybody would take the risk just to get through that mudhole". At first, I was confused. He didn't seem to understand the idea that a car can get you from point A to point B, but a Jeep can get you there and make it interesting. But then as I walked around the back of our Jeep, it became clear when I saw the decal we had placed on the back window some time ago: "It's a Jeep Thing You Wouldn't Understand!" I guess you have to drive a Jeep to really appreciate one--and to understand why a Jeep Jamboree is the perfect place to drive one.

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