A Firm Line

The dry wash cut right across the bypass where an old culvert had washed out seasons ago. My headlights caught a ridge of loose shale and drift sand banked in the dip. I eased down the slope at a dead crawl, letting the front right suspension take the dip first to gauge the depth. Too much throttle in loose silt will belly you out before you notice you've lost traction. I tapped a flat river slab with the curve of my bumper, sliding it forward until it wedged flat into the trough. The rock took the weight solid. Kept the wheels straight, rolled through without a spin, and climbed onto the hard bench.