Clearance Crawl

I pushed past the patio stones toward the picnic table to test a low-clearance route. The crossbeam clearance measured barely eight inches off the dry lawn—tight, but completely viable. Dropping into a low crawl on elbows and knees, I navigated through the dappled shade. Halfway under, a dry fallen oak leaf blocked my forward lane. I planted my left palm, hooked the brittle leaf stem with two fingers, and flicked it clean out of the corridor. A final push brought me out the far side onto open grass. New underpass verified.